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Clattercote Reservoir
Clattercote near Claydon Banbury Oxfordshire nearest postcode OX17 1DR Tel: 01908 302556 or 01827 252066 for recorded up-to-date information and match bookings Tel: 01295 270796 for match bookings and the head bailiff Tel: 07740 534892 for the water bailiff 
 In common with nearby Drayton Reservoir, British Waterways' Clattercote Reservoir is unusual in that it is almost completely surrounded by a modern wooden walkway which leads to 122 individual jetty-style pegs which jut out into the water. In addition there are a further 10 pegs on the concrete dam wall.
Where the walkway runs several metres from the bank, the attraction can be even greater as you have the impression of fishing from a private island with water and reeds behind and to either side of you and clear water in front, although anglers should note that they are not allowed to fish water behind the walkway.
Another nice thing is that, although the reservoir is usually fairly popular at weekends particularly when matches are being held, it is usually quiet mid-week and, with nearly 130 pegs, there is always plenty of free space for pleasure anglers and mid-week club matches.
Matches are increasingly being won with decent catches of up to 40lbs of bream whilst the average size of individual fish is now about 2lbs, although specimens are are weighing in at around 6lbs. The match record currently stands at 160lbs.
Permits are available on the bank from the patrolling bailiff and Clattercote is unusual amongst day-ticket waters in that night fishing is also allowed. All pegs are available for matches and the fishery offers reduced rates for three-hour evening competitions on request.
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Whilst this may sound very artificial, it actually provides an unusually interesting perspective on the fishery whilst giving a solid foundation from which to fish. Indeed, British Waterways say that Clattercote is the prettiest of all their reservoir fisheries, being lined with trees and shrubs.
Until the walkway was built most of the reservoir was unfishable. By creating the walkway not only was much of the reservoir opened up for fishing, but it also enabled most of the indigenous trees and shrubs to be retained. Additional planting of willows and reeds have made Clattercote even more attractive than it could otherwise have become.
Although the general stamp of carp does not run as large as those in its sibling rival Drayton Reservoir on the outskirts of Daventry, Clattercote is not far behind. It is different from Drayton in that it is also well stocked with tench and silver fish which, for pleasure anglers, generally means you do not know what you are going to hook into next.
| All year round | 24 hours a day |
| Day Tickets | ||
| Evening Tickets (5.00pm - 9.00pm) | ||
| Match pegs (standard rate) | ||
| Night fishing |
 This attractive landscaped feeder reservoir for the Oxford Canal with its fitted wooden walkway has quickly established itself one of British Waterways South East Region's most popular and interesting fisheries.
A mixed coarse venue, it is heavily stocked with carp from 3lbs to 27lbs, tench to 7lbs, Crucian Carp to over 3lbs, perch to 3lbs, bream to 7lbs, pike to 27lbs and a large head of roach to 2lbs. There are also some chub which have been caught to 4lbs 8oz, although these are rarely seen.
Most matches are won with carp and bream nets whilst 2007 has been a particularly good season for the bream with catches in excess of 70lbs being reported, even in matches. Clattercote is said to fish best when the wind is blowing towards the dam wall whilst generally the favoured pegs tend to be 90-120 with maggot, sweetcorn and trout pellets being best for attracting and catching the fish.
Most popular baits for non-carp anglers are bread, maggots, pellets and all the meats with sweetcorn being particularly effective, especially during the summer months. Carp anglers generally tend to stick with recognised carp baits such as boilies, paste baits, sweetcorn and meat whilst white chocolate boilies were proving very successful in 2007.
When going for the carp it is recommended that anglers use a minimum line strength of 10lbs straight through to a maximum Size 8 hook. Strong line is essential as once hooked many fish tend to bolt towards the bank, trying to find refuge under the staging and in the weeds where they can easily break free.
As one would expect from the shape of the reservoir, the deepest water is at the dam end where it runs to about 25ft near the outlet. The dam wall is a very productive spot and is particularly popular with night anglers because it is flat, level and ideal for erecting bivvies. At this point floating baits such as dog biscuits are particularly effective.
Also at the top end of the reservoir are three conservation islands which provide obvious features to fish towards.
How to get there...  Clattercote Reservoir will be most easily reached for the majority of anglers from Junction 11 of the M40 motorway.
After leaving the motorway, take the road for Banbury but well before the town take the A423 signposted to Southam on the right. About five miles on the way to Southam a road to the right is signed for the 'Bygones Museum' and Claydon. Take this and the entrance to Clattercote is about a mile down here on the right.
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With 100lb-plus nets of carp commonplace, bream bags in the 70lb range and roach weights of well over 20lbs regularly taken, Clattercote is a popular venue with those who know it and can master its many moods.
The most popular techniques when fishing Clattercote are waggler fished in about eight feet of water about a rod length out for the tench and silver fish and traditional feeder, Method Feeder and increasingly the Bagging Waggler for the carp fished in open water. Traditional feeder techniques also work well for the bream in open water.
A lot of anglers who particularly target the carp tend to fish the pegs at the top end of the reservoir, particularly Pegs 40 to 50, using large baits to avoid the roach, tench and bream.
Said to be at its best between June and November, groundbait is allowed at Clattercote but not keepnets apart from during matches when two nets are required.
About a rod length out from the sides of the reservoir the water is betweenfive and eight feet deep, running to about 12 feet in the middle. At the top end the water is naturally shallower at about five feet and this is a favourite haunt for tench and both a very pleasant and productive part of the reservoir.