Queen Mary still reigns at Mill Farm Mill Farm regulars will be pleased to know that one of their favourite fish - the 23lbs 8oz mirror known as Queen Mary - is still providing sport in the Bottom Lake at this Leicestershire fishery. She was caught at 7.30 in the evening on July 3 by Peter Drake of Wood Farm Cottages, Lutterworth, after falling to a bait of cat biscuits.  It was Peter's biggest ever fish.

Stocked with mirrors to 18lbs, commons to 15lbs and Ghost Carp to 12lbs, this water also holds tench and bream to 6lbs, Crucian Carp to 3lbs, roach to over 1lb and rudd.

The water varies in depth from five feet at the point and down the right hand bank to eight feet around the island. The bottom follows the lie of the land, so beyong the island it goes to 14ft before rising to a shallower six to eight feet from the dam.

Although no fishing is allowed from the island or ornamental bridge, all parts of the water can be reached from the banks and anglers using poles can reach the island from pegs 9-11 near the bridge, where the depth is about eight feet.

Most popular methods for fishing the water include float from rod or pole and legered swimfeeder, anglers are reminded that groundbait is only allowed when used to pack a swimfeeder and should not be loose fed in balls.

Best baits include maggots, sweetcorn and luncheon meat whilst most anglers like to fish up to the island in the shallower part of the lake using either float or leger or fish the deeper water at the far end.

Bottom Lake

Bottom Lake is a former sand and gravel quarry fed by natural springs which was abandoned in 1958 because of flooding.

It will come as no surprise to learn, therefore, that the water is up to 40ft deep in places near the centre and that the sides are very steep. At the far end the water is about 12ft deep but deepens where it widens out to 20ft at the margins and 40ft in the middle.

Because of its size and depth, the carp in Bottom Lake tend to be larger than in Top Lake, although the silver fish are slightly smaller. With Mirror Carp to 30lbs, Commons to 20lbs and Leather Carp to 18lbs, there are plenty of big fish to go for. The tench run to 6lbs, the bream and roach to about 2lbs, and good sport is also provided by the head to Chub which reach 5lbs.

In addition, because the lake is almost completely surrounded by trees, you can generally be assured to find calm water in almost any weather and because of its range of species and size of fish, it is popular with regulars.

About 70 per cent of the lake can be reached from the island near the boathouse, so this peg tends to be most popular with regular anglers to Mill Farm. The most successful baits are still maggots, sweetcorn and luncheon meat. Those anglers who prefer to float fish will need to use a slider, although legering is also extremely effective.