Anyone local round North Notts?

Hi all,

I need a bit of help/direction... Today whilst out in the car with my mate (scouting for fishing spots) we thought we'd go and take a look at some river spots on the Idle, Maun and Meden - just out of Retford. Whilst looking for promising swims in the Eaton/Gamston/Elkesley area, we took a long walk from the car in the village, around 3-5 miles downstream of the River Idle looking for the spots where it splits into the Maun and Meden, and stumbled upon a large lake. There was a gate but it was open and there were no signs saying it was private property so we took a walk down a footpath up the side of the lake. From what we saw, it was a fully natural water without a single peg cut out and the only spaces to fish were the odd clearings in reeds and bushes. To say the least though, this lake was certainly something special and the fish in there MUST have been wild as the lake was far from, near enough, anything. While we continued to walk around, we saw swim after swim that could have been promising to hold many-a-fish... and there were certainly many-a-fish in there as carp were topping literally all over the place. We even saw several carp literally sitting within a foot of the bank in the shallow margins, we saw 5 or 6 and the smallest being around 7/8lb and the largest being around 15/16lb so there is definitely a good range of nice sized (hopefully wild) carp in there. Just to top the whole thing off, whilst sitting on a tree overhanging a bay in the lake, just smoking a couple of fags and getting very excited about (hopefully) getting the rods in here some day; we saw a huge boil of bubbles literally within about 18 inches of our feet, followed by a beautiful Ghostie of about 10lbs coming up the surface and taking a gulp of air.

It's truly been a magical night tonight coming across this beautiful lake, however we don't know if it's private or anything yet. I was hoping for someone local to the Retford/Worksop area to give me a hand with this as I have no idea what the situation of the lake is.
It would be very much appreciated, if you are local, to drop me a comment and I will PM you and image/link to the map as I am dying to know what this lake is all about!!

I hope my little story interested you all and I hope to get a session on here as soon as I know what/who owns the area so I will be sure to keep posting as I know a little more!

Many thanks, cal.

Cal sut, If its the "lake" where the idle runs in and then out its relatively new, it being the result of mining subsidence. I, ve looked at it many times and made enquiries re the fishing, sadly, I, m given to believe that no fishing is allowed, the owner lives in Elkersley over on the far side of the A1.
If your enquiries prove otherwise to mine I would appreciate you letting me know as its a lovely looking place.
All the best.

Flightliner, it it is private then they're not very good at showing that it is, as me and my mate walked through an open and unlocked gate with no signs so if I were to fish there then all the owner could do is move me on as there is nothing stating that I can't fish there, therefore (ideally) I can.

cal_sutt said:

Flightliner, it it is private then they're not very good at showing that it is, as me and my mate walked through an open and unlocked gate with no signs so if I were to fish there then all the owner could do is move me on as there is nothing stating that I can't fish there, therefore (ideally) I can.

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Not sure that is the right way to look at it.It would be just like the owner showing bad manners and using your front garden for his hobby or exercising his dog there just because you havn't put up signs to say keep out.

Just trying to think which lake you found was there a house a bit further down the road from the gate to the lake,reason I'm asking is to verify if it's the one I'm thinking about,also when you walked down to the lake was the river idle at the back of it.

ru123 said:

Just trying to think which lake you found was there a house a bit further down the road from the gate to the lake,reason I'm asking is to verify if it's the one I'm thinking about,also when you walked down to the lake was the river idle at the back of it.

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The gate was right at the side of the river, as for the footpath it just ran down the side between the lake and river, there was a house however this was on the opposite side of the lake (to the river) and quite far from the lake, do you live around retford

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john step said:

Not sure that is the right way to look at it.It would be just like the owner showing bad manners and using your front garden for his hobby or exercising his dog there just because you havn't put up signs to say keep out.

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It seems that my reply was poorly worded, I meant more that if I were to fish it and someone was to come and "have a go" I would happily move on as I am not led to believe there is no fishing allowed. Also, they can't take my gear off me or forcefully move me on as this would be a prosecutable offense, not towards me but against them so its all about being civil and polite really when it comes down to this sort of fishing and, believe me, I have looked into this in the past due to questionably accessible waters all around retford that I have fished in the past.

No I don't live near retford but I fished a lake like the one you described two years ago & that belonged to Subfish Tackle,i think they gave it up last year as it was being poached to often.It was going out retford way but the gate took you down to the lake & the river idle was behind the lake & as I said the house was further down from the gate.

ru123 said:

No I don't live near retford but I fished a lake like the one you described two years ago & that belonged to Subfish Tackle,i think they gave it up last year as it was being poached to often.It was going out retford way but the gate took you down to the lake & the river idle was behind the lake & as I said the house was further down from the gate.

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So do you think its worth a go at fishing? Seems pretty much like land that's just been left, its either that or the owner lives quite a distance away and they can't be too bothered about it, everything's overgrown and weedy. I'm gonna go and speak to my local tackle shop owner tomorrow and see what he says and, hopefully, it will be fishable.