Andy's Fishing Lake

Trevase Farm
Pencoyd
Tretire
Herefordshire
HR2 8ND

Tel: 01989 730210
or 07815 742659

E-mail: pursey.trevase@btconnect.com


Part of a 450-acre arable farm in the middle of the countryside just a few miles from the border with Wales in Herefordshire and five miles north of Ross-on-Wye, Andy's Fishing Lake has been throwing up some amazing catches since it opened to day-ticket anglers in Spring 2008.

With pleasure catches of over 100lbs becoming commonplace and several anglers reporting they have taken over 400lbs of fish in a day, Andy's is interesting in that it must be one of the few large day-ticket venues in the UK which does not allow matches.

Excavated in 2004 to supply water to a neighbouring strawberry and raspberry farm, Andy's Fishing Lake was stocked the following year with several thousand mirror and common carp, roach, bream and tench. The newly introduced fish were allowed to settle over the next couple of years and were fed several tons of pellets and kibbled wheat before the lake was opened for anglers.

And the patient approach has certainly paid dividends. Whilst the majority of the carp were introduced at only 8oz, they are now regularly coming out between 3lbs and 4lbs whilst the bigger introductions are now nudging the 20lbs mark with several fish over 18lbs already having been caught.

Because Andy's Fishing Lake was only recently built and covers a total of five acres, it is currently an open and fairly featureless water.

However, reeds have been planted between one and two rod lengths out into the water at various points around the lake and the banks dotted with specimen trees which will be supplemented in winter 2008/2009 with plantings of Scots Pine and Weeping Willows. In addition, hedges will be planted around the lake to give further protection from the wind and make the lake increasingly attractive as the new planting develops.

Because of the high quality of the water, one of the features of Andy's Fishing Lake is that all the fish are in excellent condition and even the smaller ones fight way above their weight - many anglers saying that they have had to take a rest when fishing because their arms ache.

Adults accompanying younger anglers also say they rarely get chance to fish themselves because they are too busy helping their children play and net fish!

Andy's Lake has a car park and portable toilet near the entrance gate and a rough track roadway leading to all the pegs, although anglers are asked to leave their vehicles in the car park after unloading their gear.

Whilst there are few rules, anglers should use only barbless hooks and are not allowed to use keepnets. There is a maximum of two rods per angler and fishing is from dawn until dusk. They should also note that the smaller lake which adjoins Andy's Fishing Lake at the end of the right hand arm is a wildlife conservation pool and should not be fished. Ticket fees will be collected by the bailiff on the bank.

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Angling Ticket Prices

	Day tickets (Dawn to Dusk)
Adults	£6.00
OAPs/Juniors	£5.00

From here the water shallows with between eight and 10 feet being found where one arm runs towards the conservation wildlife pond. The shallowest water, at just four feet, is in the bay by the car park as you come onto the fishery.

Although the deep water can be good for ledgering for the carp and bream, anglers do not need to fish much further out than a couple of rod lengths with the newly planted margin reeds already proving holding areas for the fish.

Another popular area which has already been throwing up good catches, particularly of carp, are the pegs on either bank near the causeway which separates the main lake from the wildlife conservation lake.

Here between eight and 10 feet of water can be found a couple of rod lengths out and with the causeway and several banks of reeds proving features for the fish, this is well worth a try if the pegs are not taken. Popular techniques here are fishing the pole, waggler or a surface bait in warmer weather when the carp can be seen moving around under the surface.

Whether fishing for the carp or the silver fish, pellets are a good feed and hook bait as this is what the fish were fed on for a couple of years before the lake opened for angling. As a result all species take them readily.

So far the most popular technique for fishing Andy's Lake has been with the waggler, although the pole is becoming increasingly popular with those fishing close in. However, several anglers have already had their 18s elastic snapped and several have had their top sections smashed, so it pays to beef up your tackle a bit to ensure you don't join them!

When fishing for the carp, most anglers use a 10lb to 12lb line strength with Size 8 to 12s hook. In addition to pellet, plain yellow sweetcorn is already proving a killer bait whilst 15mm halibut pellets keep the small stuff away - although you will even pick up 2lb mirrors and commons on these. Although several regulars have tried boilies they say these are not yet readily accepted by the fish.

For anglers who opt to fish the deeper water for the carp, a good technique is to ledger with a cage feeder, packing the cage with a selection of freebies and blocking the end with small amounts of general purpose groundbait.

A feeder fished in the deeper water can also prove effective for the bream, although these have so far proved sporadic with the best catches to date having been taken on sweetcorn, pellets and red maggots.

The waggler has proved most effective so far for those anglers after the roach and rudd, which are already topping the 1lb mark and can put up an initial fight almost as good as the carp.

The bigger roach are not hook shy and will generally take a single piece of yellow sweetcorn on a Size 12 to 16 hook... two regulars have even reported catching them on a bare hook! in common with the carp they will also take a 6mm to 8mm banded pellet, bread flake or paste baits, although fishing maggots will naturally tend to attract the smaller fish.

Running to 4lbs in weight, the tench have so far proved fairly elusive, but the best methods being straightforward waggler tactics with pellets or sweetcorn in the shallow bay by the car park.

As a general rule, unless you are heading down towards the pegs next to the causeway between Andy's and the wildlife conservation pool, fish just the other side of the reed beds or further out in the shallow bay next to the car park. Also, don't overlook fishing close in to the margins as the fish are often holding up here.

Regular feeding with groundbait or loose feeder pellets also attracts the fish quickly and holds them in your swim whilst those anglers who fancy surface fishing should use bread, dog biscuits or floater pellets.

After about two miles take the fourth exit off the A40 at the big roundabout and head onto the A49 signposted Hereford. After passing the Penethley Nurseries and Hotel, you will see the A4137 coming in from the left from Symonds Yat. Stay on the A40 and turn left at the next crossroads signed for Orcop (if you come to Harewood End you have gone too far). Follow this road for about a mile and you will come to a mall crossroads signed Tretire and Pencoyd. Go straight on for a further half mile and you will see the entrance to Andy's Fishing Lake on the right.

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