Fishery of the Week

Ulley Reservoir

AN ACTION-packed river season i finally coming to an end, and it’s time to look for new challenges in the coming months.

While commercials may seem like the obvious place to go and wet a line, many running water enthusiasts struggle to stay motivated on venues where that raw feeling of being out in the countryside in wild surroundings is absent.

But that doesn’t mean you should be putting your kit away until June 16. There are stacks of alternatives that will keep the passion burning, and Ulley Reservoir is a fine example.

The Sheffield fishery is as far removed from a commercial as you could ever get, a huge expanse of water covering more than 35 acres.

Carp don’t feature in the catch reports – instead, quality roach, bream, perch and pike are stocked in good numbers.

The beauty of the reservoir is that it takes a little time and effort to get to know it. Most river fans will tell you that their love of natural fisheries comes down to challenging yet ultimately rewarding sport. And that is exactly what you can expect from Ulley too. Bag‘em Matchbaits and Cadence-backed angler Steve Whitfield gets a thrill out of targeting rural delights, and he has certainly cracked the code to Ulley.

“I’ve had double-figure nets of roach, bream to over 8lb and perch of 3lb-plus. There are some giant pike in there well over 25lb too,” explained Steve.

“This is a huge expanse of water, but the swims in the bay as you walk out from the main car park are always bankers. The reservoir is extremely deep and you could be fishing in over 30ft of water just a few metres out. “You could go an hour without a bite, then all of a sudden have

a golden period where you get a quality fish every chuck... and you can’t beat that feeling of having worked for your bites.”

The closed season may stop you fishing your beloved rivers, but Ulley Reservoir is the ideal place to avoid the carp and get your natural water fix this spring.

PRICES: Adults £5.50, concessions £4.50. Season tickets £70 and £45. Car parking is £1.20 a day and season tickets are also available

LOCATION: Ulley Country Park, off Pleasley Road, Aughton, Sheffield, S Yorks, S26 3XL

CONTACT: Call 01709 850353 or visit the Ulley Country Park page at www.rotherham.gov.uk