This selection of photos of The Glebe Complex will hopefully give you some idea of what we offer.
Let’s start with an aerial shot of the entire complex
This is Pool 1. The numbers are the peg numbers used in matches (They’re also useful for recording your catches in your fishing diary)
Pool 2 (Pretties) is on the left, Pool 3 (Uglies) is on the right
Pool 4 is on the right, Pool 5 on the left and Pool 8 is in the top right hand corner
Pool 6 is on the right, Pool 7 on the left
Okay, that’s the boring bit, now we’ll take a look at the place in more detail and hopefully you’ll begin to appreciate what makes this place one of the most popular fisheries in the country.
Pool 1 is the first of the fishing lakes. It is also the biggest, offering 30 pegs of single bank fishing.
The start of Pool 1, Peg 1 is opposite. It’s a great summer peg, the fish might not be the biggest in the lake but there’s lots of them.
The pegs on all of the Glebe lakes are nicely spread out and there’s often a bush or tree between you and the next angler, meaning that you can’t actually see him…but you’ll hear the splashing if he’s catching a few!. This shot is taken from opposite pegs 4 & 5
We’ve wandered a little further down Pool 1 now and we’re sitting on peg 24 admiring the view
This little bridge behind peg 28 connects Pool 1 with Pool 2 and the car park
Pool 2 (Pretties) holds the largest selection of species of any of the Glebe lakes. With carp, crucian carp, brown goldfish, perch, roach, rudd, gudgeon and chub you’ll have absolutely no idea what’s going to bite next. This pool is hardly ever used on matches, it’s mostly just available to members.
This shot was taken from the bridge that connects the car park at the far end of Pool 2 with the far and of Pool 1
Roy’s wife, Sue sadly passed away in August 2015. She was the landscape architect for the project i.e. she told Roy where to dig the holes to plant the hundreds of trees dotted around the fishery!. This little garden at the end of Pool 2 was one of her favourite spots and now it’s “Sue’s Garden”
Pool 3 (Uglies) holds mostly carp averaging around 10 lbs. Just like Pool 2, this lake is only match fished about 5 times a year, all the rest of the time it’s available for our members
It might be called Uglies but most of the fish in Pool 3 are in pristine condition like this beauty
To be honest, Pools 4,5,6 & 7 are pretty similar. Reed lined banks of single bank fishing. They are very popular with small clubs, with Pools 4 & 5 having 10 pegs in each lake whereas Pools 6 & 7 have 12 pegs in each. This particular picture is of our most famous fish, a 19 lb mirror carp that lives in Pool 4. We think that she’s star struck, she certainly likes having her picture taken.
This is Pool 4, the end peg number 75, known as Ivan’s Bench. There is a memorial bench behind the peg dedicated to the most famous match angler of all time, the one and only Ivan Marks. On the bench is a brass plaque inscribed “I was just an ordinary bloke who could fish a bit”…and he certainly could
Although we can pretty much guarantee you a great day’s fishing at The Glebe, we can’t control the weather. This is Pool 4 on a slightly “blustery” day.
This is Pool 5
This is Pool 6. The first peg on the lake is peg 86, affectionately known as the “little girl’s peg”. It earned that name when somebody decided that even a little girl could catch 100 lbs from here. Woe betide any match angler that draws this spot and doesn’t “break the ton”, his fellow anglers will suggest that he either puts his fishing tackle on eBay or burns it!.
Pool 7 is very similar to Pool 6. The first peg (Peg 98) has won many big matches.
Tucked away from the main match lakes, Pool 8 is reserved for our members. It’s a rectangular pool with 10 pegs on it and it is often used as a growing on pool for tiny carp. However, if you fish a bait that the tiddlers can’t get in their mouth then there are some superb fish to be caught. Glebe regular Jason Weston often fishes this lake and he’s caught some real whoppers as you’ll see below
A Pool 8 ghost carp weighing 21 lbs 5 ozs.
This mirror carp weighed exactly 20 lbs.
And this superb common carp tipped the scales at 22 lbs 4 ozs.
Hidden behind Peg 30 on Pool 1 you’ll find a little stock pond full of very pretty koi carp. I’m afraid that you’re not allowed to fish for them but if you’ve any bait left over after your day’s fishing then you are more than welcome to feed our pets.
Finally, a few pictures that say so much about The Glebe fishery Sometimes known as Giant Rhubarb or prickly rhubarb, this Brazilian native (Gunnera) can be found in a number of spots around the lakes.
I’ve no idea what kind of thistle this is, I only know that it’s very big and quite pretty.
The water vole is the UK’s most endangered mammal but luckily we have a few. They are very tame and like nothing more than a grain or two of sweetcorn. You’ll see them swimming along the edge of the lake and if you stay quiet they’ll often wander up to see what’s in your bait box. Please don’t whack ’em, they are nothing like rats which have much thicker tails
And finally, how about a glorious sunset over the fishery
and a winter scene worthy of any Christmas card