Belmont Fishery - The Result

We arrived at Belmont Fishery on Tuesday morning at about 7.30am. Me and Ryan had a good hard scope around the lodge but could see no movement so settled for pegs 1 and 2. We unloaded the van and set up the bivvies and the heavens looked like they where ready to open any minute. Straight away Ryan started to bait up a little bay just to his left about 10ft away in the margins. Next came the marker float, fired out and dragged revealing the bottom was silt (and very deep silt indeed) so light leads where a must. Bait wise we had, boilies, pop ups, particle mix and sweetcorn. Our plan was to fish one rod each on the pop up and real corn and one on the pop up boilie. The marker float was also showing us that the lodge was only 2-3ft deep (not the 6ft in claims on the website.) We agreed we would have a free rod each and both have a rod on a pile of bait in the middle. We spodded out a good few kilos of bait into the middle but this was soon removed by the ducks who made light work of clearing it all up (Again shows how shallow the place is if the ducks can dive for the bait.) We spent most of Tuesday getting very annoyed at ducks taking our bait and setting the alarms off but hey what can you do. The fun began at night after we got settled and tucked away in our bivvies.

Catch 1

Just before the darkness hit Ryan put his left had rod on the bait he had put out to his left that morning. At 12.15am I was woken by Ryan shouting "DANNY DANNY DANNY." I came flying out of my bivvy to see ryan with both rods in his hands. Both alarms had gone at the same time so he had to strike both rods. The left rod was the one with the monster on the end and 20 minutes later Ryan banked a lovely mirror at 18lb 8oz.

Catch 2

Wednesday morning and after having no luck myself I decided to go and do a lap on the lodge and see what was about. I got to the far end of the lodge (peg 5) and in the shallows  I could see a good 5-6 big carp. I flew back to the bivvy and set up the waggler rod and went marching back with a bag of corn. I cast in with the single corn on a size 12 method hook and bang I was in on the drop. I was shouting Ryan for the net but he thought I was joking until he saw the tip of my Greys 1.75tc Barbel rod bent round touching my forehead. A nice fight and a beautiful 15lb common on the bank.

Catch 3

Thursday morning came far too quickly so I decided to have a play about and reeled my left hand rod in and added 2 pop up pink corn and 2 real corn in the formation we like to call the rhubarb and custard.

The rod went back into the water about 20ft out. Then at 10am BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP it was off. A very hard fight later (as I am weak) and a 19lb mirror is snuggled on the unhooking mat.

Catch Map

The Verdict

Belmont Fishery is a beautiful place and Swan Lodge is a beautiful lodge. The bailiff on site was brilliant and offered great advice on how to fish the place for the best results. Here are some tips me and Ryan think you will find useful:

• Laying down bait - Don't bother laying down bait as the ducks will eat it and drive you mad.
• Mozzies - Take lots of spray and candles or these guys will drive you nuts.
• Bait - We fished boilies and corn and only caught fish on corn.
• Silt - The bottom of the lodge is deep silt and even the lightest of  leads will get plugged so best to feather your casts.
• PVA Nuggets - These are a must to stop you hook getting covered deep in the silt with your lead.

Oh and on the website it says Swan Lodge only holds double figure carp. Well Ryan thinks different.

PS. This last picture looks proper carpy :) Danny & Ryan