ardleigh reservoir

[britcarpalltheway]

hi all, before i start, i will say that i am not out for any info. just wondered if there is any fellow forum buds on ardleigh at the moment. i am due to start my new campaign in about a months time and i am looking to do about 2 weeks a month on the bank. it would be nice to know a few people on there from the start.

kindest regards,

simon

[britcarpalltheway]

Wow Simon,

 

That is a serious effort! I wish you all the luck in the world!

hi, thanks mate, probably a puddle compared to your usual haunts though

[shakey]

Simon,

 

Both Nick (salokcinnodrog) and I have fished Ardleigh in the past, but I'm not sure if there are any current members on this forum at the moment.

 

To be honest, as long as your polite and go about your angling in the right way, the guys on there will open up to you and it won't take long to get to know a few of the regulars on there. The usual "i'm off to the lodge, do you need any water etc mate ??" to the guy down the bank for you, will work wonders

 

Shakey

 

PS i'd love to know how you get on over. I still have some fish over there that I would love to catch...... just need the wife to let me get some time on the bank

[noknot]

Thats a real nice and generous post, Can we have more please?

[shakey]

To be honest noknot, you've just got to fish it. How I used to approach the water maynot suit other peoples style of fishing. I used to fish quick overnighters once or twice at the most a week, so my approach would be totally different to who would normally be fishing longer sessions.

 

The only bit of advise I would give, is focus on the piece of water in front of you that you can see. If your sat there worrying about what is happening down one of the arms etc, you'll go nuts. You've got to do your walkround, pick your swim and fish that piece of water in front of you as hard as you can

 

Anyway, here's the sort of morning you can wake up to..... tight lines

 

[britcarpalltheway]

Simon,

 

Both Nick (salokcinnodrog) and I have fished Ardleigh in the past, but I'm not sure if there are any current members on this forum at the moment.

 

To be honest, as long as your polite and go about your angling in the right way, the guys on there will open up to you and it won't take long to get to know a few of the regulars on there. The usual "i'm off to the lodge, do you need any water etc mate ??" to the guy down the bank for you, will work wonders

 

Shakey

 

PS i'd love to know how you get on over. I still have some fish over there that I would love to catch...... just need the wife to let me get some time on the bank

hi mate, i cant wait to get on there. im walking it every day for about 2 hours each time. thanks for the advice and cmon the 40+

[salokcinnodrog]

Simon,

 

Both Nick (salokcinnodrog) and I have fished Ardleigh in the past, but I'm not sure if there are any current members on this forum at the moment.

 

To be honest, as long as your polite and go about your angling in the right way, the guys on there will open up to you and it won't take long to get to know a few of the regulars on there. The usual "i'm off to the lodge, do you need any water etc mate ??" to the guy down the bank for you, will work wonders

 

Shakey

 

PS i'd love to know how you get on over. I still have some fish over there that I would love to catch...... just need the wife to let me get some time on the bank

 

I agree with all that Shakey says, although beware there are a few Swim Jumpers about who will go off your efforts

 

I was doing the same, mostly overnighters with a few longer sessions put in. Bream can really clean you out if you pile much bait in, or just as easily they can leave the bait alone for a couple of days if the Carp are in the area. I have had Carp out over massive baited areas (and I mean massive 10kilos at a time ) or just a stringer or small bag. This was on the first night or after a couple of days.

 

It can appear to take the Carp a few days to find any bait and they do move around a bit, but as Shakey says, just concentrate on the location, walk as much as you can then get into your fishing, and multiple catches are a possibility as they may well get into a few shoals.

 

The way I found to pick a swim was park at the lodge, walk down the bank to Lodge Lane, go back to car, then park at Lodge Lane and walk down to dam at Wick Lane and then the same along the other arm, and then decide on weather and sightings (not many sightings). Lots of walking involved.

 

The Leather in my avatar is an Ardleigh fish, as are a few more of the pics I have on here

 

Again, like Shakey I would like to get back as I have somethings I would like to catch up on, especially the Social life as there are some good guys on there. I think when the anglers know you, the kettle goes on almost immediately they see you come past.

 

One word of warning I found though, try to avoid Friday/Saturday nights, especially if you are parked on the A12 side as I did have an occasional problem with drunken squaddies being a bit rowdy (not fighting just rowdy and some of their habits were a bit crude)

[ben27]

Hi

 

Did you join in the end britcarp? How are you finding it? I joined myself last week though I haven't yet managed to fish it. Although i've walked it three times already. I'm hoping to get 1 or 2 nights in a week in, when my uni timetable will allow.

Unfortunately I will often have to fish Friday and Saturday nights so hopefully I wont have any trouble down there.

 

Are you looking to get back on there salokcinnodrog/shakey?

 

Hope to see you all on the bank sometime,

 

Ben

[shakey]

 

Are you looking to get back on there salokcinnodrog/shakey?

 

Ben

 

For sure Ben. I certainly have some un-finished business with some of those fully scaled mirror in there. Just waiting for my daughter to get a little older so that I put in some decent time in.

 

Shakey

[getnoshedup]

hi guys. me and a friend went to this lake today, (as you do,, randomly drive to different lakes throughout essex on a sunday haha)

 

anyways we had a good look round the whole venue, was very impressed with the size! and yet there didnt seem to be that many people fishing, perhaps 3 tops..

 

but from what ive heard from on this forum and from a feller angler fishing today (who was very nice and polite, although didnt catch his name) this lake is tough.

 

is there any point fishing it on a day ticket? because i heard it can take a number of days for the carp to come across your bait...(so obviously a day ticket wouldnt be long enough and also only ticker holders can night fish)

or would you bit the bullet and get a ticket? i think i was told its £199 for the first year.. although i wouldnt get one for this season but maybe the next..

 

 

let me know what you think. day ticket or no point? has anyone had much success on day tickets?

 

Regards

 

Tom

[salokcinnodrog]

I don't know if I will get back on there as much as I want to, other things going on in my life that currently mean that Ardleigh is actually rather difficult to consider.

 

I don't know about the Day Ticket option, from memory I only had 1 daylight take, and even that was early morning, and by the time I'd played it in it was fully light. In his TV programme John Wilson did have a daylight carp, but that was over a pre-baited area while bream fishing.

 

I suppose the advantage is that you can put your ticket money in the box and then fish on, but to be honest for the cost of that continually I would pay the season ticket price.

 

How far around did you walk? On the Butterfly arm a few anglers could hide and never be seen .

Saying that I only fished that once, and blanked the rest of my trips were along the lodge banks, and they included a few blanks as well.

 

If the carp shoal up you may be lucky and get a a couple in a night , or just as easily you could be there for a week and end up with nothing

 

I honestly don't think that you could put enough of a Food source bait in to make a difference. If the carp didn't find it, the bream would, and they can clean you out very quickly. Yet I had fish over buckets of bait, and over PVA bags. Sometimes it was on the night I spodded out, and other times it would take a few days.

 

One of the nights I had 2 20's, I had fished the swim 2 nights previously and had put in all my bait when I left (after catching one and losing one), so they may have been held in the area, or just as easily I could have been lucky and picked them straight up.

[getnoshedup]

well after finding it.. i parked in the car park which is away from the lodge.(didn't know about the lodge until an angler told me to check it out)

 

so from that car park walked as far as we could right-where the 3 anglers were..( i presume because the wind was blowing in to that bay area??)

and then came back up to the car park and walked down the paths off to the left through a woodland type area.

 

Then drove over to the lodge and parked up there and walked around there.. that side was empty..

 

i mite give it a go on a day ticket, its fairly cheap. COULD be lucky, you never know haha.

 

Tom

[ben27]

Did you give it a go in the end tom? I've only managed two overnighters so far due to other commitments. But should be doing 3 nights this week...

 

Have one fully scaled to my name =)

[getnoshedup]

Did you give it a go in the end tom? I've only managed two overnighters so far due to other commitments. But should be doing 3 nights this week...

 

Have one fully scaled to my name =)

 

havent been yet!

 

plus im not a member so i can only do day tickets.

 

having a lot of success on my local water at the moment so dont want to change

 

Good Luck!!

[ben27]

Fair play mate, think im already hooked, thers just something about that place...

[Guest Anonymous]

Sorry to bring up an old thread. Just curious to see if any of you guys are currently fishing the res?

[ben27]

Yer I'm fishing it, into my 2nd season over there now- lets just say its proving a challenge

[Gaz]

just heard rumours from someone in the know of a big common out of the res at over 50lb that is a serious fish IF true. also if it is true i expect some messages asking me to take this off lmao

[jazzo]

wasnt there 'rumours' a few years back of the very same, why remove it?, people obviously fish there for good reasons.

[Gaz]

I won't lol but people are so closed over there lol. Have seen pics of mid 40s from there

[braxtedboy]

Im looking at fishing ardleigh soon, I have heard several estimates of the fish stock and weights, does anyone one here know some figuires? it would be much appreciated

[mrjcarter]

Sorry to give this thread a wake up!

But seeing how anyone is doing??

Im looking to join but really want to know if theres any major rules and is it safe??

[salokcinnodrog]

Im looking at fishing ardleigh soon, I have heard several estimates of the fish stock and weights, does anyone one here know some figuires? it would be much appreciated

 

 

Sorry to give this thread a wake up!

But seeing how anyone is doing??

Im looking to join but really want to know if theres any major rules and is it safe??

I have a very good idea of what they were back around 2007, but not sure of the fish stocks now though unfortunately.

 

I will say, it is still plenty of walking, looking for the fish.

 

No major restrictions on rules when I was there, other than No Boats, and only Season Ticket Members could Night Fish.

 

Never had any problems on the banks

[dalthegooner]

Ardleigh Fishing Rules

 

Permits

 

1. A valid Environment Agency licence must be obtained before fishing.

2. Permits are only available from the fishing lodge where there is a self service facility.

3. Permits must be produced on demand to the warden or other officers appointed by the Ardleigh Reservoir Committee or any other permit holder.

Fishing areas

4. Fishing is only permitted in specific areas that have not been pre booked.

5. Anglers are not permitted to reserve swims in advance unless booking a match.

6. No fishing is permitted from any dam wall.

7. Anglers may only fish in the same swim for a maximum of 14 days and must not return to the same swim or within 50 metres of it for at least 48 hours.

8. No angler should fish more than half way across the reservoir in the area marked on the map (See Ardleigh website)

 

General

 

9. Anglers must comply with instructions issued by authorised wardens.

10. Any angler who uses foul or abusive language or threatening behaviour towards anyone else will be required to vacate the site immediately and have their permit cancelled.

11. Anglers must remove all litter or put it in an appropriate litter bin.

12. No open fires are permitted and no noisy music may be played.

13. No dogs are allowed on the site.

14. If anglers use a sack to hold fish, it must have a marker float attached.

15. Any angler breaking these rules or causing a nuisance will be required to leave.

 

Angling methods

 

16. Night fishing is permitted to season permit holders only but juniors must be accompanied by an adult.

17. A maximum of 3 rods are permitted but must not occupy more than 3 metres of bank. Anglers must be in possession of 2 EA licences to be able to use 3 rods.

18. Rods must not be left unattended at any time.

19. Moderate ground baiting is permitted only while fishing.

20. Live fish, particle baits (excluding sweetcorn and hemp) and general livestock feeds are prohibited. Dead baits must be sea and not freshwater fish.

Conservation

21. Anglers should report any incident involving wildlife on the reservoir e.g. a swan getting entangled with a fishing line.

22. No fish may be taken away or brought to the reservoir, except as used as bait.

23. Fish must not be retained in keep nets for more than 6 hours.

24. An unhooking mat must be used for all large fish.

25. Wire traces and line with a minimum breaking strain of 12 lb is compulsory when Pike fishing and the use of a gaff is prohibited.

26. Carp anglers should have a medicarp kit to treat any injured fish.

Edited July 28, 2014 by dalthegooner