The Pit features a shallow bay at the Eastern end, reed-fringed margins on all sides, and shelves that tumble down into depths. Spending half an hour plumbing around your swim to find these features is time well spent, and asking the owner is always a good starting point.
For many years prior to our acquisition in 2016, only 20% of The Pit’s bankside could be accessed, with just 6 pegs on the whole lake. Having purchased additional land behind the south bank, the second phase of major works opened up this bank and the approach road bank, generating a further 17 pegs. Old timber platforms were removed and rebuilt in clay with timber frontage, ensuring every angler is safely sat on solid ground close to the water. The north bank, including the far end of The Pit, remains dense woodland and a wildlife habitat, inaccessible to anglers, ensuring no one is fishing on the opposite bank. A large section of the south bank between pegs 16 and 19 (around the reed-fringed horseshoe) is a restricted area, providing a safe sanctuary for Carp and Tench away from angling pressure.
The average depth at one rod length out is around 8-12 feet, with the middle of the pit averaging around 22-23 feet. Part of our long-term work program is to map and record the lake bottom and features.

The Pit’s mainstay is its extensive head of Bronze Bream. Bags of 100lb+ (approximately 30 slabs) are commonplace and almost a weekly occurrence all year round. The largest bag of fish since 2016 currently stands at 105 fish, estimated at well over 350lb. Personal bests include 66 fish (230lb) and 62 fish (210lb) in consecutive weeks, and winter bags of 51 fish (180lb) averaging over 30 fish per session.
The deep water Bream fishing is generally very good and exceptional when conditions are right. You can expect a scattering of Tench amongst the Bream and should be aware of marauding stockies—they are fast and powerful but can generally be avoided once you know the water.