Expanded Ancaster tackle shop will continue to be more specialised

The Lakeside Angling tackle shop at Woodland Waters, Ancaster, has been a huge success since it opened back in spring 2021, so much so the premises is being extended, writes Journal angling correspondent Dave Coster.

The building work should be finished by the end of January and the bigger retail area it will offer is expected to be fully stocked by early February.

Apart from selling essential tackle and bait, proprietor Danny West is a well-known local angler who also runs coaching courses for youngsters on site.

He can provide excellent advice for older anglers too, those who are not familiar with tactics and baits that work best on the five surrounding lakes.

The big bonus with having such a convenient shop right on the banks of fisheries like this is you can get what you need for those spur of the moment outings, along with up-to-date information.

Smaller retail outlets tend to offer more specialised items of tackle than some of the bigger chain stores, such as cult silver fish hook patterns, a wider range of continental pole floats and many other interesting accessories.

The bait on offer can be more diverse too, with local anglers finding they can buy squatts, pinkies, big maggots, casters and worms, apart from standards like pellets, boilies and wafters.

Yet another bonus for people new to the sport, who are thinking of investing in starter gear, is they are more likely to get exactly what they need to catch fish on the nearby lakes.

Shopping local gives a much better chance of ending up with the correct items, while outlets further afield might not be familiar with exactly what is needed.

There are some good deals to be discovered with larger items like rods, reels and starter poles. This has been helping holiday-makers at Woody's too.

+ You can see more of Dave Coster’s angling adventures on fishingmagic.com