FUNTIME FOR THE FAMILY
With carp from 8oz to more than 30lb this peaceful location provides catching action for everyone from specimen hunters to their kids!
There are three ponds to fish at Four Ponds, but it’s not a crazy place – the fourth is a stock pond.
Kingfisher is the mixed lake and the Family Lake is well stocked with smaller fish including plenty of little carp, plus a specimen carp lake.
The Family Lake is completely surrounded by trees and is a tranquil haven for fish, anglers and wildlife. Kingfisher Lake, while having one very woody bank, also has some open areas. On the tree-lined bank of Kingfisher, presenting a pellet or paste hookbait tight under the branches is a favoured method for extracting quality crucians, tench and roach. A strong, short pole is the ideal tool for this type of attack, allowing the bait to be carefully placed beneath overhanging branches.Be sure to gear up with 6lb line, a size 12 forged hook and at least a 14 elastic as there are plenty of tree roots for the fish to bury their noses in.
Careful plumbing is needed to get the best out of this lake. The margins are quite steep, running off into water that can be as much as eight feet deep. Aim to fish on top of the marginal shelf for best results.
On the more open parts of this lake, pellets are still the number one bait for hordes of greedy little carp in the 8oz to 2lb size range. The margins are still one of the best parts of the swim to target, often fishing underneath overhanging grasses, but a long pole line out into slightly deeper water can also pay off.
Silverfish in nets to 30lb also feature, and the whole lake gives an excellent chance to catch good quality fish.
Whatever the species, expect them to be of a size well worth catching. For the really big carp and tench, you need to head for the Carp Lake. Here, every swim is built to accommodate a bivvy, as the lake was landscaped during the building process in 2005. A central island is the first choice of destination for standard specimen carp end tackle, looking for one of the 30 pounders that inhabit the depths. Try using 12lb line with a semi-fixed bomb, a supple trace with hair-rigged boilie and a PVA bag of pellets. The stocking is heavy on 20s, with around a quarter of the lake’s entire stock overthis weight. Regular nettings remove smaller fish to leave more room for the leviathans. A few tench to 9lb also swim the lake, patrolling the many bars and plateau looking for fruity boilies.
With fantastic facilities, brilliant fishing and a calming atmosphere, Four Ponds is a superb fishery
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