Hook Lake Swims
The Car Park
Ingeniously named because it’s the closest swim to the car park....this swim, like the other two swims along this bank share a marginal drop off ledge about 3 rod lengths out where the depths drop to between 5 and 8 feet.
The other feature of this swim is the small set of snags immediately to the right of the swim.
Whilst there is not too much to worry about under the surface, hooked fish will always make a bee-line for the snags so be aware of this when fishing the swim.
One Up
This swim looks straight up the middle of the lake and from here almost all of the lake can be watched. On warm summer days you’ll see lots of carp on the surface in front of his swim and it can make a good surface fishing swim. The fish also move and feed up and down the marginal drop-off shelf that runs all along this bank about 3 rod lengths out.
When fishing this swim don’t ignore the extreme margins (under the rod tip). Drop in a bit of bait during the late afternoon and then pop a bait there for the night. If you are going to fish the extreme margins don’t forget to set the bivvy up further back to keep noise and backside disturbance to a minimum.
Two Up
A very small tight swim that on first inspection doesn’t look like it has much to offer but despite the fact it is tucked away in a corner of the lake like The Pads swim, it also shares many of the same features as the Pads swim.
The set of large leaf pads is just to the left and the drop off ledge runs along the dam in front of the swim just a couple of rod lengths out and don’t forget the absolute margins when fishing this swim, fish have been caught from directly under the rod tip.
The Pads
The Pads swim was given the name due to the set of large leaf pads to the left of the swim. In between the swim and the pad is also where the ‘outlet’ is sited giving the fishery its water level.
The swim its self is not hugely popular as it is sited in one corner of the lake and therefore can be restrictive, however due to the set of pads , the drop off ledge running along the dam and the fact that the water is all pulled towards the outlet (similarly to how the wind would move water) do make it well worth a go.
Stan's
Stan's swim was named after one of the current owners 'Richard Stangroom' whose nick name is 'Stan'.
Richard (or Stan) used to always fish this swim claiming that it was perfectly located to allow him to keep an eye on a large section of the lake.
It was also directly opposite one of his favourite hot spots in front of the swim on the opposite bank known as ‘The Cave'.
If there is nobody next to you in ‘The Pads’ swim, you can also fish a rod down to the pads or the drop off along the margins of the dam.
The Stump
The stump swim was given its name due to the fact that for many years an old tree stump was the predominant bank-side feature and for many years coupled up as a handy guest seat of coffee table.
The stump no longer exists having eroded away a long time ago - but the name lives on.
Casting across to the opposite margins is probably the best way to fish this swim but that is obviously providing no one is fishing in the ‘Left Zink’ swim.
This is one of best swims to fish if you like to watch the water as you overlook most of the fishery.
The Pines
The 'Pines' swim was given its name due to the fact that the trees on either side of the swim are from the Fir variety.
As with most of the swims on the ‘woods’ side of the lake, the best way to fish this swim is to cast to the opposite bank, there is however a swim directly opposite (Right Zink), but few anglers fish from this swim.
The Boat-House
The 'Boat House' swim was given its name because it is directly opposite the old disused boat house.
It is also considered to be one of the lake’s hot swims as there is a long area of overhanging trees along the opposite bank that can only be fished from this swim.
As the marginal features of the opposite bank are very attractive to carp and don’t get any bankside disturbance from anglers, the fish feel less pressured than in other areas of the lake.
The Cliff
The 'Cliff' swim used to be the last swim on the lake prior to us extending the fishery in 1998.
Out to the left of this swim is the shallowest area of the lake which is also the only area of the lake were you will find weed, and the carp love it...so you'll always find a few fish milling around in front of this swim.
The carp will often move up to this are of the lake if there is a but of pressure in the main body of the lake,
All Alone
The 'All Alone' swim was given its name because it is up at the far end of the lake, the furthest away from the carp park and the furthest away from any other swim.
This swim didn’t exist a few years ago as the top end of the lake had, due to the slow running inlet to the lake, completed silted up over the years.
Back in 1998 we reclaimed the area that had silted up adding about another ¼ acre to the lake and at the same time created this additional swim.
Whilst not a preferred swim to fish on a session due to the small area of waters it covers, fish do regularly get up to this end of the lake making it a perfect short session/stalking swim.
Rambo's
One of only two swims on the fishery that have been named after an angler, this swim is named after Steve ‘Rambo’ Bangert who has unfortunately since passed on. It was a swim Steve could more often than not be found in during the days when a large set of snags dominated what was then the end of the lake, prior to its extension back in 1998.
The feature that was once the snags has since been replaced with a shallow hump on which the only weed in the lake grows.
The swim has two areas for putting out a rod, one area looks out into the open water or gives the option to cast left towards the old boat house, whilst the other looks out along the margin and out to the shallow hump left over from the extension work carried out on the fishery.
Right Zink
Like the Left Zink, this is another seldom fished swim due to the general lack of water the swim covers but it’s another underestimated swim.
Creep up to the edge of the swim you’ll often find carp feeding very tight to the bank and around the roots of the trees that are the main features to the right and left of the swim.
Left Zink
A rarely fished swim due to the general lack of water the swim covers but an underestimated swim.
If you sneak up to the edge of the swim you’ll often find carp mooching around very tight to the bank and around the roots of the trees that are the main features to the right and left of the swim.
The Cave
The Cave swim is a tight swim encased by small trees and bushes with a small platform to sit the rods on.
It faces the open water but is better fished in the margins to the left and right of the swim about a couple of rod lengths out.
Like all the swims on this side of the lake, their margins are the best areas to fish, although ideally from the opposite margins, that way you don’t need to be quite so concerned about bank-side disturbance.
The '26'
Back in the early to mid 80’s there were two known fish that weighed in at around 26lb and for some reason they would often be caught from underneath the overhanging bush to the left of this swim, hence the reason it was named the ‘26’.
It’s also a suntrap, probably the only swim on the lake that really get the sun as there are no trees overhead, unlike every other swim on the lake so if you like to get a tan whilst fishing, this is the swim for you.
It’s also a very good swim for surface fishing. From this swim you can watch the main body of the lake and the breeze that often comes from behind across the field helps move your mixers out into the area that the carp cruise around in during the warm summer months. Wait for the trigger fish to start feeding before casting a bait into the free offerings and you’ll be in with a good chance of having a surface caught carp.
The Oak Tree
The 'Oak Tree' swim is called so due to the huge Oak Tree that grows behind the swim.
This swim has features to both the left and right of the swim. To the left of the swim is the back of the snags that are a prominent feature on the right of The Car Park swim. There is also a shallow corner of the lake to the left where the carp often visit for a rummage around.
To the right is a set of overhanging trees that tend to act as an attractor to the carp which can often been seen cursing around the surface on warm days.