I visited Hazel Copse yesterday for the first time in many years. I arrived to a lovely sunny morning and an equally warm  warm welcome from the owner Wilf. The 2 lakes are quite small but nonetheless very nicely established and lake 1 has an island. There were quite a few fish rising but reluctant to take the fly so I decided to put on a fast sink line and a Minky Booby I’d tied the night before. As soon as the fly hit the water there was swirl so gave a few quick strips which provoked a fierce take and after a good fight landed a lovely 2.5lb rainbow. I made the next cast an let the fly sink about 2 feet and a few strips again the line tightened. Now knowing the depth the fish were feeding I soon completed my bag of 4 fish. The beauty of this fishery rules is you can then fish on and catch and release. A very generous policy at £30 for a 4 fish ticket. Talking to Wilf at lunchtime he revealed his secret to keeping his lakes and fish in good condition. He has put in grass carp which control the weed and algae. Also there are a great number of crayfish which control the lice and other parasites. If you fish close to the bottom you will latch onto these critters so please put them back.
Below are a few pics of the day.

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