STILLWATERS

FENNES FISHERIES, BRAINTREE, ESSEX

Three day-ticket lakes are available all year round. Runs water carping and match fishing are on offer. Over winter, lure tactics have accounted for a great stamp of perch, averaging 2lb, with the biggest at 4lb 9oz. Bait and tackle are available on site. Contact: 01376 323285 Postcode: CM7 5LB

COLEMANS COTTAGE FISHERY, WITHAM, ESSEX

Despite a recent run of poor weather, Colemans is still producing fish, with all anglers catching in last week’s match, where the winning bag settled in at over 40lb. A variation of tactics will keep the bites coming, with pole fished maggots and pellets leading the way, closely followed by bomb and bread. Contact: 01376 516383 or 07710609597 Postcode: CM8 3EX

WILLOW PARK FISHERY, ALDERSHOT, HANTS

The small lake here is fishing its head off despite the cold, with 65lb mixed bags of carp and silvers winning the weekly matches. Simple pole and pellet tactics are producing most of the results. Hot pegs on the small lake for silvers are 9, 11, 13, with peg 2 holding mostly carp. Contact: 01252 325867 Postcode: GU12 6RE

HORDLE LAKES COARSE FISHERY, NEW MILTON, HANTS

Of the seven lakes here, Willow Lake and Tench Lake are worth fishing throughout the winter, with good mixed bags of carp, roach, skimmers and perch making an appearance. Simple pole or feeder tactics with maggots are best. If you’re after specimen perch, Bobs Lake is the place to fish. There are carp to 30lb on this day-ticket complex. Postcode: SO41 0GA Contact: 01590 683767 or 07709 853353 or 07811 522835

ORCHARD PLACE FARM, PADDOCK WOOD, KENT

Lakes 5 and 6 are famed for their F1 sport, and a 100lb bag is still on the cards. Try fishing the pole with pellet or maggot for the best results. Specimen lakes 4, 7 and 8 are producing plenty of carp during mild spells, when feeder fished corn, maggots and worm will work. Silver fish are showing on all venues in numbers, along with good perch. Postcode: TN12 6NY Contact: 01892 838576 or 07860 608218

RIB VALLEY FISHERIES, STEVENAGE, HERTS

Pegs 3-8 on Westmill Lake are producing plenty of roach and skimmers to pole fished bread punch and pinkie. A chopped worm approach is bringing plenty

of action from perch, especially around the island swims, where multiple fish over 1lb can be expected. Feeder fishing with dead maggots, as tight as possible to features, is producing bream, and carp into double figures. Postcode: SG12 0ES Contact: 01920 462200