Fishery Focus: Ashmoor Lakes Perch

I am lucky enough to be part of a family who own a fishery. Ashmoor Lakes in Old Basing.

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. It's 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 PERCH

Ashmoor Lakes is a mixed coarse fishery packed with many wonderful species, like in most coarse fisheries, these fish breed very well and every season we are blessed with more and more fish added to the stock naturally. However, the lakes would be even more full of fish than they are without predators to help thin them out, take out the weak and diseased in individuals and keep numbers in check. This job in Ashmoor Lakes predominantly falls to the Perch population that resides here.

Fishing for Perch has become more and more popular again over the past 10 years or so, and a good job too as they are wonderful fish.

When Ashmoor Lakes was first dug and stocked, Perch were one of the first species introduced into it, though we didn't know so for many years as it was fished with primarily bread and sweetcorn for the more visible Rudd population. As maggots were first hooked onto the hooks and sent down to the depths, the Perch started to make themselves known. Over generations and generations of Perch some of them have grown very impressive in size, exceeding 2llb in weight, though we have no real idea how big some of the individuals are as they are not often fished for, or more commonly, the bait used to target the Perch are eaten by other fish first, particularly the overly plentiful Carp. 

I have absolutely no doubt at all that some of the Perch in Ashmoor Lakes exceed the magical 3lb mark. It's just a matter of catching them.

Most anglers at Ashmoor catch the Perch here in their smaller sizes, using maggots or worms when mixed coarse fishing the fishery.

It is worth noting that the Perch are not the only predatory species eating the smaller fish in Ashmoor Lakes, the lakes also hold Chub, though few in number, who also chase small fry in the margins. The Ashmoor Carp too are actually surprisingly predatory and will often suck up a small fish to eat when given a chance.

A decent Ashmoor Perch

LOCATION

Perch 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 Perch regularly use to travel between and feed in different ponds.

The Perch in Ashmoor travels sound in small schools to prey on small fishes. The schools tend to be composed of similar sized fish, so if you do locate some bigger Perch, chances are that more similar sized ones will follow if they are not spooked. However, there are those odd rogue ones that will be found on their own, skulking in a particular area, and these tend to be the biggest of them.

The Perch will more often be found around a feature such as lilies, or around the margins. Overhanging trees and bushes are also good spots where the Perch can ambush their prey from.

Don’t forget, that even the plainest marginal swim could be a feature, as with the movement of the Ashmoor Carp, many of the banks are quite undercut and perfect paces for Perch to hide.

TIME

Perch can be caught all year round. Dawn and dusk are the best times for them, as the low light conditions are their favoured times to feed. By far the best time of the year to get a decent Perch, is during the Winter, when the bigger bullying Carp become more dormant and less likely to get the bait first, and when the smaller prey fish ball up.

Plenty of Wasps

METHODS

At any time of the year the Perch can be caught on most methods.

Float fishing is the more common and popular method, being the most visible and adaptable way of getting to the fish. A float can be easily cast about the swim, or placed if using a pole, and the water can be searched very easily for any Perch in residence. When doing this, it is important, before bringing the float in, to move the float a little first across the swim. Any Perch that may have been mulling over eating your bait, will soon do so when they think it is going to get away!

Feeder fishing too will bring Perch into your swim. By casting out worm based groundbaits, all the species of fishes will come to your bait, and the Perch will come to investigate too. Again, try moving the hookbait a little before bringing the rigs in to get a Perch to follow.

Lure fishing would be a great way to target the Perch at Ashmoor, but it is banned. The close quarters of the swims means disturbing other anglers, and there are many chances of foul hooking other species as the lakes are so well stocked. So hard luck. But you can jig a hooked worm with a bit of split shot on the line in the margins easily enough if you want to mimic a lure.

Ideally with the Perch fishing you would be wanting to use 2-3lb line for them or lighter, but owing to the very good chance double figure Carp will also be eating the bait you put out there, it can be very tricky whether to decide to fish light and hope the hook length breaks or you manage to play a 15lb Carp in on 2lb line, or more sensibly fish a little heavier than you would like, using 4-5lb line, though this may impede the catch rate of the Perch.

This is the reason that Perch fishing in the Winter is best at Ashmoor, as the big Carp become more dormant, and therefore less likely to be a hindrance so the lighter lines can be used. I’ll still personally use the 4lb line though, with a 3lb hooklength and my method is mentioned below.

BAIT

The most important thing to remember with Ashmoor Lakes, just in general, is that it's a farm venue. As many anglers in the know will tell you, farm ponds tend to be a 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 is perfect of course for Perch fishing, as Perch predate on natural foods anyway. They will be looking for small fish, worms, maggots, invertebrates, tadpoles, small frogs and all manner of living things over pellets, sweetcorn, boilies and bread.

Maggots by far outshine all other Perch baits if its bites and quantity of Perch you are after, followed closely by worms. Though I have caught all my biggest Ashmoor Perch on single red maggots and with perseverance.  

Maggots and chopped worms sprinkled into a swim, little and often, will get the Perch in to investigate throughout the day, though obviously it will bring in the other species too. Not that this is an issue if the silver fish move in, as Perch will be following them too, hoping to make a meal of them.

The King of all Perch Baits

THE BEST WAY TO CATCH

Having discussed the methods to catch Perch at Ashmoor Lakes, I’m going to tell you how I do it, and I genuinely think it's the best way of selecting the bigger Perch, if they are indeed present at the time AND avoiding the nuisance Carp.

First things first, as mentioned previously, fish in Winter. Get there on those really cold days, the colder the better. The colder it is, the less likely you are to catch endless Carp all day. Put the thermals on, and bring the thermos of hot chocolate.

Winter isn't only best because of this, but also because the short daylight hours means you can easily catch the dawn and dusk prime times for catching Perch. 90% of all the decent Ashmoor Perch I have caught have come at these times. Winter also gives mostly overcast daytimes, which the Perch also prefer.

Next, I use a quiver tip. A nice light one so you can see the bites. I use 4lb line on the reel, and 3lb line on the hooklength, usually Drennan Double strength, as you get the strength but also the low line diameter. Just personal preference. 

On a bead stop a sliding leger of 1oz will be put, and a size 10 hook will be at the end of it all. A very simple rig, but also very effective. Flat leads are best, as the bottom of Ashmoor is quite silty and a flatted weight prevents it sinking into the silt, to some degree.

With a simple rig, if you lose it casting into a Perch snag, you don't risk losing a lot of kit, and it also gives less stuff on the bottom to spook the fish.

For bait, I will leave the maggots and worms at home...though that's not entirely true, as I rarely go anywhere without a few worms. But on the hook will go a lovely, juicy cooked, peeled prawn. The Perch at Ashmoor adores prawns, and the bigger ones particularly so.

I'll pick a swim with a decent margin, over hanging tree, or lily bed (which of course will have died down in Winter, but popping down in summer and taking note of where they are is the key here) and scatter chopped prawn over the area, not being too fussy about getting a tight baiting area.

The idea is to get the Perch searching the area to pick up the morsels, and you can cast around the area to find them looking. Don't leave the bait in the same spot for more than 20 minutes, and never forget to give the bait a bit of a twitch before reeling in to recast.

Sometimes when targeting Perch at Ashmoor, I will literally turn up for the last 2 hours of the day, foregoing the whole day session, as these really are the best times.

Of course, I'll pay keen attention to anglers leaving the fishery and where they have been casting and baiting all day, and scoop into their swim when they are gone, reaping the rewards that they have left behind.

A Winter Brace

Fishery Focus: Ashmoor Lakes Silvers

I am lucky enough to be part of a family who own a fishery. Ashmoor Lakes in Old Basing.

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. It’s 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 SILVERS

Ashmoor Lakes is a mixed coarse fishery packed with many wonderful species. Though the Carp are the primary and most fished for species, the lakes are filled with a variety of what anglers call ‘silverfish’ as well.

A silver fish is an encompassing term for, unsurprisingly, a mostly silver coloured fish, such as Roach, Rudd, Bream, Chub, Dace, Bleak and other smaller fishes, but also sometimes includes less silver coloured fish like Crucian Carp and Perch.

When Ashmoor Lakes was first dug and stocked a bucket of various unknown tiny fish were added into them. No-one at the time had any idea what they were, and it was down to myself and Aaron over the next few years, before the fishery was opened to the public, to figure out what they were by catching them. As it turned out, the main stock of those silver fish were Rudd and Roach, whose ancestors make up the entirety of their population in Ashmoor Lakes today.

Later on, when the fishery was opened to the public, fish like Bream, Crucians and Chub were added to the mix to add more interest and provide angling sport all year round.

Though these fish have been there for many years, due to the angling pressure of the Carp, none have grown to record breaking sizes, but there are plenty of decent fish to catch for those who want to target them.

Other than the Carp and Barbel, the main focus for many Ashmoor anglers attention, there are Roach, Rudd, Bream, Tench, Crucian Carp, Perch, Chub, Golden Orfe and Goldfish present in Ashmoor, but rather than go into each one, I’ll spend some more time on the top 3 species, The Bream, the Roach and the Rudd. 

None of these fish are particularly difficult to catch, and a general day of mixed coarse fishing will catch all these species, and many of them, but there are ways to target them more specifically, and perhaps pick out the bigger fish..

BREAM

As mentioned, the Bream in Ashmoor were not there in the original stocking, but added just before the fishery was opened to the public. 50 individual fish were introduced to Lake 2, all no bigger than a few inches long. No stocking of Bream has taken place since, and as anyone who has fished Ashmoor will attest, there has been absolutely no need to. Those 50 Bream have bred like rabbits through the years, where now there must be thousands of them.

The fish have spread throughout the lakes via the underground pipe system and can and will be caught anywhere you sit.

There are indeed thousands of little skimmer Bream in Ashmoor Lakes, but bigger ones are present. 1-2lb fish are still fairly common, though none of the Bream seem to exceed 4lb in weight greatly.

A 1-2lb Bream on the Feeder

LOCATION

Though you can literally catch the Bream from anywhere, the best days Bream fishing can be had in the open water. Bream swim and feel safest in large schools and graze together. Casting out into the middle areas of the lakes will see you catching more Bream than in the margins.

TIME

The Bream here can be caught any time of the day. They are usually hungry enough to want food all the time, and they aren't too fussy about what you provide them. But like all Bream, they do prefer an overcast day to a sunny one. They fish particularly well during the winter months. This has a lot to do with the Carp becoming more dormant with the colder weather, giving the silver fish more of a chance to shine.

METHODS

Standard methods for Bream fishing sees good captures. The usual float fishing and quiver tip fishing with a feeder work well. 

When float fishing it is important to know the depth of the water with a plummet. Bream like to feed on the bottom of the lake mostly, where their food is found. Fishing a hook bait dead to depth, or even a few inches over depth to ensure the bait lies flat on the bottom gives them the best chance of finding your bait easier.

Bream are predominantly bottom feeding fish, and have mouths specifically designed to do so, but having said that, Ashmoor Lakes is one those rare, special venues where it is very possible to catch Bream on the surface. Gaining confidence among schools of other silver fish, like Rudd, they will happily come right up to the top of the water to intercept free offerings. In this way, you can fish for them very shallowly as if you were Rudd fishing, or even free-line bread on the very surface, though the Carp do tend to get there first with the latter.

BAIT

Being a farm fishery, the general rule with Ashmoor is that natural baits work best. Natural food is regularly blown onto the lakes from surrounding fields, and falls from the tree as Ashmoor is set in a woodland. Maggots and chopped worms therefore dominate when Bream fishing, and to a lesser extent bread and sweetcorn. However, as there are plenty of Carp fishermen that bait up the lakes too, and the Bream also enjoy pellets, especially soft hooker pellets or expanders, and luncheon meat. The Carp also prefer these however, so the trouble with using them to target Bream specifically comes with fishing fine lines for the Bream and heavy lines so you don't get broken up with the Carp.

In all cases of Bream fishing, using a ground bait pays dividends, not only to draw the fish in, but also to keep them feeding in the swim as you catch them.

BEST WAY TO CATCH

The best way to Bream fish at Ashmoor is undoubtedly to quiver tip for them with a small cage feeder rig on the end. A combination of ensuring the hookbait lays perfectly on the bottom and making sure the groundbait also gets to the bottom through the mostly surface feeding Rudd gives you the best chances of a good day catching Bream.

Throughout the session you will also catch all the other species of course, as they will all get drawn in. But there really isn't much you can do about that. To get the most Bream, hooking on 2 dead maggots is the best tactic. Live ones will wriggle into the silt often, resulting in a long wait for bites, but to target the bigger Bream a little more specifically, a hookable pellet on the hook works best.

As discussed though adding pellets will bring in the Carp. The issue here lies with the line you use. A nice fine line, like 2 or 3lb is best for your hooklength with Bream, but the Carp will soon smash that up. Using a stronger line, like 6lb+ will stop the Carp destroying it, but will result in less Bream.

The best way of getting around this is simple. Fishing for the Bream in Winter is better. As the Carp get more dormant and sluggish with the cold weather, you can more safely fish lighter lines. If a big Carp still takes your bait, they are likely to be more sluggish and easier to land on a light line, and there will be less anglers so you have more space to play the fish. 

Bagging up on Bream

ROACH

The Roach stock in Ashmoor originates from that first bucket of small fish tipped into the water when they were dug. Initially, we were unaware of the quantity of them, as most of the fish that were caught were the Rudd, being easier to see and target on the surface, but it was soon discovered that a healthy population of Roach were present, and caught less only because of the surface fishing tactics that were mostly used at the time.

There are lots of little Roach in Ashmoor, only a few ounces, but if you spend the time to target them, or if you are lucky when mixed fishing, you will often come across a few fish of 1lb+. Anglers who take the time to target the Roach here have caught them over 2lb.

A Decent Ashmoor Roach

LOCATION

The Roach can be found anywhere around Ashmoor Lakes, as they too swim between all 3 lakes freely thanks to the underground pipes that join all the lakes together. The Roach here tend to like the cover a bit more, so are more often found along the margins of the lakes, or underneath lilies or overhanging trees.

TIME

The are definite best times of the day to target Roach at Ashmoor. Being there fishing for them at first light and just as the sun sets is best. Roach always feed more confidently at these times of day, when predators are less likely to see them.

The best time of the year to target the Roach specifically at Ashmoor is during the winter months.

METHODS

Float fishing and quiver tipping, much like when Bream fishing, are the best methods to target the Roach. A cage feeder with a nice Roach groundbait will bring them in for a swim, casting to the margins or a similar feature working best.

BAIT

Natural baits are the best baits to use at Ashmoor as a rule, with the quantity of natural food finding their way onto the lakes from overhanging trees and blowing in from the fields. Roach love to eat maggots, worms, bread and sweetcorn baits. A really good bait to use alongside these is actually prawn, which often targets the bigger Roach.

The Roach will also eat pellet and luncheon meat hook baits, though less readily than the others.

BEST WAY TO CATCH

The best way to catch the Roach is with the float. Finding the depth of the water with a plummet, fishing a hookbait on the bottom is the way forward. No need to cast out far, the near margins are the place to be for them. With targeting Roach I wouldn't use a groundbait at all. It attracts the other fish, particularly Bream, too much. Instead, loose feeding small amounts of bait and often, over the top of the float, is the better tactic.

Maggot or chopped worms on the hook are great baits, but I’d also try some chunks of prawn, as they seem to love these too.

Similarly to the Bream, the best Roach fishing season is in the winter when the Carp are less active due to the colder weather. You can use finer lines because of this and therefore catch more Roach, and also enjoy catching them a lot more on more suitable gear that isn't big Carp proof stuff. It's worth emphasizing that it is the early morning and late even at all times of the year when you will catch the most and better sizes of Roach.

A Classic Roach

HYBRIDS

Just a quick mention at this point about the hybrids in Ashmoor. With the large populations of Roach, Rudd and Bream whose breeding seasons are at the similar times, there are a lot of cross bred fish present in Ashmoor.

Luckily, the cross bred fish are still very decent fish, particularly the Roach/Bream and Rudd/Bream hybrids. Bream as a species aren’t renowned for their fighting habits when caught, but the Bream hybrids give a much better account of themselves.

It’s not always easy to tell if the fish you have caught is a hybrid or a genuine fish. The way I usually tell: if it looks like Bream, I gently pull its mouth down. If it extends downwards like a bottom feeding tube, it's a genuine Bream, if it doesn't, it's a hybrid. 

Figuring out if it's a Roach hybrid or a Rudd hybrid involves also looking at which way the mouth is pointing. A more terminal/flat mouth is a Roach hybrid, and a more upward pointing mouth is a Rudd hybrid, in general.

You can tell if it's a genuine Roach or Rudd or a Bream cross also by how it feels. If you hold it in your hand and it's normal, it has no Bream in it. If your hand was covered in the typical Bream snotty slime, it definitely has a sniff of Bream in it. 

A Definite Bream/Roach Hybrid

RUDD

Out of all the silver fish in Ashmoor Lakes, the Rudd are by far the most popular. This could be because they are quite easy fish to spot as they tend to be seen easily near the surface of the water, or it could be because finding a good fishery with plenty of Rudd to catch is harder and harder to do. The Rudd have been here since the lakes were first dug, and were the most prolific species at the time. When I was very young I used to come down with Aaron with a light float rod and 2lb line and float fish for them with rigs about a foot deep with a single grain of sweetcorn on the hook and catch plenty. I have a deep affection for the Ashmoor Rudd in particular, as it was fishing for these fish’ ancestors that taught me the basic fishing techniques and gave me my love of angling that I carry with me today.

Similar to the Roach, the Ashmoor Rudd all descended from those originally stocked fish. Also back then, Golden Rudd were quite common, but through the years of interbreeding they have had the gold colour in their offspring bred out somewhat, though the odd somewhat Golden Rudd still exists.

The majority of the Rudd in Ashmoor are what I call “handful” fish, being a comfortable fit for the hand, though as some Rudd catching regulars know, there are some Rudd in the lakes of 1lb, and even some caught up to 2 lb. 

My favourite Ashmoor Lakes Fish

LOCATION 

Rudd are found everywhere in all 3 lakes, once again thanks to the underground pipelines joining the water up. They are easily spotted on a sunny day basking near the surface and nipping at fallen items on the water surface. Rudd are mostly surface feeding fish, with their mouths clearly pointing upwards to be able to do so. On warm evenings when the seeds from the plants in the surrounding fields have their seeds blown onto the lake, the water can come alive with feeding Rudd sipping them up.

TIME

Though Rudd fishing is usually best in the evenings, when food items fall from the warm air as the air cools, onto the surface of the lakes, at Ashmoor this doesn’t seem to matter. The Rudd feed well pretty much all day long. I would say that on the very hottest days the Rudd don’t seem to feed too well, whether the heat gets to them, or the sun getting into their eyes when looking up for potential food near the surface.

Spring, Summer and Autumn are the best times of the year for targeting Rudd, when the weather is nice and warm.

METHODS

You will indeed catch Rudd on the bottom with the float and feeder tactic discussed above. 

The better method of the two is float fishing of course. With Rudd being a mostly surface feeding fish, setting your rig at about a foot deep is the better way to target them. No plummet needed, and certainly no dropper shot. This allows the bit to drift down slowly, which is what the Rudd like.

Regular feeding of small amounts of loose feed will bring the fish in to the swim and start them competing, say a pinch of maggots every cast. You will soon see schools of them buzzing around in the water snapping them up, and see them even clearer with polarised sunglasses on, which is a must to have. Though you will be float fishing, don’t just watch the float, also keep an eye on the line as it drops through the water as the Rudd will often intercept the bait on the drop. If the line starts to dash off before the float cocks, strike!

Allowing the line between the hook and the float to lay on the water by swinging the rig out into the swim also helps with this.

I’d still use 3lb line on the hooklength, as there is still a chance a sneaky Carp will pop up and slurp in the bait.

BAIT

Rudd love maggots, casters and bread. Baits that sink slower through the surface levels of the water. Though I always used to use sweetcorn to catch them in the day, and that still works, these other baits are far better. Also, don’t be afraid to improvise. If you catch a fly or a bug on the bank, lightly hook that and use it as bait too, as these are the natural baits they are always looking for. 

BEST WAY TO CATCH

Now, most would attest that fishing on the drop near the surface is the best way to target the Rudd, and they are sort of right. But through the years I have perfected the best way of targeting them with a float. Well, not even a float, a piece of stick or twig will do just fine.

Rather than using a waggler float and only attaching the line at one end, the float I propose is more set up like a stick float. A piece of floating reed, stick found on the bankside or indeed a stick float as used in river fishing held onto the line at both ends with float bands (though I prefer to make or find my own ones).

The idea behind it being that this is your casting weight, much like a normal float in this situation, but the float itself will lie perfectly flat on the surface and camouflage perfectly as just some normal bit of reed or stick on the surface. Rather than having to wait for the float to cock and dip with a bite, if there is ANY movement of that stick, it's a bite and worth striking.

This setup also makes it easier to adjust the depth of the rig if the fish shy off and move to feeding deeper by just running the float up and down the line.

But crucially, it is perfect for stalking individual fish.

Get them feeding up on the surface on a sunny day with maggot or caster and when you see a decent fish you want, swing the float into position right on its nose and it'll grab it perfectly. It won’t be spooked by the splash of a float, because the float is just a normal bit of reed or twig. In this way you can catch Rudd continuously for hours without end, and always target the bigger individuals.

Fishery Focus: Ashmoor Lakes Barbel

I am lucky enough to be part of a family who own a fishery. Ashmoor Lakes in Old Basing.

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. It's 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 BARBEL

Though Ashmoor Lakes is a mixed coarse fishery packed with many wonderful species, the Carp have always been the most sought after. That is, until the addition of the Barbel to the lakes.

When Ashmoor Lakes was first dug and opened up to the public the Barbel were not present. Prior to opening, the lakes were stocked with mainly Roach, Rudd, Perch and Tench, and on opening we stocked the lakes with a healthy supply of Bream, Crucian Carp and Carp. The fishery flourished with the new additions, and as they grew, attracted more and more anglers to come and catch them.

In January 2010 the decision was made to stock the lakes with 2 brand new, and somewhat controversial species at the time, Barbel and Chub. 

The decision was made mostly due to the fact that the dreaded KHV (Koi Herpes Virus) had been spreading around local fisheries and killing off all their stocks of Carp. If the virus made it to our fishery and similarly affected our stocks of Carp it would have been catastrophic. Though Ashmoors other species should be more than enough to keep people coming, unfortunately the main draw of most fisheries is their Carp. Most people want to catch big powerful fish. It's as simple as that. Our fish supplier, when quizzed about it, suggested adding Barbel. And so the decision was made.

Incidentally, the Chub were added alongside them to help the resident Perch keep the small fry population managed.

Barbel and Chub are traditionally a species found only in flowing streams and rivers, and have evolved to thrive in these conditions, so there was some controversy to adding them to still waters from anglers. These fish, however, had been bred in a fish farm, and had never seen so much as a gravel bed or weir pool, so we felt confident they would be fine.

Over the years the Ashmoor Barbel have thrived!

I personally had dinner and discussion with a VERY famous angler a few years back, who still didn't believe Barbel did well in stillwater fisheries. The ones he had caught from lakes and ponds had been skinny and emaciated, and very rarely grew bigger than 4lb maximum because of the environment they were in. Fisheries with very large Barbel in, he suggested, were stocked in that size, perhaps poached from local rivers and added illegally (to which I feel this is often the case). However, I was able to show that it's not always the case, and the Ashmoor Barbel population proves it. 

Never added any bigger than a few ounces, the Barbel at Ashmoor Lakes, though more commonly weighing 2-4lb, at their biggest are now tipping the scales at 7lb and as anglers who now catch them will attest, are strong, healthy, powerful fish. In fact, word has got out now that the Barbel are actually, pound for pound, much better fish to catch than the Ashmoor Carp, and believe it or not, some anglers travel miles and miles across the country to target the Barbel over all the other stocked species! 

In fact, and this is very rarely believed by many as Barbel need flowing water and gravel beds to breed in, the Barbel here are so healthy that they are breeding in the still water and silt!

Some anglers are catching small Barbel, below 1lb in weight, and these fish could only have bred in the lake, as a stocking of them hasn't happened in over 10 years.

With so many anglers travelling so far to catch some of these fish from Ashmoor Lakes, it would be a shame to travel all that way and not catch them. So here are the tips to help you:

A Typical Ashmoor Barbel

LOCATION

The Barbel 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 Barbel regularly use to travel between the lakes to feed in different ponds.

Many a time have anglers caught a notable Barbel in Lake 1, especially a particularly noticeable one eyed fish, only to come down a separate time and catch the same fish in Lake 2.

The Barbel in Ashmoor Lakes tend to hug the margins, often right underneath your feet, and near features such as lilies.

With so many Carp in the lakes the margins around the edges are quite undercut due to the activity of them feeding and rubbing along the edges, and this provides a safer haven for not only them, but also the Barbel, who feed much better with something over their heads, and have a nearby place to hide in..

They can be caught all around the lakes, but I would tend towards swims with good reed growth around the edges. On Lake 1, the far bank and the opposite reed lined bank near the path are good, on Lake 2 the reedy swims along the near side, and the far bank of Lake 3 are all the prime spots, though I do know a couple of premium spots which I will discuss later. It is to be noted that all of these areas are margins close in.

TIME

Barbel can be caught all year round. In still waters I do feel that they do feed differently to rivers, however, and the Ashmoor Barbel are much easier caught in the warmer weather, late Spring through to early Autumn being the best time, with Summer being the best.

Having fished for Ashmoor Barbel many times, I would say that there is no best time of day for them, they are just as likely to feed in the mornings and evenings as in the middle of the day. They do feed better on a warmer day than a cold one.

METHODS

At any time of the year the Barbel can be caught on many methods. Float fishing, feeder fishing and legering being top ways.

With float fishing it is important to be fishing on the bottom, as that's where the Barbel feed. Plumb the depth carefully and either have the bait just sitting on the bottom, or give it an inch or two over depth to ensure the bait is there. 

Using a fishmeal based groundbait in a feeder, particularly carefully cast to the margins of the lakes, including the islands, will bring all fish from far and wide, including the Barbel. Casting every 5 to 10 minutes will keep the bait topped up and keep their interest. In warmer months, you'll barely have time to wind a quiver tip rod into position before it curls round into a fish if you are doing it properly, though not always a Barbel, they will come among the mix.

Using a feeder also helps to keep the rig from sinking in the soft silt at the bottom of the lakes. A method perhaps better than using a leger.

The method feeder is a similarly potent way of catching the Barbel, and is actually a better way of fishing for them if casting to distant margins.

With a feeder, the hook length trails out beyond the feeder itself, and this often runs the risk of hooking up into the marginal growth if fishing close. By using a method feeder, particularly a flatbed one, you can cast more confidently to marginal growth, and actually get a little nearer, as the hook length is smaller, and hidden within the groundbait on the feeder itself. 

4lb line should be more than enough to target the Barbel, and also give you half a chance of landing most of the Carp you will inevitably catch alongside them. I'd perhaps recommend 4lb line on the hook length, and 5 or 6 on the main line to deal with multiple casts, and less chance of losing an entire rig should a big Carp come and break you up, while giving you the best chance of the Barbel not noticing the line when feeding. 

Use a hook that is a suitable size for your bait. I tend to use a barbless hook between a size 16 and 12.

BAIT

The Barbel at Ashmoor Lakes can be caught with pretty much any bait, though it is important to remember with Ashmoor Lakes being a farm venue the lakes get a large 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 tends to be 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 do tend to catch you a mix of species rather than picking out Barbel more specifically.

The Barbel love luncheon meat and pellets too however, and these baits tend to reduce the hassle given by the silver fish feeding on the bait, however a bigger issue then arises by using these baits, as the Carp love these baits too. Throwing in a lot of pellets and meat will bring in the Carp from far and wide, and they will bully the Barbel out the swim, and break the finer line you should be using to catch them. Therefore, it's a balancing act between feeding too much and too little, and fishing too light and too heavy that makes the Ashmoor Barbel a real challenge. 

With Ashmoor Lakes being a farm pond, and naturals being the way of things, it does mean that boilies are not a very effective bait for catching Barbel. Being maximum 6lb at present, a big boilie will be left uneaten by the Barbel, but perhaps smaller ones would be taken. Other baits outshine boiles by far though.

The key to all these baits though is to feed little and often, much like a match fisherman, and not toss out large beds of bait.

Another Barbel Falls to a Soft Hooker Pellet

THE BEST WAY TO CATCH

With the methods and baits discussed above, here I'm going to get into the number one method I use to target the Barbel. As I say, I have fished for them so many times that I know them like the back of my hand. Here's what I do to secure and whisker in the back of the net.

The first thing that's most important, as I discussed above, is fish in the margins. I never cast anywhere to catch a Barbel. Choose your swim, and fish a rod length away next to a reed fringed nearside bank, almost under your feet. Always with reeds, as that's where the Barbel will be over all other places.

Float fish, either on rod or pole, though rod tends to be easier if a Carp grabs the bait instead of a Barbel, and literally place the rig and float, right below the tip for accuracy, as close to the reeds as you dare. The closer the better. Fishing as much as 6" away I find reduces your chance of catching them greatly.

Make sure the rig has been plumbed to depth and the bait is on the bottom.

Don't add any bait at all to begin with. Any bait added brings in the Carp. The Barbel have much more sensitive barbules than Carp and will generally find a single hookbait first. In this way you can often pick up one or two bonus Barbel right off the bat.

For hookbait, it's true that maggot and worm and meat are all taken readily by them, but the premium hookbait on a size 16 hook is a single soft hooker pellet, a nice and oily one.

When adding bait after the first few fish with no loose feed fed (hopefully one of the fish at least being a Barbel) don't add too much. Adding too much bait will bring in hordes of Carp, and you'll be catching them all day long. Feed little and often, maybe even half a dozen similarly sized pellets to the ones on the hook every now and then.

A good float rod that can handle the odd Carp is best. I'd love to use a light match rod, but the Carp can be too brutish.

As promised earlier, I will let you into my favourite Barbel swims, though a little reluctantly as I'm sure they will all be taken from here on in. Those Barbel do love those reedy margins over all others, but if you can sit in a swim next to one of the pipes that join up the lakes, you will be in the prime spots for the Barbel. The Barbel love to swim from lake to lake through the pipes, but more than anything, they love to live in the pipes!

On Lake 1 the pipe leads to Lake 2 in 'Carp Corner', the corner that pokes out on the top left of the lake that stops it from being a square. The pipe is on the opposite bank to the one you sit on, you can see an indented bump in the reeds. On Lake 2, the pipe comes opposite this in another noticeable bump in the corner, along the bank following where the bird scarer banger points.

The pipe from Lake 2 into Lake 3 is to the left of the life ring hidden in the reeds,and also pops out into Lake 3 directly behind it. Again, if you look for it, you can see where it goes through, though it's less obvious and a little harder to locate.

You'll need to be careful when you hook one that it doesn't run straight back into the pipe though.    

You will still catch all of the species that swim in Ashmoor Lakes by doing this. There is no guaranteed method to only catch Barbel, but this way gives you the best chances of catching them than any other.

4lb of Hard Fighting Fish