A Review from The Morning Carper "HIT IT!"

Firstly, for the non-angler, this bit’s for you!

If you’re like us, your partner has probably found Caistor Lakes when looking for somewhere they can fish but you can enjoy a break too ? Well I hope this is helpful!

At the end of May we went for our second visit and stayed on Arthurs Pool. The lodges are fantastic! Spacious & well equipped and very clean & tidy. Aircon, TV, WiFi, full size fridge freezer, indoor & outdoor seating / dining area and of course, a hot tub!

The staff are all second to none too! Very friendly & helpful and make your stay a really enjoyable one.

The restaurant looks lovely (although we had food from there delivered to the lodge so I didn’t need to bring the rods in ) Burgers, lasagne, stroganoff, chicken.. all were great tbh

The days and/or evenings can be spent in the hot tub with a glass or two of what you fancy or sat round the table on the decking overlooking the picturesque lakeside. There’s a big tv in the lounge area should you be there when you find it too cold to be outdoors!

For the angler

Now I’ve hopefully managed to persuade your partner going somewhere you can fish will be enjoyable for them too, let’s get down to the important bit!

Firstly, you are fishing from composite decking so you WILL need a pod (don’t go screwing stage stands in eh!). Fishing from decking can seem odd at first. Your rod tips sit well above the water and you will need to lay down to get the fish out once netted but I’ve had to do this on some lakes anyway tbh so no big deal.

Back leads could be an option in windy conditions but I turned alarm sensitivity down and lines tight as I don’t like backleads in weed

I also found it weird not having the bivvy to organise everything in and you may find sitting on a sofa watching your rods almost surreal at first but don’t worry, just remember you’re there on a break as well as for the fishing so enjoy it!

You can leave the rods in overnight and again, being in a real bed may feel odd at first but you’re not too far from the rods in reality. You will obviously need a receiver for the alarms though (and maybe turn the alarms themselves to silent as a courtesy to non fishing visitors too?)

The fishing itself was TOUGH! It’s only a small lake but has plenty of weed and hiding spots for the carp to hide and loads of naturals to feed on plus, they had just finished spawning so knew it would need some work to get any in.

From Shearwater, Depth was about 7 / 8 foot with very little shallow area in the margins.

Despite quite chilly & overcast conditions, It was actually zigs (a method I’d rarely used before) that did the business for me. These were fixed as it was too weedy for adjustable and only 8’ anyway.

After losing 3 to hook pulls in the weed I changed from size 10 with foam to size 6 with a pop up and did manage to get a small common out in the end. It’s probably the smallest in there tbh but was over the moon with it! Lovely condition & dark colouring.

Next time I will make sure I don’t forget my PVA stuff in a bucket in the garden as think that would be a good tactic too but will definitely start on zigs.

I know Caistor Lakes are hoping to be able to stock some basics eg end tackle, PVA. Etc soon but, until they do, make sure you have all your gear in the car when you leave!!

While there I did go for a little wander and If you prefer your fishing a bit easier I’d recommend Heron as the lodges are very similar but the lake has a higher number of fish and is a mixed fish lake. Arthurs is carp only and the one I’d recommend if you’re up for a bit of a challenge.

Will definitely be back

Visit THE MORNING CARPER website for more information on Mr Darren's Carping Journey.