Lloyds Meadow Fishery, Cheshire
Adam Bowen visits a pleasure angler’s paradise where big netfuls of silvers continue to be taken under even the most testing of conditions
MOST commercial fisheries with a nationwide reputation have built it by having a vibrant match scene.
Results are shared widely via the angling media and online platforms, and the impressive sport that is effectively advertised makes it an easy task for anglers to decide where they should head next.
Take away those match reports, though, and you are often left with a sketchy picture of what the venue is capable of – detailed reports from pleasure anglers are notoriously thin on the ground.
Commercials that don’t run many competitions can often find it tricky to spread the word of just how good they are, and there are plenty spread across the land that fall into this category.
Cheshire’s Lloyds Meadow Fishery is certainly one of them, as pleasure fishing is at the heart of what’s on offer at this charming complex.
Located within a delightfully rural area, boasting all of the characteristics needed to help you escape from the daily stresses of life, it is home to four waters that have the potential to produce some seriously hectic fishing action.
Local expert Adam Bowen has been a venue regular for several years and whether it is flip flop and shorts weather or time for thick thermal layers, he’s always confident that his float will keep going under.
“I’m predominantly a pleasure angler, and you can come to Lloyds Meadow on pretty much any day and get on the lake that you fancy, before being kept busy with lots of bites,” explained Adam.
“It’s not a carp-dominated water – in fact my favourite lake is absolutely stuffed with quality silverfish that provide the kind of sport most anglers can’t get enough of these days.”
Nature blossoms
It’s fair to say that match and pleasure anglers have a very different mindset – both require specific things from a fishery.
Match anglers want a swim where they can easily access any fish that may be in their remit, with reed beds and other vegetation often significantly cut back to allow them to achieve that.
Winning the competition is the main target, and that zoned-in approach doesn’t allow them to appreciate the aesthetics of where they are pegged.
On the other hand, for a pleasure fisherman the scenery can largely dictate where they decide to head – venues that have a canopy of trees aro
