Angling
Anglers are often seen on the reservoirs in Macclesfield Forest, and along the Macclesfield Canal. Many sections of the canal are leased to angling clubs and associations. There are 26 miles of fishing, much of it recently improved by recent dredging.
Back in 1954 a group of a dozen or so friends and match anglers regularly met at the Prince Albert Pub in Newton Street Macclesfield, Cheshire. In those days their fishing was confined to South Park Pool, the Macclesfield Canal , Rudyard Lake and Bosley Reservoir. Their first opportunity was to acquire the Brick Pond on Barracks Lane, they each put in to the fund what they could afford and the deal went through and on 19th August 1954 the Prince Albert Angling Society was born. Over the subsequent years many other waters were added to the portfolio. So, from 12 good men in 1954 with no club waters, Prince Albert Angling Society of Macclesfield has grown into the largest and arguably the best club in Europe with 8,400 members and a portfolio of over 220 waters in just 50 years. Their local waters now include: Bottoms Reservoir (Langley), Many stretches of the River Dane, Knights Pool (Macclesfield), Lamaload Reservoir (Macclesfield), Macclesfield Canal (from Macclesfield to Bosley), Oak Bank Pool (Bollington), Whirley Mere (Whirley, Henbury).
Macclesfield Waltonians Angling Society are a small northwest angling club based in Macclesfield Cheshire, established in 1891. They currently have four waters locally covering all types of coarse fishing and supporting a wide range of anglers, including Teggs Nose Reservoir (Langley) and Herons Pool (Ollerton). The Waltonians are a friendly club with an excellent website. They have a thriving match calendar and even have the forward thinking to offer membership fee reductions for anyone attending more than 4 working parties - which all goes to show they take the care of their waters and banks very seriously.
Fly fishing is available at Ridgegate Reservoir where the Macclesfield and District Fly Fishing Club have fishing rights and there are limited number of day tickets available. Trentabank Reservoir has no fishing as it is a nature conservation area.
Bollington and Royal Oak Angling Society (BROAS) is a small club with approximately 200 senior members, and another 150 junior, life and pensioner members. The club aims to cater for a wide spectrum of angling interests and has some of the best-stocked and under fished waters in the Macclesfield area: Clarence Pool (Bollington), Lower House Pool (Bollington), Ingersley Pool (Bollington), Hurdsfield Reservoir (Macclesfield), River Dane (Congleton), Victoria Quarry (Dove Holes), Mayfield Centre (Macclesfield), Harehill Lake (Over Alderley).