This pond can be very busy during the close season, especially at the weekends, although with 69 swims you can normally find one that is free.
With many anglers fishing for the Carp, the outstanding Bream and silver fish potential can often be overlooked by pleasure anglers unfamiliar with the water wishing to fish on the pole, the waggler of the quiver tip. The method feeder and maggots or pellet often account for large bags of Bream, including occasional Tench of all sizes and Carp from 5lb to 30lb+. 60 lbs of mixed species are quite common among pleasure anglers who know the fishery catches include Bream 5-6lb, with plenty of 8lb and occasional specimens of 10lb+. The silver fish can be excellent, with nets of good quality Roach to 1lb+ and Roach-Bream hybrids to 1lb and Perch being caught on the pole and those fishing the waggler.
The Carp will respond to standard tactics, with a large bed of bait producing multiple catches of Carp, Grass Carp and often include a Catfish. As the water warms up and the fish start to move up through the water, surface fishing can be great fun and quite productive.
Generally the Carp at the Lea can be quite accommodating, falling to most methods, including hemp and pellets, ground bait with corn, boilies, maggots, paste, worms, fish baits and bread with Method-feeders and almost any hook bait bringing good results. The larger fish, 20lb+ and up to over 35lb for both Common and Mirror Carp tend to be caught on bigger baits such as big boilies and pellets. If fishing is quiet, ring the changes to see what will work on the given day. The Grass Carp start moving as the water warms in late April and May and plenty are normally caught by maize, pop-up baits or even ‘zig’ rigs.
The large and very powerful Catfish are usually caught by accident by the Carp anglers, using heavy gear that is capable of landing such fish, although many may hook them only to have them surge off and left to wonder as what it may have been ! Few anglers have the equipment to safely weigh these large Catfish if caught, so please leave them in the water in a landing net, preferably held by a fellow angler or firmly secured to the bank whilst you quickly get some help. Please do not try to deal with them with inadequate kit, you will need extra unhooking mats, a very large and strong weigh sling and a serious set of scales.
Note: Please remember that only landing nets, keep nets, unhooking mats and weigh slings supplied by FAS and kept in the secure cages at the complex can be used on this fishery. See Byelaw 4.b.3 Page 9 of your Handbook.
The Small Pond is the Society’s premier match fishery and has been now for more than twenty years, capable of providing prolific sport for all of our members throughout the year, demonstrated by recent winning weights of 22lb in the latter stages of the Winter Series matches.
The dominant species are Carp up to 10 lb, Bream to 4 lb and large shoals of Roach and hybrids, Perch, Tench and occasional Crucians. The beauty of the fishery is its capacity to offer great sport in all seasons. Carp and Tench in the summer months, Roach, Bream and Carp in the autumn and Roach, Bream and hybrids in the depths of winter. Whatever methods you are comfortable using can produce large nets of fish with pole, feeder or waggler fishing all able to produce 50 lb + bags of mixed species whilst pleasure fishing.
Note: Please remember that only landing nets, keep nets, unhooking mats and weigh slings supplied by FAS and kept in the secure cages at the complex can be used on this fishery. See Byelaw 4.b.3 Page 9 of your Handbook.
This 16-peg fishery sited on the Badshot Lea complex has quickly become a firm favourite with both Junior anglers, pleasure anglers, Match Anglers and those seeking a ‘lift’ after some fishing on more restful venues.
Every swim has lily pads both sides and vegetation on the far bank with lush green grass swims making it a picturesque little water. The stockings have been generous to provide good sport for all seasons and hundreds of 8-10 ounce Crucian Carp: green and golden Tench to 2 lb 8 oz and Roach, Chub and Roach/Bream hybrids to 1 lb 8 oz and even some fingerling Barbel. Whilst the more accomplished anglers may usually catch the larger bags of fish on this venue because it has been designed to offer easy sport for the less experienced members and to train and coach our Junior Members how to float fish, the less experienced can still have a great day with plenty of smaller fish up to 2lb, but generally around the 4-10oz mark at present; though the Chub are showing up to 10oz and the Barbel already increasing in weight to about 4oz and giving a good account of themselves on light gear, it will be interesting to see how much weight they put on this year. You may wish to arrive early to get a peg, especially at the weekends.
Note: Please remember that only landing nets, keep nets, unhooking mats and weigh slings supplied by FAS and kept in the secure cages at the complex can be used on this fishery. See Byelaw 4.b.3 Page 9 of your Handbook.
Note:
Members need to be aware that there have been numerous reports of the yachts catching Anglers lines and wiping out entire spools of line. So please be aware to have rod tips down well below the waters surface to reduce the risk of this happening.
Note:
After heavy rain the water cannot get out quickly enough due to the restricted outlet engineered by the Forestry Commission. Therefore be careful if rain is expected and you are fishing overnight.
A great deal of work has been invested into the development of Mill Lane as a 'specimen' fishery, possibly one of the best ‘big fish’ venues on a general club ticket in the country, the size of all species being caught indicate that Mill Lane is truly a 'specimen fishery'. Recent seasons have seen several Carp caught to 40 lbs, good Tench between 8 and 9 lbs and of course the rarer doubles are present, huge Bream of 18 lbs plus and a few Grass Carp around the 20’s and up to 35lb.
The Carp fishing on these waters can be very rewarding, but is likely to require a serious and patient approach, whilst dealing with the inevitable Bream. Take a look at the Stillwater Front Lake and Stillwater Back Lake galleries to check out some of the fish. Due to the pressure on the lakes, the Carp fishing is difficult at weekends, with weekdays and quieter periods being the most productive.
Bags of up to 200lb of Bream averaging 3-4lb with some fish up to 7lb (Back Lake) and 9lb+ (Front Lake) have been reported by pleasure anglers on feeder methods and mixed bags of silver fish on the pole and waggler can be taken from most pegs, with Roach, Rudd, Perch, skimmer Bream and occasional Tench to 6lb being caught. The larger Tench tend to be landed by the Carp anglers, with a 10lb 4oz Tench caught from the Front Lake being the current Society record. Crucian Carp are present in the Front Lake and dawn and dusk into early darkness are the best times, using a sensitive float set up in the margins, with fish averaging 1.5 - 2lb and up to 3lb +. Eels have also been caught to over 6lb + and can offer an interesting option to those with an interest in this species.
This is an ideal general club fishery, being set in quiet countryside with easy access and parking, wooded walks to the swims where good mixed bags of fish can be caught by inexperienced as well as the highly skilled match anglers.
Tench to 4lb 2oz, Crucian Carp to nearly 2lb, Roach and Rudd around the 1lb mark and occasional Roach to over 2lb with Perch in lower numbers to 1lb 8oz. With recent Winter League matches producing 15lb winning weights, but finishing as the light fades when the Roach really come on the feed, large bags of mixed species to pleasure anglers are always on the cards.
This very pretty pond offers a pleasant place to spend time pursuing the stock of Ghost Carp up to 27lb 8oz with the occasional Mirror Carp that cruise around the two islands and the lily pads, with some Roach and occasional Tench also present and even a couple of Pike to 15lb.
Wyke is a small fish water containing primarily Roach and Rudd, Crucian and Tench and Perch. With most fish between 4 - 10oz and with occasional Crucian and Tench exceeding the 1lb mark and Tench up to 3lb, some of the original Crucian Carp are still being caught up to 2 lbs and the more recently stocked Crucians having settled in well in 2009 and came out in large numbers though they are of course smaller than the old fish. Tench show to 3 lbs on sweet corn, pellets and maggots from any swim and the Roach stocked in 2009 are now coming out at around the 4 - 10 oz mark.
A great water to introduce a young angler to the sport as fish are normally obliging and free feeding: the pole or a running line with a light waggler work well on this pretty and secluded water.
