Opened in March 2009, the new 31-peg Bridge Canal Pool at Coppice Lane is ideal for pole, waggler or swimfeeder fishing, having been built to give 13 metres to the island from most pegs, a three feet deep shelf all the way round the edge and a six feet deep track in the centre.

Stocked with a mix of mirror and common carp between 8oz to 5lbs, tench and skimmers to a similar size and roach and chub averaging 8oz, this is an easy water to fish with good quality pegs and a flat, even bank which is suitable for disabled anglers in dry weather.

The matches that have been held so far on Bridge Canal Pool have thrown up some impressive weights with anglers needing on average between 30lbs and 50lbs to be in the frame.

These match weights have been fairly consistent as the pool holds a 50 / 50 mix of silver fish and carp.

One pleasure angler reported netting 105 carp at a sitting and the current match record stands at 100lbs 12oz which was again set by Clive Poole in 2011 with a bream and carp catch taken on paste fished to the island.

Anglers should note that keepnets are allowed only in matches.

Because it has been developed as a canal style match water, Bridge Pool has proved popular with pole anglers fishing the long pole to the island or the short pole down the track.

So far the most popular technique has been to fish light and to feed little and often.

Many anglers also favour fishing the waggler either close into the margins or in the centre of the track, whilst those wanting to fish near the island are also going for small cage feeders or straight through Arlesey bombs.

The most popular baits so far have been soft hooker carp pellets, sweetcorn, paste baits, casters, chopped worm and maggots, all fished over micro - feeder pellets which have been first dampened down.

If the success of the new Becketts Pool is anything to go by, it won't be long before the new Bridge Canal Pool is proving ever more popular with anglers as both pleasure and match weights climb.

Lake Rules