It is a small, mixed coarse fishery packed with many species of fish.
Initially they were dug for me, and I have been fishing there all of my angling life, over 30 years. Its where I learned to fish, and as such I have extensive knowledge of the venue and how best to catch the fish.
So I figured it was about time I shared some of this information I've acquired through the years and how you can best target and catch certain species by design.
ASHMOOR CARP
Though Ashmoor Lakes is a mixed coarse fishery packed with many wonderful species, like most coarse fisheries, the Carp are by far the most dominant and common.
With Carp angling being as absurdly popular as it is, its rare to find a fishery without Carp in.
When Ashmoor Lakes was first dug and stocked it only had 2 Carp in it. Years later, just before the fishery was opened to the public, it was stocked with many more smaller Carp, and was topped up regularly through the years to a point where, if anything, there are way too many Carp in the lakes!
The old original fish are still there, and pushing 25lb in weight now, but are caught extremely rarely through the hoards of other Carp who get to the bait first.
Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Grass Carp, Crucian Carp and Goldfish are all present in Ashmoor Lakes. But its the King Carp species that are the most common, and the ones I will be talking about here.
The biggest Carp in Ashmoor is 25lb, reportedly. Though I know for certain a 23lb was accurately weighed on a separate occasion. The average fish however used to run at about 3-4lb, but now holds steady at 4-6lb.
In the winter, the average fish is around 2-4lb, as the bigger fish become more dormant with the colder weather slowing their metabolism.
The colours of the Common Carp vary from chestnut brown through to silver, all tending to be lean, large tailed, powerful fish. The Mirror Carp range from blue/greys and silvers through to browns, with beautiful accents of colour like yellows, oranges and purples. The Ghost Carp, both Mirrors and Commons, are pale whites and yellows, and often interbreed with the others producing different coloured young. The Ghosties are a bit rarer to find than the more naturally coloured Carp, but no less easy to catch.
The main reason for this is so that when the lakes are topped up with water from a water holding pond in the summer when the water levels drop, the water flows evenly between them. But it also provides a channel between all the lakes that Carp regularly use travel between and feed in different ponds.
Many a time have anglers caught a notable Carp in Lake 2, only to come down a separate time and catch the same fish in Lake 1. It does mean, however, that if you are after a certain fish, there's no way of knowing which lake its likely to be in that day!
As is usual with Carp, in Ashmoor they can be easily caught near a feature. Along the far margins, by lily pads, and not forgetting the near margins, often right beneath your feet. Near margins are a top place to fish at Ashmoor, but rarely do I see people fish them.
With so many Carp in Ashmoor Lakes, the margins around the lakes are quite undercut due to the activity of the Carp feeding and rubbing along the edges, and this provides a safer haven for them, as well as good places to feed.
There are some more notable swims that Carp anglers like to inhabit. On Lake 1 the aptly named 'Carp Corner' is a popular place, a corner on an otherwise square lake that juts out making a little bay, and the unfishable 'Field Bank' that backs onto the farm land.
On Lake 2, the islands are obvious points, particularly swims where you can fish the area between the two. And on Lake 3, which is home to the lilies, any swim that has one of them in, though the whole lake is very popular due to the entire opposite side being unfishable.
Fishing for Carp on a hot summers daytime however often proves unfruitful. Fish bask in the hot surface layers and show little sign of interest in bait. Far better is the morning and the late afternoon/evening. Prime feeding times.
Feeders are more effective, as they tend to lay on the surface of the silt better better, and groundbait feeders encourage the Carp to root around in the silt if the bait does get covered a little. Float fishing is even better as you can get the depth dead right, so long as you allow that the plummet will sink into the silt a little too, and sometimes give you a false reading of where the lake bottom is.
Despite the large Carp being present, I would say that 4lb line for most float or feeder fishing is quite acceptable, as there is plenty of room to play a bigger fish in in most swims. With 6lb line for techniques like surface fishing or traditional carp fishing, or if you don't feel confident that you could control a running larger fish being better, as you gain more control over the fish. Many anglers use 10lb line or more, but it is often less affective, as the fish see the line. Size 10 barbless hooks are the maximum to be used at Ashmoor, and are more than sufficient to hook the biggest Carp in the lake, but obviously, using a hook that is a suitable size for your bait is the way to go, with myself never using less than a size 16 barbless when float fishing maggots.
A very good method to pick up a Carp at Ashmoor is to look for bubbles rising to the surface from feeding fish and to place a depth set bait over the top of them, particularly with a float set up to reduce disturbance. A worm or a prawn or a soft hooker pellet being the best baits for this.
This, to some degree, is the way of Ashmoor Lakes. Maggot and worm catch many more fish than other baits, also including prawns and bread. Though naturally, using maggot and worm does tend to catch you a mix of species rather than picking out Carp more specifically.
However, Ashmoor Lakes is a popular venue, and gets plenty of groundbait, particles and pellet introduced by anglers, meaning pellets, sweetcorn and luncheon meat are also good baits. During periods of closure or quiet times, the fish are also fed on grain and bran based foods, so they are more used to it.
Being a farm pond, and naturals being the way of things, it does mean that boilies are not a very effective bait for catching Carp. Inevitably they will eat a boilie eventually, but all other baits out shine them by far. Pellet hookbaits are better. If you must use boilies (as for some reason the carp boys think they have to) I would suggest smaller ones, and perhaps more fish based smells to match pellet.
The key to all these baits though is to feed little an often, much like a match fisherman, and not toss out large beds of bait. In the summer I introduce about 8-12 pellets or maggots every 5 minutes or so, and less of larger loose feed like sweetcorn or prawn chunks. The Carp guzzle up near enough everything as quick as possible, as do the resident Bream hoards, so you need to keep their interest.
I cant count how many times I have seen carp anglers sat behind bite alarms with rigs on the bottom of the lake, sat there all day catching nothing at all, when simple watercraft would show them that the Carp are up in the water. Often with fish clearly basking, swimming and feeding on the surface of the lake quite visibly. And this even includes the winter months.
To catch the bigger of the Carp at Ashmoor, the surface is the place to do it. The warm weather drives the fish up, and being a farm pond with lots of natural flies and bugs being blown into the water, its one of the best places for them to feed. Locating the fish in any chosen swim is very easy, you can visibly see them most times, and if not, you'll see the swirls of them taking things from the surface. You will also hear them sucking in food.
The Ashmoor Carp can easily be brought to feed on the surface with the introduction of floating baits, and by spending a little time watching the fish, and letting them feed, you can pick out the biggest fish of the bunch to catch. In this way, you can ensure you are getting the biggest Carp over the smaller ones, unlike all other methods. Not that its all about size. I will often catch prettier looking fish over larger ones, and always target a Ghost carp no matter its size when one appears.
By spending half an hour or so slowly feeding the Carp on the surface, usually with dog biscuit or bread, I can not only pick out the biggest fish or the one I want, but also watch its feeding habits to a point where after coming up and taking a bait, how long it will take for it to eat it and come up for another and also where it is likely to come up from. This method is very much about patience. Though bites can be as instant as 5-10 seconds, it very much pays to watch the fish for maybe half an hour to an hour to get a better quarry.
By far the best way to catch any fish, not just Carp, is to spend time watching them and learning how best to target them.
My tackle of choice when surface fishing is a nice light, small carp reel. At the moment I'm not actually using a carp reel, but a small lure fishing reel as these are designed to be cast and held all day, much like when surface fishing, and are naturally lighter. For the rod, nothing bigger than 1.75lb test curve. 1.5lb is ideal. A barbel rod. You don't actually need one this strong, but you have to be aware of snags the fish could run into and have enough power to bully them out or away from them, and also away ofn other anglers. Swims can be a little close together, and some anglers quite rightly would be unforgiving if you let your fish run all over their swim and ruin it.
Reel line of 6lb is more than sufficient for the task. Anything stronger then the fish see it and sense it before they even take the bait. The fish are wily enough to be wary of any surface bait before they take it. The last thing to use is a size 10 barbless hook, the biggest the venue rules allow. This is to ensure that the bread hook bait has the best chances of staying on, and also that the point protrudes from the bait to be able to hook the fish. And I never use carp hooks from certain Carp specific companies. These hooks work fine for bottom baits, but they are often too heavy to be used on the surface, and are also too thick and big. Not only do the fish see them, but they can also make your hookbait sit more unnaturally on the surface compared to the free offerings, and the fish can tell this. Fine gauge match style hooks are much better.
I will always fish near margin swims over distance fishing. Reason being, that that's where the fish are, and also I am free lining. There is no casting weight of a float on the line so it makes the whole thing easier. Having said that, pinching a bit of bread flake to the hook and dabbing it in the water, gives all the weight you need to swing it over to a far bank or island.
I would NEVER use a controller or bubble float at Ashmoor, as they are really not needed, and just provide weak points in your line, or things to snag around weeds, over hanging trees, or submerged roots and reeds.
When your target fish is spotted, its a case of placing the bait in front of it to eat. Watching and waiting for the mouth to open, engulf your hook, and close is mouth. Always wait for the mouth close, and strike quick, as within a second, they can spit it out again when they realise. Obviously, for all of this a pair of polarised glasses is as essential as bringing and using a rod, reel and bait. You need to be able to see the fish through the glare of the water. Never leave home without them!
As for bait, I sometimes use a rubber bait band with a tab to push the hook through to hold a chum mixer dog biscuit. Though I do find with Ashmoor Carp particularly, they do see the hook and be more tricky to catch on it. Far better is bread. Some swear by a fresh loaf, but I tend to use the cheapest sliced I can find. Only because I pinch out a 50p piece circle of bread from the middle, lay it between the shank and the point of the hook, then pinch it back over the shank. I find it stays on better, and leaves the hook point open to hook better too, and if by some miracle a Grass Carp appears, you are primed ready to give it a go. Which I will discuss in another blog at some point in the future.
As mentioned, the number one most important thing you need for surface fishing is patience. It can be incredibly stressful, but when you hook up, its infinitely more rewarding than any other form of Carp fishing.
When Ashmoor Lakes was first dug and stocked it only had 2 Carp in it. Years later, just before the fishery was opened to the public, it was stocked with many more smaller Carp, and was topped up regularly through the years to a point where, if anything, there are way too many Carp in the lakes!
The old original fish are still there, and pushing 25lb in weight now, but are caught extremely rarely through the hoards of other Carp who get to the bait first.
Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Grass Carp, Crucian Carp and Goldfish are all present in Ashmoor Lakes. But its the King Carp species that are the most common, and the ones I will be talking about here.
The biggest Carp in Ashmoor is 25lb, reportedly. Though I know for certain a 23lb was accurately weighed on a separate occasion. The average fish however used to run at about 3-4lb, but now holds steady at 4-6lb.
In the winter, the average fish is around 2-4lb, as the bigger fish become more dormant with the colder weather slowing their metabolism.
The colours of the Common Carp vary from chestnut brown through to silver, all tending to be lean, large tailed, powerful fish. The Mirror Carp range from blue/greys and silvers through to browns, with beautiful accents of colour like yellows, oranges and purples. The Ghost Carp, both Mirrors and Commons, are pale whites and yellows, and often interbreed with the others producing different coloured young. The Ghosties are a bit rarer to find than the more naturally coloured Carp, but no less easy to catch.
 |
| A Decent Ashmoor Lakes Mirror Carp |
LOCATION
Carp are found throughout all 3 lakes at Ashmoor, so wherever you fish, you will find them. Not only that, but it doesn't even matter which lake you fish on, as surprisingly to some, the lakes are all joined together. Beneath the ground joining Lake 1 to Lake 2, and Lake 2 to Lake 3 are two large pipes, allowing water and fish to pass through between them.The main reason for this is so that when the lakes are topped up with water from a water holding pond in the summer when the water levels drop, the water flows evenly between them. But it also provides a channel between all the lakes that Carp regularly use travel between and feed in different ponds.
Many a time have anglers caught a notable Carp in Lake 2, only to come down a separate time and catch the same fish in Lake 1. It does mean, however, that if you are after a certain fish, there's no way of knowing which lake its likely to be in that day!
As is usual with Carp, in Ashmoor they can be easily caught near a feature. Along the far margins, by lily pads, and not forgetting the near margins, often right beneath your feet. Near margins are a top place to fish at Ashmoor, but rarely do I see people fish them.
With so many Carp in Ashmoor Lakes, the margins around the lakes are quite undercut due to the activity of the Carp feeding and rubbing along the edges, and this provides a safer haven for them, as well as good places to feed.
There are some more notable swims that Carp anglers like to inhabit. On Lake 1 the aptly named 'Carp Corner' is a popular place, a corner on an otherwise square lake that juts out making a little bay, and the unfishable 'Field Bank' that backs onto the farm land.
On Lake 2, the islands are obvious points, particularly swims where you can fish the area between the two. And on Lake 3, which is home to the lilies, any swim that has one of them in, though the whole lake is very popular due to the entire opposite side being unfishable.
TIME
Carp can be caught all year round. At Ashmoor as with many places, late Spring through to early Autumn is the best time, with Summer being the best. Carp love the warmer weather, and feed most strongly during it. During winter, the bigger Ashmoor Carp tend to get their heads down and become more dormant. Carp can still be caught, but expect them to be less frequent and smaller on average.Fishing for Carp on a hot summers daytime however often proves unfruitful. Fish bask in the hot surface layers and show little sign of interest in bait. Far better is the morning and the late afternoon/evening. Prime feeding times.
METHODS
At any time of the year the Carp can be caught on all methods. Off the surface, on the float, on a feeder and on leger Carp tactics. By far the most popularly used method of the carpers is bite alarms and bolt rigs on the bottom. However I am here to tell you that this is actually the least effective method. Though any decent angler will soon realise that Ashmoors lake bottoms are silty, few people realise quite how deep. During lake maintenance, when I'm in the water in a wet suit, the silt often comes up to mid shin height. Carpers fishing bolt rigs on the bottom often complain that they don't catch many fish, but its mostly due to their rigs sinking deep in the silt, making it impossible for fish to find the bait. A problem eased by using smaller leads or helicopter rigs.Feeders are more effective, as they tend to lay on the surface of the silt better better, and groundbait feeders encourage the Carp to root around in the silt if the bait does get covered a little. Float fishing is even better as you can get the depth dead right, so long as you allow that the plummet will sink into the silt a little too, and sometimes give you a false reading of where the lake bottom is.
Despite the large Carp being present, I would say that 4lb line for most float or feeder fishing is quite acceptable, as there is plenty of room to play a bigger fish in in most swims. With 6lb line for techniques like surface fishing or traditional carp fishing, or if you don't feel confident that you could control a running larger fish being better, as you gain more control over the fish. Many anglers use 10lb line or more, but it is often less affective, as the fish see the line. Size 10 barbless hooks are the maximum to be used at Ashmoor, and are more than sufficient to hook the biggest Carp in the lake, but obviously, using a hook that is a suitable size for your bait is the way to go, with myself never using less than a size 16 barbless when float fishing maggots.
A very good method to pick up a Carp at Ashmoor is to look for bubbles rising to the surface from feeding fish and to place a depth set bait over the top of them, particularly with a float set up to reduce disturbance. A worm or a prawn or a soft hooker pellet being the best baits for this.
BAIT
The most important thing to remember with Ashmoor Lakes is that its a farm venue. As many anglers in the know will tell you, farm ponds tend to be bit trickier to catch from. This is due to the quantity of natural bait that is around for the fish to feed on, not only under water, but also flying or blown in from crops in fields nearby, and as Ashmoor is set in surrounding woodland also, plenty of food comes down from the trees as well. Because of this, natural baits tend to be the way of things to catch fish easier.This, to some degree, is the way of Ashmoor Lakes. Maggot and worm catch many more fish than other baits, also including prawns and bread. Though naturally, using maggot and worm does tend to catch you a mix of species rather than picking out Carp more specifically.
However, Ashmoor Lakes is a popular venue, and gets plenty of groundbait, particles and pellet introduced by anglers, meaning pellets, sweetcorn and luncheon meat are also good baits. During periods of closure or quiet times, the fish are also fed on grain and bran based foods, so they are more used to it.
Being a farm pond, and naturals being the way of things, it does mean that boilies are not a very effective bait for catching Carp. Inevitably they will eat a boilie eventually, but all other baits out shine them by far. Pellet hookbaits are better. If you must use boilies (as for some reason the carp boys think they have to) I would suggest smaller ones, and perhaps more fish based smells to match pellet.
The key to all these baits though is to feed little an often, much like a match fisherman, and not toss out large beds of bait. In the summer I introduce about 8-12 pellets or maggots every 5 minutes or so, and less of larger loose feed like sweetcorn or prawn chunks. The Carp guzzle up near enough everything as quick as possible, as do the resident Bream hoards, so you need to keep their interest.
 |
| The King of all Baits |
THE BEST WAY TO CATCH
Having discussed the methods to catch Carp at Ashmoor Lakes you'll notice I skirted around one in particular. And that's because it is by far and away the best method of not only catching Carp at Ashmoor, but also catching the bigger of them over the smaller ones.I cant count how many times I have seen carp anglers sat behind bite alarms with rigs on the bottom of the lake, sat there all day catching nothing at all, when simple watercraft would show them that the Carp are up in the water. Often with fish clearly basking, swimming and feeding on the surface of the lake quite visibly. And this even includes the winter months.
To catch the bigger of the Carp at Ashmoor, the surface is the place to do it. The warm weather drives the fish up, and being a farm pond with lots of natural flies and bugs being blown into the water, its one of the best places for them to feed. Locating the fish in any chosen swim is very easy, you can visibly see them most times, and if not, you'll see the swirls of them taking things from the surface. You will also hear them sucking in food.
The Ashmoor Carp can easily be brought to feed on the surface with the introduction of floating baits, and by spending a little time watching the fish, and letting them feed, you can pick out the biggest fish of the bunch to catch. In this way, you can ensure you are getting the biggest Carp over the smaller ones, unlike all other methods. Not that its all about size. I will often catch prettier looking fish over larger ones, and always target a Ghost carp no matter its size when one appears.
By spending half an hour or so slowly feeding the Carp on the surface, usually with dog biscuit or bread, I can not only pick out the biggest fish or the one I want, but also watch its feeding habits to a point where after coming up and taking a bait, how long it will take for it to eat it and come up for another and also where it is likely to come up from. This method is very much about patience. Though bites can be as instant as 5-10 seconds, it very much pays to watch the fish for maybe half an hour to an hour to get a better quarry.
By far the best way to catch any fish, not just Carp, is to spend time watching them and learning how best to target them.
My tackle of choice when surface fishing is a nice light, small carp reel. At the moment I'm not actually using a carp reel, but a small lure fishing reel as these are designed to be cast and held all day, much like when surface fishing, and are naturally lighter. For the rod, nothing bigger than 1.75lb test curve. 1.5lb is ideal. A barbel rod. You don't actually need one this strong, but you have to be aware of snags the fish could run into and have enough power to bully them out or away from them, and also away ofn other anglers. Swims can be a little close together, and some anglers quite rightly would be unforgiving if you let your fish run all over their swim and ruin it.
Reel line of 6lb is more than sufficient for the task. Anything stronger then the fish see it and sense it before they even take the bait. The fish are wily enough to be wary of any surface bait before they take it. The last thing to use is a size 10 barbless hook, the biggest the venue rules allow. This is to ensure that the bread hook bait has the best chances of staying on, and also that the point protrudes from the bait to be able to hook the fish. And I never use carp hooks from certain Carp specific companies. These hooks work fine for bottom baits, but they are often too heavy to be used on the surface, and are also too thick and big. Not only do the fish see them, but they can also make your hookbait sit more unnaturally on the surface compared to the free offerings, and the fish can tell this. Fine gauge match style hooks are much better.
I will always fish near margin swims over distance fishing. Reason being, that that's where the fish are, and also I am free lining. There is no casting weight of a float on the line so it makes the whole thing easier. Having said that, pinching a bit of bread flake to the hook and dabbing it in the water, gives all the weight you need to swing it over to a far bank or island.
I would NEVER use a controller or bubble float at Ashmoor, as they are really not needed, and just provide weak points in your line, or things to snag around weeds, over hanging trees, or submerged roots and reeds.
When your target fish is spotted, its a case of placing the bait in front of it to eat. Watching and waiting for the mouth to open, engulf your hook, and close is mouth. Always wait for the mouth close, and strike quick, as within a second, they can spit it out again when they realise. Obviously, for all of this a pair of polarised glasses is as essential as bringing and using a rod, reel and bait. You need to be able to see the fish through the glare of the water. Never leave home without them!
As for bait, I sometimes use a rubber bait band with a tab to push the hook through to hold a chum mixer dog biscuit. Though I do find with Ashmoor Carp particularly, they do see the hook and be more tricky to catch on it. Far better is bread. Some swear by a fresh loaf, but I tend to use the cheapest sliced I can find. Only because I pinch out a 50p piece circle of bread from the middle, lay it between the shank and the point of the hook, then pinch it back over the shank. I find it stays on better, and leaves the hook point open to hook better too, and if by some miracle a Grass Carp appears, you are primed ready to give it a go. Which I will discuss in another blog at some point in the future.
As mentioned, the number one most important thing you need for surface fishing is patience. It can be incredibly stressful, but when you hook up, its infinitely more rewarding than any other form of Carp fishing.
 |
| A Beautiful Common caught Freelining Bread on the Surface |
