Spotlight on Old Hough Fishery
Follow this up-to-date form guide to the best of the best sport at this superb Cheshire complex
HERE at Angling Times, springtime fishing is all about getting out there and catching a bumper net of mixed fish – and at Old Hough Fishery in Cheshire you can do just that.
The 200-peg venue caters for all types of angler, with 10 lakes suited to pole, waggler and feeder enthusiasts.
With so much choice, it’s difficult to pick a flyer of a swim, so here’s our exclusive look into the most in-form pegs at Old Hough.
BIG MAX (33 PEGS)
Pegs 1, 2, 14 and 16 are currently the best, with peg 1 the flyer after it produced a 79lb 13oz mixed bag in a recent open.
All pegs have a chuck to the island and peg 30 is unique, as it has a small notch cut into it which is a good target for the Method feeder.
Yo can catch F1s and carp to 8lb on pellet and corn at 13m from pegs 10, 11 and 12, on the island shelf.
BOULDERS (20 PEGS)
Peg 1 on Boulders lies around 13m away from the island and has marginal cover in the form of a bridge to its left.
Peg 2 has been showing the best form recently and produced a 42lb 10oz bag in an open match. Peg 8 is another hotspot in that it’s directly at the point of the island, has a shot at some open water and also has reed-lined margins to the left and right of the platform.
Carp to 8lb will dominate, with bream, barbel, chub to 3lb, F1s, crucians, roach and tench.
GOOSE (18 PEGS)
Head to peg 1 from where a couple of matches have been won over the last few weeks. The island is only 12m away making pole and feeder work ideal, but the margins to the left are an excellent holding zone for carp and F1s.
The near and far shelves drop down to around 1m deep. Fish dead maggots over micro pellets in these areas.
LOWER BENBO (24 PEGS)
Peg 15 has been very good in matches and produced a 62lb 9oz bag to an angler fishing tight up to the island and down in the margins on maggot and pellet.
End pegs 12 and 24 are also very good as they’re directly in front of the point of the central island, which is only 15m away. Also, to the left of 24 and to the right of 12, lies a pegless bank lined with reeds and lilies which shelters a lot of carp during the warmer weather.
Fish meat over a mixture of micros and corn to catch F1s, barbel, grass carp and the odd chub to 3lb.
UPPER BENBO (24 PEGS)
In-form pegs differ each week on this lake but end peg 12 has fared well recently. The central island is only 14m from this peg and an angler fished here for a 65lb 15oz winning net in a recent open.
Alternate between fishing shallow up to the island with casters and maggots and down the near shelf with corn and meat for carp, tench, chub, F1s, roach and ide. Peg 13 can reach a bridge which is worth filling in with corn to use as a margin line.
LUCKY DIP (16 PEGS)
All pegs here have the potential to produce big weights, however pegs 1 and 15 have been doing well recently – with an angler claiming a 24lb 4oz bag of carp, tench, bream and barbel during a recent match from 15.
In front of peg 1 is a small bridge, which can be fished under at around 12m away. To the right you can reach the island at 13m, and you also have reed-lined margins in the small bay to your left.
MOSES (8 PEGS)
With only eight pegs, Moses is quite a secluded lake but packs a punch for its size. Pegs 5, 4 and 1 are currently producing the best weights thanks to the features they offer.
Pegs 4 and 5 have two bays to fish into as well as the slope of the island. Similarly, peg 1 can reach the point of the island and an aerator to the left, which are great features to target here.
A 37lb 9oz bag of carp to 5lb, F1s, tench
and barbel to 2lb won from this peg in a recent open.
PROSPECT (16 PEGS)
Fish tight to the island from pegs 7 and 8 with corn and meat to find F1s, carp, barbel and the odd chub to 3lb.
The water is around 3ft-4ft deep here and will soon come into play as the water warms up. To the left of peg 8 is the point of the island and to the right lays a reed-lined margin – making it a very versatile peg that will win matches. Peg 14 produced a 55lb 9oz bag.
WEST SOOTY (25 PEGS)
This two-acre specimen lake produces a lot of grass carp and catfish for anglers fishing pegs 19-23. The centre of the lake boasts a sunken island with an outer ring with varying depths.
These sunken bays provide holding spots for the catfish, and these pegs position you perfectly for these features.
WOODY END (12 PEGS)
This picturesque water is surrounded by trees, which offer a lot of wind cover for the angler. A shelf can be found at around a metre out which drops off to 3m in the centre of the lake.
Although a pleasure water, pegs 10 and 11 fish better than others. The reeds to the left of 10 hold carp and tench in the summer, whereas peg 11 features a lot of open water which fishes well shallow for crucians, carp and silverfish.