 What is undoubtedly one of the most exciting 'big fish' and mixed pleasure venues to hit Wales is being developed at the Celtic Lakes Resort, just four miles north of Lampeter, by life-long angler John Carney.
Set amongst stunning scenery, the 75-acre site was previously a mix of forestry and boggy farm land and was originally bought as a retreat where John could get away from his business interests in the Midlands and indulge his other favourite hobby of horse riding with his wife Tracey.
 But it soon became apparent that in addition to being used for horse riding, the site could also be developed into a major fishery and its opening in August 2005 marked the culmination of three years of planning, consultation and hard work digging out the lakes, planting the banks, creating waterfalls between each lake and stocking with fish.
Now Celtic Lakes Resort offers three waters of varying sizes which have been stocked with catfish which now run to 85lbs, carp to nearly 40lbs as well as a mix of silver fish and tench including roach, rudd, perch and bream. Night fishing is allowed and the venue welcomes touring caravans, tents and bivvies.
 As a result of its big fish, Celtic Lakes Resort was chosen as one of the venues to hold the 2007 and 2008 Wales Carp Masters tournaments which were televised from the fishery on Sky TV.
But John doesn't do things by half, and a stocking five years ago of specimen carp to well over 30lbs were in addition to 350 Mark Simmonds mirror carp of between 2lbs and 10lb-plus of which about 100 weigh over 10lbs. These fish followed an earlier stocking of a further 70-plus fish weighing between 15lbs and 20lbs which went into the Elysium Specimen Lake.
 The 85lb catfish were part of a consignment of specimen catfish which weighed between 20lbs and 50lbs. This means that Celtic Lakes now offers anglers one of the best chance of catching big catfish in the UK and will further enhance Celtic Lakes' reputation as one of the top 'big fish' waters.
John's ambition of making Celtic Lakes Resort one of the UK's top fisheries is backed by ambitious building plans which have seen the existing character farmhouse converted into holiday accommodation and the construction of the first four five-star luxury lodges (above left).
 Capable of sleeping up to 10 people, the luxury Scandanavian-style lodges incorporate three bedrooms, a lounge, dining room and study as well as a sauna and jacuzzi.
The fishery also recently opened its own on-site tackle and bait shop which stocks a wide range of angling equipment, bait, terminal tackle and clothing; and a modern restaurant and bar with seating both indoors and on the verandah which overlooks Elysium Specimen Carp Lake, and a purpose-built shower and toilet block. John also has plans for a 20 bedroom hotel.
 It is expected that about 70 per cent of visitors staying at Celtic Lakes will be non-anglers which will ensure the waters do not become overcrowded.
John said: "As far as the fishing goes at Celtic Lakes, I am trying to link with serious anglers who want serious sport with accommodation which will appeal to those who want to enjoy comfort in delightful surroundings and will feel happy to bring their wives and families or organise a break with friends which combines specimen hunting or pleasure angling with sophisticated accommodation and facilities."
With a price tag of £15.00 a day, John has set the fees at a level which he says reflects the quality of sport and venue and which will ensure Celtic Lakes provides secluded angling for a small number of visitors at any one time and does not become overcrowded or overfished.
 With more than ample car parking for anglers and other guests, Celtic Lakes looks like making a big impact on the angling scene offering not only quality fishing but also a chance to combine an sporting holiday which is only a few miles from the Welsh coast with its beaches and holiday towns.
Click on the map (right) for a larger scale map of the layout of the lakes.
2010 ticket costs
|
Adults |
Juniors/OAP/Disabled |
| 2010 Day Tickets |
£15.00 |
£15.00 |
| 2010 24-hour ticket |
£25.00 |
£25.00 |
| 2010 48-hour ticket |
£50.00 |
£50.00 |
For further information and rules about fishing at Celtic Lakes, please follow this link
 Elysium Specimen Lake
At some 17 acres in size, Elysium Specimen Lake is by far the largest of the Celtic Lakes Resort waters and has been developed as the venue's main big fish water with carp already running to nearly 40lbs and catfish to 85llbs, making it the single largest specimen carp and catfish water in Wales.
Equipped with 28 wooden platform pegs which are large enough to take two rod pods and are topped with either gravel or bark, Lake Six still has enough space for a similar number of pegs to be added in the future should they be required.
 Stocked with 350 Mark Simmonds mirror carp between 4lbs and 10lbs - about 100 of which weighed 10lbs - and 350 common carp weighing between 2lbs and 20lbs, stocks were further supplemented early in 2007 with a further 70 commons between 15lbs and 20lbs. These are in addition to the carp to nearly 40lbs and the catfish which were introduced at between 20lbs and 50lbs but which now run to 85lbs.
But Elysium Specimen Lake isn't just a carp and catfish water. It also offers angling for roach and rudd to 1lb, perch which have been caught, witnessed and verified to 6lbs, tench to 5lbs, bream to 8lbs and a decent head of koi and ghost car to around 15lbs.
 Planted some five years ago with reed mace and irises around the banks and beds of water lilies in the shallower water, Elysium Specimen Lake is being subjected to a fairly heavy tree planting programme to provide plenty of cover for anglers.
The lake has two main islands which are planted with trees and shrubs and banks which slope at 45 degrees down to an uneven bottom which runs to a maximum depth of about 16 feet - although the average depth is generally between six and eight feet. Because of its uneven bottom it is worth spending time plumbing depths to find holes which hold fish and shallows which attract them in summer.
The deepest water can be found in the far right hand bay from the entrance as well as around the back between the left hand bank and the islands.
 Now that the fishing at Celtic Lakes has matured it responds well to a wide variety of modern and traditional carping techniques. Also, recently it has become a popular venue for fly fishing for the carp with anglers using heavier weighted fly rods, almost salmon tackle, and fishing with immitation dog biscuits and bread flake.
More traditional anglers, however, have found that to date the most effective baits seem to have been boilies of all flavours and sweetcorn, although as far as John Carney is aware maggots have not been used so could still hold a few surprises!
 Churchill Lake
Now regarded as one of the best runs waters in Wales, Churchill Lake is a rectangular shaped water about six acres in size with a penninsula and a small island which provide features to fish to. Equipped with 20 purpose-built pegs it has an average depth of some six feet going down to nine feet at its deepest at the far end of the water from the entrance.
Unlike Elysium, the banks vary in that in some places they have been cut vertically to the bottom whilst in others they slope gradually at about 45 degrees.
 Stocked with a good number of double figure common and mirror carp to 28lbs, Churchill also holds a good head of roach, rudd, bream, tench, koi and perch to a similar size as those stocked in Elysium and is expect to appeal particlarly to anglers who want to catch decent sized fish but who can sometimes be intimidated with fishing large open expanses of water in front of their pegs.
Although Churchill does not hold as many large carp as Elysium, it is similar in many respects to its neighbour. Fish stocks have been supplemented with the addition of about 300 common carp, the largest of which weigh between 15lbs and 20lbs with the majority of fish coming in at around the 8lb to 10lb mark.
 As with Lake Six, the plan is to ensure that Lake Five is heavily stocked so that the water makes a serious impact with carp anglers and puts Celtic Lakes firmly on the angling map.
As with the other waters at Celtic Lakes, Lake Five has been designed so that every peg has a feature to fish to without anglers needing to worry about crossing other anglers' lines and the margins have also been heavily planted with reeds and irises to provide cover during the warmer months.
 Lake Four
Although there are only three waters currently used for fishing at Celtic Lakes, Lake Four was so named because it was one of a total of six waters at the venue, the other three now having been turned into stock ponds.
About two-and-a-half acres in size but with only a dozen purpose-built pegs, Lake Four is the nearest water to the car park. Almost triangular in shape, it has been stocked with a similar stamp of fish as Churchill with common carp now running to 25lbs and mirrors ranging between 8lbs and 15lbs.
Although smaller than Churchill, depths drop to as much as 16 feet in the far right hand corner looking at the water from the car park whilst much of the remainder of the lake is about six feet deep. Unlike Elysium and Chiurchill, the banks have been cut straight down and then lead to a bowl-shaped bottom.
 In addition to the commons and mirrors, Lake Four has also been stocked with decent numbers of koi carp, bream, roach and tench.
Again Lake Four has so far been little fished and like the other Celtic Lakes waters has been heavily planted with reed mace, iris and some ornamental grasses and bamboos around the banks and with water lilies.
Unlike Elysium and Churchill, Lake Four has been designed to appeal to more general anglers and is expected to become a popular day-ticket and longer stay pleasure water.
Celtic Lakes Resort on the Net
 Although only a recent fishery, Celtic Lakes Resort aims to make a name for itself and work has already started on its own website where latest details of stocking, catch reports and other developments at the fishery can be found. Visitors to the site with Adobe Reader can also download a copy of the venue's latest brochure. Follow the link to visit their site, www.celticlakesresort.co.uk. |
How to get there...
 Celtic Lakes Resort can be found four miles north of Lampeter on the A482 to Aberaeron.
Travelling from all directions except from the north, make your way to the M5 motorway and then the M50. Continue to the end of the M50 and then take the A40 signed for Monmouth. Continue along the A40 through Monmouth and then follow the signs for Abergavenny. After Abergavenny stay on the A40 following the signs for Brecon and go through Glangrwyney, Crickhowell, Penmyarth, Bwlch and Llanhamlach and when you reach Brecon stay on the A40 following the signs for Llandovery. On reaching Llandovery again stay on the A40 following the signs for Llandeilo and after you cross over the Rivery Towy continue on to Llanwrda where you turn right onto the A482 for Lampeter. Going through Lampeter stay on the A482 and you will see the entrance to Celtic Lakes Resort about four mile along the 482 on the left.
Travelling from the north, follow the M6 motorway south and leave at Junction 20A following the signs for North Wales and Chester. Join the M56 and leave the motorway at the Chester Service Area, taking the A5117 signed North Wales and Queensferry. At the traffic signals take the A550 and then the A494. On entering Queensferry follow the A55 to the A494 following the signs for Bala and at the traffic light junction with the A5 turn right onto the A5 and then left onto the A494. Stay on the A494 again until you enter Rhydymain where you turn left onto the B4416 signed Brithdir. At Brithdir turn left onto the A470 signed Llangurigand then right at the Cross Foxed Inn for Machynlleth. Continue along the A487 to Machynlleth and then pick up the signs for Aberystwyth. After Aberystwyth stay on the A487 until you reach Aberaeron where you pick up the A482 for Lampeter. Going through Lampeter stay on the A482 and you will see the entrance to Celtic Lakes Resort about four mile along this road on the left.
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Luxury accommodation at Celtic Lakes
As home to what is believed to be the biggest catfish to be stocked in Wales - weighing 64lbs when it was introduced and now known to weigh 85lbs - in 2009 Celtic Lakes Resort staged the inaugural British Catfish Championships and the Katmandoo Charity Shield.
