About
Originally dug as a brick pit in the late 1960s and set in the heart of the beautiful Kent countryside, Clay Pit Fishery is a stunning oasis famed for its rich blue tinge and mature, well-kept banks. Stocked with a handful of carp upon completion of the clay extraction, those original fish thrived in the mineral-rich, predator-free water and it's believed that a number of the original stocking still reside in the lake today.
The Fishing
The lake has previously been run as a carp fishing syndicate, although this has changed with the lake now being run as a day ticket fishery. The lake is roughly 5 acres in size, with varying depths from a couple of feet down to 24ft in its deepest part, average is roughly 10-12ft. The lake holds a healthy stock of immaculate carp, plenty of doubles and 20's, with 6 fish going over 30lb, with biggest being mid-30. There are several original carp, thought to be over 40 years old, wise old carp that have seen every trick in the book. We have recently introduced a number of smaller carp between 8-14lb from VS Fisheries, our fish for the future. If you would like to see some pictures of our stunning carp and surroundings please visit the gallery section of this website, alternatively for all of our latest news please visit our social media platforms @Claypitfishery on Instagram and Clay pit fishery for Facebook.
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Since the lake has turned into a day ticket fishery (01.04.20) the fishing has slightly changed, with more anglers fishing this means more pressure and more bait into the water. We estimate that there are roughly 175 hungry carp that swim in the lake. This lake is by no means a runs water however plenty of anglers enjoy multiple fish hits with plenty of personal bests being broken. Since the fishery has turned day ticket the fish continue to pile on the weight with 5 new 30's this year alone, we expect that figure to rise in the very near future. We take any and all feedback on board, this helps us develop as a fishery for future anglers to enjoy this stunning lake.
Alongside the carp fishing we also offer day tickets to coarse, match and specimen anglers. Clay pit holds a large quantity of silver fish and general coarse species including, Roach, Rudd, Tench, Perch and Eels Bags of 40-50lb are a common occurrence.
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Roach 2lb+
Tench 7lb
Perch 3lb +
Eels 4lb + (definitely bigger)
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For more information on Ticket prices and availability please visit the day tickets or Book online section of our website.
Hint's & Tips
The lake has been run as a carp syndicate for several years, over this period we have got to know the lake and the fish that swim within. The lake itself has an average depth of between 10-12ft, clay bottom with 2 shallower bays at either end. The lakebed has very few features, the 2 biggest features within the lake are the margins and your bait. There is a high number of silver fish that reside in the lake, we therefore recommend staying clear of the smaller food particles, hemp, corn, small pellets and mixed particle. Most of our anglers who regularly fish the venue opt for a boilie only approach, a high quality fishmeal boilie will produce plenty of bites while avoiding the silver fish, we recommend the use of Sticky Baits krill. If you would like some help while on the bank please ask one of the team.
Facilities
Our facilities at clay pit fishery are limited, however we do offer some excellent carp fishing. We offer one main car park, please do not drive around the lake. Our paths and swims are clear and clean, allowing anglers to barrow to their selected swim with ease. Our swims vary in size, some will only fit a small bivvy/brolly, others are double swims allowing plenty of room. We have a portable toilet on-site, please use it, we do not currently have running water, please make sure you bring enough for your session. With your continued support we will be looking to improve our facilities over the coming years.
The Team
Fishery manager Jack Funnell, experienced carp angler has been carp fishing for over 10 years, sponsored by sticky baits and fox international, if you would like help on the bank please ask. We are incredibly lucky to have a small passionate team of bailiffs that have a wealth of fishing and venue knowledge. Their work is essential to the running of clay pit fishery. They are there to both help with your angling and enforce the fishery rules, please treat them with respect.