Concessions includes OAPs, disabled and children under 12.
Anglers must use an unhooking mat for all fish over 10lbs.
Old Pool
The largest and the most popular of the two Holt Fleet Fishery pools, Old Pool is two acres in size and has 40 well spaced pegs. It has an island towards the far end, which gives a useful feature to fish to, as do beds of lilies.
In summer the fish also like to hang out in areas of the water which are shaded by bankside trees.
Despite its size, Old Pool is quite shallow being only three to four feet deep with banks which slope at 45 degrees to a fairly even mud bottom - all of which makes for easy fishing.
Old Pool is stocked predominantly with common and mirror carp, the commons averaging around 15 to 16lbs but going to 25lbs and the mirrors mostly in double figures to just under 20lbs. There are also a few ghost carp to about 20lbs.
In addition there is a good head of quality roach and perch with the roach topping 1lbs 8oz and the perch going to a handsome 3lbs 10oz. The average size of the roach is about half a pound.
For those interested in bigger silver fish there are plenty of bream between 4lbs and 5lbs but running to slightly over 8lbs, some nice tench to about 6lbs, a smattering of good sized crucians, eels to over 3lbs and some decent sized golden orfe.
Because of the large head of decent sized double figure carp, many anglers on Old Pool fish modern and traditional carping techniques with the most popular baits tending to be pellets, sweetcorn and luncheon meat. Anglers should note that boilies and bread are not allowed, although this shouldn't be a problem as the fish readily take other baits.
Fishing large baits tends to pick out the better fish when fished over a bed of feeder pellets and hook samples with casting to the island or fishing close in to the margins often providing the best results.
The deeper water is usually most productive in winter and although there are no particular hot pegs in summer the best fishing is usually done by anglers casting to the island or, when the venue is quiet, fishing close in to the margins.
For those who enjoy float fishing, both pole and waggler work well on Old Pool, although those who fish with the pole should ensure they have tackle which is up to the job as the bigger carp have accounted for many a broken pole for those who have gone ill equipped.
When float fishing, it generally pays to fish on the bottom fairly close in to the sides with a minimum 14s hook and 6lb line, although many anglers feel it more appropriate to scale up to 10lb or even 12 line.
New Pool
Unlike Old Pool which has an even flat bottom, New Pool is deepest on the road side where between six and seven feet of water can be found, shallowing up to between three and four feet towards the river. Between four and five feet of water can be found around the island with the bottom falling off rapidly to the deeper water.
Also, unlike Old Pool which has banks cut at 45 degrees to the bottom, New Pool has been cut with banks which drop straight to the bottom.
In addition to the central island, the other main feature on New Pool is the bed of reeds and lilies at the caravan park end.
Although New Pool was initially developed as a silver fish water, over the past nine years fish stocks have been supplemented with a good head of common and mirror carp to meet the increasing demand for carp fishing. It is also home to some grass carp which now come to the net at between 8lbs and 9lbs.
Although the commons and mirrors are not as numerous as those in Old Pool, they are of a similar size.
In addition to the carp, New Pool is home to some good bream to between 7lbs and 8lbs with the average size being about 4lbs. An example of how good the bream fishing can be is illustrated by the fact that in 2008 some anglers were catching bags of up to 150lbs of fish in a single session.
Add in tench averaging 2lbs and running to 5lbs; perch between 12oz and 1lb but going to 2lbs; and large numbers of roach and rudd to about 1lb and there is a decent head of fish to go for.
Despite this, most anglers fishing New Pool go for the carp and with the fish being well distributed throughout the water there are no particular hot spots.
Those going after the carp tend to fish the same techniques as when fishing Old Pool whilst those after the roach fish the pole or waggler with a 16 or 18 hook and 1lb line with small baits of luncheon meat, soft hooker pellets, sweetcorn, pieces of worm or maggots. Worm, maggots and luncheon meat are also good baits for the perch.
The fishing in New Pool tends to be good all over and the majority of pole anglers fish out in open water with few anglers fishing close in to the sides although the fish come closer in early evening.
The River Severn
Holt Fleet Fishery's stretch of the River Severn has 10 pegs with between 30 and 40 feet between them. These were cleared and provided with solid platforms for the start of the 2009 river season and provide good access to the water with the hardcore road behind all pegs enabling anglers to park their cars near where they are fishing.
Although the river is wide at this point it is surprisingly shallow, for the most part being only five to six feet deep in summer.
It should appeal particularly to those who fancy going for the barbel, which are thought to average about 8lbs but are often caught to over 10lbs, or the bream which are regularly caught to between 8lbs and 10lbs. The stretch also holds good stocks of good sized carp, chub, roach, perch, pike and eels.
Because there is no still water on this stretch anglers have to choose between either ledgering or trotting a float down stream.
The most popular ledgering technique is probably the cage feeder packed with groundbait, pellets and samples of hook bait fished half way across the river.
Those going after the barbel and carp use large baits of pellets or luncheon meat to deter the smaller fish whilst the same technique with smaller baits is good for the bream and other silvers.
Float anglers use either a waggler or stick float button shotted with a 16s or 18s hook and 1lb to 2lb line.
How to get there...
Holt Fleet Fishery can be found on the A443 between Ombersley and Tenbury Wells and is easy to reach from Junction 5 or 6 of the M5 motorway.
If leaving the motorway at Junction 5, take the A38 towards Droitwich following the signs 'A38 Worcester'. Keep your eyes open for the slip road signed Ombersley and leave the A38 to get onto the A4133 for Ombersley. After going under the A449 you will come to a roundabout on the outskirts of Ombersley. Go straight over and keep on the A4133 until you come to a slanted T-junction opposite The Red Lion pub. Turn right here onto the A433 towards Great Witley, Knighton and Tenbury Wells and after a short distance you will see the entrance to Holt Fleet Fishery signed on the left. The fishery shares the entrance drive with The Wharf public house.
If leaving the M5 at Junction 6, take the A449 north towards Ombersley and leave the dual carriageway at the Ombersley junction (A4133). Turn left at the roundabout at the end of the slip road and follow the directions above.
Go back to Fisheries homepage
Holt Fleet Fishery
They may even have seen anglers fishing the pool near the road, but if they thought that was all there was to Holt Fleet Fisheries they would be wrong.
Old Pool, the first lake at Holt Fleet Fishery, was dug and opened for angling in 1990 and at about two acres in size offers 40 pegs, many of which have been uprated for 2009. The latest pool, New Pool, was developed initially as a silver fish water and opened in 2000 but has since been stocked with a decent head of good sized carp. At about an acre in size, New Pool has 30 pegs.
Permitted baits at Holt Fleet include worms, macaroni, cheese, maggots, casters, paste, luncheon meat, Pepperoni, sweetcorn, pellets and hemp seed. Please note that ground bait, floating baits, bread and pva bags are not allowed and the maximum permitted hook size is Size 10.