Refer to the Willinghurst plan to see which lakes we are discussing.
New
Lake (Lake 1 on plan)
This lake is connected to the Old Lake (Lake 2) by a narrow channel under
the little bridge. None of the lakes at this end of the estate is permanently
pegged, therefore it's a bit difficult to explain some of the swims, but I'll
do my best. Starting from the 'portaloo', and walking anti-clockwise, the bank
nearest to the newly constructed lake is the deepest, and the worst fishing
on the whole lake. It's 3 or 4 feet deep in the edge, but I've never known a
match to be won from it, and I've known some very good anglers actually blank.
At the end of this bank the lake turns left onto a short bank of about 4 swims.
The first 3 of these are very poor, but the last peg, right in the corner next
to the Old lake is a flyer. Fish up against the causeway bank between the lakes
with pellet and paste and you could win the match. Turn left again and you are
on the man made bank between the two lakes. The next few pegs, from the little
bridge and around the point are all good, and potential match winners.The straight
that we are looking at now comes down to the shallowest point of the lake. The
4 or 5 pegs on this bank are quite good, but rarely winning pegs.The pegs either
side of the narrow end of the lake can be very good if, and only if, the wind
is howling down the lake into this end. It doesn't happen that often unfortunately,
but when it does the fish just pile up into this corner giving the opportunity
of a huge net of fish and a day to remember. Around this final point, and we
are on the home straight, the longest bank on the lake. Any of these pegs can
produce good weights, but they wouldn't be my first choice of potential match
winners. The lake as a whole contains a lot of roach, so big baits are advisable.
The fish will come in very close to the bank when you are pleasure fishing,
but tend to be forced out to about the 6 metre line on matches because of the
keep nets in close.
Old
Lake (Lake 2 on plan)
This is
the original coarse fishing lake at Willinghurst. It's quite an old lake, with
a reasonable depth close in on many pegs.There is a long narrow island close
to one bank, with a narrow strip of water behind it, and that's where we'll
start our tour. There is a very good peg by the nearest point of the island.
You can catch carp over against the island, but they are very near to rushes
and trees, so you are likely to lose quite a few. It's very shallow in this
area, but there is a slight depression about halfway to the island and slightly
to the right of where you are sitting, and this is the real hotspot. Keep feeding
pellet and the fish will move in and feed there. It's a potential match winner.
The remainder
of the island is not normally pegged, although it is possible to catch a few
fish along there when pleasure fishing. We now come to the back bank. There
are some good looking pegs, with bushes along the waters edge, and these are
all capable of producing a winning weight on the right day. As on so many carp
lakes, wind direction makes all the difference, if the wind is blowing into
that bank then the fishing will be good. If it's blowing straight in to either
corner then that is a potential winning peg, you've just got to do it right
!. The next bank is the deepest on the lake, and although most of the pegs are
capable of producing a good weight, the outstanding swim is the little bridge
over the connecting strip between the two lakes. The fish swim backwards and
forwards through this bridge, and I've seen huge bags of fish taken only inches
from the bank in this peg. The next peg leading in to the corner is a real feast
or famine peg. I've won an open from there when the wind blew into it, but when
the water's flat calm it can be a real grueller. We're now on the front bank,
with the 'portaloo' behind us, and there are a couple of decent swims amongst
the rushes before we reach the point sticking out into the lake. It can get
very crowded on here on match days, with pole sections and landing nets everywhere,
we often have four pegs on here for our club matches !. I've fished dozens of
matches on the Willinghurst lakes, and I've never drawn the actual point, one
day perhaps?. They are all good, match winning swims on the point, and fish
can be caught on a variety of methods. There are just two more pegs on the lake,
between the point and the island. I've seen some very big fish caught from them,
but they're not easy fishing, with lots of reeds for the fish to charge into.
It's hook, hold and pray fishing. All in all a very fair match lake, with a
high proportion of match winning swims, and lots of scope for the pleasure angler.
Top
Lake (Lake 3 on plan)
Similar in size to the Old and New Lakes, this is a favourite lake for matches.
You never know where the winning weight will come from, and the lake holds huge
numbers of carp to around 10 lbs, and tons of small roach. There are often little
open matches here on Saturday afternoons, and 100 lbs winning weights are quite
common. Although the pole is the favourite method, big bags of fish have been
taken on the method feeder, and matches have been won fishing chum mixer on
the surface. There really aren't that many exceptional swims, best areas are
up the slope by the dustbins on the near bank, and the swims opposite on the
far bank. The shallow, left hand end of the lake is probably the poorest, unless
the wind is blowing into that end (very rare). The winning method and bait changes
from month to month on this lake. It used to be loose fed pellet, with banded
pellet on the hook, then suddenly the fish took a liking for paste rather than
banded pellet, and finally at the end of last summer paste with virtually no
feed whatsoever became the 'in' method. The narrow strip at the back of this
lake can be very good, especially by the little island, as can the tiny bowl
that is attached to the right hand end of the strip. There are some photos of
match catches from this lake here.
Main
Lake (Lake 8 on plan)
This lake is the largest on the estate. A former trout lake, it is very deep
compared to the other lakes, and although it has been stocked with tons of fish,
it has produced very poor match weights. It does however fish very well for
pleasure angling, and it holds some very big fish, with carp to over 20 lbs,
and roach to 2 lbs. Best spots are the two points on the right hand bank casting
to the islands, or pole on the deep left hand bank.
Other
Lakes
The other lakes on the estate are quite small and intimate. All are well stocked,
and are perfect for a quiet days pleasure fishing. You'll probably have the
lake to yourself, so have fun.
