Location in South East:
Bentley, near Brentwood, Essex, England.

Contact:
John Clark on 07939 074089

Day Tickets:£10 for up to two rods. Club match bookings accepted

Facilities:
Toilets

Best Baits:
Corn, maggots, meat and breadflake.

Getting There: From Ongar on the A128 turn into Bentley. Go past the church and then turn right to the equestrian centre. Please phone before travelling to this venue.

Bentley Fishery is a well kept secret offering coarse fishing on two lakes in Essex. The lakes were restocked in November 2006 with carp to 30lb.

Created 30 years ago the lakes lie within a privately owned equestrian centre. Day tickets must be pre-booked [DO NOT JUST TURN UP AND EXPECT TO FISH] and no night fishing is allowed.

Lake 1 - is the smaller of the two lakes at Bentley Fishery and is roughly one acre in size with depths reaching 9ft at one end shallowing to 3ft at the other. The far bank is tree lines inviting anglers to cat to it from the fishable banks. Stocks include carp to low double-figures, masses of roach and rudd, plus tench.

Lake 2 - is a 3 acre, 28 peg lake surrounded by numerous mature trees which give each swim a feeling of solitude. Lilly pads make the margins a delight to fish. Holding a large head of carp, the mobile angler is often rewarded. Main species are carp, bream, perch and crucians. Pole tactics are recommended for precise presentation and to avoid overhanging branches although some of the more open swims also suit a waggler or feeder approach.

June 2007:
Please note that This fishery has recently changed it's name to Bentley Fishery. It was previously named John's Lakes. The name change has been made to avoid confusion with a fishery with a similar name.

Reader Feedback:
Bentley Fishery (previously John's Lake) is a quality water in beautiful surroundings. This is not an easy water, so don't expect a fish every cast. The fish in there are top notch and will give you a good fight ... a sense of satisfaction is felt when landed. I have membership to three local waters, but keep coming back to Bentleys. John is a top bloke and runs the fishery accordingly.
Mark Ellis - August 2007

Reader Feedback:
Arrived late on the 31st August and John allowed us to pay a half day rate. I spoke to four other anglers who had been there all day and all were quite disappointed. The hair rigs, bite alarms and boilies were not proving succesful. One bream in the day.

I decided to fish very light and as poles are not permitted opted for two fourteen foot float rods with small quills and a size 16 with a meat and bread mix on the hook. I groundbaited lightly with some hemp, bread, and small shrimp pellets. The first hour was dead. Two hours before dusk and the dinner bell rang, I missed four bites before banking a 7lb 4oz bream in beautiful condition and did she go !!! Two more over six pounds and fourteen skimmers, with a small common a cruscian and a 5lb tench on the other rod fishing a single sweetcorn over the same ground bait hard against the lillies in the bigger lake. Two and a half hours of magic without the big carp.
Rob John and Lucy - August 2007

Reader Feedback:
Bentley Fishery, Essex is a fantastic venue with some stunning fish. I've caught five 6 different 20's from this lake on Spicy shrimp and prawn boilies, maggots on a clip and popped up maize. PVA bags and mesh work well with pellet ground bait, hemp, and crushed boilie. Never ignore the marginal bushes at this venue or around the smaller island. Early mornings a dusk are the most productive times of day.
Jason Allen - September 2007