“This scenic venue is a real up-and-comer in the North West. You can go there and catch as many as 12 different species!”
My local water is…
I fish matches at Old Hough Fishery in Cheshire, and I love it. It’s a real up and coming venue in the North West and great for pleasure anglers, with as many as 12 different species to catch in a session. There are 10 pools and over 200 pegs, as well as great facilities for a family day out.
Favourite swim
Boulders Pool has to be my favourite because it offers a real mixed bag of species including crucians, skimmers, carp, chub, barbel, tench and F1s. It’s quite narrow, so really suited to a pole angler like me. For rod-and-line fishing I like Big Max, which has a large island at around 30m range.
Best moment
My best moment came recently when I caught a fish of a lifetime during a match, in the shape of a 4lb 4oz perch. It was caught from Big Max Lake and bottomed out my grey Hydro elastic on the pole. I froze when I saw it and just couldn’t believe it when I glimpsed the size of its mouth.
Go to method
Most of the lakes are narrow, so the pole dominates. The only exception is Big Max Lake, where feeder or waggler fishing to the island at 30m is best. Pellets are the top bait, but when it gets a bit cooler, maggots will be the No1 choice for many. I always like to feed a chopped worm line for silvers, and you never know when a big perch may turn up.
Inside tip
Don’t ignore the margin! An awful lot of fish get caught there, especially late on in matches. The last hour can be devastatingly effective, so spend plenty of time feeding it up throughout the day.
Facilities
The site is very accessible, with parking behind almost every peg. The platforms are well built, so it’s great for disabled anglers. There is a good café which, unfortunately, is closed due to the lockdown, but a small tackle shop is also on site. Toilets are located near the shop.