Post by Andrew Burgess on Apr 21, 2006 20:18:45 GMT
Broad Acres Fishery
Broad Acres Farm
Forest Lane
Hanbury
Worcestershire
B60 4HR
Tel: 07990 953860 (mobile)
or 01527 821880 (Fax/24-hour answering machine)
This was a former 80-acre beef and sheep farm, Broad Acres Fishery has been developed since the early 1990s into a four pool match and pleasure venue, on-site mobile snack bar, and ladies and gents toilets.
Much of the fishery is suitable for disabled anglers and there is plenty of car parking and it is only a short walk from the pools.
Broad Acres holds regular Open Matches which usually attract between a dozen and two dozen anglers. The draw for these is taken at 10.00am with fishing from 11.00am until 4.00pm.
In 2005, Broad Acres Fishery has relaxed its rules on permitted baits, allowing for the first time coarse fish feeder pellets and soft hooker pellets to be used.
As with many other fisheries, anglers are not allowed to use floating baits, groundbait or keepnets whilst the list of permitted baits includes luncheon and flavoured meats, maggots, casters, sweetcorn, bread, cat meat, prawns and worms, as long as they are washed and do not contain peat. The only other restriction is a maximum hook size of Size 10.
Ticket costs and Opening Times - Ticket type Adults OAP/Juniors/Disabled
Day (Dawn until Dusk) £5.00 (one rod) £4.00 (one rod)
Half-day (After 3.30pm) £4.00 (one rod) £3.00 (one rod)
In summer please purchase your ticket from the Snack Bar before fishing. Children under 12 must be accompanied.
Main Lake
At two acres in size, Main Lake accommodates about 50 anglers on slabbed pegs sited about 10 yards apart, although it is never used for matches of more than 36 anglers to ensure there is always space for pleasure anglers.
Deepest at the left hand end near the tall dead tree where between six and seven feet of water can be found, Main Lake shallows gradually to about five feet around the two islands and then to four feet at the right hand end as you come onto the fishery. Around the edges about three feet of water can generally be found, the bottom of the lake gradually shelving down to its maximum depth.
Holding Common and Mirror Carp between 2lbs and 20lbs-plus, Main Lake is also home to a large number of carp in the 8lbs to 9lbs range which make up about 60 per cent of the total fish population in the water.
In addition there is a large head of bream and skimmers to about 3lbs, perch to 2lbs 8oz, roach to just under 2lbs and a few tench and crucians.
Most popular methods on this water are to fish the pole, waggler or swimfeeder. Pole and waggler fishing are equally effective close in or out in open water, but if you want to reach one of the two islands you will probably need to fish a swimfeeder packed with hook samples. The smaller of the two islands may only look like a tree stump sticking out of the water, but the stump actually sits on an island about two feet under the surface.
As with many waters there is no right or wrong way to fish Main Lake and all pegs are equally popular and productive.
Fishing close in to the margin with pole or waggler are both good, particularly so in summer because there is only about three feet of water close in. When going for the silver fish, fishing either on the bottom or up in the water, feeding little but often with hook samples, is good.
When going for the carp and bream, fishing on the bottom is obviously most productive.
Although in previous years there has been a blanket ban on pellets at Broad Acres, this was relaxed at the beginning of 2005 to allow anglers to use the new generation of coarse fish pellets which do not contain the oils in trout pellets which are thought to cause liver problems in stillwater coarse fish.
As for other baits, all kinds of meats and sweetcorn are good for the carp whilst good general baits are obviously maggots, casters, worm and bread.
Charlie's Pool
At about an acre in size, Charlie's Pool, as with Bill's Pool, was developed with the pole angler in mind having three long narrow islands, the centre one of which can be fished from, giving 11 metres to the opposite bank from most of the pegs.
With 32 well-spaced pegs - each one between 12 and 14 yards apart - the pool has banks which drop straight down to its maximum depth of four feet.
With plenty of bankside vegetation, Charlie's Pool is popular with pleasure anglers and for small club matches, angling clubs being able to have the whole pool to themselves if they so wish for just £100.
Stocked predominantly with silver fish, it holds skimmer bream, roach to 2lbs, a large head of tench to 4lbs, chub to between 4lbs and 5lbs, and some carp which go to a maximum of 2lbs.
Because it was designed as a match water, the pole is obviously the most popular method used with anglers fishing either close in or tight against one of the islands.
Best baits tend to include worm, maggots and casters, all of which account for plenty of fish whatever the weather or time of year, with sweetcorn and tinned meat baits such as luncheon meat, cat food or flavoured meats, popular during the summer months when this shallow pool has warmed up.
Once again there are no particular hot spots on Charlie's and the secret tends to be to attract the fish into your swim with samples of hook bait and then keep them there by feeding little and often.
Bill's Pool
Like Charlie's, Bill's Pool was developed with input from Billy Makin and is again rectangular in shape with three central islands, giving most pegs 11 metres of water to the opposite bank. Once again anglers can fish from the centre of the three islands and all pegs drop straight down to four feet throughout the pool.
Being the furthest water from the car park, Bill's Pool is often the quietest of the Broad Acres pools, and having more vegetation and cover than Charlie's Pool is perhaps more suited to pleasure anglers going after the common and mirror carp, the only species in the water, which run to 6lbs and provide lively sport when on form.
Once again Bill's is virtually an out-and-out pole water, although there is nothing to stop waggler anglers sticking with more traditional methods if they prefer. Best baits are again worm, maggots and casters with tinned meats and sweetcorn coming into their own in summer.
An ideal water to try out new techniques, tackle and baits, Bill's is again best fished close in to the side or close up against the far bank with regular feeding of hook samples getting the fish going and keeping them on the boil.
Specimen Pool
Although the three-quarters-of-an-acre Specimen Pool holds commons to 30lbs and mirrors to the mid 20s it is popular with anglers of all ages and abilities, including children, because the rank and file fish are relatively easy to catch.
Because there are no permanent pegs anglers can pick and choose where on the bank they fish from, although popular pegs tend to be down the far end where the island can be reached and along the entrance bank.
In addition to the bigger carp, Specimen Pool holds a few ghosties, lots of smaller and mid-range carp between 8lbs and 14lbs, plus a large head of silver fish including skimmers, roach, bream, roach/bream hybrids and tench.
Although the bigger carp tend to be more wary and difficult to catch, specimens of between 15lbs and 18lbs are taken regularly and if you are looking for your first double this is a water to head for.
Once again Specimen Pool tends to be a water where almost anything goes with all baits from maggots to flavoured meats working well.
Deepest at the entrance end of the pool where about seven feet of water can be found, Specimen Pool shallows gradually throughout its length to about five feet near the island and four and three feet at the top end. Although it has a bowl-shaped bottom at the far end, the banks go straight down to the maximum depth near the entrance.
Used for small matches in winter, the pool is reserved for pleasure anglers in summer but can become busy at weekends so anglers after the bigger carp may want to go mid-week when the water is quieter.
How to get there. - Broad Acres is just a 15 minute drive through the country from Junction 5 of the M5. After leaving the M5 follow the signs for Droitwich and go onto the B490 and follow the brown tourist signs for the Jinney Ring Craft Centre.
Just after the Craft Centre, which is on the left, turn right into Forest Lane and at the first crossroads turn right into Ditchford Bank Road. The entrance to the fishery is on the right after about 200 yards.
Broad Acres Farm
Forest Lane
Hanbury
Worcestershire
B60 4HR
Tel: 07990 953860 (mobile)
or 01527 821880 (Fax/24-hour answering machine)
This was a former 80-acre beef and sheep farm, Broad Acres Fishery has been developed since the early 1990s into a four pool match and pleasure venue, on-site mobile snack bar, and ladies and gents toilets.
Much of the fishery is suitable for disabled anglers and there is plenty of car parking and it is only a short walk from the pools.
Broad Acres holds regular Open Matches which usually attract between a dozen and two dozen anglers. The draw for these is taken at 10.00am with fishing from 11.00am until 4.00pm.
In 2005, Broad Acres Fishery has relaxed its rules on permitted baits, allowing for the first time coarse fish feeder pellets and soft hooker pellets to be used.
As with many other fisheries, anglers are not allowed to use floating baits, groundbait or keepnets whilst the list of permitted baits includes luncheon and flavoured meats, maggots, casters, sweetcorn, bread, cat meat, prawns and worms, as long as they are washed and do not contain peat. The only other restriction is a maximum hook size of Size 10.
Ticket costs and Opening Times - Ticket type Adults OAP/Juniors/Disabled
Day (Dawn until Dusk) £5.00 (one rod) £4.00 (one rod)
Half-day (After 3.30pm) £4.00 (one rod) £3.00 (one rod)
In summer please purchase your ticket from the Snack Bar before fishing. Children under 12 must be accompanied.
Main Lake
At two acres in size, Main Lake accommodates about 50 anglers on slabbed pegs sited about 10 yards apart, although it is never used for matches of more than 36 anglers to ensure there is always space for pleasure anglers.
Deepest at the left hand end near the tall dead tree where between six and seven feet of water can be found, Main Lake shallows gradually to about five feet around the two islands and then to four feet at the right hand end as you come onto the fishery. Around the edges about three feet of water can generally be found, the bottom of the lake gradually shelving down to its maximum depth.
Holding Common and Mirror Carp between 2lbs and 20lbs-plus, Main Lake is also home to a large number of carp in the 8lbs to 9lbs range which make up about 60 per cent of the total fish population in the water.
In addition there is a large head of bream and skimmers to about 3lbs, perch to 2lbs 8oz, roach to just under 2lbs and a few tench and crucians.
Most popular methods on this water are to fish the pole, waggler or swimfeeder. Pole and waggler fishing are equally effective close in or out in open water, but if you want to reach one of the two islands you will probably need to fish a swimfeeder packed with hook samples. The smaller of the two islands may only look like a tree stump sticking out of the water, but the stump actually sits on an island about two feet under the surface.
As with many waters there is no right or wrong way to fish Main Lake and all pegs are equally popular and productive.
Fishing close in to the margin with pole or waggler are both good, particularly so in summer because there is only about three feet of water close in. When going for the silver fish, fishing either on the bottom or up in the water, feeding little but often with hook samples, is good.
When going for the carp and bream, fishing on the bottom is obviously most productive.
Although in previous years there has been a blanket ban on pellets at Broad Acres, this was relaxed at the beginning of 2005 to allow anglers to use the new generation of coarse fish pellets which do not contain the oils in trout pellets which are thought to cause liver problems in stillwater coarse fish.
As for other baits, all kinds of meats and sweetcorn are good for the carp whilst good general baits are obviously maggots, casters, worm and bread.
Charlie's Pool
At about an acre in size, Charlie's Pool, as with Bill's Pool, was developed with the pole angler in mind having three long narrow islands, the centre one of which can be fished from, giving 11 metres to the opposite bank from most of the pegs.
With 32 well-spaced pegs - each one between 12 and 14 yards apart - the pool has banks which drop straight down to its maximum depth of four feet.
With plenty of bankside vegetation, Charlie's Pool is popular with pleasure anglers and for small club matches, angling clubs being able to have the whole pool to themselves if they so wish for just £100.
Stocked predominantly with silver fish, it holds skimmer bream, roach to 2lbs, a large head of tench to 4lbs, chub to between 4lbs and 5lbs, and some carp which go to a maximum of 2lbs.
Because it was designed as a match water, the pole is obviously the most popular method used with anglers fishing either close in or tight against one of the islands.
Best baits tend to include worm, maggots and casters, all of which account for plenty of fish whatever the weather or time of year, with sweetcorn and tinned meat baits such as luncheon meat, cat food or flavoured meats, popular during the summer months when this shallow pool has warmed up.
Once again there are no particular hot spots on Charlie's and the secret tends to be to attract the fish into your swim with samples of hook bait and then keep them there by feeding little and often.
Bill's Pool
Like Charlie's, Bill's Pool was developed with input from Billy Makin and is again rectangular in shape with three central islands, giving most pegs 11 metres of water to the opposite bank. Once again anglers can fish from the centre of the three islands and all pegs drop straight down to four feet throughout the pool.
Being the furthest water from the car park, Bill's Pool is often the quietest of the Broad Acres pools, and having more vegetation and cover than Charlie's Pool is perhaps more suited to pleasure anglers going after the common and mirror carp, the only species in the water, which run to 6lbs and provide lively sport when on form.
Once again Bill's is virtually an out-and-out pole water, although there is nothing to stop waggler anglers sticking with more traditional methods if they prefer. Best baits are again worm, maggots and casters with tinned meats and sweetcorn coming into their own in summer.
An ideal water to try out new techniques, tackle and baits, Bill's is again best fished close in to the side or close up against the far bank with regular feeding of hook samples getting the fish going and keeping them on the boil.
Specimen Pool
Although the three-quarters-of-an-acre Specimen Pool holds commons to 30lbs and mirrors to the mid 20s it is popular with anglers of all ages and abilities, including children, because the rank and file fish are relatively easy to catch.
Because there are no permanent pegs anglers can pick and choose where on the bank they fish from, although popular pegs tend to be down the far end where the island can be reached and along the entrance bank.
In addition to the bigger carp, Specimen Pool holds a few ghosties, lots of smaller and mid-range carp between 8lbs and 14lbs, plus a large head of silver fish including skimmers, roach, bream, roach/bream hybrids and tench.
Although the bigger carp tend to be more wary and difficult to catch, specimens of between 15lbs and 18lbs are taken regularly and if you are looking for your first double this is a water to head for.
Once again Specimen Pool tends to be a water where almost anything goes with all baits from maggots to flavoured meats working well.
Deepest at the entrance end of the pool where about seven feet of water can be found, Specimen Pool shallows gradually throughout its length to about five feet near the island and four and three feet at the top end. Although it has a bowl-shaped bottom at the far end, the banks go straight down to the maximum depth near the entrance.
Used for small matches in winter, the pool is reserved for pleasure anglers in summer but can become busy at weekends so anglers after the bigger carp may want to go mid-week when the water is quieter.
How to get there. - Broad Acres is just a 15 minute drive through the country from Junction 5 of the M5. After leaving the M5 follow the signs for Droitwich and go onto the B490 and follow the brown tourist signs for the Jinney Ring Craft Centre.
Just after the Craft Centre, which is on the left, turn right into Forest Lane and at the first crossroads turn right into Ditchford Bank Road. The entrance to the fishery is on the right after about 200 yards.
