My dad and I booked the Kingfisher lake on a 48 hour session from 26 – 28/10 via the phone, paying online and was greeted by John, one of the bailiffs on arrival circa 7:30 am. John who takes a thorough approach to guidance, local policy and carp fishing etiquette, rigorously set about the do’s and don’ts.
Most of the morning lost to the setting up of the bivvy and swim area, it was pretty much midday before lines touched the water. Once in, it wasn’t long before the first fish was on the bank. An 18 lbs common carp on my dad’s setup and things were looking good. The bait was working as another 90 minutes later fish number 2, this time an energetic young mirror weighing in at 6 lbs. Before dark, the same rod went for a second time and in came a 25 lbs mirror, 2.5 lbs off the PB.
The bites faded after the first day but with the cold front arriving in a big way you could be excused for thinking the fish needed time to adjust to the change in weather, we certainly did.
Overall a great fishery and definitely taking hospitality up a notch or two for specimen carp fishing facilities. A good choice of fresh home made food and burgers etc. were available throughout our session at reasonable prices and meant the camping stoves were reduced to tea making duties only. The toilets and showers were spotlessly clean.
It was a pleasure to meet the owners Dave and Jo, to learn a bit about the history of the lakes and their future as well as being great hosts around the restaurant canteen. The two bailiffs John and Phil were full of useful tips and helpful throughout. It all made for a welcoming and enjoyable trip and we’ll definitely be back again.
I wonder if the venue would benefit from a few log cabins but this is a thought more than a suggestion and something my dad would appreciate more than I would, although we’ve stayed in a few log cabins and have enjoyed the convenience.