# Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery, Retford, Nottinghamshire
Autumn is a turning point with skimmers (I think a 3lb fish is a bream but northerners don’t!) taking over the mantle from carp, especially on Moat Pool (190 pegs) where pole will totally dominate the better catches. Pellet, Hallcroft’s own brand for feed but any pellet can be used on the hook, with red maggot and dead ’uns the baits to use. However, don’t rule out carp in mixed bags, and while they average 4/5lb, the odd specimen to 16lb can be a pole-cruncher! Croft (28) is pole or waggler fishing, with decent weights of roach, skimmers, perch and a smaller stamp of carp mixed in, but chopped worm and caster will be the main feed and hookbaits on this pool. Over on Bridge Pool (80) and this is a silver fish paradise even though the odd carp wants to join in the fun. Sloppy groundbait, maggots (plenty of) and pole fishing for roach and skimmers (plenty of). Day tickets are great value at £5, with OAPs/disabled £4.50 and kids only £4, and the spacious café serves food and drink throughout the day. Steve Spurr runs the on-site tackle shop, ‘Ultimate Anglers’, tel: 01777 719911. Contact owners Terry, Nick and Luke Sears on 01777 710448 for club and match bookings. Daiwa Hallcroft also controls 20 pegs of the adjacent River Idle, which can be fished on the same day ticket price and holds plenty of chub and barbel. Why not fish the river in the morning and catch the late afternoon bag-up session on one of the pools?
