The Canal & River Trust (CRT) has revealed exciting plans for a northern reservoir that will offer something truly unique to anglers in the region.
Harthill Reservoir, a series of three ponds in Sheffield that currently boasts a healthy stock of carp and silverfish, is set to undergo a major redevelopment project that could ultimately see it rival the likes of CRT’s established ‘bagging superwaters’ Boddington, Drayton and Clattercote.
The venue will be netted and drained while renovations take place, then stocked with ‘lots’ of carp around the 4lb mark before being reopened in 2024.
It’s likely to have a similar stocking density to Boddington, the CRT’s flagship water that anglers travel from far and wide to fish.
Adam Dowd, technical fisheries specialist at the CRT, hopes that Harthill will be just as popular as ‘Boddy’.
“Currently there aren’t many pegs on there, but we plan to build 70, so there’ll be far more areas to fish,” he told us.
“Although the carp will be small to start with, they’ll grow fast, and we expect the venue to be a hit with local anglers.”
Public reaction to the plans has been largely positive, with the only worries revolving around the future of the current stock that includes roach to 3lb, as well as some hefty carp. Adam revealed that the structure of Harthill will be key to protecting these existing fish.
“The bottom two ponds are connected, while the top one is a feeder pool that pours into them via a waterfall,” he told us.
“When we drain down the lower ponds, the engineers are looking at ways to leave water in the top one for the existing specimen fish. Ultimately, we hope this top pond will become a specimen-style water to cater for different types of angler.”
