Park Lakes
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For years the quality of park lake fishing was one of the best kept secrets in angling but now the cat is well and truly out of the bag. Once dismissed by all but the few in the know, park lakes now attract anglers of all ages and abilities, from children to pensioners, from beginners to old hands. One reason for their growing popularity is their accessibility. With transport increasingly expensive, more anglers are looking for good fishing close to home - and park lakes fit the bill.
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Park lake potential
Most towns and cities have park lakes where you can fish for free or for the cost of a day ticket. Where you have to buy a day ticket there are often reduced rates for children, pensioners and the disabled.
The commonest fish in park lakes are roach, bream, carp, tench, perch and pike. Specimens are rare, as you might expect, but they can still grow to respectable sizes: bream and tench to 3lb (1.4kg), roach and perch to 1lb (0.45kg) and carp and pike to 10lb ( 4.5kg).
Like most shallow still waters, park lakes tend to fish best in summer. If your picture of a park lake in summer is one of crowds and noise, don't despair. The only times parks are really too crowded for fishing in summer are in the middle of the day on hot weekends and public holidays. Don't write off park lakes completely in winter. Obviously, you can't expect to bag up after a hard frost but pick a mild day
Most towns and cities have park lakes where you can fish for free or for the cost of a day ticket. Where you have to buy a day ticket there are often reduced rates for children, pensioners and the disabled.
The commonest fish in park lakes are roach, bream, carp, tench, perch and pike. Specimens are rare, as you might expect, but they can still grow to respectable sizes: bream and tench to 3lb (1.4kg), roach and perch to 1lb (0.45kg) and carp and pike to 10lb ( 4.5kg).
Like most shallow still waters, park lakes tend to fish best in summer. If your picture of a park lake in summer is one of crowds and noise, don't despair. The only times parks are really too crowded for fishing in summer are in the middle of the day on hot weekends and public holidays. Don't write off park lakes completely in winter. Obviously, you can't expect to bag up after a hard frost but pick a mild day
Reading the water
There's no such thing as a typical park lake. Some are shaped like a piece from a jigsaw puzzle and are little more than ponds. Others are just like large bowls.
One thing most park lakes have in common, however, is a lack of depth. Most are man-made and were built with boating safety in mind- shallow water ensures that the worst a boater is likely to suffer in an accident is a soaking. Therefore you seldom find more than 1m (3ft) of water anywhere.
When it comes to spotting fish-holding areas, park lakes differ from most other types of water in that obvious features are rare. Even those few spots that look good by all the usual rules of water craft don't necessarily hold fish.
There's usually very little weed, especially where there are lots of water birds and boats. When you do find interesting looking weed beds or lily pads it's likely that the water they're in is too shallow for fish.
The same goes for any trees hanging invitingly down to the water.
The margins of islands in any lake are always worth investigating for cruising carp but again there isn't always the necessary depth in park lakes.
So how do you find the fish? First, don't forget the obvious; park lakes are usually heavily fished and simply by watching and talking to other anglers you can quickly find out which are the best places to fish. If, by chance, there's no-one fishing then walk around the lake looking for fish topping or even bubbling. If there are no signs of any fish, then choose a spot where the wind - however slight - is in your face, not at your back. This is a good rule on most still waters because the wind blows food and warm surface water inshore.
Having picked your swim, how far out should you fish? At dawn and dusk, when the park is deserted, many fish lose their natural caution and move right into the margins to feed. During the day, when people are about, most fish tend to keep away from the banks. And the shallower the water, the farther out they stay.
Some park lakes are of uniform depth. Plumb carefully, however, and you often find very slight depressions. The silt tends to be thickest in such spots, making them likely places to find tench, carp and bream rooting for bloodworm. If you find no such depression, fish as far out from the bank as you can comfortably cast and feed. Other park lakes have very shallow margins, with the bottom sloping away gently then levelling out some way from the bank.
There's no such thing as a typical park lake. Some are shaped like a piece from a jigsaw puzzle and are little more than ponds. Others are just like large bowls.
One thing most park lakes have in common, however, is a lack of depth. Most are man-made and were built with boating safety in mind- shallow water ensures that the worst a boater is likely to suffer in an accident is a soaking. Therefore you seldom find more than 1m (3ft) of water anywhere.
When it comes to spotting fish-holding areas, park lakes differ from most other types of water in that obvious features are rare. Even those few spots that look good by all the usual rules of water craft don't necessarily hold fish.
There's usually very little weed, especially where there are lots of water birds and boats. When you do find interesting looking weed beds or lily pads it's likely that the water they're in is too shallow for fish.
The same goes for any trees hanging invitingly down to the water.
The margins of islands in any lake are always worth investigating for cruising carp but again there isn't always the necessary depth in park lakes.
So how do you find the fish? First, don't forget the obvious; park lakes are usually heavily fished and simply by watching and talking to other anglers you can quickly find out which are the best places to fish. If, by chance, there's no-one fishing then walk around the lake looking for fish topping or even bubbling. If there are no signs of any fish, then choose a spot where the wind - however slight - is in your face, not at your back. This is a good rule on most still waters because the wind blows food and warm surface water inshore.
Having picked your swim, how far out should you fish? At dawn and dusk, when the park is deserted, many fish lose their natural caution and move right into the margins to feed. During the day, when people are about, most fish tend to keep away from the banks. And the shallower the water, the farther out they stay.
Some park lakes are of uniform depth. Plumb carefully, however, and you often find very slight depressions. The silt tends to be thickest in such spots, making them likely places to find tench, carp and bream rooting for bloodworm. If you find no such depression, fish as far out from the bank as you can comfortably cast and feed. Other park lakes have very shallow margins, with the bottom sloping away gently then levelling out some way from the bank.
Tackling park lakes
You don't need any special tackle, techniques or baits to fish park lakes. Big fish such as pike and carp respond to any of the usual baits and methods. Bread often works just as well as boilies for carp and can also be a good bait for the bigger bream, roach and tench. It's especially good where people regularly feed it to the ducks, but be warned- those same ducks can show more interest than the fish!
For a mixed bag of fish of all sizes, maggots and casters are a better bet. In summer it’s usually best to feed hemp and caster and fish caster on the hook - maggots tend to attract too many small fish. In winter, when small fish are less of a problem, a lively maggot usually out fishes a static caster.
If you have deep enough water close in and there aren't too many people about, the pole can score, but usually you need a rod and reel to reach the fish. Legering works, but the waggler is nearly always the best method, especially in summer when you are mainly looking for bites on the drop.
Park lakes are usually hard fished so use fine tackle: size 18-24 hooks and hook lengths of no more than 1/2lb (0.68kg).
Use a straight waggler with a fine insert and -set the hook about 30cm (1ft) over depth. Down the line you need only very light, evenly spread shotting- three or four no.10's at most. This allows your bait to fall slowly through the water. If you don't get a bite on the drop, try twitching the hook bait along the bottom.
Little and often
Because park lakes are usually so shallow and featureless, the fish tend to be nomadic, roaming around in search of food. You may therefore have to wait a while for your first bite, but by feeding little and often you can stop fish when they move into your swim.
After a succession of bites your swim often dies as the fish wander off, but keep feeding and you'll stop them again the next time they come along.
You don't need any special tackle, techniques or baits to fish park lakes. Big fish such as pike and carp respond to any of the usual baits and methods. Bread often works just as well as boilies for carp and can also be a good bait for the bigger bream, roach and tench. It's especially good where people regularly feed it to the ducks, but be warned- those same ducks can show more interest than the fish!
For a mixed bag of fish of all sizes, maggots and casters are a better bet. In summer it’s usually best to feed hemp and caster and fish caster on the hook - maggots tend to attract too many small fish. In winter, when small fish are less of a problem, a lively maggot usually out fishes a static caster.
If you have deep enough water close in and there aren't too many people about, the pole can score, but usually you need a rod and reel to reach the fish. Legering works, but the waggler is nearly always the best method, especially in summer when you are mainly looking for bites on the drop.
Park lakes are usually hard fished so use fine tackle: size 18-24 hooks and hook lengths of no more than 1/2lb (0.68kg).
Use a straight waggler with a fine insert and -set the hook about 30cm (1ft) over depth. Down the line you need only very light, evenly spread shotting- three or four no.10's at most. This allows your bait to fall slowly through the water. If you don't get a bite on the drop, try twitching the hook bait along the bottom.
Little and often
Because park lakes are usually so shallow and featureless, the fish tend to be nomadic, roaming around in search of food. You may therefore have to wait a while for your first bite, but by feeding little and often you can stop fish when they move into your swim.
After a succession of bites your swim often dies as the fish wander off, but keep feeding and you'll stop them again the next time they come along.
