One of the main reasons I gave up match fishing 10 years or so ago, was the switch from most matches being river based to more and more being based at commercial fisheries.

Some of these places were little more than mud holes filled with fish. Plenty of farmers with land close to rivers or boggy meadows dug out holes and stocked them with fish, turning them into 20 or 30 peg match venues, with little or no bank side vegetation.

I didn’t like the surroundings or the fact that pegs were often crammed in with only a few yards between them, 20 anglers around a small lake all looking across at each other, not my cup of tea. My view of commercials hasn’t changed much over the years, in all honesty other than an odd charity event or a bit of close season fishing I kept away.

A few weeks ago whilst working for the Anglers Mail I had need to visit Barford Fisheries not far from my Norwich home, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The lakes had matured a lot since my last visit around 10 years previous for a winter league match. The banks were full of vegetation with plenty of trees and bushes surrounding the water providing plenty of cover for both the fish and wildlife around the complex. What also came as a surprise was the quality of the fishing, during the day I witnessed some quality carp bream and Tench being caught.

Last week as part of a press day with Sonubaits I visited and fished the Docklow fisheries complex near Leominster Herefordshire, yet again I was more than surprised how mature and inviting the fishery was. During the day I caught sight of buzzards, woodpeckers and kingfishers, the lakes around the complex were well maintained but with plenty of cover, a real feeling of being in the country.

The fishing at Docklow wasn’t bad either, fishing simple maggot feeder tactics, cast close to an island once I got the fish going it was one a cast, with some nice roach and carp to 5 or 6lb. A much bigger surprise came with a few nice chub up to around 3lb as well as a first for me in the shape of a couple of Stillwater barbel, looking every bit as fit as their running water cousins and certainly fighting as hard.

Throughout the day I had been feeding a few cubes of luncheon meat close to the bank under a small bush, an hour before it was time to pack in the swim came alive, the carp showing their presence with swirls and tail patterns as they mopped up the free offerings. Fishing a simple pole float on a running line with a Korum power float my chosen rod I managed a dozen nice carp topped by an 11lber in that last hour.

I travelled home quite content after an enjoyable days fishing in pleasant surroundings, I don’t plan to leave it quite so long before I make another visit to one of the many mature commercial fishery complexes we have around the country.