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Looking across Lake Four at Celtic Lakes ResortCeltic Lakes Resort

Creuddyn Bridge
Lampeter
West Wales
SA48 8PY


Tel: 01570 471010
or 0777 999 0925 (mobile)
E-mail: info@celticlakesresort.com



Accommodation at Celtic Lakes Resort2008 sees accommodation at Celtic Lakes

Celtic Lakes Resort now offers a range of accommodation in either the fabulous 16th Century farmhouse or the brand new 5-star solid wood lakeside lodges which overlook Elysium specimen carp lake. Whichever you choose, you will be impressed by the high standard of fixtures and fittings throughout. Click here to find why.

Celtic Lakes is home to biggest Welsh catfish

The Celtic Lakes 64lb catfishWeighing 64lbs, what is believed to be the biggest catfish to be stocked in Wales has been introduced into Lampeter's Celtic Lakes Fishery - adding to its reputation as the principality's main big fish venue.

The big cat, which came from a private syndicate stillwater in Norfolk, follows the recent stocking of 260 catfish to 50lbs which makes it the biggest catfish venue in the principality with the average specimen now weighing between 25lbs and 35lbs and many going to the full 50lbs.

At the same time, whilst the first of the fishery's own log cabins are being constructed, Celtic Lakes has signed an arrangement for visiting anglers to stay at the nearby Gaer Cottages, just five minutes from the fishery.

What is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new '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.

The house at Celtic Lakes which has been developed into holiday accommodationSet 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.

Celtic Lakes - venue for the 2007 Wales Carp MastersNow Celtic Lakes Resort offers six waters of varying sizes which have been stocked with catfish to 64lbs, carp to over 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, in 2007 Celtic Lakes Resort was chosen as one of the venues to hold the inaugural Wales Carp Masters (see story below).

Lake Two at Celtic Lakes ResortBut John doesn't do things by half and the recent delivery of specimen carp to well over 40lbs were in addition to 350 Mark Simmonds mirror carp of between 2lbs and 10lbs of which about 100 weigh over 10lbs and an earlier stocking in December 2006 of a further 70-plus fish weighing between 15lbs and 20lbs which went into Specimen Lake.

The 64lb catfish was part of a consignment of specimen catfish which weighed between 20lbs and 60lbs, and means that Celtic Lakes now offers anglers the best chance of catching big catfish in Wales and will further enhance Celtic Lakes' reputation as one of the top 'big fish' waters in the whole of the UK.

Click on the map for a larger imageJohn'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 of 16 five-star luxury log cabins.

Capable of sleeping up to eight people, the log cabins will incorporate three bedrooms, a lounge, dining room and study as well as a sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. He also has plans for a 20 bedroom hotel and a large clubhouse complete with restaurant, bars and an anglers' bar.

Click on the map above for a larger scale map of the layout of the lakes.

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."

A general shot at Celtic LakesWith a price tag of £15.00 a day or £500.00 for a season's membership which offers unlimited day and night fishing, 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.

Welsh banks emptied to pay record breaking prize fund

Mark Adams and Dean Amesbury from Tredegar have won the inaugural Wales Carp Masters at Celtic Lakes Resort lifting a magnificent trophy and collecting a wallet-busting £10,001 cash first prize.

The overall prize fund is the biggest in the UK amounting to £20,001. First prize was paid in one pound coins and the winning pair showered themselves in coins celebrating their victory. Three banks in Lampeter were cleaned out of coins to get sufficient for the first prize and heads turned as the huge quantities were carried to waiting car.

The final was the culmination of 25 qualifying heats on five different Welsh venues over the past six months from which the winning pairs qualified through to the grand final. The competitors battled it out in a 44 hour endurance match which saw a total off 84 fish caught with a total weight of 681lbs.

In Second place were Paul Jones and Anthony Budd, who had been leading the competition from the start until the last six hours. They scooped £4,000. Third was father and son combination Martin and Joe Newby who collected £3,000. Joe was the youngest competitor in the final at just 14 years old.

Mark Adams said: "Winning the inaugural Wales Carp Masters with Dean is a dream come true. When we saw the prize table with all the £1 coins we could not believe our eyes. There was no way we could lift them up when we tried. We are looking forward to taking them to the bank and seeing the face of the cashier".

Event organisers Ross Honey and Peter Hands said: "We created this event to help promote angling in Wales and have had great support from Visit Wales, Regional Tourism Partnerships and The Environment Agency. When we saw the resort just over a year ago and met owner John Carney we were impressed with the plans he has. Investing over £4.5 million in the resort will create a massive boost for the local economy as an attraction and a great benchmark for Wales. The event has been a massive success, we are looking forward to next year and developing this still further with the addition of an angling festival".

In addition to its head of big carp, Celtic Lakes has recent also stocked 260 catfish to 50lbs which makes it the biggest catfish venue in the principality with the average specimen now weighing between 25lbs and 35lbs and many going to the full 50lbs. To find out more about the competition visit the Wales Carp Masters website.


2008 Day and Membership ticket costs

Adults
Juniors/OAP/Disabled
2008 Day Tickets
£15.00
£15.00
2008 24-hour ticket
£25.00
£25.00
2008 48-hour ticket
£50.00
£50.00
2008 Membership
£500.00
£500.00



Specimen Lake at Celtic Lakes ResortLake Six - Specimen Lake

At some 17 acres in size, Lake Six is by far the largest of the Celtic Lakes Resort waters and is being developed as the venue's main specimen lake with carp already running to over 40lbs and catfish to 64llbs, making it the single largest specimen carp and catfish water in Wales.

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.

Home to big carp and catfishStocked 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!

Another shot of the Specimen LakePlanted 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.

Another shot of the Specimen LakeAlthough 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!



Looking across Lake Five towards the entranceLake Five

At about six acres in size, Lake Five is a rectangular shaped water 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 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.

Lake Five at Celtic Lakes RestortStocked 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.

Lake Five at Celtic Lakes RestortAs 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.



Looking across Lake Four towards the roadLake Four

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 Lake Five with common carp to 15lbs and mirrors ranging between 4lbs and 8lbs.

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.

Looking back along Lake FourIn 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.



Looking towards the waterfall on Lake ThreeLake Three

One of the group of three smaller waters at the southern end of the fishery, Lake Three is about an acre-and-a-half in size with 10 pegs and about six feet of water at its deepest. One of the banks is cut straight down to the bottom whilst the others are cut at about 45 degrees.

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.

Looking along Lake ThreeBecause 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 surrounded by plantsLakes One and Two

The smallest waters at Celtic Lakes Resort and the furthest from the car park, Lakes One and Two are delightful little pools which will appeal to those who want to get away from it all and have somewhere virtually all to themselves - Lake One having just two pegs and Lake Two just one!

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.

Lake Two has just one peg!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

The Celtic Lakes Resort website homepageAlthough 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...

Click on the map for a larger imageCeltic 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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