nitronick

Big Hayes still fishing well. 3 of us moved on as you guys moved off and all had fish straight away. I ended up coming home the next day thou as couldnt take any more fishing with killer man flu ( I actually died 6 times). Spoke to my friend and he has had 10 fish since I left. Was going to come and find you nash gadge to say hello but to be brutily honest I felt like death and had the hump with the other guy I was fishing with as he was being a noob. Oh loved the fly over by a rather large helicopter that circled the lake at low level about an hour after you guys left. Guess they still expected you guys to be there!

LOL Yep ment March not May My Bad Will be on Little Hayes so I'm sure we will can meet up and have a brew. I'm a tall bloke with a Jack Russell I'll be bringing along. If you guys are off Wednesday might even move on Wednesday evening and get 3 days on Big Hayes.

I know Little Hayes and Big Hayes are comercial holes in the ground filled with ugly freak simo fish but I love the place. It's so easy going, turn up when you like leave when you like. have a beer, have a smoke, play a radio, watch telly, light a BBQ and have a great social. Providing you dont cause other anglers grief or annoyance you can pretty well do what you please providing you leave the swims as you found them ie. clean and free from litter. OK I may sound like a real nightmare to fish with but I am actualy very passionate about Carp Fishing, take great care of the fish I land and am resonably succesfull. I just like to get a lot of relaxation out of My Fishing. Oh as for Wadmill I fished a session there last year and spent over 24 hours of a weekend session trying to get and keep all three rods out for longer than 30 mins. At 8pm on the saturday I reeled them all in and slept solidly till Sunday morning. One of the most active sessions I have ever had landing well over 50 carp to 17lb.

Court Farm Tadley. Bit of a puddle and fish not exactly in best shape but almost garunteed a few fish what ever the weather. Mind you at £7 a rod bit pricy

When you fishing Little Hayes? I'm down there for a 7 nighter from 5th May (wanted to fish big hayes but the RAF lads booked it up) along with a few other lads. Have fished Todber for about 4 years now and Big Hayes is starting to mature nicely. Had a session in January but with temps dropping to -4 at night and not much more during Day I failed to turn the many bite's into fish on the bank. However made up for it on a recent trip where I banked 4 carp to 19lb and a few bream. Confident I would of caught a few more but the wind and the rain moved in making it impossible to cast to my mark so lost the last 12 hours of the session. TBH thats the one down side at Todber. when the weather rolls in it usually blows a gail and can make it very tricky to fish! Oh at the moment Mainline Cell seems to be the going bait fished over crushed cell and cell pellets. Incidently I was using a Tiger nut oil to did the cell into so might be worth a try.

Maybe but given the risk or transmitting this killer disese is it worth it?

Only fished big lake. Word of advice: STAY AWAY. Badshot Lea Big Pond has been tested positive for KHV and have suffered major fish loses.

Todber Manor near Shaftsbury Dorset. Big Hayes Specimen Lake £100 for 7 nights fishing (Buy 5 Nights get 2 free)

Theres a little place called Yatley just of the M3 J4a that has a few lakes dotted around. Oh and then theres Farnham Angling Society Google it.

Have a look at Wadmill whilst your down there. Well worth a 24hr session as a real runs water with the chance of a twenty. Also good pike fishing to be had and plenty of bream, tench and crucian's to be had.

Red factor tipped with fake corn seems to be a winner down there. A light bed of hemp and corn also helps. Dont over feed your swim as this always seems counter productive on Big Hayes. Fish mid water between the two Islands if you can as this seems to be the more productive area for the occasional visiter to hook into a fish. Expect high doubles as the norm as opposed to one of the 30lbers they have in they. Other then that take a decent book to read. Whilst Todber Manor has some good staff who will allways help you and it is good value for money I find Big Hayes a very dull and uninspiering lake. It is your typical hole dug in ground and filled with water and fish. Very exposed and barren as well. Needs another 5 years at least to mature before I fish there again.

You will just dont forget the margins! How long you there for?

Wheres that Or Farnham Angling have a few venues that would suit. Ie. Badshot Lea and Lodge Pond. Southend30 do you live in Amazingstoke?

Its a run's water pure and simple. Last time I fished there had to pull my rods in at 0330 so I could get some kip! Use size 8 or smaller hooks on 10lb mono hook links. Method feeder works well but I prefer single baits over a light bed of hemp and corn with the occasional pva bag of pellet. Well worth spending £10 on a bag of red factor boillies. Chuck it out any where and you will catch. DONT neglect the margins, I have had decent doubles out by fishing the margin's. Personly I prefer fishing down the far end as bit quieter Peg 75 between ithe last 2 islands is my fav peg with good fishing out in open water, against the island and the ever important margin. Dont be shy to drop a bait almost directly under your rod tip! Did I mention the Margins? Plenty of other species in there as well including Bream and Tench. Even got a fair few pike in there. Average size is about 7lb but expect the occasional suprise mid- high double and they do top 20lb out of there.

You wouldnt be the first angler who's popped in for a warm and a catch up on the latest going on in Corrie and Enders. Thats why I always take my bed chair buddy so I have a spare guest seat! Just make sure you wipe your feet on the way in.

£75 for the 3 rod silver spring ticket. Thats £25 a month to fish some pretty nice lakes. I sahll be joining as it's just up the road from me. Crying shame the ticket dont start on Thursday or I would be fishing there and not Todber :/

Brilliant book. Definatly one of my desert island books! Have you read Dispatches by Micheal Herr? About a War reporter during the Vietnam "conflict" very heavy going but a stunning read and really sums up the hell hat was Vietnam

North Lake. South Lake is a prettier lake but harder and Sandhurst, well Sandhurst is just an amazing place but can be hard as nails but the results are usualy worth the wait.

A few good lakes around the Yately area, North Lake, South Lake and the mighty Sandhurst. Just off J4a of the M3 £25 for 2 rods + £2 for a bait boat permit.

At my local pond I discovered a reed bed that held the fish BIG time in the summer. Found that by using a stalking rod I could drop a bait right in front of the fish I wanted and when they took it it was a case of hold on tight and get it in to a net or even better grab it and land it. There was time's when I would almost forget to breath my concentration was so high! Then two things happened. One funny the other one sad. First the funny one. Had finished work around midnight, set the clock for 6am and got to the lake nice and early. Got all set up and went to the reeds to try and tempt one out. Couldnt see any fish but knew the "patrol" route they took in and out of the reeds so I scattered a few doggies in there and droped my bait in, leaned against a tree and started to play the waiting game. After about 5 mins I dozed off and fell in! Only saved from a full on soaking by my t shirt getting caught on a branch! Then the sad thing. Turned up a few weeks latter to find that my secret was out and someone had attacked the reeds and chopped a load down so they could get to the fish easier. Never had another fish out of that reed bed. Crying shame.

Cant add much to what Nash-G has to say other then DONT wack loads of bait out! Turns the whole lake off very quickly. Use Pva Bags and even single baits fished over a light bed of hemp. Also had a few fish from there using Meateor Boilies. When you thinking of going down there? I'm hoping to get down there end of the month for a 48hr session. Oh and make sure you set you bivvy up strong, the wind tends to blow rather hard across Big Hayes.

Something magical about Sandhurst, had a few fish out of there over the years (apart from a 48hr blank aint fished there for 2-3 years) and enjoyed every moment. South Lake has "smaller" fish and is more prolofic if your after getting a bend in your rod. North Lake is a harder lake but out of the 3 is the prettiest.

Peg 12 seems to be the "hot swim" at the moment. Try and get in there. Also looks like heavy baiting is not the way to go so stick to PVA bags, stringers or even single baits. Good luck!

ROFLMAO! And I did! A very poor session fished from peg 15, not even a bite from 3 rods. Appernetly from the whole lake only 4 fish out whilst I was there. Now I remeber why i stopped fishing there! ! !

Just packed to go for a mid-week session at Sandy Will let let you know I blanked when I get back late on wednesday! ! !