Key Details
Farlows Two
The lake serves as an ideal leisure water with action a plenty as these young naive Carp have in many cases never seen a hook.Again simple tactics work very well, Boilies and Carp pellet being the going method. Be ready for a sleepless night as large hauls of fish are common place on Lake 2!
This water holds Pike, Perch, Roach, Bream, Tench and Eels. The Pike have been caught to well over 25lbs and they offer excellent sport through the winter.
When the channel was put in many Carp where trapped in the match lake and these have been landed up to 36lbs. In addition to the original stock, 400 Carp weighing between 5lbs and 18.5lbs were added to the lake in 2013 followed by another 20 Carp weighing 13lbs – 17lbs from VS Fisheries. The total Carp stock is estimated to be 500 plus.
What You Should Know!
Farlows Two is a superb water containing some of the best looking scaly mirrors around which are willing feeders in both the warmer and the colder months. The swims are very comfortable and you can even drive to a few of them making it all very convenient.
The lake itself isn’t particularly large, thus you always feel like you are close to the fish. There is a good head of bream present and so be prepared to put up with a few of those along the way, it’s a nice bit of action anyway if the carp aren’t biting.
The fish love a solid bag!
What is the lake like and how should I fish it?
Farlows Two isn’t the largest of lakes and so it always feels like you are within the chance of a bite. The lake is tree lined and the swims are dug out and covered with wood chip and gravel, to provide a very comfortable experience indeed. None of that horrible mud and slop that you have to experience on other waters through the winter time. This place is ideal!
Some of the margins are tree lined giving you options of catching at close quarters, or in certain swims you can cast hook baits tight to snags which often does fish.
Generally, the lake bed is pretty clear although in parts it can get weedy in the summer so sometimes it can pay to drop the lead on the take. The depths vary somewhat and so it can pay to explore the lake bed with a marker float. Look for raised plateaus and gravel bars, the fish love to feed on such features in Farlows.
A multitude of tactics work although for consistent action I have found that solid PVA bag work can score for numbers. However, such tactic will also attract the bream and so be prepared to wade through these if you opt for the bag and pellet approach. It’s fun action to keep the bobbins dancing anyway.
If you can’t be doing with the bream, then switch over to an out and out boilie attack. When I fished there, my mate Leon did very well using big-fish tactics fishing Live System pop-ups on hinged stiff rigs over boilies that were introduced via a throwing stick. He didn’t catch any bream, but he did catch less carp, although they were bigger. Make your own minds up on that one guys!
The Farlows Two fish also adore a surface bait. If you want to catch a banging looking carp off the top, then this is the place to go. Fish a mixture of sized pellets to get them going then whittle down a pop-up to match the hatch and you will have a good chance of some consistent surface action.
Solid bags provide consistent action!
If you want the bobbins dancing continually, then approach Farlows with solid PVA bags, they love pellets. However, be prepared for a few bream along the way. I simply set mine up with a 3oz inline lead on a semi fixed rig. No lead core or fused leaders are allowed at Farlows so I either incorporate a fluorocarbon leader of simply place it straight onto the line with a few dollops of putty moulded just above to pin it all down.
A simple knotless knot is then whipped onto a supple braided material around 4in in length and to that I slide on a Northern Special dumbbell or pop-up depending on the situation. They love a bright bait in the Farlows.
In terms of baiting I keep the bag mix simple again, opting for very small pellets so that I can compact the bag tightly making it more aerodynamic, ultimately making the cast easier. So CC Moore Mini Ultramix is my choice which is contains an array of different sized pellets and I also add Live System 2mm pellets too just for a bit of colour.
In winter I don’t add any kind of liquid to the mix but in summer a healthy dosage of salmon oil can really help attract carp into the area, give it a go!
Farlows Two Rules
You’ll need these for your trip!
Verdict
I will have a trip to Farlows Lake Two in the winter every year. Why? Because it fishes so well in the cold when most other places shut up shop and what you catch are some of the most beautiful, scaly mirrors in the land that are in mint condition. Great venue that I recommend highly!
James
Jimmy began his angling on the river Ouse with his father fishing for roach. His passion grew quickly and soon developed a love for big-fish across the globe!