The long journey north up the M6, past the Lake District and on towards Carlisle, may seem a fair way to go for a spot of fishing - but a visit to Lonsdale Park just south of Hadrian's Wall is well worth the petrol and the time.
Available for angling holidays and mid-week or weekend breaks, Lonsdale Park has a total of seven lakes on a 40-acre woodland complex where you can guarantee you won't be crowded by other anglers. Indeed, on some of the waters you are likely to be the only person there. Fishing on all the waters is reserved for residents only.
The reason is that there are only 18 places for visitors to stay on the site, and such a relatively small number of guests can disappear pretty easily into 40 acres of woodland and lakes.
The main accommodation is in the three three-bedroomed cottages which are furnished to a high standard and have their own double-sized carp swims, and the three two-bedroomed cottages which are well furnished, suitable for disabled anglers and have their own allocated swims.
There are also a three bedroom and a two bedroom lodge, four new 12ft by 36ft static caravans which, like the cottages, each have dedicated swims. A further six 36ft by 10ft caravans are situated just off the main site near Arches Lake.
Once there, Lonsdale Park has everything you need for an angling break including a well stocked tackle shop (left) which sells everything from rods, reels and poles to terminal tackle, accessories and bait at competitive prices. Maggots are delivered to the fishery twice a week.
The prices are made even more attractive for first-time residents because they receive a voucher for a further 15 per cent discount on their first purchase during their stay.
The 'Angler's Bite' cafe (right) is open Sunday to Friday from 8.00am for 'Big Bite' breakfasts - described by some residents as enough to see you though until dinner time - and throughout the day for snacks, hot and cold drinks and confectionery. In late afternoon it serves teas and is open until about 5.00pm.
Visitors who plan to stay on site for much of the time can buy a £50.00 voucher which covers the cost of their breakfasts and evening meals all week.
There is also a games room.
The site of a former brickworks which was previously owned by Lord Lonsdale, Lonsdale Park was taken over by builder Paul Drinkall 11 years ago after he decided to retire from property development and instead develop a fishery which provides everything an angler and his family could want from an angling holiday without the need to get to the bankside at the crack of dawn in order to find a peg.
A keen angler all his life, Paul spent five years touring angling holiday venues and looked at several parts of the country before finding Lonsdale Park and drawing up a plan for its future.
His love for angling is clearly demonstratord in the cafe where Paul has an interesting collection of old angling books and memorabilia from the days of split can rods and centre pin reels and creels.
Because most of the lakes date back more than 150 years with some of the extracted clay being used in the construction of the famous Settle to Carlisle railway - widely acclaimed as running through some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain - Paul had a lot to go at. Classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the fishery today boasts a good mix of angling from specimen hunting for 30lb carp, 10lb-plus tench and 4lb 8oz perch to general mixed pleasure fishing for anything which comes along.
The delightful wooded surroundings and margin plants provide a wide range of opportunities from fishing a large expanse of open water to dropping in on reed-lined bays and settling down behind the bankside cover.
A wide gravel track which Paul constructed meanders through the site and pools, whilst the golf-style buggies make transporting tackle to more distant pegs a breeze. It is worth hiring one just for the fun of it, but they are also an excellent way to explore the site, checking out the different lakes and pools and helping you decide which peg you fancy trying first.
All the cottages are illuminated outside with low voltage lights which enable anglers to see their way along the paths and give enough light to fish by.
Lonsdale Park is also a bird watchers paradise, attracting some of the rarer visitors to the UK such as Red Starts, Ospreys, Grasshopper Warblers and the rare Yellow Browed Warbler. A favourite with some visitors who stay on the site just to go bird watching, the woods and lakes are also home to a wide range of wildlife including stoats which can sometimes be seen stalking rabbits.
For those who fancy joining in a bit of fun, Lonsdale Park stages two Residents' Matches, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with fishing from 12.00 noon until 4.15pm. Unlike regular Open Matches, anglers can fish any technique on any lake and peg they like. Whilst everything is organised properly, the matches are very informal and are designed to enable guests to get to know each other.
In fact, everything at Lonsdale Park is so friendly and relaxed that 80 per cent of the fishery's business is from guests who return time after time. Indeed, many wives, family and friends of anglers have taken up the sport simply because of their stay at Lonsdale Park.
Lonsdale Park offers a choice of accommodation for anglers and their families and is within easy reach of Hadrian's Wall and the Lake District.
To view some more photographs of the accommodation, either click on the photograph or Click here.
The Arches
The Arches is the first water you come to on the left as you pass under the railway arch on entering Lonsdale Park.
At two acres in size and offering 14 gravel pegs plus several more where you can cast in around the bank, The Arches abounds with features and is said to offer exceptional carp, tench, pike, perch and roach fishing. It holds a small number of 'Old Warhorse' commons and mirrors, together with some wilful fighting wild carp, the odd one of which runs to over 20lbs, although most are between 12lbs and 20lbs.
To date the biggest tench to come out of The Arches weighed just over 9lbs and there are a lot of fish between 4lbs and 5lbs. The roach are common around the 1lb mark but more exceptional fish also run to 2lbs.
For the winter angler there are also some fairly heafty pike to 30lbs, the odd chub to 4lbs and some interesting specimen fishing for the perch which go to a fine 4lbs.
The Arches is shallowest near the road where only about three feet of water can be found. It is deepest at betweeen seven and eight feet off the bank by the footpath, whilst out from the field the depth ranges from three to five feet towards the centre.
This makes it ideal for traditional tench fishing techniques with waggler whilst those after the better quality roach can opt for either waggler or pole, the pole giving more precision when fishing close up to the reeds or lilies. Anglers wanting to head for the middle will probably opt for straightforward ledger fishing or using the swimfeeder, although there are enough close in features for this not to be necessary.
An obvious feature for those fishing for the perch or pike, particularly in winter, are the dead tree stumps at the far end from the road.
It is also in the winter that the deeper water fishes best with most anglers fishing worm over a bed of casters. For the remainder of the year the bank nearest the main park is the most popular because, being shallower, it warms up quickest and is nicely lined with reeds where the tench root about. Because all the pegs on The Arches are attractive and present opportunities, the choice of pegs and swims can sometimes be difficult!
Most anglers who fish the pole use a fairly heavy 10s or 12s elastic to a minimum line strength of 4lbs to 5lbs. Their preferred bait tends to be maggots or worm fished, because the fish are not hook shy, on a Size 10 to 16 hook depending on the size of the bait.
Other popular baits on The Arches are sweetcorn and pellets whilst the bigger roach tend also to fall to anglers using hemp and tares.
When fishing the waggler it pays to get close in to the reed beds whilst in summer when the fish can be seen on and near the surface, good bags are taken on floating baits with dog biscuits and bread being the favoured options.
Reed Mere
Although the same size as The Arches at about two acres, the reed-lined banks of Reed Mere mean it has only 10 purpose-built gravel pegs. This makes it a really interesting water for those who like to stalk fish or blend into a background of vegetation.
Despite its size, Reed Mere is only three feet deep for the most part, although it drops to four feet near the entrance from the track and five feet at the far end from the entrance. It is almost entirely surrounded by flag iris and the bottom is fairly silted.
This all goes to make it a cracking carp water holding as it does mirrors and commons to over 30lbs and averaging around 17lbs as well as ghost carp to 22lbs. For those who like that sort of thing, there is also known to be a big cat in Red Mere which was caught in June 2006 at just over 50lbs.
Reed Mere is also another great tench water with rank and file fish averaging 4lbs to 5lbs and a good head going upwards to nearly double figures.
It also holds some big pike to the mid-20s - plus The General, who has never yet been landed but is estimated to top the 30lb mark. With some big perch to 3lbs and roach to 2lbs 8oz, it can provide varied fishing depending on the time of year.
Because of the silt on the bottom of the lake, most carp anglers fish source boilies on a light lead or pop-up boilies. Because of the margin and water plants, Reed Mere is also a classic stalking water, either for winter spinning for the pike and perch, dropping in on feeding carp and tench or floating a crust or dog biscuit.
Of particular interest to carp anglers are the eight fish which were bought from a syndicate and which are related to 'Clarissa', the 44lb common carp with which Richard Walker established a new British record in 1952.
Because of the size of the fish, few anglers fish the pole on Reed Mere, opting instead for traditional and modern carp fishing techniques or to fish the waggler with sweetcorn, worm, pellets or luncheon meat when going for the bigger tench and these baits plus boilies when targeting the carp.
Those not going after the carp tend to fish a minimum line strength of 8lbs to a 4lb hooklength and a Size 10 or 12 hook.
The most popular pegs on Reed Mere tend to be those along the Stock Pond bank and by the reed beds whilst the big cat is usually caught at the far end from the entrance.
Birch Pool
Hidden away amongst the trees at the far side of the large Lonsdale Lake is the smallest of the Lonsdale Park waters, the three-peg Birch Lake.
At quarters of an acre in size and only three-feet deep, it holds nothing bigger than 10lb to 15lb and is classed as being a great water for younger anglers.
Holding predominantly small carp to 4lbs, tench between 3lbs and 4lbs, and roach and perch to about 2lbs, Birch Pool is usually float fished with maggots or casters. Because it has a clay bottom it is usually very coloured, which often makes bright baits more effective.
Perhaps most popular of these are sweetcorn, bread, worm and pellets, with strawberry flavoured pellets being attractive to the fish.
Maggots and casters are also a good general bait, especially when fished over feeder pellets or hemp.
Deer Lake
Deer Lake is a water of two parts. The long arm by Lonsdale Lake forms part of the original clay workings and is about six feet deep throughout and surrounded by mature trees. The spur at the far end was dug in 2001 and offers a change in character, providing reeds and lilies and shelter for both fish and wildlife. This section is three feet deep at the far end, dipping gradually to five feet deep where it meets the main lake.
Again, despite being an acre and a half in size, it has only 10 purpose made pegs offering plenty of distance between anglers.
Although Deer Lake holds a few carp which run to the high teens, most of the commons, mirrors and ghosties average 4lbs. There are also some nice crucian carp to about 1lb 8oz which show erratically.
Deer again offers some excellent tench fishing with some specimens going to nearly double figures and the average weighing between 5lbs and 6lbs. There are also known to be perch to 3lbs 8oz with some bigger fish believed to be in there; chub to 4lbs with the odd bigger fish and roach going to a healthy 2lbs 8oz and averaging 12oz
Deer Lake is many anglers' favourite lake, being very popular with pole anglers who target the smaller carp, tench and silver fish knowing there is little chance of them getting smashed.
Anglers are advised to fish a mimimum 4lb line strength to a Size 14 or 16 hook for the silver fish and scale up for the bigger tench and carp.
Waggler fishing is also obviously popular with the arm at the far end of the lake offering weed beds and bankside cover.
Again chopped worm, pellets, sweetcorn, luncheon meat and maggots are the most popular baits fished over a bed of feeder pellets or hemp.
Lonsdale Lake
By far the largest of the Lonsdale Park waters at four-and-a-half acres in size, Lonsdale Lake has 35 purpose-made pegs and offers a variety of angling from long-distance open water fishing to dropping in amongst the reeds and margin plants, fishing the pole to fishing modern carping techniques.
Described by Paul Drinkall as a carp and roach angler's paradise with 100lb bags of roach and 35lb carp not being uncommon, Lonsdale Lake also holds some good pike to around 30lbs which are normally fished for and caught in winter although they can be taken in summer when they tend to have a habit of attacking match anglers' keepnets!
Not surprisingly, Lonsdale Lake is popular with carp anglers because it holds commons, mirrors and ghost carp to 30lbs with a large number in the high teens and low to mid 20s and the average ghostie weighing about 12lbs.
The commons and mirrors are slightly bigger, averaging about 17lbs with very few small fish below double figures.
The grass carp average between 15lbs and 16lbs although there are at least four which are known to go to over 20lbs, the largest so far being caught coming in at 22lbs. Whether in the water or on the bank, these fish are regarded as being 'loopy' and must be allowed fully to recover before being released in the water.
Lonsdale Lake is also a classic tench water with the average fish being between 5lbs and 6lbs and with a good number which top the 10lb mark - an impressive tench by any standards.
Early morning and early evening are undoubtedly the best times for the tench with best baits being 10mm source boilies, bread, worms, beanie pellets, luncheon meat and tutti fruitti and strawberry flavoured sweetcorn.
As one would expect, most of the big tench are caught by carp anglers, but even on carp tackle these can get free, having a reputation for fighting like demons. The water also holds some black tench which are said to be black as coal.
Despite the big carp and tench, possibly the most impressive thing about Lonsdale Lake is the quality of the roach fishing with several well-known anglers reporting they have never caught roach like these in such quantities.
When fishing for the roach, hemp and tares work well on either waggler or pole with an 8 to 10 elastic tied to nothing less than 4lbs line.
Some of the best roach catches have been taken in the top 12 to 18 inches of water by anglers constantly spraying casters or pellets when the water can be made to boil.
Again, the roach are not hook shy and with fish up to 2lbs 12oz, they have beven been caught by carp anglers on 18mm or twin 10mm source boilies!
Looking towards the penninsula which runs out into the water from near the cottages, Lonsdale Lake is about five feet deep around the edges of the main body of the lake dropping to between nine and 12 feet straight out into the right hand side.
About three quarters of the way down the right hand section is a bar where the depth rises to just over four feet and where the carp can often be found around the sides and feeding on the top.
A similar bar runs out from the left hand bank as the lake curves around the corner towards Reed Mere. In this part of the lake the water is about eight feet deep throughout.
Always popular with the fish is the area around the boat where the aerators stir up food and oxygenate the water.
For the perch, which run to over 4lbs, fishing pole or waggler with double red maggot in front of the cottages is good where you need to fish as tight to the bank as you can get.
Lonsdale Lake also holds some good chub which came out of the River Eden when it was netted to remove coarse fish about 20 years ago. These fish now weight just under 5lbs but because they are rarely targeted tend to be caught by carp anglers.
Willows
One of the two new all carp waters at Lonsdale Park, Willow is two-and-a-quarter acres in size and was fully cleared and restored about three years ago to provide specimen carp fishing at the far end of the Lonsdale Park site from the entrance.
Between three and five feet deep from midway down the lake to the far end, Willows is deepest at the entrance where the sides shelve steeply down to a maximum of eight feet. Running out from the dam bank towards the centre of the lake is a former roadway which was used when clay was being extracted. The top of this is about four feet under the surface and obviously acts as a major feature for the fish.
Aimed at serious specimen carp anglers, Willow was stocked with about 20 Mark Simmonds carp averaging well over 20lbs, although some of the fish are now known to run to well over 30lbs.
The only baits allowed on Willows are Source boilies and natural baits including maggots, worms, bread and the fishery's own carp pellets which are particularly effective because these are what the fish are fed on.
Most anglers fishing Willows opt for modern carp fishing techniques with bite alarms, rod pods and ledger gear.
However, according to Paul Drinkall, they could be missing out because the best way to catch the fish is on float tackle using 8lbs line straight through to a Size 6 or 8 hook baited with bread, worm or side-hooked Source boilies fished in the margins or under a rod length out.
Although the fish are not tackle shy, anglers should move carefully on the banks as they can be spooked by anglers talking or being heavy footed.
Unusually for carp, the fish in Willow are rarely seen near to the surface or basking on the top, even in hot weather.
Secret Lake
Although smaller than Willows at only an acre in size, Secret Lake holds a bigger head of fish - some 30 carp which average about 17lbs and which are expected to reach at least 20 lbs in 2006.
About seven feet deep at the far end where the lake narrows, Secret Lake is between seven and eight feet deep in the centre channel and about five to six feet deep along the left hand bank looking towars the far end. By the lily pads it comes up to about three-and-a-half feet, a great place for fishing in warmer weather.
Built from scratch about two years ago, Secret Lake was developed with help from George Sharman and, like Willows, can only be accessed through the second gate which requires a code - obtainable from the cafe.
Like Willows, Secret Lake is usually fished using modern carping techniques but anglers are required to have a large 42-inch specimen landing net, a sling mat, a set of accurate weighing scales and a good camera so that photographs can be taken of both flanks of any fish caught to enable the lake's records to be maintained.
Also, as with Willows, fishing is only permitted between 8.30am and 5.30pm as the lakes are effectivel;y in Paul Drinkall's back garden.
 Lonsdale Park on the Net
Lonsdale Park has a good website which is regularly updated with latest news, events, and special offers available at the fishery. To be found at www.lonsdalepark.co.uk, the site has details of accommodation, a map of the lakes, details of facilities and rules, a price list, visitors book and booking facility. It also has a good photo album of some of the catches. |
How to get there...
Lonsdale Park Fishery is just five minutes drive from Junction 42 of the M6 motorway. After leaving the motorway, take the B6263 signed for Wetheral and after about a mile and a half take the right turn for Cotehill at the Cumwhinton village shop and Post Office.
After exactly a mile turn left at the Bridal Path sign marked for Wetheral Shield. A small Lonsdale Park sign also marks this turn. From here just follow the track down and pass under the railway arch, past The Arches lake on the left and carry on up the hill to the entrance gate. The cafe and shop are on the right.
Click on the map for more detail.
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Lonsdale Park Fishery