Duck Ponds venue provides some rod-bending winter angling action

Having fished the Duck Ponds at North Scarle during the warmer spring and summer months, Grantham Journal angling correspondent Dave Coster thought it would be interesting to make a return visit now winter has set in and the weather has turned much colder.

Previous trips had revealed both lakes on the site to be prolific waters, capable of providing hectic action.

It only took 30 minutes from Grantham, north on the A1 and then on through Collingham, to arrive at Besthorpe Road where the fishery is situated.

Dave chose to fish the first lake, which is surrounded by mobile homes and caravans, finding it much quieter at this time of the year. It was a cold, overcast and windless day.

Waggler tackle cast out into open water between the two big islands seemed like a sensible option, and so it proved to be.

Feeding 3mm micro pellets and casters by catapult, it only took 10 minutes for the place to come alive.

As is often the case in cold water, the lightning-fast bites were initially difficult to connect with. The answer was to fish several inches over-depth, which resulted in far more positive indications.

This adjustment pulled lots of rod-bending action from the numerous ide the lake holds. These fish average between 12oz and 1.5lb, helping to build good weights quickly. Some decent roach also showed up early, along with a lively 4lb carp.

Due to water levels still being lower than normal after the long, dry summer, keep nets are currently banned.

Levels became so critical earlier this year on Willow, which is the water in the field at the back of the site, a big digger was brought in to make that lake deeper. Several large piles of silt can be seen around the edges of the field.

Back to the fishing and, as the day progressed, skimmers moved into Dave’s swim, starting around the 12oz mark, topped off with a two-pounder.

Best bait for the quality silvers was a single caster, although soft 4mm pellets also worked but took longer to gain interest. Trying double red maggots on a size 18 hook resulted in two F1s (hybrid carp) and a feisty 7lb common carp.

Dave estimated his catch as well more than 30lb, confirming this to be a brilliant venue no matter what the weather is like.

The only species that did not turn up this time were chub, which he has caught from both lakes in the past. This was probably due to fishing in the open water, while the more elusive chub seem to prefer hugging tight to any island cover they can find.

Day tickets are £6 on the bank.