The Banks & Marshes Fishery, Northamptonshire
Dan Webb visits this Midlands venue that’s as popular with seasoned pleasure anglers as it is with beginners and children
AS ANY angler who has young children knows, finding a venue that is easy enough where even a child can catch a few can be tricky. Luckily for me, I have a venue nearby that not only has a huge variety of species that can all be caught within top kit range – keeping my four- and seven-year-olds entertained – but also lots of bigger carp to keep me happy, should I wish to go fishing on my own. Although part of the same complex and covered by the same day ticket, both The Banks and The Marshes are considered separate fisheries. The Banks is the original water which, when I started fishing it 20 years ago, was a remnant of the Oxford Canal – along, 16m-wide length of water long since disconnected when the canal was straightened many years ago. Full of trees, reeds and lush vegetation that made fishing tricky, there was also a huge bank that needed to be scaled to get down to the pegs, hence the venue being known as The Banks.
Since then, a lot has changed at the fishery to make it more angler friendly. The bank has been removed to allow for level access, the trees have been carefully managed and the venue extended. This has created a complex maze of water accessed by a series of bridges and much narrower sections, allowing anglers with shorter poles to reach the far side. This is all serviced by an additional car park. The character, however, has remained, with plenty of features still present that not only give pleasant natural surroundings, but plenty of privacy. There are a number of pegs where you can tuck yourself away and barely be able to see another angler, even when the venue is busy.
The Banks is now almost shaped like a tennis racket, the straight and wide original part the handle, and the narrow, winding extension resembling the mesh on the head. The Marshes is also a branching lattice of water, but is a separate lake right next to the Banks’ extension. While both venues have a varied stocking, The Banks has plenty of bigger carp and regularly throws up weights in excess of 100lb, while The Marshes is absolutely stuffed with all sorts of smaller fish. Although my children catch plenty of fish on a top kit and maggots on both venues, it’s The Marshes that they gravitate toward most.
Even with their crude presentation and inexperienced feeding, they catch a fish every drop-in – mostly roach, gudgeon and perch, but plenty of surprise skimmers, tench, crucians, barbel and mini carp keep them excited, too. You just never know what the next bite will bring and how much elastic will come shooting out!
