Milton Pools Fishery

Milton Pools Fishery
Great Milton
Oxford
Oxfordshire OX44 7JE

Tel: 01844 278150
E-mail: milton_pools@hotmail.co.uk


Established just over 60 years ago, Milton Pools is one of those little known jewels of the angling world. Set in a delightful location next to the M40 motorway near Oxford, there are seven waters which offer everything from tranquil pleasure fishing for roach to 3lbs and perch to 4lbs to specimen hunting for double figure tench, pike to 30lbs and carp to over 43lbs. In addition, catfish were introduced into the Specimen Lake in December 2007.

As well as round-the-clock angling, the fishery also offers toilets with washing facilities and a floodlit car park with Closed Circuit Television.

There is also a cafe offering hot food, snacks and confectionery which is open at weekends, Bank Holidays and at various times during the week between Spring and Autumn.

As part of an ongoing series of improvements, owners Ray and Val Green - who took over the fishery in September 2002 - have opened a fully-equipped tackle shop which offers a wide range of tackle, angling accessories and baits.

Since taking over the fishery, Ray has put a great deal of time and effort into improving the venue, clearing and tidying the site in general, removing old dead trees which had fallen into the pools, maintaining the banks to make them more attractive and transferring bigger fish from stock ponds to the main pools to give them scope to grow on.

In everything he has done, Ray has placed the emphasis on developing a quality fishery where anglers can feel at home catching healthy fish. He has ensured the pegs are well spaced so there is plenty of room and, as a result, the waters are not over fished.

Most of the pegs are suitable for disabled anglers with car access to many of the pegs.

Future plans for further development of the fishery will be aimed at improving facilities for anglers whilst at the same time maintaining the rural character of the pools and the health of the fish.

New for 2008 are single and double Swedish-style chalets which will be available for rental. The chalets will be thermally insulated allowing fisherman to fish in cormfort all year round.

Night fishing is allowed, although anglers are advised to telephone in advance – especially if they want to fish the Specimen Lake. Juniors may only night-fish if accompanied by an adult angler.

Anglers arriving at night are asked to report to the bungalow to obtain their ticket before proceeding to the fishery. For the safety of anglers and their vehicles, the entrance and the car park are protected by security cameras.

For those looking to take up angling or to brush up on their technique, Milton Pools is able to arrange fishing tuition with Jason Wyatt. Please enquire for further details.

Some nice Milton Pools carp

Mark weighs into the new 'Big cats' The first of 16 catfish to over 25lbs which were introduced into Milton Pools' Specimen Lake in Oxfordshire are starting to show. Stocked in December 2007, the bigest was caught by Mark Lewin, a production engineer from nearby Chalgrove, from Peg 3 on luncheon meat during a midweek session. Meanwhile, 32-years-old Next store manager Vince Cripps from Northampton, a Milton Pools regular, fished Peg 4 on Specimen Lake to take a total of six carp weighing between 13lbs and 24lbs in a single 24-hour session. Last year Vince caught two carp over 30lbs from the lake and more than 20 over 20lbs. The biggest fish to come out so far in 2008 has been a 31lbs common carp which was taken by retired angler Vic Andrews, another Milton Pools regular, from Peg 2 on Pineapple boilies.

Specimen Lake fish range from carp to over 43lbs, pike to 30lbs, catfish, roach, perch and some beautiful double figure green tench.

If you are going for the roach, tench or perch, float fishing usually proves best with maggots, worm, luncheon meat and sweetcorn being the most favoured baits. Those fishing for the big carp tend to use boilies.

Ray has ensured in the stocking of the Specimen Lake that large carp have been introduced. As a result the water now has a good number of 20lbs to 30lbs fish, several mid-30s and some going to over 40lbs.

But large carp aren't the only attraction of Specimen Lake. With roach to more than 2lbs 8oz, perch to 4lbs 8oz and tench again into double figures there's plenty to go for, although most non-carpers give the water a miss because they are unaware of its potential for species other than carp.

If you are going for the roach, tench or perch, float fishing usually proves best with maggots, worm, luncheon meat and sweetcorn being the most favoured baits. It also pays to bait up before fishing to attract the fish into your swim and once you have them there feed little but often to keep them in your patch.

The introduction of the catfish in December 2007 not only enticed the carp to feed on a more regular basis but also gave anglers something new to fish for.

Milton Pools also has an outstanding number of pike with a good number of 20lbs plus fish have been introduced into Specimen Lake, making it ideal for fishing during the fishery's pike fishing season which runs from October to the end of March.

Unlike the Kidney Lake, there is no shelf around the fringes with the banks dropping straight down to the maximum depth of between four-and-a-half to five feet.

Pole, waggler and traditional and modern carp fishing techniques all work well on House Lake with best baits tending to be boilies for the carp, maggots for the smaller carp, roach and tench, and sweetcorn and luncheon meat for the perch and bigger tench.

Float-fished bread can prove particularly effective in warmer weather when other baits may leave anglers struggling.

Stock includes carp to 12lbs, bream up to 7lbs, crucian carp, golden and green tench, chub, roach, perch, koi, rudd, golden rudd and goldfish.

Covering about an acre-and-a-quarter with 13 pegs, the water is interesting in that there are two smaller basins connected to the main pool, the larger of which goes to six feet in depth making it popular with anglers wanting to fish slightly deeper water.

These pools are often worth investigating as some of the bigger fish make their way into them and most of the time no one else is fishing them.

Anglers setting out for the tench tend to float fish sweetcorn, luncheon meat, worms or maggots. As one would expect, it pays to watch the water for bubbles to pinpoint where the fish are feeding and then keep them there by loose-feeding pellets or samples of hook bait.

All techniques work well on their day, making this water ideal for both pole and waggler anglers. However, it is important to get plenty of bait into the water to attract the fish to your swim and then top it up regularly to keep them there.

A pretty little water with plenty of features, it is ideal for pleasure fishing, particularly for younger or inexperienced anglers because it is easy to catch.

Averaging four-and-a-half to five feet deep, the pool has a shelf which runs about a rod length out and about two-foot-six inches deep, making it ideal for fishing close in either with the pole or waggler.

Being a general coarse lake, most regular baits work well particularly maggots, sweetcorn and worm float fished just off the bottom. No ledgering is allowed and this is typically a float water.

The water holds carp to 11lbs, ghost carp to 8lbs, bream up to 4lbs, golden rudd, green tench, koi, roach, chub, goldfish, black goldfish and crucian carp.

Please telephone the fishery for further details and availability.

Milton Pools' website Newsletter Milton Pools has launched its own website Newsletter where anglers can keep up to date with latest catches and match results from the fishery. To see what's going on and who's done what Click here.

How to get there...

Milton Pools is a stone's throw from the M40 motorway. Travelling south, leave the motorway at Junction 8 (Waterstock Services) and take the A418 towards Thame. After about a mile turn right onto the old A40 and follow this road for about a mile and a half. At the junction with the A329 turn right again, go over the motorway and the entrance to the fishery is about 50 yards on the left. Follow the track until you will come to the fishery car park. On arrival please report to the shop or bungalow to obtain your ticket before proceeding onto the fishery.

Travelling North, leave the motorway at Junction 7, turn left at the end of the slip road and the entrance to Milton Pools is about 50 yards on the left.

Click here for a larger version of the map.

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