Bridge Pool (80 pegs) is full of silver fish that will respond to maggots and pinkies, but, if anglers want to invest in a ‘match pack’ of bloodworm and joker, then a bit-a-chuck is guaranteed when pole fishing (order from your local tackle shop in advance). Many pleasure anglers are frightened to use the ‘little red men’ simply because they think it is complicated, and specialised purely for matchmen, and it costs a fortune if you are unable to scrape it yourself… rubbish! A match-pack of B&J can cost as little as £7.50, and with a few casters for bonus fish, your bait bill for the day and bites all round will cost you less than a tenner. Try reading the new series in DHP’s Advanced Pole Fishing with Ricky Teale on ‘Bloodworm For Beginners’ and see what I mean. Back on Bridge Pool and some quality roach sport can be had on the caster but carp will have another go on the pellet if you get the feeding right and don’t go in armed with bagfuls. Croft Pool (28) is back in full swing, after drainage and restocking, with 1 ton of carp to 3lb and loads of greedy roach to 12oz, which should keep anglers happy, and these fish will readily feed on any pole-fished baits. Reed Pool (46) holds some bigger carp well into double-figures and respond to pellet, corn and maggot, fished on either pole or the straight bomb. Don’t travel too far with the lead as 20 yards is a good chuck but you might have to go to 14 metres on your pole line if the fish are backing-off… but set up a feeding line closer in and see how things go before getting those extensions out of the holdall. Moat Pool (190) will produce bags of carp, but as it is such an expanse of water, pleasure anglers should invest in a fish finder or simply look for signs of fish presence. Find the ‘gangs’ and you’ll be in for a terrific day’s sport! Day tickets are good value at £5, with OAPs/disabled £4.50 and ‘little elves’ only £4. Steve Spurr runs the on-site tackle shop ‘Ultimate Anglers’ tel: 01777 719911. Contact owners Terry, Luke or Nick Sears on 01777 710448 for club and match bookings. Daiwa Hallcroft also has 20 pegs on the adjacent River Idle that can be fished on the same day ticket price which gives customers the chance of
