WRAYSBURY NORTH – 45 ACRE LAKE

Wraysbury 1 North Lake should need little introduction to anybody that has had one eye on social media and an ear planted firmly to the ground over the last five or more years…

Following on from his initial purchase of the site a little under ten years ago, the North Lake became the sole focus of Raphael Khalili as he set out to fulfil his vision and create the ultimate carp fishery. The water covers a surface area of some 40-acres, around which there followed an intensive restoration programme. This comprised the removal of a vast number of fallen trees, both in and out of the water, the construction of a quite simply breath-taking lodge, 28 purpose-built swims and additional facilities for the anglers.

Alongside this an extensive stocking policy was put into place that over the next two years saw both sides of the fishery benefitting from an injection of fresh, young fish. These were handpicked from a variety of fish farms to ensure a healthy mix of strains, ranging from high-backed and fast-growing fish to long commons and heavily scaled mirrors – in fact, something for everyone.

At the turn of the century, during the last throes of Cemex Angling’s tenure, the lake was sparsely stocked, for the most part with a handful of carp from Simon Scott, as well as a rag tag bunch of mirrors from all manner of sources, some of which were the ‘Fungus mirrors’, including the very largest fish in the lake, the aptly named King Fungus which topped at 47lb 12oz a little while before the venue was sold on.

Fast forward to the present day and Raphael’s foresight has now blossomed handsomely, with those young fish growing rapidly, to the extent that there are now over 15 different 40lb+ fish present, four of which were part of his initial stock introduction, to back these up are a further 100+ fish that have already grown well past the 30lb mark. As these year groups continue to push on and flourish in the rich waters, the sky really is the limit and it is well within the realms of possibility – and reality – that within a few more seasons, the North Lake may well have a truly envious stock, the likes of which have only been seen once or twice on these shores.

And so it is that after a relatively subdued start to its new life as everything settled and grew, Wraysbury 1 North Lake now stands shoulder to shoulder with many other high-profile venues nationwide and can consider itself one of the country’s very finest big-fish waters once more.


WRAYSBURY SOUTH – 75 ACRE LAKE

Following on from five fantastic years of angling on the smaller North Lake, RK Leisure are delighted to announce that following substantial work throughout 2020, fishing will soon be permitted across the majority of the much larger South Lake too.

Our hardworking team of staff and voluntary bailiffs have devoted vast amounts of their valuable time during the lockdown periods we have all had to endure over the course of this torrid year. With a whole host of newly refurbished swims in place around the perimeter to boot. There is even an island with its own access via a bridge, that can be used for exclusive bookings should you wish.

The lake has become something of an anomaly during our tenure, with only sporadic periods of fishing allowed over the past eight years, most of which took place through the winter months. Of late a very small minority from the North Lake syndicate have had the occasional, brief foray around its banks, but even then, they haven’t been overly forthcoming on their own personal successes and therefore precious little has come its way in terms of publicity, particularly across the social media platforms that are so prevalent in this modern age.

Without question there is still a retained element of mystery with more than the occasional sighting of very large carp by bailiffs passing over the areas we initially fed the stock from by boat. And whilst the young stock has yet to reach the heady heights of their siblings in the North side, they are coming on in leaps and bounds as the lake starts to see more and more bait from an increase in angling and it shouldn’t be too long before they too are pushing up to and past 40lb barrier.

There are already a handful of documented fish well past 30lb in weight, with 2020 recording both mirrors and commons over 35lb – and it is these fish, along with the handful of original fish sighted by our staff, that will lead the charge as the south side of Wraysbury 1 now enters a new era.
Despite its superior size, the South Lake doesn’t have quite so many swims as its smaller neighbour, therefore it will undoubtedly become a highly desirable and sought-after ticket in years to come as it offers the perfect blend of five-star facilities and fast-growing, pretty stock, alongside an opportunity to angle in a much more wild and rugged environment where you may not see another person – even if they are there!

Mary’s Point, Root Nightmare, Bryant’s Bay, the Dredger and the infamous Douglas Lane, the list could go on, but it reprises some of the most evocative names and memories from halcyon days on what was for several years, the country’s finest carp fishery, at a time when very few even dared to tread its banks.