Fishery manager and top, top angler, Mal Watson (mobile: 07966 890086), who fishes for Daiwa Gordon League, reckons his worms will be working well come the end of March … lucky Mal to have more than one! Two to three pints of casters and half-a-pint of Dendras is the bait requirement for a bag-up session. Kinder cup, feed every put-in, and a 12/13 metre pole line is also required. Catch shallow if you can should the carp switch-on (fish about 3lb) as foul-hooking becomes a problem downstairs. Big boys up to 16lb can often be found lingering down the edge, or further out on the bottom, but use pellet and corn. Island Pool (28 pegs), Meadow (60) and Moors (21) are all susceptible to the above methods, as is Bank (26), but you’ll get ‘pestered’ by 1lb-plus chub on this pool! The four little pools are just right for youngsters to have a go at, with Spring (10 pegs) full of skimmers, small carp and the odd Ghostie (that isn’t small), and the little pool behind Bank is solid with rudd to 8oz that feed like piranhas when any feed is introduced … and they ‘bite’! Day tickets are £6 with concessions £5 and after 1.00pm at this time of the year it’s £4.50 and £4 respectively. There is an on-site tackle shop and Karen serves up the food and drink in the 85-seater café and bar, and at weekends there is always a ‘special’ on the menu to accompany that welcome pint.

Midland Angler