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.

Equipped with over 40 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 40lb carp and 20lbs to 64lbs catfish which were introduced in Spring 2007.

But Lake Six isn't just a carp and catfish water. It has also been well stocked with roach, rudd and perch to 1lb, tench and bream to 2lbs, and a decent head of koi and ghost carp around the 8oz mark, all of which are expected to double in size fairly rapidly and provide good sport not only for anglers but also the mink, herons, otters and cormorants which are regular visitors to Celtic lakes!

Planted over a year ago with reed mace and irises around the banks and bed of water lilies in the shallower water, Lake Six 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 being planted with trees and shrubs and banks which slope at 45 degrees down to an uneven bottom which goes 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.

Although little fished as yet, anglers who have visited Lake Six have caught on a wide variety of techniques and baits with both modern carp techniques, waggler, conventional ledger tackle and even the pole all working well.

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 hold a few surprises!

Unlike Lake Six, 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 about 250 Mark Simmonds mirror carp between 4lbs and 10lbs, Lake Five currently also holds a good head of roach, rudd, bream, tench, koi and perch to a similar size as those stocked in Lake Six 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.

Between February and March 2007, the stocks are to be further supplemented with a large number of golden tench and a smaller number of crucian carp.

Although Lake Five will not hold as many large carp as Lake Six, it is similar in many respects to its neighbour. Fish stocks will be supplemented before Spring 2007 with the addition of about 300 common carp, the largest of which will 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.

Although smaller than Lake Five, 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 Lakes Five and Six, the banks have been cut straight down and then lead to a bowl-shaped bottom.

In addition to the commons and mirrors, Lake Four was also stocked in Spring 2006 with decent numbers of koi carp, bream, roach and tench.

Again Lake Four has 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 Lakes Five and Six, 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.

Once again, the banks have matured very quickly since being planted with reed mace and irises and ion the shallower parts beds of lilies should provide attractive features in summer.

Because of its size, Lake Three has been stocked with smaller carp than the larger lakes with Mark Simmonds mirrors between 5lbs and 8lbs, commons up to about 5lbs, bream to 2lbs and plenty of roach, rudd, tench and koi carp.

Lake Three will particularly appeal to those who do not like to fish large waters, instead preferring to fish smaller well-stock pools with fewer pegs. As a result it should become a favourite with families and anglers with children.

Lake One is the largest of the two at just an acre in size and running to about six feet deep whilst Lake Two is about a quarter of an acre and goes to about eight feet at its deepest in the centre.

Those going after a mix of fish including mirrors to about 8lbs, a few koi carp, perch, rudd, tench and bream should make for Lake Two, although the water has no commons.

Lake One has been almost excliusively stocked with koi carp and rudd, although it is expected this will change over the years as fry of other species find their way into the pool from the overflow from the other lakes.

Becxause of the small number of pegs, fishing Lakes One and Two will be on a 'first come - first served' basis.

Celtic Lakes Resort on the Net Although only a new 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.com.

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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