Fishery of the Week
We look at Leicestershire’s Peatling Pools
WHEN it comes to winter fishing, all that most of us want is a few bites – and at Peatling Pools you can be pretty sure of getting them.
Deep in the Leicestershire countryside, this attractive fishery boasts lakes for both match and pleasure anglers.
Big perch, bream, carp and silverfish can be found across the complex, keeping anglers busy all year round.
News reporter Freddie Sandford had a day on Malcolm Pool, one of Peatling’s three main pleasure lakes, and it turned out to be a session to remember. He takes up the story...
FEATURE-FILLED
“At half-an-acre in size, Malcolm Pool is the largest of the three pleasure lakes, and it boasts a range of swims.
Some of these are close together to allow you to sit next to a mate, while others are generously spaced, offering you a bit of solitude.
I chose a swim with a strong wind off my back, facing the most open part of the lake.
The depth here was around 6ft, but in other parts of the lake you can find deeper holes as well as shallower bays.
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to features, but in the brisk wind I kept things simple and set up one line on the short pole and another slightly further out on the feeder.”
INSTANT BITES
“Starting on the pole, I tapped in a tiny nugget of groundbait, some maggots and a few micros, and it wasn’t long before the float dipped.
A chunky 4oz roach was the culprit. A few more followed, before a string of skimmers, F1s and perch just under the 1lb mark took my maggot hookbait. It was bite-a-chuck stuff, but with the wind blowing ever harder presentation was becoming difficult, so I decided to pick up the feeder rod.”
CAGE FEEDER SUCCESS
“I’d been told that Malcolm Pool held a good head of silvers so I chose to cast a tiny cage feeder a comfortable 20 metres out.
Before I started on the short pole, I had a few quick casts to get a bit of bait down, and I was hopeful of instant action.
A pinch of maggots, fluoro pinkies and a few micros were squeezed into the feeder with a dark groundbait, and a gentle cast saw the feeder hit the exact spot I wanted it to.
Minutes after it settled, I had a few taps on the tip before it flew round, and I was met with a more substantial resistance than expected.
A quality F1 of around 3lb came to the net, and more followed over the next few casts with
skimmers, ide and barbel all adding to the mix
F1s are quite a controversial fish, but at Peatling they are in mint condition and have a vibrant buttery colour, so they’re certainly worth catching.
After an hour or so of catching the bites slowed down, so I pulled an extra few yards off the reel and clipped up again. This move resulted in another run of better fish.
I spent the rest of the day chasing the fish around the peg, picking off the odd ones from the left and right of the spot, as well as following them out as the day went on.
Come the end of the session I had a near-50lb bag made up of F1s, skimmers, roach, rudd, perch, ide, barbel and one bonus carp. Great sport.
So if you’re looking for a busy day’s fishing, you won’t go far wrong with Peatling Pools – visit them soon!”