Pendle View Fishery
A59 Bypass
Barrow
Clitheroe
Lancashire
BB79DH
01254 822208
www.pendleview.co.uk
I was recently lucky enough to visit one of the premier venues in the Northwest when I received an invite to try my luck at Pendle View Fishery situated at the head of the Ribble valley in Lancashire; I’m glad I went…..
Now owned by Dave Harnick Snr, ably assisted by son Dave Jnr, the Harnick family purchased the site 3 years ago and set about turning the site into the ideal fishery. Both father and son are carp anglers and have listened to other anglers to improve the facilities, stock and waters whilst providing everything required to target a new personal best in some considerable comfort.
The fishery consists of three pools; a general coarse lake with a myriad of species for which to wet a line, a fly fishing only lake with trout to double figures, brook, tiger and blue trout in addition to the expected rainbow and brown trout, and the main attraction which is the carp lake containing pristine carp to over 47lbs. I fished the main lake for an overnight session and was very pleased with what I found.
The specimen water covers around 9 acres, with depths to 14’ and has a natural stream bed running through it. Plenty of weed means plenty of natural food for the inhabitants, with the result that it can be a challenging arena for those who may be used to easier venues. Because the pool is stream fed and absorbs the runoff from the adjacent Pendle Hill, the lake bed contains copious amounts of food rich silt and nutrients, which means a fertile environment for the bank side plantings; surrounded by well established reed beds, overhanging trees, sedges and bushes, there is plenty of cover for both anglers and fish. There are more than 300 carp, including a lake record of 47lbs 6ozs with several 30’s, numerous 20’s and others doubles to back them up; the opportunity of a new personal best is there for the taking!
There are 25 fishing ‘stations’, of which 9 are easily able to accommodate 2 large bivvies so you can fish with a friend; both anglers have enough room to fish 3 rods each without coming into conflict with adjacent pegs. Each ‘station’ is constructed to a high standard, constrained with heavy logging to provide a stable base to fish from and topped with quality wood bark to remove the inconvenience of fishing in a muddy puddle. One thing I did notice is the fact that it is EASY to get bivvy pegs into the ground WITHOUT a mallet, so no chance of someone next door spooking the fish away! Behind every peg is a refuse bin which is emptied each morning, so nothing to attract rats or other critters! Access to each station is simple; vehicles have more or less full right of entry to allow anglers to drop off tackle at the peg and return the car or van to the car park. Less able anglers will be able to take advantage of several ‘stations’ which have a gentle slope down to the water.
Facilities onsite are excellent; hot showers are available for just a small £1 contribution towards hot water, so long stay visitors have no need to be uncomfortable during their stay. There are both male and female toilets (and disabled) all of which are clean, with a working flush, seat AND toilet roll which isn’t damp or greaseproof! Sinks are also provided with hand wash and plugs…… The shop/cafe is stocked with a reasonable amount of items which anglers may have forgotten; terminal tackle and a few larger items should ensure that you can fish whatever you have left behind, and the amount of available bait is astonishing in such a relatively small shop. The cafe serves hot, tasty food at chip shop prices and features an extensive menu of curries, chillies, pies and burgers. Not content with that, food orders can be taken and delivered (still piping hot!) to your bankside abode! £3.50 for pie, chips, peas and gravy, served at the peg is an ideal way to keep warm on winter sessions!
Ample car parking, cctv and a locked gate between the hours of 9pm and 7am mean that anglers can relax in a secure site and concentrate on their fishing without fear of intruders. The bailiff lives onsite and is available to deal with any issues as they arise.
Tactics at Pendle View don’t have to be complicated; the advice given is to keep things simple, use a good quality boilie and minimal baiting. Floater fishing is also successful, but the water birds may get there first so keep your eyes peeled.
In summary, Pendle View is an exceptionally attractive, established venue with no silly rules and constructed with the angler in mind. Prices on the main lake are a very reasonable £24 for 24 hours, to avoid disappointment it is recommended that you book and pay for your peg in advance by telephoning the office direct on 01254 822 208 – all major credit cards are accepted. Rules of note include a barbless hook policy, no nuts of any kind, no lead core, and you must be in possession of an unhooking mat, but there is nothing unexpected or trivial; all rules are there to protect the fish and the angler! The fact that Pendle View has the current Lancashire carp record at 47lbs 6ozs with a fish known as ‘Butt Head’ has made this a popular complex for those who like to be challenged when angling for some very big fish; if that sounds like you, then check out the website www.pendleview.co.uk and book your ticket!
