The big stock of roach tends to be ignored during the summer months when most anglers are targeting the tench , carp, bream, etc. In fact anglers tend to avoid maggot and caster baits in the summer so they don’t catch roach. Having said that the summer roach fishing with hemp, tares and caster can be superb. One angler fishing in August took an estimated fifty pounds summer roach haul whilst doing a hemp and tare feature for an angling magazine.

It’s in the winter that most Gloucester Park anglers turn to the roach, with the Cockle Bank the undisputed hotspot. The roach feed even during the coldest of conditions, with plenty of double figure catches taken through holes in the ice. In January 2003 Alan Busby won an 'ice hole' match with 19lb 3oz of quality roach. The week before he won a match with 18lb 2oz of roach from a swim further along the bank.

The reason for the tremendous head of roach is worth explaining. In 1995 Mick purchased half a ton of enormous roach. There were hundreds of two pounders, with Peter Jerrum taking the best at 3lb 1oz. That fish made the front page of the Angler’s Mail and the Angling Times the following week!

It’s a safe bet that eight years later most of those enormous roach have died, and the remainder are well past their best. However they have left a valuable legacy. Three tremendous spawnings has resulted in a huge crop of younger roach which, thanks to the genetic makeup of their parents, are growing up at a tremendous rate.

Add in another ton plus of quality roach introduced over the past couple of years and it is easy to see how pleasure anglers can get twenty pound plus bags of roach, even in the depths of winter.

Wayne Candy displays a Cockle Bank roach haul.

Tench Point lives up to its name!

For many anglers the enormous stock of tench is the crowning glory of the venue. There are so many tench that a few get caught even during the worst of the winter. Tench are really a summer species through, and once the water warms up the tench fishing is superb. The aptly named Tench Point is a hotspot, but there’s not a swim in the lake that doesn’t produce tench during the summer. Gloucester Park is one of the few venues where a genuine hundred pound plus tench haul is on the cards! Don’t expect a monster though. There are just too many tench for them to reach specimen size. Most of them weigh between a pound and three pounds, although there are a few better ones to five pounds or so.

Despite the wide variety of species there are still plenty of carp. The majority weigh between five and fifteen pounds, but there is a good head of upper doubles, and five of over twenty pounds apiece. A dozen carp in a summer session is nothing unusual, with many dedicated carp anglers taking more than twenty!

As you would expect hair rigged boilies take plenty of fish but in fact the carp fall to all methods and baits. Pole anglers had fish to 21lb 4oz! Cedric Hammond took a 22lb common on waggler gear, and in February 2003 he won a match with five quivertip caught carp totaling over fifty pounds. Quivertip angler Tony Ridley fished the cockle bank to land over 30 carp for an estimated 200lb haul in october 2002.

Boilie, tip, waggler and pole anglers all take big catches of carp, but the most spectacular of the carp fishing takes place in early summer when the fish are on the top. From the top of the Cockle Bank its possible to see literally hundreds of carp, at once and the floating crust fishing is superb. Last year one angler took 19 carp to a best of 17lb during an evening session.

A winter match haul.

John Jones took this bream in the Big Bay.

The bream are a relatively recent introduction, and prior to Mick’s involvement there were few, if any, in the lake. Following introductions in 1993, 94 and 95 they are now gaining a foothold. Nobodies had thirty pounds of bream yet, but most of the decent mixed catches now include a few bream. It’s worth mentioning that one consignment of the fish were really big specimens. There were only thirty or so fish, but the smallest was over seven pounds. The best one reported so far weighed in at just over ten pounds.

In common with nearly every other water it’s doubtful if the Gloucester Park crucians are in fact true crucians. It’s far more likely that they are hybrids, with a few of them showing features that a discerning eye can recognise as pointers to a bit of goldfish or common carp in their makeup. Having said that they fight well and a net of the golden beauties is a joy to behold. These "crucians" run to about three pounds, and it’s not unusual to get twenty pounds of them amongst the other fish.

Big Bay "Crucians"

Steve Smith shows an incoming sluice barbel.

These have been a real winner, although Mick put his head on the block when he introduced the first lot of barbel into Gloucester Park in 1996. Many of the self interest barbel groups, and self styled "barbel experts" predicted a disaster. They were quick to make their opinions known in the angling press, arguing that the fish would die and that introducing barbel into lakes should be made illegal.

Never one to worry a bit of uninformed criticism, and always one to back his own instincts and experience, Mick carried on, introducing more barbel in 1997, 98, 99, and 2001.

Seven years on the barbel are still alive. Many of the first year introductions now weigh three pounds or so, with the odd one weighing over 4lb. Not bad for fish that went in the size of gudgeon, and were all going to die!

The ‘Barbel Mafia’ may not be happy, but the anglers at Gloucester Park aren’t complaining!

Those are another of Mick’s introductions, and again they have been a winner. The first fingerlings were introduced in 1996, with more added in 1997, 98 and 99. These fish now run to four pounds, although the spread of year class introductions mean that they average out at a pound or two apiece.

The chub favour the Cockle Bank stretch, with the majority living in the undercut on the North side of the Island. To get the best of the chub you need to fish specifically for them. The best method is to cast a maggot feeder tight to the Island and expect bites instantly. Remember that the chub shoot out from under the Island to take the bait on the drop, and constant re-casting is the key. Dropping your bait a few yards short, or leaving it lying on the bottom, is not the key to success with the chub.

It is worth making the effort . Some anglers have taken sixty and seventy pound bags.

Cockle Bank Chub

PIKE:

Being heavily coloured most of the time Gloucester Park is far from a classic pike water. In fact we only know of three different pike in the lake. One is only a pound or so, one weighs about six pounds, and the other is a serious lump! There may be others but we don’t think there are many.

The only one worth bothering with is the big one, which is estimated to weigh at least thirty pounds. We know its very difficult to accurately estimate the weight of a big pike in the water, but we are erring on the side of caution.

Mick’s had lots of thirties in his arms at different times so he’s got a fair idea. If you fancy a challenge this could be the one for you. We honestly think its a lonely fish, but there could be a surprise. Probably the best bet would be to combine a trip targeting the zander with a rod cast out for the pike.

ZANDER:

The zander are one of the best kept secrets of the lake. They come from illegal introductions made prior to Mick’s involvement. They are thriving in the water which is stuffed with food fish. Zander to over ten pounds have been taken, all accidental captures. The last two ten pounders both fell to sweetcorn, one was foul hooked by a pole angler, the other snatched a waggler anglers sweetcorn on the drop!

It’s summer evenings when the zander make their presence felt, sometimes chasing roach to the surface. So far nobody’s bothered to fish for them with any intent, making them an ideal target for a serious predator angler looking for a new challenge. From what we’ve seen the Cockle Bank and the Canal Stretch would be the areas to make a start with.

Believe it when you see it!

There are widespread long standing rumours about two enormous catfish in Gloucester Park. These fish are supposed to be over six feet long and weigh close to a hundred pounds apiece. The myths surrounding them are legion; Fish snatched off hooks, ducks eaten, swans dragged under, dogs dragged in and children terrified. In fact they have done everything short of invading the town centre.

The truth of it is that they don’t exist. Certainly something does snatch a two or three pound fish off the hook once in a while, but the pike’s to blame for that. There are a handful of black bullhead catfish but that’s all. Mind you those that insist the giant catfish exist point to these black bullheads as proof. They reckon the monsters are breeding and these are the babies! Ignore them and spend your time fishing for creatures that do exist.

There are quite a few reasonable rudd, and a few fair sized eels. The perch come from Grafham water and run to almost three pounds. They don’t get seen very often though. There are only two grass carp that we know about, both of them double figure fish. Gudgeon show occasionally, but they are not over numerous.

Stan Howard took this Grass Carp in the canal stretch.