Mere Moor Fishery
Barthomley Road, Crewe
CW25NT
07563636991
Mere Moor Fishery is a mixed venue catering for the day ticket angler situated just of junction 16 of the M6 motorway near Crewe, Cheshire; I visited recently to find out more.....
Currently under the guidance of Tim Walklet and Tony Holland, Mere Moor has made huge strides towards becoming a superb carp, match and general coarse venue; I had become aware of the site after getting reports for my Carp-Talk magazine column, so thought a trip out was in order. Arriving at the fishery in darkness, I only had a short wait until the owner opened the gates at 0545, so no hanging about wasting valuable fishing time on a day session. A short drive down the gravelled track revealed not one, but four lakes, all easily accessible to visitors. I chose to concentrate on the specimen lake at Mere Moor which is around 3 acres in size and has plenty of room to accommodate up to 14 anglers.
The car parking comprises a large grassed area, but additional space is available at the side of the track which runs all the way around the edge of the pool and allows anglers to fish from the back of the car if required, which makes it an ideal venue for those less able. Well tended banks mean that anglers can set up anywhere (within reason) as there are no recognised pegs, but obviously decorum indicates reasonable spacing should be maintained from your fellow angler. Because you can park so close to your peg, vehicle security isn’t an issue which is a consideration for many anglers..... Other facilities on site include clean toilets with toilet roll and soap! I know that they are regularly cleaned too as I saw the contractor emptying the contents and resupplying the sundries!
Mere Moor Specimen Lake was initially dug around ten years ago as a purpose built fishery venue and has depths to around 14’ between the island and the sandbar, although at the top end I couldn’t find any deeper than 7’ into which to cast my baits. The sandbar itself is covered only by a few inches of water, but shelves deeply into a clearly defined channel which is a recognised fish holding area. Be aware that high voltage power lines cross the water at this point, and anglers are prevented from casting into dangerous areas by substantial fencing, but the channel is easily reached from elsewhere.... an split island feature running up the central spine of the lake also holds a lot of fish; I witnessed dozens of good sized carp patrolling the margins and occasionally sinking to feed on the shelf which protrudes for about 3’ before dropping away to deeper water. A reed lined bay at the top end also appeared to hold good numbers of fish under cover of overhanging trees and other vegetation and would certainly warrant further investigation. The lake bed is predominantly clear of obstructions, but variations in depth make good bait placement a crucial factor in catching fish.
What of the stock with the Specimen Lake? I’ve had confirmed reports of fish to just over 22lbs, but whilst I was on the bank, I was approached by an angler who assured me of a near 40lbs beast which is reputedly resident....as always, I’m usually dubious of such claims until witnessed or verified, and indeed bailiff Tim confirmed that the biggest capture he is aware of is around 26lbs; still a very worthy fish however. There are also grass carp to over 20lbs present which will definitely put a bend in your rod! Even though there is a substantial number of fish present, it’s not all about carp at Mere Moor; I watched as ‘Harry’, a venue regular, landed a stream of smashing golden orfe in excess of 4lbs in addition to some beautifully silvered roach which I’m told may grace near the 3lb mark on the scales; Tim also lists quality tench to 4lbs and decent perch as potential targets for the general specimen hunter, so plenty to enjoy for all.
Immediately adjacent to the specimen lake is an old trout pool providing consistent sport with carp to 8lbs, orfe, ide and the usual silver fish which is in use as a general coarse fishing pleasure water. I noted a variety of successful tactics employed including waggler, whip and quivertip which all bought fish to the net.
The two match pools are both capable of providing summer weights in excess of 250lbs during five hour matches and are proving popular amongst clubs seeking intimate waters for smaller matches. These pools had a wide selection of fishy features, so the anticipation of drawing that ‘banker’ peg is never far away!
At Mere Moor, sensible rules apply throughout; expect to get your ticket and rod licence checked by the team to ensure you are allowed to fish. Junior anglers below the age of 12 are not allowed on the Specimen Lake unless supervised by an adult, unhooking mats MUST be used; no fixed rigs or lead core, no floating baits and you must use barbless hooks....the rest of the rules really apply to commonsense and courtesy, but you can find all the details on the fishery website and on notices around the venue.
Under the guidance of Tim and Tony, further site enhancements are planned and will see improved signage, netting of the pools to reduce stock levels which will result in increased growth rates for many of the carp which are already showing potential for greater weights and a whole host of other ideas which will develop the fishery into something to be enjoyed by every visitor at any time of year; definitely worth a few hours of your time!
On the Specimen lake, day tickets are available priced at £10 for three rods, a 24 hour pass will set you back £25. Visitors to the other lakes can fish for just £5! For more details, contact Tim Walklet on 07563636991 or visit www.meremoorfisheries.co.uk