has anybody fished these pools downstream of barlow lakes just behind the industrial estate

They are, or were, coarse fishing ponds, run by Sheepbridge Angling Club. Owned by Sheepbridge steel works I think.

This is correct. Just out of interest you used to be able to fly fish at Linnacre reservoirs just a couple of miles from here. This was about 10 years or so ago. Does anyone know what happened? Or if you still can?

I used to fish at Linacre a lot in my teens and it was where I learnt to fly fish. Basically Severn Trent leased the fishing rights to Linacre Fly Fishers run by Graham Nixon. After a few years it wasn't paying for itself and the lease was never renewed. Last year I made contact with Severn Trent and I asked if it was possible to fish for a small fee. The answer was a resounding NO. The top res was always the best as it was full of wild Brownies, and still is. Some of them are quite large and I have even seen them in the second res and I can only assume they have been washed down the overflow. When I was walking round the other week I did see someone fly-fishing on the top res, obviously illegally.

The whole place has been spoilt now by putting wooden walkways around the place and in the summer it's full of people swimming or throwing sticks in for their dogs. It's a real shame as I have very fond memories of the place.

Thanks for the reply. I've since spoken to one of the "founding members" of Linnacre fly fishers. It seems that one of the main problems thay had was the number of breakins in the car park. This put fisherman off going there. it also resuled in Severn Trent pulling the plug.

He also stated that only the bottom reservoir was ever stocked. So I suppose all the stockies have since died off. And that the top reservoir was always off limits to anglers. The middle one containing wild browns to.

Who was it who you spoke to at ST? I've just called the local ranger at Linnacre who basically said NO to my request to fish it. He did mention that after LFF left, a ticket scheme was introduced to ST employees, but this was revoked after a year. I can't help wondering if it was the ranger you saw fishing..... I believe he lives in the house by the bottom reservoir? I too have seen some very nice size brownies in there. I've also seen a couple of monstrous sized perch. As it's very close to home for me, i'm tempted to make further enquiries. Despite the wooden decking you mention there are a few spots that could be fished from.....

Kind regards
MJ

Yes there were a number of break-in's at the time, however anglers were allowed to park where the rangers hut is now placed. This minimised the break-in's. This isn't really a problem anymore, although I hear it's a dogging hotspot these days. Not that I have been involved I used to walk down from Old Brampton. Incidentally who was one of the original members that you spoke to as my father was also one of the founding members.

The person I spoke to at Severn Trent was a chap called Steve Pogmore who works in the estates department at Derby.

There are some very nice Perch indeed in the middle res. As for the bottom one, I saw a shoal of Roach in there a couple of years back and it must be well over 10 years since it was last stocked with trout so I'm sure they will be long gone. It was a bit of a shock seeing the roach as I have walked around all three ressies over the last 25 years and never seen anything except trout and perch and minnows in the top dam. The bottom res was virtually bone dry last year so I don't know if the Roach survived.

If you want to pool resources and try for permission again then let me know.

Hi Simon. The chap I spoke to is called Arthur, head bailiff at Barlow Lakes. I suspect you may know him? The really large perch I saw were in the bottom reservoir. Along with many, many smaller fish. I hasten to add that I saw them about three years ago when wandering round.

I too, have heard rumours of it being a "dogging" spot. An unusual place I would have thought for a mini crufts?

I'd be more than happy to try for permission. Please feel free to PM me and we'll see what we can achieve...