Venue ace, Pete Rice, hasn’t been able to catch a cold of late, never mind bag-up, so I don’t know why I am bothering to ask him about prospects for this month! Pete and Graham run the on-site tackle shop and take match bookings (tel: 01926 842188). Come March and it’s a case of feeding ground up pellets in the form of a slop on the pole line to give off a cloud and feed micro pellets over the top … guess what you use on the hook? Canal Pool (24 pegs) will be on form come early March, having been re-stocked, with Mirrors between 6oz & 8oz, which will be suicidal, so let’s rock and roll! Pole work out to the island at a maximum of 12 metres is the name of the game, and with one side boasting concrete platforms, this pool is disabled angler-friendly and access is easy. Big weights can be expected on the New Pool (44) when we get a touch of the mild stuff. Fish out at just 4/5 metres down the bottom of the track with pellet or get stuck in with wag ‘n’ mag tactics and break a few catapult elastics. F1s from 6oz to over 1lb, plus the odd tench and skimmers, is what you will be catching. Bottom Pool (29) is not for the faint-hearted, what with carp to 20lb and an average range of fish from 6lb to 13lb, and these big boys and girls have been given the wake-up call by the introduction of 5,000 small carp from 2oz to 6oz … and they’re growing fast! Use 12/14 elastic on the pole, with corn and maggot baits, and expect the population to have a chomp. Day tickets are £7 (that includes the use of a keepnet) with concessions £5 during the week and breakfast is served every day of the week. Don’t forget to have your card stamped as after every five visits to Tunnel Barn Farm the next trip is free. Contact fishery owner Mike Hamlington for club bookings only on 01926 842975. All pellet feed must be TNTBF’s own brand sold on site.

Midland Angler