Bridge Lake
The furthest water from the entrance, the 15-peg Bridge Lake is typical of the Hawford Bridge waters in that the trees and bushes form a nice backdrop whilst there is plenty of bankside cover and the island, open water or beds of reeds to fish to.
As with all the fishery's waters, this holds a good head of ghost carp which, along with the mirrors and commons, run to 20lbs, with the bonus of Leather Carp to 12lbs. Well stocked with roach and rudd about 8ozs and bream to 2lbs, it also holds some good perch which have been caught to over 4lbs and which are well worth catching, particularly in the winter months when they fall to maggots or worm.
The chub run to a similar size as the perch and there are some eels to 5lbs, plus a plentiful supply of gudgeon, a good number of which weigh 2oz or more and which can provide great sport in their own right if you set out to catch them.
About two acres in size, Bridge Lake's main feature is the central island with most pegs offering plenty of open water or beds of reeds to fish to. Down at the far dam end overlooking the caravan park about six feet of water can be found whilst about nine feet can usually be found mid way to the the island.
The most popular method for anglers after the carp is the pole with pellets, caster or sweetcorn fished up in the water only six inches to a foot deep. If the bites aren't forthcoming, move to the bottom.
Between March and September anglers can only float fish, although ledgering is allowed in the late autumn and winter months.
Whether fishing the pole or waggler, it usually pays either to fish very close in or towards the reeds, with fish usually being able to be taken at virtually any depth.
Fishing the bays against the island with the long pole feeding little and often can produce good results and is how the fishery match record of 141lbs was set in September 2005. When you get the fish feeding it can become one after another.
With no particular hot pegs on any of the lakes, matches can be won from anywhere whilst decent pleasure catches can be had from wherever you can get a float in.
And when the locals tell you to fish close in, they mean close in. Because the banks are cut straight down, your float can be only six inches from your feet and the fish still take it. The cut banks also mean you can fish close in to the reeds in the margins, although if you want to get out to the reeds by the island the pole can probably get closer than the waggler.
When pole fishing for the carp, a 16-18 elastic is recommended by Trevor Smith who suggests 0.16 to 2.10 lines and a 14's hook. Waggler anglers should go for line strengths between 3lbs and 5lbs if going for the smaller carp and silver fish, although even the bigger carp can be landed on a soft rod if you play it on the clutch.
As with all waters, it pays to plumb the depth because up to four feet of water can be found round the rushes.
The car parking areas for Bridge Lake can be found by driving down the perimiter road around the fishery.
Willow Lake
Again about two acres in size, Willow Lake is similar in character to Bridge Lake with its central island and beds of margin and open water reeds providing plenty of features for both fish and angler. There are 20 varied pegs to choose from.
For the most part Willow is again about six feet deep throughout, shallowing towards the islands but still being about four feet deep around the beds of reeds.
Again holding ghosties, mirrors and commons to about 20lbs, Willow has much the same spread of fish as Bridge Lake, although there are a lot more rudd which can be great fun running as they do to between 12ozs and 1lb. For the most part these are caught up in the water.
Willow also holds more chub than Bridge Lake, although at between 2lbs 8oz and 3lbs these are not quite as big although they can prove interesting to catch. These fall predominantly to sweetcorn, casters, maggots, pellet and luncheon meat.
The overhandging willow trees around Willow Lake make it a great stalking water, enabling anglers to keep in the shade of the trees and either fish into a selected swim or pick off individual fish just under the surface.
Alternatively you can pick pegs which fish out into open water and up to the island. Once again, fishing in the margins or up against the island or reeds is the local's favourite technique although plenty of fish are also caught in open water.
Already showing are the large number of small carp to about 1lb which were stocked in the lake in October 2005. These are providing great sport.
Once more Willow has a good head of bream and perch, although the perch are not as big as in Brdge Lake running to only 1lb 8oz, although the bream can run slightly bigger, up to 3lbs. The bream tend to fall more to pellet and sweetcorn and again maggots and caster are prime baits for the perch.
The fish in Willow Lake can be caught all over and at any depths, although fishing on the bottom is generally good for all species. In warmer weather the carp come to the surface and can be taken fishing jut a few inches deep on pole or waggler.
Whilst anglers can generally get away fishing fairly light with 3lbs to 5lbs line, if targeting the double-figure carp they need to fish slightly heavier as overhanging bushes and reeds can be very unforgiving to light tackle when a determined double is on the other end.
In addition to sweetcorn and pellets, luncheon meat is also a good bait for the carp and bream whilst caster, maggots, pellets, worm and sweetcorn are good all round baits for carp of all sizes and the silver fish.
High Lake
The first lake you encounter when entering Hawford Bridge Fishery is High Lake, named after the fact that the three lakes are on different levels with High Lake the topmost.
It is again typical of the Hawford Bridge lakes in that, whilst not as surrounded by trees and shrubs as the other two, has distinct reed beds and a central island giving plenty of features and interest.
Holding 25 pegs, this is the fishery's main match venue with the average size of fish being between 2lbs 8oz and 3lbs, although there are a fair number of bigger fish, mainly ghost carp, to 10lbs and a handful of specimens to 17lbs.
Although there are no bream in High Lake, there are a large number of silver fish, particularly roach to just over 1lb, rudd to about 10oz, perch to 1lb 8oz and chub to just under 3lbs. The large head of silver fish ensurers that High Lake fishes well all year round.
About five feet deep around the sides and dropping off to eight feet in the centre at the road end, High Lake fishes much the same as the other two Hawford Bridge lakes.
Pellet, sweetcorn and small pieces of luncheon meat work well as do casters, maggots and worms.
Because of the island and reed beds, precision is best obtained on the pole, although you do not need to fish far out as the margins again also hold the fish.
If fishing the waggler it will pay to clip off the line once you have the distance to prevent snagging the island bank or reeds.
When pleasure fishing the water, it again pays to fish tight in the margins and to feed little and often when you have attracted the fish to your swim.
Car parking for High Lake can be found to the right by the caravan next to the pool and by driving around the perimiter road to the far side of the water.
The River Salwarpe
A tributary of the River Severn which joins the main river about half a mile downstream, the River Salwarpe is typical of many small rivers in that, although not large and wide, it offers a variety of pegs and swims and holds some decent fish - not least amongst them the barbel and carp which at 7lbs to 8lbs give a good account of themselves in the narrow river and need holding to keep them out of trouble.
A large number of carp, several of them 20lbs in weight, have come out of the river, fish believed to have come from the nearby derelict Droitwich-Worcester Canal which flooded in 2000.
The river is mainly 1.5 to 2.0 metres deep throughout the match length, where the banks and access path are strimmed in time for the opening of the rivers on June 16.
With 40 match pegs 25 yards apart and plenty of bankside vegetation, trees and bushes, the river offers different challanges and opportunities depending on the peg you draw or choose. In addition to the 40 match pegs there are a further 60 pleasure pegs on the near bank running downstream to the A449 bridge.
As well as the barbel and good numbers of roach, chub and dace, the stretch is home to some good river perch which can top the 3lb mark and even go to nearly 4lbs. Trotting a nice worm downstream or along the sides accounts for many a nice fish when pleasure angling, whilst match anglers will probably want to fish the pole for the roach, dace and chub, hoping to pick up one or two of the bigger fish along the way. This technique lends itself to fishing caster or maggots and feeding with hemp.
In parts the river is worth ledgering with an Arlesey Bomb fished on 6lb or 7lb line tied to a Size 8 to 12 hook and baited with 10 to 12mm halibut pellet or piece of luncheon meat. In addition to the chub and carp, this is a good way of landing a nice barbel as well.
How to get there...
Hawford Bridge Fishery is about five minutes drive from Junction 6 of the M5 motorway. On leaving the M5, take the A449 heading out towards Kidderminster and Ombersley. As you pass over the river at Hawford Bridge you will see the entrance to a caravan park on the other carriageway. Turn right at the Chatley turn and do a U-turn heading back towards Worcester. In approximately 350 yards, just before the entrance to the caravan park, you will see the metal five bar gate opening onto a track. Keep your eyes peeled - you can easily miss it. Please note that there is no access to the fishery from the caravan park.
Following the track through the trees will bring you out onto High Lake.
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Hawford Bridge Fishery
Little publicised and rarely advertised, this delightful three lake venue with a one mile stretch of the River Salwarpe is just a few yards from the busy dual carriageway between Worcester and Ombersley - and yet could be in the middle of nowhere.
Speak to the regulars who fish there and they freely tell you they love the place - and in hot weather, with the ghost, common and mirror carp cruising just under the surface, you can see why.
As with most fisheries these days, keepnets are only allowed in matches and neither surface baits nor groundbait should be used. Ledgering is also only permitted between September and March.
The result is three lakes which all have a central island heavily planted with trees and bushes, but each with its own character. With plenty of space between pegs, some of which form hideaways between the bushes and shrubs, Hawford Bridge is a very lush and pleasant fishery which also offers a one mile of single and double bank fishing on the River Salwarpe (right), which joins the River Severn a short distance away.