Anglers Paradise, Devon

Anglers Paradise is a self-catering complex set in a 70-acre estate in Devon. Although it was designed for anglers and angling holidays, and it’s main attraction is the excellent fishing from the twelve lakes on the complex. It is ideally located for anyone wishing to tour the whole of the West Country. You are less than an hour’s drive from the Cornish resort of Bude and the surfing beaches of Westward Ho. Also close by are the historic ...
...the complex. For the non anglers or those who want a break from fishing, there is a heated indoor swimming pool complete with baby pool and underwater fish mosaics, you can even work up a sweat on the multi gym before taking a relaxing sauna and Jacuzzi. The kids are also well catered for with a play area in the shape of a ship with climbing frames, all with a bark safety floor. Donkey rides can also be arranged on site. The games room offers you ... more

Anglers Paradise is a self-catering complex set in a 70-acre estate in Devon. Although it was designed for anglers and angling holidays, and it’s main attraction is the excellent fishing from the twelve lakes on the complex. It is ideally located for anyone wishing to tour the whole of the West Country. You are less than an hour’s drive from the Cornish resort of Bude and the surfing beaches of Westward Ho. Also close by are the historic towns of Launceston and Okehampton, make sure you take time to visit their old castles.

But with all that is offered on the complex there is no need, and often no time to leave the complex. For the non anglers or those who want a break from fishing, there is a heated indoor swimming pool complete with baby pool and underwater fish mosaics, you can even work up a sweat on the multi gym before taking a relaxing sauna and Jacuzzi. The kids are also well catered for with a play area in the shape of a ship with climbing frames, all with a bark safety floor. Donkey rides can also be arranged on site. The games room offers you video and fruit machines as well as a pool table and dartboard, bring your own darts.

Normally on a Sunday a barbecue is held in the pergola, here is where you can witness some of Anglers Paradise magic, for the glasses at this barbecue are magic they never empty.

If you can drag yourself away from the lakes of the evening then the African Bar is the place to visit, the bar is decked out in authentic African style with genuine spears, bows and arrows as well as carvings and leopard and zebra skins, and much more. The thatched bar itself is also something to see.

What can I say about the accommodation except it is luxurious all the villas are carpeted throughout and have tiled kitchens and bathrooms. The kitchens are luxuriously appointed with ceramic hob, fridge, microwave oven, toaster and kettle.

Most of the rooms are decorated, mainly in fishing or sporting themes and some are adorned with split cane rods, and glass cased fish.

All the villas have colour TV’s including sky movies and even have an iron supplied should you need it. They also have free night storage heaters and all have an outside storage room for tackle and also their own patio area.

Depending on the villa you stay in you may also get leather chesterfields, washing machines, dishwasher, fridge freezer and spa bathrooms that are fully tiles in Victorian fish tiles for that extra bit of style.

The villas are all priced per unit not per person, prices start from just £260 per week.

What about the fishing, well with twelve lakes there is something for everybody.

With the quality of the lakes it is very hard not to have them all as your favourite lake however my absolute favourite lake would have to be the Koi Lake. The lake, which is approximately 2 and a half acres in size, is located at the start to a wonderful woodland sculpture trail. The lake has an island, which you can pull yourself across to on a dragon raft. The fishing on this lake is always good, surface fishing regardless of the weather always produces the fish, but also try fishing literally of the edge of the pagoda shelter. The koi in this lake go to 15lb+.

The serious carp angler has the choice of the Specimen Carp Lake which has been enlarged to just over 2 acres and now has 2 islands that you can fish too, the carp in here average size is upper twenties while at least 8 of these fish are in the thirties, also present are catfish to 20lb+ as well as some golden tench to over 5lbs. This lake can prove very difficult and advanced carping methods and rigs are advised, although don’t overlook the margins as often big fish can be seen in the weed, surface fished bread often works to tempt these fish as does free lined worm.

The jewel in the estate is the 4 ½ acres Main Carp Lake, with its five islands. This lake is teeming with carp, golden orfe, golden tench, grass carp and wells catfish. There are over 200 double figure carp of which the average size is 18lb. The wells catfish are also putting on the weight extremely well and I believe a 30lb fish is likely to be caught this year.

The third choice for carp anglers is the Octupussy Lake, which has an octupussy island that enables each angler to have their own bay. The carp in this lake go to mid 20lb as do the catfish. Also present are golden tench and orfe. If you fancy catching a catfish from this lake the best method is to fish a big bunch of worms and feed maggots over the top. Again this is another lake where surface fishing can produce some excellent results in the right circumstances.

The Beginners Carp Lake which is stocked with over 1000 carp to double figures in this 1 acre lake offers the new carp angler an excellent chance of catching carp, also present are blue orfe and golden tench as well as some golden orfe. The lake also baosts an island from where you can fish, again this is an excellent spot for surface fishing. If bottom fishing you can do a lot worse than using pieces of Campbell’s meatballs.

The Mystery Lake is about 1/3 of an acre and has a few surprise species in it, you will have to fish this one to find out what it contains, and I don’t want to spoil the mystery do I.

The Float Fishing Lake is ideal for new anglers or anyone who needs a confidence boost, the lake is absolutely stuffed full of fish, the beauty of the lake is you really don’t know what the next fish will be, it could be a goldfish, shubunkin, golden carp, golden tench or even a golden rudd of which there are over 2500 up to over 2lb.

The Easy Access Lake is located at the entrance to all the lakes, and even has a purpose built disabled parking space with a path leading down to a pagoda, that is ideal for the disabled angler. The lake has 2 islands and is stocked with carp to +- 20lb along with specimen tench, orfe and catfish. This lake can be unfishable at times due to it being affected by the wind, but is well worth fishing.

The Specimen Golden Tench & Golden Orfe Lake is stocked with over 30 golden tench from 4lbs to over 8lbs and 30 golden orfe to the same size although at least 1 golden orfe is close to 10lb and will break the current Golden Orfe record when it is caught.

The Tench Lake is actually in the shape of a tench and no surprise it contains tench which run to over 6lb also present are 500+ blue orfe and koi orfe to around 5lb, my biggest koi orfe came out at 4lb 12oz on surface fished bread fished around the larger of the 2 islands, this lake also has a purpose built pagoda, which you can fish from.

The last 2 lakes on the complex are the Pixie Lake and Magic Lake both of which are full of koi. Magic lake is slightly larger than the 1/3 acre Pixie Lake and also contains Koi Orfe.

As with all fishing it can never be guaranteed, however the fishing at Anglers Paradise is usually excellent, If you need help on the lakes and where to fish, and what baits to use Zyg is only to happy to help and advise as are the rest of his staff.

There are a few rules you should be aware of such as the venue is a barbless only fishery, no braided main line to be used, braided hook lengths are fine. The only particles that are allowed are sweetcorn and hemp.

To receive a brochure and price list, which also contains the full fishery rules you should contact Zyg or Rose on 01409 221 559. You never know I might even see you down there.
 

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