Fishery of the Week
Weston Pools
“This is a stunning complex providing fantastic sport with all species”
IN SOME parts of the country prolific fisheries are hard to come by, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for on the quality front.
Dozens of counties across the UK have a much richer supply of commercials than Shropshire, but this western region can lay claim to one of the finest complexes it’s possible to find.
Weston Pools has become a major hit with match and pleasure anglers, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why it has become such a hotspot.
Put simply, this a fishery that provides the full package. The five on-site lakes (a sixth is just a mile away from the complex) were the brainchild of owner and passionate angler Mike Philbin. Months of hard work went into their design, layout and stocking before building finally started.
Take one look at the fishery as you enter for the first time and you instantly realise that it has cracked the formula for success.
Plenty of greenery has been allowed to grow up around the venue, although careful management means that all the stable and well-constructed pegs are easily accessible.
Once fishing gets underway you are probably going to expect the usual commercial menu of carp after carp – but you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Guessing what will take the bait next is nigh on impossible, with giant shoals of F1s, carp, barbel, tench, crucians, roach and bream there for the taking.
If that isn’t enough there is a well-stocked tackle shop, a café and a bar to grab a pint once a day of bagging has concluded.
Top matchman Giles Cochrane is heavily involved at the fishery and is always on hand to share his vast knowledge of the pools
Newly-crowned Fish O’Mania champ Andy May has to undergo a 100-mile round trip to Weston Pools, but he believes the effort is more than worthwhile.
“I’ve visited hundreds of fisheries over the years but Weston is without doubt up there with the best of the lot,” explained Andy.
“It is such a stunning complex which provides fantastic sport with all species. The helpfulness of the staff is also a big plus point, and if you are ever in need of a few tips or advice on the best pegs, they will not hesitate to put you on the right lines.”
When asked to pick his favourite lake at the complex, Andy paused for thought but eventually settled on Weir.
With that, there was only one place we wanted Andy to tackle up and show his skills for the Angling Times cameras.
“I want to catch everything that swims, and you can’t beat
worms and casters for that type of fishing,” he said.
Fishing the pole both long and short, he was soon into a busy rhythm, with fish of all sizes, shapes and colours coming to the net in four hours of bagging.
Even though temperatures had soared to almost 25ºC on the day, the fish stocks had clearly read Andy’s script and at the end of the session he had amassed well over 70lb.
“There’s a lot of hype surrounding Weston Pools but there’s no doubt it deserves every ounce of credit that heads its way,” concluded Andy. PRICES: £8 adults, £6 concessions CONTACT: Call 01691 671812 or visit www.weston-pools.co.uk RULES: No meat, keepnets only in matches, barbless hooks, and fishery feed pellets only