Gweryd Lakes Fishery Review: L Mac, August 2011

Please don't refer to this venue as one of the leading carp venues in Wales. This just plain and simply isn't true.

There are over 30 pegs with sometimes up to 3 anglers on one peg, having 3 rods each. On one occasion I counted 80 rods in at the same time. We have used this lake for nearly 3 years and have only ever had 2 reasonably sized carp of 18 & 14lb. During a 2 week period there last summer we fished 3 days whilst another gentleman had booked for 2 weeks. All he caught was very small silver fish. He had both the experience and time to try every trick in the book, change bait, tactics, pegs etc and he was a carping guy who had spent 30 years at the game.

The facilities are horrendous as far as fishing goes for using bivvys. The pegs are not up to a good standard, are too close together and very uneven. I have yet to find the 'disabled' pegs - none of the pegs I have seen (and I have checked them all) could be safely used for disabled anglers. On the side of the lake which is reserved for serious anglers and where children are not allowed, there are no toilet facilities whatsoever, unless you can count the 'earth toilet' which is basically a hole in the ground with 3 pieces of wood around it. How is that a problem I hear you ask? Well as a woman, no door can be quite an issue. The reason I have to drive round to the other side of the lake every time I need to use the loo, even after all the hassle of doing that, you can guarantee that the toilets on the car park side are utterly disgusting.

None of the pegs are up to scratch, it's certainly a case of charging as much as you can but not actually giving a flying toot about the fish, lake, or the paying public who for me, have to shell out a lot more than most other places and for what? Very little as far as more than a few people have indicated. Talking to others at the lake it's clear that everyone knows that the owners are simply just not interested. Removing large carp and selling them has been a rumour which has been denied, obviously. Even if it's untrue, surely after 3 years would the 'at least 25lb plus' not have grown even slightly in 3 years?

There is it seems yet another peg being built.....maybe 2. I would have thought expansion would be the last thing on their minds. Probably best to reduce the amount of pegs for additional space? I can't tell you how many times I've heard arguments about one person crossing over onto others swims. The owners are clearly not carp fisherman and just want to take your £27 for 24 hours, oh and an extra £6 for anyone who's just spectating? If you have a dog, get your extra £2 out a night!

Gweryd is close to where we live. Yes we keep returning, we shouldn't, but until the place is either sold or is closed due to brazen health & safety concerns, disability issues or lack of customers through rubbish reviews not giving a true picture, then we will still go. We don't have the time to travel any further. Put up and shut up some might say! Buts it's our choice and we think that anything that can save a family money for extortionate rates or groups of anglers being forever paranoid that they've lost their touch .... then we're happy to fill you in on exactly what goes on. We don't either benefit or lose from this kind of review. People should just read around the reviews before parting with their very hard earned cash!

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