Nowadays, following years of careful fishery management and investment, Bury Hill has blossomed into an unrivalled all-round fishery, attracting specimen hunters, pleasure anglers and matchmen alike from far and wide. The beautiful main lake at Bury Hill, with its mysterious and overgrown jungle and magical rhododendron lined island is matched only by the prolific fishing found on the two smaller lakes situated in the lower valley, designed and created especially for pleasure and competitive fishing in the early 1990s.
A number of old-fashioned fishing punts are available to spend a day afloat, enabling access to areas unreachable from the bank, with the advantage of being able to move swims with just a few dips of the oars.
Some huge catches have been made in recent times from all four of Bury Hill’s waters, from a 168 lb haul of bream in a five-hour match, to a crucian carp just 1 oz short of the British record, and a brace of carp weighing 73 lb from Temple Lake.
Double-figure bream, a 9 lb tench and a 17 lb zander are also among the fish that have graced its banks, while carp anglers regularly catch up to 45 fish per visit on prolific ‘runs’ water Bonds Lake, and 2 lb roach are a regular sight on Milton Lake, along with catches of up to 60 crucian carp per angler, and even a 5 lb eel.
Whether it’s tranquillity, a new personal best or frenetic action that you want, you will find what you’re looking for at Bury Hill.
Old Bury Hill Lake
This 200-year-old tree-lined Victorian estate lake surrounded by irises and lilies covers 12 acres and has 75 pegs. Old Bury Hill, or the ‘Old Lake’ as it is known, holds a fantastic head of specimen carp, with several 30s and plenty of doubles and 20s, and is also noted for huge catches of specimen tench and bream, and outstanding winter predator sport with numerous double-figure zander and pike.
Fishing is available from both bank and boat, the lake’s purpose-built punts giving access to the famous ‘Jungle’ area, which is noted for its huge catches of specimen tench.
Milton Lake
Milton Lake has 30 pegs and is stocked with large numbers of tench, genuine crucian carp, roach, rudd, perch and bream, as well as a few smaller carp, to allow anglers to find a haven away from the tackle-busting doubles and 20-pounders that often muscle in elsewhere on the complex.
When the lake is on form, 50 crucians can be caught at a sitting, averaging over 2 lb apiece, and there have been catches of over 100 by a single angler, along with fish of over 3 lb, to just a couple of ounces under 4 lb.
Bonds Lake
A 20-peg lake full of hard-fighting, single- and double-figure carp averaging 3-4 lb, this ‘runs’ water provides hectic action and is a great place for ‘carp crunching’ sport with large numbers of fish.
A venue for beefy pole elastic or powerful float and feeder rods, Bonds regularly out-fishes all the other lakes due to the head of greedy carp.
Temple Lake
Old Bury Hill’s land of the giants, Temple is an unashamed out-and-out specimen carp venue, the result of a £350,000 investment in 2002, when a tailor-made big carp lake was constructed and stocked with pedigree English carp. Holding a staggering 90-plus 20-pounders in its four acres, the lake also has more than a dozen different 30-pounders, and at least two fish that are over 40 lb, along with hand-picked smaller stock fish to ensure a plentiful supply of specimens for the future. Growth rates have been phenomenal since stocking, up to 7 lb being gained in 12 months in some instances.