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Last updated: Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Our guide to places to fish in Northamptonshire including information on venues, and contact details.

Abington Park Lake
This fishery is just off the A4500 near Northampton town centre. The lake has suffered from low oxygen levels during the warmer months, resulting in a few fish deaths and a keepnet ban. However things are now getting back to normal and sport is steadily beginning to pick up. The method feeder is totally dominant for the bream and tench now, as the fish seemed to have pushed out past the pole line. The best baits at the moment are 6mm mini boilies and punched polony meat coloured red. There are still lots of roach to be caught close in on the whip with maggot or hemp. Recent match winning weight are around the 25-30lb mark, although you can expect pleasure nets to go to 40lb plus. Contact Nigel or Mark at BT Tackle on: 01604 714899 for further information.

Boddington Reservoir, Nr Byfield
This 120 plus peg venue is set in 65 acres and is absolutely heaving with fish; there are 90 pegs on the west bank and 30 pegs between the sailing club and dam wall. Carp run between 3lb and double figures. Boddington has become extremely popular amongst the match anglers as weights often exceed 200lb and it’s not uncommon for 300lb, take plenty of keepnets for a match I would recommend four. Pellet is the best bait here and you will need plenty as the fish are very competitive, the paste was doing the business but as the colder months approach a soft expander will be the method by feeding consistently the fish will often move up in the water and if they do, a very big weight is on the cards. Club secretaries should be booking early, match bookings on 01908 302 556 or the bailiff on 07740534891 or BW on 01827 252 066.

Billing Aquadrome
The main lakes at the complex offer top sport. Situated just off the A45 on the eastern side of Northampton, the sites Kingfisher Lake is the place to head for. This lake houses around 50 pegs and is home to some big shoals of bream. Fish to 7lb have been falling in numbers, mainly to method feeder tactics. Nets of bream, skimmers and tench to 60lb are possible on most days, with hair rigged 6mm pellet as bait. Large double figure carp may also put in an appearance, with fish to 14lb showing up on the method feeder recently. Short pole tactics will catch a roach a bung, with caster being the best bait by far. The other main lake on the complex is the Marina Lake. This lake’s form is governed by the neighbouring River Nene, which runs in to it. The river’s flow affects the lakes colour,and in turn its form. When conditions are steady the fish responded positively. 40lb bags of skimmers and bream have been taken, with the best area being the River Nene inlet end of the lake. The groundbait feeder loaded with chopped worm and maggot has been the method to use. If you head to the other end of the lake near the boat marina, you will catch plenty of roach on hemp. Nets of pristine red fins to 20lb are a regular occurrence with fish averaging around the 10-12 ounce mark. For more information about Billing Aquadrome please contact Rob Kilgour on 01604 408 181, or log onto www.billingaquadrome.com or e-mail rob@aquadrome.co.uk.

Borough Hill Farm Daventry
Two lakes at this ‘off the beaten track’ venue, available on a day ticket. Plenty of carp to small doubles with crucians and silver fish. Fishery owner Mr Harding can be contacted on 01327 879979, match bookings can be taken.

Canons Ashby, nr Brackley
These National Trust owned lakes are leased to the Northampton castle angling club and are situated between the villages of Canons Ashby and Moreton Pinkney, on the south west border of Northamptonshire.. Carp sport can be good in the evenings, with margin tactics and catmeat being a good bet. There are also a few skimmers being caught on small expander pellets or worm and caster. Peg 23 has a reputation for being a good peg, with winning match nets to 80lb being caught at 6m close by the reeds. The rest of the top lake has been very patchy, so you will have to rotate methods and lines to catch fish. The bottom lake is often regarded as being the more consistent. The pegs at the far end of the lake by the rushes have been the best. Fishing the pole between 11m and 13m has been the best method with either pellet or catmeat on the hook. There are also fish in the margins to be had late on, with soft paste baits. For further information contact Castle AA chairman John Lewis on 01604 635 490.

Castle Ashby, nr Brackley
Head for the Scotland Pond for the best variety of fish and fishing methods. Take your pick what you fancy doing because anything works here. Waggler and pellet for skimmers up to 2lb or use maggots on the hook for a small fish every cast. Pole and pellet fished in the deeper water on the roadside for skimmers, tench and odd crucians. Big carp are still being taken by the ‘bivvy boys’ mainly on the field bank from pegs 12 to 18. Sport is slower on the Grendon pool but recent matches have been won by anglers fishing bottom baits rather than the obligatory surface methods used in the summer. Pole and pellet is the favourite at the moment with winning weights in the 40lb to 50lb bracket. The deeper Brickyard pool has had some interesting results recently. Weights have tailed off slightly in the matches meaning silver fish catches are getting in the frame. Good catches of roach to 1lb are possible on the pole and caster with a chance of catching on the hemp later in the session. Look out for the odd bonus fishing this way as the chance of a skimmer or big hybrid is always on the cards. This really is good fun. Tel Mick on 01604 712 346 or see www.castleashbyfisheries.co.uk

Crockwell Farm, Eydon, nr Daventry
Impossible to blank at this prolific venue, stuffed with carp and silver fish Crockwell Farm is a popular venue with small match groups, Wollaston AC’s latest venture to the venue saw a winning weight of 115lb of carp, no monsters but plenty of fish to 5lb from club chairman John Pearce and with many bulging nets filling the places Crockwell is a perfect match venue. Pleasure anglers will find the place relatively quiet mid week and it is well worth a visit. Contact Farmer Harper on 01327 361358.

Drayton Reservoir, Daventry
This mega weight water has anglers flocking to bag up the sport can often be fast and furious from any off the 120 plus pegs on specially constructed walkways and stages. Drayton is arguably the best bagging water in the country and who could dispute it with a match record over 400lb. Although it is very exciting to fish the pole close to the boards, by far the best methods are the bagging waggler and the method feeder but you must ensure your gear is up to scratch as a lot of the fish now average 5 to 10lb and go off like a train, hair rig your baits to aid hooking but never leave your rod else you will lose it, regular casting and accuracy is needed as the fish often respond to the splash of your waggler and feeder. Drayton is very popular and it’s advised you call the pleasure peg availability line on 0113 281 6895. For match bookings call 01908 302556 or the bailiff on 07889 532563 before 8pm.

River Nene
Wellingborough Embankment has been fishing well for roach and chub, try bread punch by the bathing pool, day tickets from the bailiff on the bank at just £3. The main river at Glebe Meadow is producing good weights for pleasure anglers. Bream to 6lb and chub to 4lb have started to show and these provide the bulk of the winning match weights, sweetcorn also works well here. The backbrook itself from the bridge down to the bends can provide some excellent roach and chub fishing. Dave Line from Rushden often has a net full of roach and dace on hemp and tares from the backbrook, but the barbel are a bit more elusive however, these were introduced into the river by the Environment Agency in 1991 at about four inches in length and can now be seen at about 14lb in weight. The beauty of Glebe meadow is that most of the pegs offer close vehicular access. To book a day or overnight ticket or to arrange a match contact Kev Goodman on 01933 651305 or 07941 257090. For the Ringstead stretch which is just off Ham Lane. Membership is available from Perkins Electrical 3 Station Road Earls Barton, Northampton. Tel: 01604 810274.

The Denford Broadwater stretch is also popular, with loads of bream to be had from almost any peg, but they are hard to catch when the pressure is high, tench are showing up along the trackside and from the bird boxes to the old railway bridge, plenty of roach, perch and the odd eel. Easy access is available to most pegs. This water is available on a day ticket from the farmer and considering how good it is it’s surprisingly hardly fished, and makes an excellent match venue at £5 per peg. Give David Beak a call on 01832 731275 or 07970 278860.