View Full Version : Piking @ Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex
glennpompier
04-01-2010, 21:45
Are all you Pike people aware that you can now fish the Hanningfield Trout Reservoir in Essex for Pike all season (Trout Season), from end of March to the end of November. They sell you a Trout ticket (8 fish) and you Pike fish. Of course there's always a chance of catching a very big trout, especially if lure fishing. Any trout caught you take home. If fishing dead baits only sea baits allowed. I'm guessing live baits not allowed. It's such a big place the best way to fish is from a boat. Think I may also try fly fishing for them.
If you have already fished it for Pike would be interesting to hear any comments you have.
I was chatting to the fishing lodge guy who informs me there are some monsters in there as to be expected. Just a little note to tell you that they found a Perch living in one of the Trout cages that was over 6lb.
essexandy
04-01-2010, 22:24
There have also been rumours of very large carp (50+) having been accidentily being caught whilst trout fishing at night with boilies;)
Tim_Kelly
05-01-2010, 07:32
It got heavily pike fished maybe 5 years ago and the sum total of many rod days was a 17 pounder. A bit like Farmoor, it doesn't have a population of pike, unless something has dramatically changed in the last 5 years. Think of Hanningfield as an any method trout fishery, where you can spin for the trout and whatever else comes along and you'll have a nice day out. Go there for pike, and you'll be in ofr a long wait!
glennpompier
05-01-2010, 15:11
Carp one sounds like a story lol.
There are enormous Pike in Hanningfield,if I remember correctly there was a photograph in the lodge of a chap with two (same day,different photos) and one of them was knocking 30lb.
That would have been about three years ago,when they introduced spinning on Wednesdays only & it was keenly taken up by the pike boys.
Now,as you say,you can fish "any method" at all times ,though it's news to me that they allow deadbaiting.
Fly fishing with HiD lines from a boat,with BIG lures has to worth a try for those interested.
Doubt there are any 20lb plus trout in there any more but always a chance of hitting a 10.
Re Perch,when I had a season ticket in the late 70s ,old timers were always telling of "nuisance" 4lb Perch caught on the fly, when the reservoir first opened ,which they used to throw on the bank .
kenmundo
05-01-2010, 18:33
Lads, c'mon. The first rule of Hannigfield club is that you don't talk about Hanningfield club.
Mods I expect this thread to disappear within at least half an hour. 50lb carp! Whatever next!
(tongue firmly in cheek smiley face thingy)
If anyone talks about Pike and Hanningfield in the same breath then they need their bumps feeling.
I worked there as a Bailiff in years past. It has always been a place that prompts tales of monsters, but the reality of the place is something else.
All water that goes in the reservoir is pumped in across country through underground pipeline. Mechanical screens stop any debris entering the pipe system. They also effectively screen the size of any fish getting into the pipeline, basically only fry can get through. Anything bigger tends to get pulped.
Hence the recruitment of fish to the reservoir is very limited. In the early days, pre trout stocking, Perch and to a lesser extent roach were there in vast numbers and they grew unhindered such that the fishing was almost a fish a chuck, and good sized at that.
When trout stocking started there was inevitably competition with the coarse fish stock and as such, the management policy was generally to regard the Perch and Roach as vermin. So good fish, as has been mentioned, were literally thrown up the bank!!
In the 70's, the Perch disease decimated the Perch stocks. The roach numbers dwindled dramatically and predation by the trout over the years created an absolute dearth of any coarse fish.
Periodic gill netting produced the very rare pike, and an occasional pocket of two or three perch or roach up to perhaps 2lbs. The majority of the coarse fish stock in the reservoir is roach up to 2 - 3 ozs and very little bigger. Tape worm and Whitespot is endemic in the roach poulation, and the predation by trout ensures that very little survives beyond its second year. There has been the occasional pike over the years, I think I saw two in 15 years.
Don't go there pike fishing, its a non-starter. The management have tried to advertise it as a pike fishery and people have travelled a long way and paid good money on a fools errand.
As far as carp are concerned One or two may have got in there following the use of a neighbouring lagoon as a holding facility 25 years ago, and if still safe they would doubtless be good fish.
However, with 850 acres to hide in, how desperate are you to try and catch what might exist, but is very possibly just a memory??
fullback
05-01-2010, 20:16
OK big tel
Tell us what your catching you wont put us off we are going to see you on the bank
lol
If only,.............the simple fact is that what used to be a brilliant trout fishery has become comparatively mediocre because of management policies and a drive to make more money out of the place.
It still produces some very good trout fishing despite the management of the place, not because of it.
I'm close enough to the res to save a fortune in petrol and walk to it to fish.
That aint going to happen any time soon...................not as far as any form of coarse fishing is concerned.
Try it by all means, if you're curiosity is driving you to that, but don't hold your breath.
As someone else suggested, use it as an opportunity to catch trout by any method when the opportunity is there, but don't be disappointed when you don't see or catch what you hope for.
onamission
06-01-2010, 09:27
As far as carp are concerned One or two may have got in there following the use of a neighbouring lagoon as a holding facility 25 years ago, and if still safe they would doubtless be good fish.
Seems like they have!!
glennpompier
07-01-2010, 13:58
After reading some of the replies I think I will def give the Pike a go now and will post any large Pike pics on this site. If dead baiting the fishery officer at the lodge told me you can use sea dead baits only.
Forgot to add this note, if you do the nice walk from the nature trail place to the fishing lodge there are around five or six bird hides that go out over the water. This year though they are over the mud due to low water levels. During a walk in April 2008 we visited the hides and like all fisherman you look into the water, especially as it's very clear. Laying near the posts at one of the hides was a very large pike, I'm guessing between 25lb to 30 lb.
tincataylor
14-01-2010, 22:27
I always had this down as the venue for Martin Gay's commons myself .
Lights touch paper and retires !
glennpompier
15-01-2010, 09:33
Who's martin Gay?
Who's martin Gay?
Amongst other things Martin is a past President of the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain and a Vice President of the Specialist Anglers Alliance.
glennpompier
15-01-2010, 16:30
ok
My brother used to be a season ticket holder here and I have thrown the fluff with him a few times and had grand days sport with the trout.
I have fished it enough to be interested in Bigtel's commnets as I have seen some very good fish caught that were not trout and think that there is fantastic potential for something special to turn up here, maybe not pike though I will admit.
Beefster
23-01-2010, 18:03
Blanked, blanked again, and again, and again and again gave it a rest then blanked again and again....... Maybe one last try......:bonk:
Martin Gay - commons from Canada??????????
muskieman
14-02-2010, 18:20
Was there today. The biggest pike taken this season was 15 lbs and was released.
If anyone talks about Pike and Hanningfield in the same breath then they need their bumps feeling.
I worked there as a Bailiff in years past. It has always been a place that prompts tales of monsters, but the reality of the place is something else.
All water that goes in the reservoir is pumped in across country through underground pipeline. Mechanical screens stop any debris entering the pipe system. They also effectively screen the size of any fish getting into the pipeline, basically only fry can get through. Anything bigger tends to get pulped.
Hence the recruitment of fish to the reservoir is very limited. In the early days, pre trout stocking, Perch and to a lesser extent roach were there in vast numbers and they grew unhindered such that the fishing was almost a fish a chuck, and good sized at that.
When trout stocking started there was inevitably competition with the coarse fish stock and as such, the management policy was generally to regard the Perch and Roach as vermin. So good fish, as has been mentioned, were literally thrown up the bank!!
In the 70's, the Perch disease decimated the Perch stocks. The roach numbers dwindled dramatically and predation by the trout over the years created an absolute dearth of any coarse fish.
Periodic gill netting produced the very rare pike, and an occasional pocket of two or three perch or roach up to perhaps 2lbs. The majority of the coarse fish stock in the reservoir is roach up to 2 - 3 ozs and very little bigger. Tape worm and Whitespot is endemic in the roach poulation, and the predation by trout ensures that very little survives beyond its second year. There has been the occasional pike over the years, I think I saw two in 15 years.
Don't go there pike fishing, its a non-starter. The management have tried to advertise it as a pike fishery and people have travelled a long way and paid good money on a fools errand.
As far as carp are concerned One or two may have got in there following the use of a neighbouring lagoon as a holding facility 25 years ago, and if still safe they would doubtless be good fish.
However, with 850 acres to hide in, how desperate are you to try and catch what might exist, but is very possibly just a memory??
Well written and makes a lot of sense. Plenty of bait fish so you'd think that there would be a head of pike. Thornton trout fishery hasn't a pike in it, so reservoirs can't be guaranteed to hold pike.
Are all you Pike people aware that you can now fish the Hanningfield Trout Reservoir in Essex for Pike all season (Trout Season), from end of March to the end of November. They sell you a Trout ticket (8 fish) and you Pike fish. Of course there's always a chance of catching a very big trout, especially if lure fishing. Any trout caught you take home. If fishing dead baits only sea baits allowed. I'm guessing live baits not allowed. It's such a big place the best way to fish is from a boat. Think I may also try fly fishing for them.
If you have already fished it for Pike would be interesting to hear any comments you have.
I was chatting to the fishing lodge guy who informs me there are some monsters in there as to be expected. Just a little note to tell you that they found a Perch living in one of the Trout cages that was over 6lb.
If you troll deep and slow, and the reservoir has stocked brownies in the past, then you might well latch on to a very big brownie. Around the cages might be a decent place to start your quest for pike.
thomasuk
12-03-2010, 09:58
Well said, i went to hanningfield yesterday (thrusday 12th of March), yes it was a cold day but no fish anywhere. Nothing even deep down, i went spinning and altough i can't say that i am a pro, but i can say that i know what i am doing. Few people were fishing on the day and i think that no one was successful on the day. Upon talking to the ranger i discovered that they have only released 3000 trouts at the beggining of the season as compared to the last year when they released 6000. I seroiusly doubt that they have restocked lake at all this year. Ranger cofirmed that there were quite few complaints already ( and they have been open for 6 days only). To sum this up, this lake was known for it's trout and odd large pike, i personally think that, there will be no point in going there any more, as obviously management has made decision to charge people the same money as last year daily ticket for a half the investment at best. I see it as a fool's tax.
Check out my original post on Hanningfield, and when you have, I think the expression "I told you so" springs to mind.
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