Willesley Lake
The angling at Willesley Lake matches its attractive good looks. Although there are no bait bans, anglers are asked not to light fires or use bait boats and to follow common sense rules - no barbed hooks, no big fish in keepnets and unhooking mats to be used for the large carp. The lack of rules is designed to create a fishery which can be enjoyed whether you are there for the day or for the longer haul.
Although trees go down to the water round much of the lake, anglers can fish from any of the the wooden platform pegs whilst bivvies can be erected either where the trees meet the pathway or just back from the water in the field along the far side of the lake from the car park entrance.
As one would expect from a 24-acre lake, depths vary from very shallow to about 15 feet at the deepest point in the centre of the lake. However, for the most part depths average five to six feet until quite well out into the water whilst at the far end of both arms even shallower water can be found, which makes for good fishing in hot weather when the carp can be seen cruising the shallows.
Although there are more than 70 designated pegs, the far end of the lake has been allowed to naturalise and in summer when the banks are dry anglers can fish from virtually wherever they can settle down.
Because the lake is home to an estimated 700 double figure mirrors and commons, with many between 20lbs and 30lbs, it is becoming popular with carpers and recently a couple of specimens exceeding 30lbs have been landed.
Both traditional and modern carping techniques work well with many anglers fishing the field pegs dropping their baits either just short of, on or just beyond an mussel bed which runs parallel to the bank about 40 yards out.
However, there are no 'hot pegs' and anglers stand a good chance of catching whether they fish on the bottom in the deeper water, close to the bank - which can be very productive - or on the surface in warm weather.
As you would expect, pop-up boilies are a favourite bait as are sweetcorn, luncheon and other meat baits, pastes, bread, lobworm and even bunches of maggots.
Willesley Lake is also a good pleasure water with the shoals of bream, crucian carp and roach providing plenty of sport. Although the pole is particularly favoured these days, fishing the feeder enables anglers to cover more of the water. Waggler fishing doesn't seem to be quite as popular with anglers who prefer this method tending to fish closer in.
Whichever technique you prefer, they all work well on their day with pellets, sweetcorn, casters, maggots, sweetcorn and cheese being particularly favoured baits, especially when fished in conjunction with small amounts of groundbait mixed with samples of hookbait and backed up with catapulted samples of bait at regular internals.
However, whilst many anglers fishing Willesley Lake go for the bream, the majority of which average about 3lbs, and the roach, it is perhaps the crucian carp which can provide the best sport. And with the average fish running at between 1lb and 3lbs these provide exciting sport.
Unlike fishing for the bream and roach, where most anglers tend to fish further out in the water, fishing closer in at only a rod length or less from the left-hand Woodside bank seems to prove best.
Indeed, Christine Hart recommends anglers going for the crucians to drop their bait just inside where the leaves of the trees overhang the water and to fish either bread flake or yellow sweetcorn.
How to get there...
Willesley lake is located just outside Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, just three miles from the M42 motorway. If you are traveling north turn off the M42 at Junction 12 for Ashby/Measham onto the B5006 heading towards Ashby de la Zouch. After about a mile you will pass Willesley Golf Club on the left hand side, turn left here almost back on yourself. Take the next left at the crossroads and the access to the car park and Willesley Lake is some 300 yards further on the left hand side. Click on the map for a larger version.
 Willesley Lake on the NetAnglers can keep up to date with developments at Willesley Lake by visiting the fishery's own website at willesleylake.co.uk for details of latest news. |
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Willesley Lake
They have also installed several timber platforms, two of which enable fishing from a wheelchair, and at the same time have strengthened much of the banking round the left hand side of the lake from the main car park entrance.
Owned for many years by the former Coal Board, the lake and woodland changed hands in the 1960s and the fishing in the lake was leased to a local angling club. However, when the current owners took over in 1998 they decided to open the water as a day ticket fishery so that more people could enjoy the lake and its surroundings.
The fishery is managed by Ms Christine Hart who walks the lake three times a day and who can be contacted on 01283 762192.