The most iconic crucian carp venue in the land reaches a milestone this month, 20 years of jaw-dropping catches. And the owners are confident those sky-high standards are here to stay.
Marsh Farm Fisheries in Surrey is home to three day-ticket waters; Harris, Hill and Richardson, all of
which have a solid reputation for giant crucians. No wonder anglers are willing to travel from all over the country to sample the unrivalled action.
FLOATFISHING FOR CRUCIAN CARP IS A FANTASTIC WAY TO FISH, OUR BUYER'S GUIDE HAS SOME GREAT RODS TO TRY.
Opened in April, 2004 to members of the controlling club, Godalming AS, the Farm has gone on to produce countless personal bests, with fish in the 3lb-4lb bracket being almost commonplace.
The complex is within a stone’s throw of where the official British record was caught – Johnson’s Lake, which produced an astonishing 4lb 12oz ‘cruey’ to top specimen angler Julian Barnes back in 2021.
Godalming club secretary Graham Harr played a pivotal part in creating the complex, and he told
Angling Times:
“Marsh Farm has always felt like a special place and, as it has evolved over time, it has always continued to be the best fishery of its kind."
"We are lucky to live in a part of England where the geology, water quality and climate suit crucians, in
particular. Within a 10-mile radius of Marsh Farm are two Godalming waters that have previously held the British record for crucians - Broadwater and Johnson's."
“We want to maintain an environment at Marsh Farm that is capable of supporting crucians, tench and rudd that rival those in Johnson's,” he added.
IF YOU'RE VISITING MARSH FARM, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SET OF THE BEST FISHING SCALES IN CASE YOU CATCH A HUGE CRUCIAN.
Big fish experts Matt Fernandez and Mike Lyddon have experienced some fantastic sessions on the venue and neither can recall a venue as prolific for big crucian carp. They had this to say:
"There are no mirror or common carp stocked, and this has prevented hybridisation. The bloodline of the crucians originated from nearby Witley Park, which was a famous crucian fishery back in its day, pointing to strong genes for the Marsh Farm fish,” Mike told us.
“When I first stepped on to Harris Lake in 2015, I instantly fell in love with it, and that feeling has never gone away since."
“Let’s be honest, where else can you go crucian fishing and have genuine confidence that a 3lb-plus fish is going to come your way, you can floatfish or use a feeder, everything works," Matt added.
It is hard to disagree that Marsh Farm is potentially the best crucian fishery in the country, with big fish in abundance, beautiful surroundings and great fishing. With the effective management continuing as it always has, it should continue to make anglers dreams come true for decades to come!
USING MULTIPLE RODS WITH THE BEST BITE ALARMS IS A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY OF TARGETING CRUCIAN CARP.
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