Fishery of the Week
Three Ponds may be a holiday park, but this is serious fishing
Three Ponds Holiday Park plus your 2-for-1 vouchers
THERE are hundreds of lakes within holiday parks, but these are often given short shrift by dedicated anglers.
Seen as a place for novices who wield a telescopic rod with overgunned line curling off the reel, anglers that take their sport seriously tend to head to fisheries where they will sit side by side with others of a similar mind set.
But that idea is being proved wrong a lot more these days, with more holiday park owners ploughing money into the angling opportunities they offer and creating lakes that are an attractive proposition to all.
Three Ponds Holiday Park is a couple of miles from the seafront in Newhaven, East Sussex, has been attracting rave reviews for its incredible big-fish
potential.
GIANT TENCH
A double-figure tench is a rare beast, but there is a genuine chance of slipping the net under one at the complex at this time of year.
Kingfisher and Oak are both fishable on a day ticket, and it is the latter that has been causing a real stir.
Gardner Tackle and Stickybacked Mike Lyddon has toured the country searching for big fish and rates Three Ponds as one of the premier day-ticket tench venues.
“I was visiting the tackle shop for work purposes and got chatting about what was in the lakes. I wasn’t expecting it to be somewhere I would try, but when they showed me some catch pictures of the tench I was amazed,” explained Mike.
“There are stacks of fish between 4lb and 7lb and several grow bigger and would be a personal best for most anglers.”
HIGH STANDARDS
It is clear when you first take a look at the lakes that whoever put them together knew exactly what anglers would want.
The surroundings are stunning, with lots of well-maintained greenery and plant life to gaze at while you wait for the next bite. The local wildlife is friendly, too, with the resident robins practically taking maggots direct from your hands!
Pegs are well constructed and spacious and you can easily get two anglers on to the double swims – perfect for a couple of friends enjoying a day or ‘dadsand-lads’ sessions.
The tench may be the main focus but if they don’t take your fancy then Oak is packed with quality silvers, including roach and rudd to over 2lb, with huge perch to 4lb 8oz also stocked.
Kingfisher Pond has plenty of true crucians to just shy of 2lb, while the residents-only Heron
Pond has plenty of stunningly marked carp.
Entry to the complex and main car park is clearly signposted off the main road, but there is also access down The Hollows.
There are a couple of lay-bys by Oak Pond on this road. These look tempting to park in, but it’s best to avoid them as large trucks are known to travel at excessive speed down the narrow track. TACKLE TESTERS Once Mike had furnished Angling Times with all the details about the complex, it was time to back up the talk by putting a few big fish in the net.
Setting up in a swim in the middle of Oak Pond, he fed three spots before presenting leger rigs baited with different hookbaits over the top.
Within an hour of setting the traps he was into action, and the way the rod was bent it appeared a big carp was the culprit.
“I don’t think this is the case. I’m almost certain this is a tench – they fight incredibly hard in here,” said Mike.
It took almost 10 minutes for Mike to win the battle and make his point – sure enough, a beautiful 6lb-plus tench had nailed the bait.
Six others of a similar stamp fell in the coming hours and there was absolutely no doubt about just how good Three Ponds is.
“Holiday parks rarely get the credit they deserve but you’ll be missing a trick if you don’t give Three Ponds a go very soon,” concluded Mike. PRICES: Adults £7 one rod, £10 for two, juniors £7 and £5 CONTACT: Call 01273 513530 or visit www.threepondspark.co.uk LOCATION: Three Ponds Holiday Park, South Heighton, E Sussex, BN9 0TP