STILLWATERS

CROOKES VALLEY PARK, SHEFFIELD, SOUTH YORKSHIRE

The lake at Crookes Valley Park is said to be 50ft deep in places, and there are numerous tales that surround this unusual water. The ghost of a girl who drowned in the 1970s is said to haunt this water, alongside mutated fish that were thrown into the water after failed university experiments. It has been said that a police diver once went into the water in search of a body, and after seeing the monsters of its depths he vowed never to dive down there again. There are also some cracking roach in this lake, and fishing casters on the pole will account for fish well over 1lb. Contact: Billy Clarke Fishing Tackle, 0114 255 1145 Price: Free fishing

LLOYDS MEADOW FISHERY, CHESTER, CHESHIRE

Good bags of ide can be had on Badger Lake, where a waggler approach can work well. Cast towards the far bank and feed maggots and casters, fishing the same or a section of worm on the hook. Also prime a line down the track that you can drop on later in the day. Expect to catch carp and F1s alongside ide and use light, balanced tackle. Contact: 01928 740710 Postcode: CH3 8BD

GRANGE PARK FISHERY, SCUNTHORPE, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE

Pellets are an excellent bait across all the ponds here, where fishing a short pole can lead to 100lb bags. Feed 4mm hard pellets and alternate between a banded 6mm or 4mm on the hook. Make sure to keep the bait regularly going in and be prepared to shallow up if you’re getting signs that the fish have moved up in the water. If you have some depth in the margins, feed 6mm hard pellets and fish the same over the top for some larger carp. Contact: 01724 764828 or 0797 0671943 Postcode: DN17 3PN

GYRN CASTLE, LLANASA, FLINTSHIRE

The secluded lake on the Gyrn Castle Estate holds some stunning carp that have been caught to around 28lb. Casting to showing fish works well at this time of year, and a high-viz hookbait can catch the eye of many cruising fish. Surrounding the castle itself is the sculpture of a scary fire-breathing dragon, and in its 200-year lifespan this venue is sure to have accumulated several ghostly secrets. Contact: 07809 678686 Postcode: CH8 9BQ