Details
Hartley Lands Farm Fishery is an excellent picturesque fishery situated on a working organic fruit farm. All of the waters are close to the carparks. We are able to cater for disabled anglers.
Finches Pond
This pond is next to the Reservoir and shares its parking. There are 11 pegs. It is nearly always sheltered from the wind and rain by the wooded cover all round the pond. The depth varies from 1.2m at peg 31 end to 2.1m in the middle at peg 21. There are lots of marginal shelves and two small tree covered islands.
Finches contains carp up to 28lb, a good number of ""high doubles"",roach up to 1.5lb, skimmer bream, perch up to 4lb and chub to 4.5lb (mostly caught off pegs 21-3). Finches also contains Eric the Eel, when last caught he was 7lb, a few tench and rudd. In the summer evenings you will find most success with ledgered meat, worm or corn, floating crust and dog biscuit. To catch the roach or skimmers use a pole and caster. For the carp use a pole with strong elastic and larger baits fished either tight across or in the margins, in the summer months use a minimum 0.14mm hook.
Hennicker Pond
Hennicker is very sheltered from the weather like Finches. It is a small pond with 8 pegs and about 50m from the car park. It is mostly 2.1m deep with marginal shelves about a metre deep on both banks. The far bank can be reached by pole from seven of the eight pegs. There are reed fringes to most near side margins.
Hennicker contains carp up to 19lb and lots of ghosties and commons ranging from 0.5lb upwards with the majority of the fish in the 2-5lb bracket. There are also a few tench and perch. In the warmer months the best methods are sweetcorn or luncheon meat by pole or waggler in the margins, floating crust or dog biscuits on the far side or pole fished tight over (up in the water) with maggot or pellet baits. In the winter months use small baits, either maggot or pellet, as very light feeding will always produce fish. The match record for this pond was caught fishing up in the water with maggot after a hard frost!
Samson Pond
Samson pond is so close to the car park you can fish out of your car window! It is quite sheltered and has seven pegs. It varies in depth from 2m in the middle sloping up to 1m in the margins and is reed fringed all round. Samson pond contains carp to double figures although most are 1-3lb, lots of tench between 12oz to 3.5lb, a good number of roach, skimmers, perch to 4lb and gudgeon. Using a pole and waggler in the margins and further out will produce fish all year round. To select the bigger specimens use a ledgered bait positioned on the far bank shelf or next to the reeds. In the winter use maggot, small pellet or small worm. In the summer pellet, worm, sweetcorn and bread all catch well. On warm summer evenings floating bait such as crust and dog biscuit work well.
Woodside Pond
With five pegs this is the smallest pond and only 100m from the carpark. It is very quiet and produces good bags of fish all year round. It is 2m deep in the middle shelving to 0.5m in both margins. All the pegs are reed fringed and the farside can be reached by pole from all pegs. Woodside contains carp to double figures, tench to 2.5lb some big crucians and some ghost/koi crosses. All year round this is best fished with waggler and pole using pellet, sweetcorn, luncheon meat and worm. In the winter months tiny hook sizes with small pieces of meat will always produce fish. Maggot does not work in the winter but does in the summer.
Nick's Lake
This lake has 37 pegs, 6 are suitable for disabled people. There is parking adjacent and purpose built platforms. The maximum depth is 2.1m, there are lots of interesting shelves and marginal variations on both nearside and island sides. It is very sheltered and extensively planted with young trees and marginal plants.
Nick's lake is stuffed with small common and ghost carp between 8oz and 22lb and a very large head of roach, perch, bream and tench. This lake provides loads of bites and is a great match venue