Moorhen Lake
Rectangular in shape with a central island, Moorhen Lake is about an acre-and-a-half in size and holds 18 well-spaced pegs with room for more anglers who want to fish from the grassed bankside.
About 80 per cent of the fish in Moorhen are common, mirror, ghost or crucian carp, the commons and mirrors being the biggest running to 20lbs, although the average is probably between 3lbs and 4lbs. The ghosties run to 18lbs and average about 4lbs 8oz whilst the crucians, which were amongst the first fish to be stocked in Moorhen, run between 1lb 8oz and 3lbs.
The remaining 20 per cent of the fish are made up fairly equally of silver orfe between 2lbs and 4lbs 8oz, bream from skimmers to 4lbs, roach and rudd to 1lb 8oz and some handsome perch which have been caught at just over 4lbs and which average between 2lbs and 4lbs - good fighting fish by any standards.
Immediately out from the bank Moorhen shelves down to about four feet deep about nine feet out with the remainder of the pool being about six feet deep.
Suitable for pole, waggler or swimfeeder, Moorhen is a good option for winter fishing as it is a little deeper than Heron Lake. With no particular hot spots anglers stand an equal chance of catching wherever they fish.
In summer it usually pays to fish the margins or within six feet of the bank on the bottom or up in the water when the sun is out and the fish are cruising just under the surface. Although floating baits are not allowed, regular feeding with small amounts of hookbait and fishing a foot to two feet deep in warm weather should keep the fish around you.
For the remainder of the time, put down a bed of Hillview's feeder pellets or hook samples and fish over them using meat baits, sweetcorn or soft hooker pellets for the carp and casters and maggots for the silver fish.
Maggots and casters are also good for all species in winter, as is sweetcorn which seems to be a popular year-round bait at Hillview although meat rarely does the trick in cold weather. In winter it can also pay to fish towards the islands with the waggler or swimfeeder packed with hook samples, although fish can usually always be found in deeper water in winter.
Heron Lake
Although Heron Lake is a similar size to Moorhen, it is not quite as deep with up to three feet of water being found up to 30 feet from the bank and about five feet of water in the centre around the two islands.
Stocked to a similar ratio, Heron can be fished using the same baits and techniques.
Again Heron can be classed as an easy water because the large number of fish means that anglers don't have to go in search of their quarry, start feeding with pellets or hook samples and they should soon come to you.
However, because there are no particular features to hold the fish in any one area for long, you should again keep feeding little and often to hold the fish in your swim once you start catching - if you don't they will probably quickly move on to the angler next to you who is doing a better job of feeding them!
Once again, soft hooker pellets, luncheon meat, maggots, casters and corn are all good baits fished in close to the side or out to the islands.
Pole, waggler and swimfeeder are again favourites, but because anglers are not permitted to use groundbait at Hillview Lakes swimfeeders should be packed with hook samples. Anglers wanting to get far out into open water are probably best advised to use a loaded waggler and to try to be as accurate as possible when catapulting feeder pellets or hook samples into their swim.
Soft hooker pellets, maggots, casters, worm and corn are all good baits and in warmer weather it is well worth fishing close in on the shallower parts of the lake as the fish have been seen milling around in the mud looking for food.
The trees and bankside vegetation which line the near bank provide plenty of cover whilst the far bank is more open. And with the chance of catching some of the bigger fish which make their way into Pleasure Lake from Specimen Lake, this is very much a water to keep your eyes on.
The Four Canals
Holding a total of 52 pegs - 13 on each water - the four canals at Hillview Lakes are separate from each other and can be found at the very top end of the site. All four are 11 metres wide and designed for the pole.
All four have been built to the same design having a shallow ledge along the pegside banks before dropping off quickly to a maximum depth of about five to six feet. The bottom then rises in two steps to the far bank, the first being about three feet six inches deep and the second about a foot deep immediately off the far bank.
In summer it pays to fish eiter close in to the near bank or right up to the reeds on the far side, the pole enabling anglers to get right onto the one-foot deep ledge where the fish can often be found feeding.
Whether fishing for pleasure or in a match, it is recommended that anglers start fishing on the far side and then gradually bring the fish over to their feet as the day goes on.
In winter start fishing on the three-foot-six shelf slightly out from the far bank and then drop into the deeper water in the centre.
When fishing matches at Hillview Lakes it pays to remember that the rules are slightly different than for pleasure anglers. All baits must sink and no liquidised or riddled baits should be used. All soil or peat must be emoved from worms and no bloodworm or jokers can be used.
For match anglers, Hillview Lakes holds regular Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday Open Matches. The draw for all three is taken at 9.30am in the club room with fishing from 10.30am until 3.30pm. The cost is £15.50 all-in, including entry to the Bonus Peg which for Pegs 11 to 20 is £150.00 and for Pegs 20 upwards £300.
Best baits for summner tend to be luncheon meat, sweetcorn and chopped worm whilst in winter maggots, casters and worm all come into their own.
 Visit Hillview Lakes on the Net
Hillview Lakes have their own website which can be found at www.hillviewlakes.biz.
Although the site currently focuses on the accommodation at the fishery, and includes an up-to-date price list and booking form, further information on the angling will be added later this summer. |
How to get there...
Twyning is just off Junction 1 of the M50 motorway. Travelling north or south on the M5, join the M50 motorway and leave at the first junction signed Tewkesbury (A38). At the roundabout take the second exit onto the A38 heading for Twyning and you will see the entrance to Hillview Lakes and Nursery signed on the left hand side as you come round a bend.
Turn left and immediately right into the drive to the nursery. There is car parking all along by the greehnhouses and beyond. The lakes are up to the left.
Click on the map to the above for more detail.
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Hillview Lakes
Developed on the site of fields which were previously used to grow cauliflowers, Hillview Lakes now offers a total of five acres of water on an eight acre site which includes a nursery which specialises in growing summer bedding plants and plants up 1,200 hanging baskets a year.
But the work hasn't stopped there, by Spring 2005 he had completed work on clean new ladies' and gents' toilets which are suitable for disabled visitors and was putting the finishing touches to six new well-equipped and spacious Scandanavian-style log chalets which will particularly appeal to anglers looking to enjoy an angling break or holiday with the family - or those simply wanting to combine a tour of the Cotswolds or a visit to Cheltenham Races with a bit of fishing and a chance to chill out in comfort.
Once landscaping work around the chalets has been completed, Keith then hopes to start building a new cafe and clubroom and expand the range of tackle and baits he makes available at the fishery.
Pleasure anglers and those after the bigger carp will probably opt to fish Moorhen or Heron lakes, both of which are rectangular in shape with central islands. Moorhen has plenty of bankside vegetation with yellow irises which flower in late spring whilst both have other clumps which provide cover - useful for those who want to fish close in by the side where the fish patrol in summer.
For those looking to enjoy a short break or angling holiday at Hillview, the chalets come in two types - Swan and Kingfisher. Both are built to the same high standard with Swan designed to sleep six and Kingfisher to sleep four. 
In addition to the coarse fish pellets, Hillview Lakes also stocks tinned baits including sweetcorn and luncheon meat.