I get asked a lot about where to fish in Hampshire so I thought I would put a list of clubs together and a small bio about lakes I have fished on;
Portsmouth Angling
Sinah Warren – This is a lovely lake out on Hayling Island (right next to the sea), it has a good head of carp. Pete Springate has written about it in some of his books. I spent a few years on there and had some nice fish.
Bromwich Farm – This lake is situated out in the middle of nowhere, in the Titchfield area but you would never find it if you didn’t have the directions how to get there. It’s closer to the Solent than any road and holds some lovely fish.
Christchurch Angling
Over the years I have been a member of this club – along with the thousands of other members, which is the big reason why I didn’t get stay too long. Over the years the club has lost a few waters. Oddly, I now have access too, via another club. However, they do have a few good lakes and access to the Avon River & Stour Section
Ringwood Angling
For some reason, I never got round to joining this club, despite having a good few carp lakes. They now have Rockford Lake on their books and some great access to the Avon River & Stour Section
Test Valley Angling Club
This is a great local club and close to my heart, despite not being a member of over 15 years. This is where it all started for me when I moved down all those years ago. I have fished all their waters but by far the best two are.
Nutsey- Still has some of the old original fish that where there when I was fishing. Unfortunately, the Big Mirror & Common past away some years ago. However, there are lovely looking fish still in there.
Embey Lake – This lake is very close to where I live and I do get the odd hankerings to fish there again. But for the cost of the club, it’s a bit high just for one lake. Winter is coming and you never know…..
Eastleigh And District Angling Club
This is another great local club and has certainly a good number of lakes with big carp and a bit of history behind it.
Lakeside – The lake is situated in the middle of a country park with a model railway by it. It can be very busy and 24/7 access to the public – not my cup of tea.
Winnal Lake – This lake is situated just on the edge of Winchester. It is complex of lakes ranging from easy to hard. There are still a few classic looking carp hidden in there, unfortunately, some years back the otters had their fill.
Wickham lake – Stunning looking lake but it’s not the same lake as when I fished it. But it will be back up there again, I am sure.
There are a few more hidden gems out there and I will leave you the pleasure of searching them out. This for me is a great part of carp fishing and is a great past time over the Winter months. When there are no leaves on the trees, you can drive around looking for that glint of water and then the endless days tracking down the owner or just ‘guesting’ it anyway.
Hope this helps
Richard
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About richardhandel
I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself;
My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl!
I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes.
My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband.
This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish.
I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work.
Richard
