50 | 9 JULY anglersmail.comWHERE TO FISH
NORTH WEST
TOP
ROD
E-MAIL YOUR PICTURES TO:
STILLWATERS
Belmont Pools
Where? Off A559, Antrobus,
Northwich, Cheshire, CW9
6JA. Lymm AC membership
£142.50. Tel: 01829 261197.
What’s being caught?
Members love these superb
pools for their often frantic carp
sport. Plenty of doubles coming
out, with occasional 20s. Just
a cracking place to fish. Lymm
also have a wealth of other
superb stillwaters.
Tactics? You can catch fish on
most sensible methods here,
but many anglers go with a
standard buzzers-and-boilies
approach. Pellets and corn on
a float can also be productive.
An early start will secure your
swim of choice here, as it can
become busy at times.Border Fisheries
Where? Waybutt Lane, Crewe,
Cheshire, CW2 5QA. Bay Malton
AC membership £80 with no
joining fee. Tel: 01270 820812.
What’s being caught? An
outstanding series of waters
that are absolutely stuffed
with fish of all species. Highly
recommended are the Match
Lake for its carp, the Specimen
Lake for its carp to over 20 lb
and superb roach sport, and
Gibbo’s Pool, which is perfect
for juniors or newcomers.
Tactics? Pellets are king at
this time of year, especially
on a pellet waggler, Method
feeder or a pole also good. Take
a range of sizes of hard and
soft pellets and you won’t go
far wrong. Keep line strengths
sensible, 6-8 lb recommended.Croft Field Lodge
Where? Lodge Bank, Brinscall,
Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 8QU.
Withnell AC membership £61
plus a £20 joining fee.
Tel: 01257 272392.
What’s being caught? This
pleasant, small water is home
to quality bream, roach, carp,
perch and pike, and has been
reliable of late for catches to
around 40 lb, depending on
conditions.
Tactics? You can find the
bream on long pole or feeder
over a bed of groundbait and
particles. The roach will come
close in on hemp and casters.
Carp on meat and boilies.Heapey Numbers 1 and 2
Where? Higher House Lane,
Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 9BW.
Wigan DAA membership £35.
Tel: 01257 474823.What’s being caught? Heapey
Number 2 is producing some
decent bream to 6 lb, roach,
perch and carp to doubles.
It’s best to visit on a dull day
with a good westerly wind,
due to the water clarity. Day
tickets are available, but night
fishing is not allowed. Number
1 is producing some fair-sized
carp to mid-doubles, as well as
bream to 4 lb, roach, perch and
a few tench.
Tactics? Feeder or pole can
score in these deep waters,
with worms and casters for the
bream. Carp anglers catch on
boilies and zig rigs, and night
fishing can be best.Ratherheath Tarn
Where? Ratherheath Lane,
Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9JR.
Day tickets £7. Windermere,
Ambleside & District AA
membership £75 plus a £30
joining fee. Tel: 07488 534113.
What’s being caught? This
lovely water isn’t always
easy, but the fish are superb
creatures. You stand a good
chance of landing stunning
carp to low-doubles, bream to
4 lb, roach and tench. A
fabulous place to try if you are
on holiday in the Lakes.
Tactics? Float fishing brings
lots of action on this sheltered
water. You can try feeder fishing
further out, but when it’s warm,
the fish can be caught close in,
so long as you adopt a stealthy
approach. Try casters, worms,
corn and pellets.Rishton Reservoir
Where? Cut Lane, Rishton,
Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1
4AP. Hyndburn & Blackburn AA
membership £50.
Tel: 01254 829558.
What’s being caught? Bream
to 5 lb have been caught by
those willing to tackle this large
expanse of water. There are
also plump roach to be had, if
your try for them on a pole.
Tactics? Pole and casters will
sort out those larger roach,
along with skimmers, at 12 m.
If it’s windy, the only option
is to fish a groundbait feeder
with a long hook link and to
catch fish on the drop at
25-30 m. Maggots and worm
pieces usually work well.Sandiway Lakes
Where? Overdale Lane,
Sandiway, near Northwich,
Cheshire, CW8 2BY. Members
only. Warrington AA
membership £50 plus a £40joining fee. Tel: 01928 716238.
What’s being caught?
Stunning carp to well over
20 lb have been banked here,
as well as tench to 7 lb and
bream close to doubles from
the bigger water of the two. The
water on the left of the lane is
also producing some cracking
tench, bream and carp to
mid-doubles.
Tactics? Lay down a good bed
of particles and fish over the
top with bright pop-ups, though
a lot of patience is needed on
this huge water. For the bream,
put in a good number of balls
of groundbait at the start, laced
with corn and casters.Starmount Lodges
Where? Brown’s Road, Bradley
Fold, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2
6RE. Radcliffe AS membership
£40. Tel: 0161 724 5425.
What’s being caught?
Crucians to 1 lb from the small
lodges, as well as roach and
bream to 2 lb. Some decent
bream to 4 lb and carp to over
10 lb off the Top Lodge.
Tactics? Pole and pellets are
effective, as are casters and
corn. On the Top Lodge, it pays
to add plenty of groundbait
first, and to fish early.Top Flash
Where? Hall Lane, Winsford,
Cheshire, CW7 4EB.
Members only. Winsford DAAmembership £45.
Tel: 07712 471762.
What’s being caught? A real
gem of a club water, where
anglers are catching some
decent bream to over 5 lb, as
well as quality roach. The carp
are never easy, but they are
amazingly hard fighters when
you hook one.
Tactics? Put in plenty of
pre-bait and attack with a
groundbait feeder, fishing
worm and casters or corn on
the hook. Method feeder is also
worth a try here if the bream
are finicky. Put out a ‘sleeper’
rod for the carp, baited with
meat or a boilie.Vale Royal Pool
Where? Vale Royal Drive,
Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 2BB.
Northwich AA membership £50
and no joining fee.
Tel: 07570 976539.
What’s being caught? A
pleasant, small pool that
produces good sport early and
late, usually with a few carp
to 10 lb, bream to 3 lb, tench,
crucians and roach, for a very
worthwhile mixed catch.
Tactics? Probably best to pole
fish with maggots, corn and
worms, or use rod and line and
a float. Keep your rigs fairly
robust, minimum 3 lb hook
length to a size 14 hook, to
guard against fish bolting into
the weedbeds.Local angler Gareth
Lydamore used a trimmed
white fruity pop-up in the
margins to tempt this 22 lb
12 oz mirror carp, at thissix-acre lake, controlled by
Pride of Derby AA, which has
carp to 30 lb.
Venue latest:
01283 702701.TOP
ROD
Grimshaws Lake, Sawley, South East Derbyshire, NG10 3AF.