These narrow waters can be deceptively tricky, but Adam Richards reveals the tactics that will keep carp and F1s in your swim all day long
COMMERCIAL fishery pools come in all manner of shapes and sizes, and some anglers maintain that so-called ‘snake lakes’ are the easiest of the lot to crack.
Whether you’re fishing in Durham, Kent or anywhere in-between, the make-up of these waters is going to be very similar.
The near- and far-side margins both have a slope that gradually makes its way down to the central channel, where the deepest water can be found. It’s completely understandable why those with little knowledge of ‘snakes’ would think that they’re very easy to read, but speak to anglers in the know and they’ll tell you quite the opposite.
In an open water lake the fish have room to manoeuvre, simply backing off a fraction when they feel uncomfortable, rather than exiting the swim completely. The narrow shape of snake lakes, however, removes that luxury, and it doesn’t take long for the fish to disappear once they feel pressurised.
Careful swim management is therefore paramount in keeping the fish content, and Daiwa-backed Adam Richards has all the answers when it comes to achieving this.
He’s enjoyed countless sessions on snake lakes over the years and knows full well that now is the time of year when they start to come into top form.
“Snake lakes can be a tough nut to crack, and it only takes a couple of errors to ruin a swim that had the potential to produce plenty of bites,” explained Adam. “There are several key elements, two of the most important being the depth you fish at and bait choice.”
Pick your lines
The far bank of most snake lakes will offer plenty of cover, and this is where Adam will often kick-start his session.
“I’m looking to find around 2ft 6ins of water,” he said. “Anything shallower won’t appeal to the fish just yet, and anything deeper could lead to them getting too comfortable and being overly competitive for bait.
“I’ll fish just one line at a time at this depth, but it’s often a case of catching on it for a while, then abandoning it altogether and finding another spot nearby that also has 2ft 6ins of water, and starting afresh.
“When bites dry up, or the fish become unsettled and I start getting liners or foul hooking them, it’s time to make a move.” Throughout the day Adam often ends up fishing five or six swims close to the far bank – a gap of a metre or so is all that’s needed to provide separation. Catching three or four fish from a spo
