Spotlight on Hallcroft Fisheries
Hallcroft Fishery is renowned for big match nets but there’s plenty for the pleasure angler to get stuck into as well
HALLCROFT Fishery is no stranger to holding big events, and the latest one saw all the entrants amazed at the numbers of huge carp that were banked.
The Retford, Notts, complex welcomed the latest heat of the bigmoney Maver Match This tournament and dozens of double-figure specimens were brought to the net, with plenty of silverfish also showing.
But the six well-stocked lakes and a stretch of the River Idle are much more than just match waters, with pleasure anglers also cashing in on the prolific action every day.
CROFT POOL (28 PEGS)
A mixed bag is on the cards on Croft and you can expect to land carp, tench and skimmers during your next session.
Worm and caster tactics on the long pole will help you attract fish of all sizes and species, while a banded 8mm pellet on the bomb or waggler will enhance your chances of picking out the bigger resident specimens.
Keep flicking a few grains of corn or cubes of meat a few metres out and give this a few hours to develop. Once the shoals move in you can expect a bite a chuck that could easily lead to an 80lb-plus netful in no time at all.
BRIDGE POOL (84 PEGS)
This lake is capable of some huge weights, and 100lb-plus hauls are not uncommon. Pegs are located both on the outer bank and the island, and at this time of year the waggler can be unbeatable. Keep pinging 8mm pellets over the top, casting every 30 seconds to create a commotion that will soon draw in the big carp.
Fishing shallow on the long pole also scores well when there is a ripple, with the margins often coming alive from mid-afternoon onwards. Follow the wind and you are almost guaranteed to put a bend in the rod shortly after starting.
RIVER IDLE
If you’ve enjoyed a day of bagging on one of the lakes, why not try something else for a quick hour before heading home?
The River Idle is a small waterway but it has fantastic potential, with chub over 4lb, barbel to 8lb and double-figure predators there for the taking.
Stick float and maggot will also produce plenty of silvers, with legered meat or large pellets a much better option when bigger fish are your target.
MOAT POOL (190 PEGS)
This is one of the UK’s biggest commercial lakes, and definitely the place to go for your first double-figure carp.
Both the outer bank and island have plenty of pegs, and a wide range of tactics will produce the goods.
Bomb and pellet or a cage feeder packed with dampened 4mm pellets chucked to the middle will work well, with a waggler cast over the same line a better option if the fish are sat up in the water.
Later in the day the big fish will come and investigate the areas close to the bank, and at this point meat 5m out or worm over groundbait down the margins will keep the bites coming.
If silverfish are on the agenda, fish a small section of worm over groundbait at 13m for lots of skimmers to 3lb. Parking is available behind every peg.
REED POOL (48 PEGS)
There are several large platforms on this lake that make it the ideal choice for dads and lads sessions or people with disabilities.
The great access isn’t the only benefit, though, and fishing big baits such as double corn or cat meat on the short or long pole will account for carp to well over the 15lb mark.
If there are a lot of anglers on the lake the shoals may congregate close to the island, and this is when a cage feeder packed with 4mm dampened pellets and a corn hookbait will come to the fore.
As with all the lakes at Hallcroft, the margins can be red-hot late in your session, with worm or dead maggots over groundbait proving particularly effective.
RIVER PONDS (28 PEGS)
These ponds were initially built as stock ponds but they are now exclusively used for pleasure fishing, with no matches at all staged on them.
Their small nature makes them less intimidating than their bigger brothers on site and the cover surrounding the lakes means they are less affected by the wind.
What you’ll hook on the next drop in is anyone’s guess, as carp to 12lb, bream, crucians, tench and roach are all stocked in numbers.
Worm and caster fished both shallow or on the deck will fool lots of fish, with pellet on the deck also scoring heavily.
CANAL POOL (20 PEGS)
With very few open matches held on this water, it is often available to pleasure anglers and it is the perfect place to head if you need a confidence-booster.
Almost every peg is around 13m wide and fishing close to the far bank on this snake lake will put you in touch with carp that average around 2lb.
Cup pellets into the shallow water and present a 6mm expander pellet over the top. Fish fairly light gear consisting of a 0.14mm hook length to a medium wire size 16 hook and you won’t go far wrong.
If bites dry up, try fishing in the deeper water down the track with meat or corn.