The new Alistair's Bridge carp and tench pool at Arden Fisheries was formaly opened at the end of March 2011 by renowned matchmen Jon Arthur, Editor of 'Pole Fishing' magazine and Rob Wootton, a contributor to 'Match Fishing' magazine.

About an acre and a half in size with a central island, the pool is surrounded by a narrow shelf before the sides drop to a depth of about three and a half feet at the end nearest the road and between six and seven feet at the far end.

More than four years in the making, Alistairs holds 25 pegs and after being dug was allowed to settle and the bio-diversity build up. It was then stocked with a mix of mirrors and commons which now run to about 2lbs 8oz and tench which are now about 1lb in weight. In addition, a variety of mirrors and commons up to 12lb mark were also stocked for spawning purposes.

After the stocking the pool was then allowed to rest for a further two years.

Although it is not yet known which are the best techniques for fishing Alistairs, it is expected that both pole and waggler will work well, although it is suggested that 'natural' baits such as maggots and worm will be more effective than pellets or sweetcorn as the fish have not been fed due to the large amount of natural life in the water.

Also, because the water is similar to Oak Pool, it is expected that it will shortly fish in a similar manner.