Match fishing is an exciting branch of angling and the number of anglers taking up match fishing is on the rise! We asked our resident angling expert to run us through how you can go about starting match fishing and the best way to do it…..
| Editor's choice | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cherry Lakes |
Blackthorn Fishery |
Olivemead Fishery  |
Lake View Lodge |
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| Location | South Cerney, Cotswold Water Park. |
Oswestry, Shropshire. |
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. |
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. |
| Accomodation | Six stunning holiday lodges with fishing deck. | 4 x beautiful lodges with fishing swims outside the door. | 4 x lodges with swims on main carp lake. | One lodge with it's own private 2 acre lake all to yourself. |
| Fishing/Lakes | Cherry Lake 40lb+ Three other lakes with carp to well over 30lb and plenty of bites to be had! |
3 acre lake with 100 fish. Not easy fishing but plenty of 30lb carp to well over 40lb. |
3 acre lake with 160 carp to mid 40lb. Majority are 20lb plus. | 2 acres in size and very mature, stunning lake with lots of carp to 30lb plus. |
| Difficulty | Moderate/Easy | Moderate/Difficult | Moderate | Moderate/Easy |
| Why Book? | Amazing lodges and the main lake is full of 30lb and 40lb carp! Luxury carp fishing at its best. |
Stunning lodges set around a 3 acre lake with fish to over 40lb. Might be tricky for beginners. | Comfortable lodges sited around a mature fishery with plenty of carp to keep you busy! | A real home from home with its own private lake full of carp, expect to pay around £200 a night. |
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CHERRY LAKES - COTSWOLD WATER PARK
Set in the beautiful Cotswold Water Park, Cherry Lakes is a fantastic self-catering location for both anglers and non-anglers alike. We are located just two hours drive from London and Birmingham and easy to get to for 3, 4 and 7 day breaks. With it's four lakes , great fishing and it’s six luxury lakeside Lodges and a Cottage, Cherry Lakes really does have it all. There are 3 lakes which are exclusive to their Lodges as well as the big Carp water Cherry Lake which in 2018 produced 27 different Carp over 30lb including a new lake record of 44lbs.
There is plenty to do for family & friends in the nearby old roman town of Cirencester and wider Cotswolds area. The local Saxon village of South Cerney has much to explore, with it's three good pubs, convenience store and fish and chip shop is just 10 minutes walk away.
Cherry Lakes offers some great fishing and caters for anglers who want to target big Carp or simply get their rod bent.
Cherry Lake is our big Carp lake of 5 acres with 300+ Carp, most of which are 20lb+. Since 2014 over 120 different anglers have caught a 30lb+ Carp. There are now numerous 40lb carp, and to not catch a 30lb carp is an achievement in itself! A truly incredible stock of carp.
Cherry Springs is full of Carp ranging from 5lb to 30lb+. This lovely and productive lake of about 1.3 is exclusive to Kingfisher Lodge.
Cherry Mere is exclusive to Pochard Lodge, our largest Lodge which can sleep up to six people and accommodate up to three anglers. Cherry Mere is heavily stocked with some beautiful Carp to 30lb. .
Cherry Pool is exclusive to Egret Lodge. This is a great heavily stocked mixed fishery which is a joy to fish.
All of the one bedroom luxury Lodges are fitted to a high standard. The Lodges are centrally heated and provide a great view out over their respective lakes. The kitchen is fully fitted with all the plates, saucepans, kettle, utensils, microwave, cooker and hob etc that you would expect for a self-catering holiday. The large upright fridge-freezer has plenty of space for food and for storing some frozen boilies. There is a good sized bathroom with a large shower. The bedroom has a wardrobe as well as a comfortable double bed. The lounge has a Smart TV and DVD player, as well as a comfortable sofa bed. The layout of all of our one bedroom Lodges are the same.
WHY BOOK CHERRY LAKES?
- Choice of Lakes Sit it out for a 40lb carp or lots of bites!
- Luxury Lodges Perfect for taking partners or family.
- Huge Carp! Literally hundreds of 30lb carp!
- Secure The entire site is fenced and secure.
- Peaceful A great way to unwind and relax.
- Lots of Space acres for each angler.
ONE MANIC NIGHT!
Our resideent fishing expert Wayne Box recalls a night he'll never forget whilst fishing Cherry Lakes!
My wife and I had booked into the Grebe Lodge on a cold and misty October Monday, we were only there for 2 nights but the forecast was very good for fishing so I was confident of a few bites.
We were met by Mike and Judith the owners and shown to our lodge, what a stunning place Cherry Lakes is. Dave the fishery bailiff popped in to check the rigs and make sure I knew the rules, once he was satisified I knew what I was doing he pointed out a couple of spots but then left me to it; a perfect start!
The first day was spent pottering about and tinkering, but I soon had 3 rods on their spots using the bait boat, I found a lovely drop off on the far margin and had three rods positioned along the bottom in 9 feet of water. Bait was Sticky Baits Manilla crumb, sweetcorn and maggots. With high vis pop ups on Ronnie Rigs over the top. We crashed out in the lounge of our luxury 'bivvy' and ordred an Indian to be delivered to the gate which was delicious and settled in for the night with the sliding door wide open so I could listen and watch for any signs of carp, whilst watching Netflix on the TV! Around midnight a fish showed over my left hand rod and I went to bed hopeful of a carp or two! It was around midnight when the first rod was away, after a great scrap in the deep water at the front of the lodge, a 25lb mirrow was safely weighed, photographed and returned.
That was all for the first night but we headed out for a few hours the next morning, but not before I deposited three boat loads of bait on the three spots! This proved to be a good move as when I returned, the water was coloured and Dave the bailiff had told me the fish were on it big time! I made the choice to not fish straight away, instead I sent the boat across with more bait to semi spook the fish out the swim. This would allow me the chance to get three rods in position without fish present.
It was 8pm and I started getting line bites, I knew a bite was inevitable and it wasn't long before the middle rod was away. The fight was long and slow, the fish just held bottom and plodded about, I had a feeling it was a good un! Mike and Dave both came over and Louise captured it all on the GoPro, after a lovely battle under the rod tip a big mirror flopped over the net cord! We weighed her at 35lb 4oz and I was over the moon, both Mike and Dave helped out with the photos and she went back none the worse for her ordeal. To be honest that would have made the trip on its own but when the left hand rod screamed off in the early hours, I found myself weighing and photographing a fish even bigger! She went 36lb 8oz and I was bloody chuffed to bits!
The main lake is not easy, a bait boat is pretty much essential but the rewards are there for sure. An incredible head of 30lb plus carp and so may 40's now. I think there will be a 50 caught this year too. Incredible! My advice would be to get booked up ASAP!