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Your top venues
My local water is…
Gyrn Castle is roughly a 10-minute drive from my house. It’s such a special place, hidden away on a private estate. I have some great memories there. The Top Lake, or Specimen Lake, is the one I fish the most.
Favourite swim
My favourite feature is, by far, the dam wall. Carp can be caught under the trees on the righthand side, because when the gamekeeper drives up the road parallel to the lake spreading pheasant seed, some of it drops into the water, causing the fish to patrol up and down the bank in search of food. For catching the venue’s perch, I will fish just off the centre of the dam wall where the water is deepest.
Best moment
My favourite memory was when my best friend Connor Williams was float fishing under the trees for perch. He hooked a small ‘wasp’ perch and another of about 4lb-5lb jumped completely out of the water in an attempt to swallow the fish on the hook.
Go to method
For carp you can’t beat pop-ups on a Ronnie rig! When fishing for perch, I would suggest trying different depths with a cut-down lobworm. I use a size 10 hook to try and prevent the fish from swallowing the hook.
Inside tip
The venue has a head of crayfish, so when you’re carp fishing with bottom baits it’s best to reel in every 3-4 hours to check your bait. If you’re fishing at night, it’s worth putting on a pop-up that’s out of reach of the crays on the bottom, or using plastic baits instead.
On site
The venue has toilet and sink facilities that are well kept. There is also a ‘match pool’ which has a number of species including tench, bream, smaller carp, perch and roach.
In the area
The White Lion Inn is just a stone’s throw away and has excellent food and a good selection of beer. It also does bed and breakfast for anyone wanting to stay over.