woodzzz

The damage is probably more spawning attributed than anything else. It's why I give the fishing a miss for a while this time of year - let them recover naturally.

I've fished Catch 22 and caught each visit and out of 7 fish in two visits never saw a diseased or damaged fish. In fact, I'd say the commons were among the nicest in the country if you're talking day ticket carp. I like Peg 1 as there are always carp in the out of bounds section, and with a wind blowing in there or not they always come out for a munch sooner or later. Don't be afraid of the deeper water. I was catching from around 12ft on fluorescent yellow baits, fished over a scattered area of boilies. After every bite I topped up the spot with boilies and always baited really heavily in the morning before going to the café for a big breakfast! Caught as soon as I got back each time doing that. I found a curved shrink tubing rig to be best, using as big a lead as your rods can handle! Good luck and have fun.

I think most Telford waters are pony, yes. But only compared to the waters in north Shropshire – it's miles apart in terms of fish stocks. Half an hour up the A5 and you're in whacker country. I haven't fished the local waters for some time but my trip to Apley was February 2008, so not that long ago. Maybe I had an unlucky day with the size of the fish? My folks used to live in the Apley Wood houses. (I'd since moved to Sheffield.) Even with a few doubles and a 20 or two, compared to the fishing at Merrington (where you can do nights) it's barely worth a glance, that was my point. I'm pleased to hear about the Blue Pool. I must admit, after some lads told me to give them £20 or they'd set fire to my car I didn't really keep in touch with the place after that! Maybe that's tainted my view of the lake and others in the area? My comment about nicked tyres and tackle was a flippant one, by the way. But I would sooner leave my car at the end of a two mile lane in the middle of dense woodland on the outskirts of the back of beyond than in a layby next to a council house. And yes, I am a snob! I've lived in Whitchurch and Oswestry since then and if you get a Prince Albert Card your fishing is sorted for life. Fair play on tackling the Blue. He who dares wins, and all that! Sounds like you've done a bit of fishing at Trench. Again, top bombing. I only ever braved one night up there and got tenched beyond oblivion. In fact, I'd argue the lake is the best tench water in Shropshire by some margin! Do they still catch crays in the cages? And does that fairly scaley mirror still knock about? I saw Reevesy with that fish on the bank and was blown away. You're right about Hinkshay. It's a lovely little place (bottom pool). I don't know about 'well done', more like being a jammy git! That particular time most of the fish were grouping up to spawn so I just fished up the other end and got lucky. I used to catch very little from there compared to the 'proper' carpers who turned up. One of the 20s I had came out all the time to this same bloke. Andy somebody, balding guy probably in his mid-20s, always wore a wax jacket. Ring any bells? He showed me what a Zig Rig was! One water not mentioned is Horsehay. A school pal, Liam, used to tell me about some real monsters he used to see in there. I fished it once for the bream (of which there are plenty). My old Editor when I worked at the Star used to scuba dive in there. It's really deep, so the diving clubs used to use it a fair bit. And the little pool up the end of the track off Wrekin Golf Course! I worked as a greenkeeper there for about two months when I'd finished college before I did my journalist training, and we used to ditch all the old grass cuttings down there. There were about a dozen of the oldest, gnarliest looking carp you've ever seen in that little lake. Nothing big, but lovely all the same. I tried in vane to catch one. One cracked twig and they'd melt away into the depths and you wouldn't see them again all day.

Last time I fished Apley you were lucky to get a 4lb fantailed common, let alone loads of doubles. Something like 18 bites the last trip on the Method, and bar one freak 12-pounder, the rest were 4lb or less. My best mate caught two 17lb commons on consecutive days about 8 years ago (maybe more, I was at college at the time), but there's been a fish kill since then. We used to regularly catch 10-12lbers before the kill. The Blue Pool had a famous common that used to get caught at 22lb or 28lb or 32lb or 25lb or whatever the bloke who caught it decided to call it on the day. We called it Springy Digits, because it was quite clearly a low 20 regular smeared with a good dose of B.S from time to time. Trench has some hidden monsters. I've caught them to 27lb in the past from the wooded area (used to do early morning stalking sessions on my way to work.) Dandy always holds a special place in my heart as it's where I caught my first and second and third carp! And my first 20, although I think they're quite rare these days. I met a guy in Rod and Gun (Dawley) who had a small bait firm who'd caught most of the Wide Waters carp. There was a very scaley 25 in that bunch, albeit with a bodged-up mouth. Hinkshay is awesome if you want to see your quarry. I had a brace of 20lb commons one sunny spring afternoon on fermented maize, caught just feet from the bank in the gin clear water. As is the way in Telford, it seems most of those larger brutes live somewhere else now. If you want somewhere to catch bigger carp and like the tyres on your car and want to keep your tackle, then stick with Merrington bud! The water's listed are pretty much all near to housing estates and you will get punished to death by walkers.

I used to live half a mile from the Res'er and spent many of my early carping days up there. In fact, I fished it every other day one summer holiday and the only other angler I ever saw that year was the bailiff, who used to charge me £1 (or not at all)! During a bout of spawning activity I counted 23 different carp, all carp I'd seen in the water before. I was stood in the middle of the bistort just taking it all in. I believe there were more carp at one stage, but according to a chap in Wellington market they were seen as 'freebies' by owners of other lakes, who took out many of the mirrors, leaving the 'cricket bat' carp I spent my time chasing. Back in those days – more because I had just the one rod and no idea what I was doing – the lake was fairly tricky. I'd stalk the odd fish but that was it. As soon as I hit my teens and became able to fish at range the fishing became fairly simple, despite the low stock. My biggest was just over 20lb, a two-tone mirror that was known to be the largest in the lake at that time. Some local guys started rotating two swims (Peg 1 and the Wall opposite) and baiting really heavily, and the two-tone mirror was caught at 22lbs that same Autumn. Since then, the lake was let go by whoever was running it and the new people stocked quite a few carp. Today, when the water's down, the fishing gets mega easy because the cover of the bistort is taken away from the carp and they have to spend their time in open water. I haven't been up there myself for many moons, but keep in touch with guys on my street who go up there for floater sport and after work sessions, and they always seem to catch a few. From what I understand the lake did a 28lber last August, although the same carp was caught at 23lb two weeks later so make of that what you will. It's a beautiful water and for my money, fishing from The Wall with a view across the bistort and lilys up beyond the Ercall and Wrekin is about as good a view as you'll find on any carp water. As for tips on how to catch them? 99% of mine were off the surface, regardless of the weather or time of year.

I'm on a water in near Whixhall that are taking on new members for June. It's a 3-acre pool with 30 carp in. There are currently 6 carp around the 30lb mark up to 34lb, and the rest are pretty much all 20s. This winter I had six carp over 27lb, from 15 captures. The two smallest were both 19-pounders. These carp are relatively young and still growing. They are mainly dark mirrors, with three commons from 23lb upwards. It's a rota'd syndicate, with 6 members on each rota fishing one week on, one week off. PM me if you want more details.