Frequently Asked Questions


  • When can we deliver?

    We deliver all year around.

    We get inundated with calls in the Spring saying ‘I know it’s too late to order now but…’ Well it isn’t too late. There is a myth put about that we can’t deliver fish after March but I think this is spread by dealers who either have fish health problems or most likely simply have no fish to sell! It is clearly easier to move fish when the water is cold but we are happy to sell our fish all year around though prefer not to do so in high summer when we are trying to grow them. But if you are in a muddle then give me a call.

  • How quickly can we deliver?

    Generally we work on a delivery schedule about two weeks from ordering but if you are in a muddle and need them more quickly, we can usually help.

  • How far can we deliver?

    Every year we deliver fish from the South Coast all the way up to Scotland. Because we have all the right kit and twenty years of experience at successfully moving fish around, the fact that we might not be local to your fishery is really not an issue. Not at all.

  • How do I order fish?

    To order fish all we need is a phone call. We will take your contact details and discuss the fish you require and confirm their availability. We will agree a day and rough time for your delivery about two weeks ahead and then all you have to do is sit back and wait. We will call you the day before delivery to confirm that everything is in place, check directions and agree a time to meet.

  • When do I need to make payment?

    The driver will bring an invoice and once you are satisfied with the fish, we simply ask you to pay the driver with a cheque or cash. Simple and straight forward.

    All our fish are sold subject to our normal Conditions of Sale, on the rear of your invoice or in advance on request by snail mail.

  • Grading and counting fish

    All our fish are graded for size and quality by hand before they are delivered to you. The numbers are also counted by hand. We do not test weigh a batch and hope the numbers are about right. You are more than welcome to check count the fish when they are delivered to you. If you are buying fish by weight, your fish will be weighed on certified scales here at High Farm before we load them onto the delivery vehicle, not when they are harvested from the growing ponds ( they can lose 10-15% in weight between harvesting and delivery a couple of days later). If you are interested enough and you are buying more than a thousand pounds worth of fish, you are also welcome to see your fish at High Farm, before we deliver them to you.

  • Can we see the fish first?

    The fish farm is a big place and you will not actually be able to see the fish unless they are hard on the feeders in the summer. When we harvest fish, which we only do against orders, we hold the fish at High Farm in a big system for a day or two prior to delivery. You are welcome to see your fish here and watch them being loaded.

    If you are in the market for a lot of fish, we are happy to show you around the farm to demonstrate that what we say we do is actually what we do in reality! The farm is about 20 miles from home so this is a morning or afternoon’s operation so we prefer to do this when we are not too busy. High summer is best. Then apart from everything looking gorgeous, the fish are feeding hard and you can generally see what we are growing. Talk to us.

  • Cormorants

    These birds have largely changed the nature of coarse fisheries in the UK. In my experience, they will happily eat anything less than a pound in weight. Certainly fish up to 10” are a bit like one bite size mars bars. I don’t think cormorants will take carp of 2lb plus. If you have a real, rather than an occasional problem, then we suggest you spend your money on less but bigger fish.

  • Minimum order size

    We do get a surprising number of calls from folk wanting a few fish for garden ponds and so on, often from the other end of the country. The smallest order so far was for two 2-4″ carp. When you take into consideration the work and logistics for harvesting and delivering these fish, it will become apparent that this really isn’t viable business. To avoid disappointment, we are introducing a minimum order size of £250 in the Midlands rising to £350 plus delivery and VAT elsewhere. If you wish to collect fish from us, the minimum order is £150. For smaller numbers of fish, particularly for garden ponds, we suggest you contact Ripples Waterlife who specialise in delivering small quantities of coarse and ornamental fish direct to your door. Give them a call on 01952 200199 or see more details on their website.

  • Thousand weights for Carp

    We are often asked how much these fish weigh to help with planning stocking rates. Once carp, in particular, get to a few inches in length, a one inch increase in length can result in a much heavier fish because for every inch increase in length, they grow upwards and outwards as well! As a result the thousand weights of different batches are bound to vary but for guidance only, the weight per thousand of these carp are approximately as follows:

    2-4″ – 35lbs/1000
    4-6″ – 60lbs/1000
    6-8″ – 150lbs/1000
    8-10″ – 500lbs/1000

  • What’s yer price, mate?

    We do get a lot of calls along the the lines of “What’s yer price, mate?” Which isn’t perhaps, the brightest approach for buying fish that you are going to have in your pond for many years to come.

    If you buy from our farm, we have complete control over the selection and genetics of the parents we spawn. We control the feeding, water quality, harvesting, grading and transport of these fish with a team of full time professional staff and a business that has been growing and selling coarse fish for the last twenty odd years. None of these facilities or expertise comes cheap and after spending up to three years getting the end result ready for you, it can be very frustrating when the only thing folk are interested in is the price.

    If you are looking for the cheapest then you will be looking for some wild caught fish, probably from a pond where they have outgrown their welcome, almost certainly stunted and well fished for so that they know what the inside of a net looks like and have all the scars and damaged mouths to prove it. You will almost certainly be buying from a dealer who won’t actually have the fish you want when he takes your order (he won’t tell you that, though) but will hope that he can find them. He may actually demand money up front (so that he can afford to buy them if he does find them but once he has your money, hell, it doesn’t matter anyway) and if they actually turn up and are accompanied by any paperwork, it will probably actually refer to a different batch of fish but nobody will know (least of all you). And Hey! You just saved a few pence per fish over buying those fish from a Reputable Supplier…

    All joking aside (and actually there wasn’t much), as the largest producer of carp in the country, we have so many fish to sell each year, we have to price our fish competitively if we are to sell the quantities we need to sell to make the farm work. Our fish are great value and fantastic quality. They cannot be compared with wild caught fish. Just like Chalk and Cheese.

    Remember also that carp live for a very long time. What you buy now, you will have to live with for a very long time. If you are buying on behalf of a Club think about your reputation and all the hassle you will get if you get stuck with some rubbish. Make life simple for yourself and buy the Best.

  • Carp for the table

    We are receiving increasing numbers of calls from folk wanting to eat our fish or sell them for eating. I am afraid we will not sell these fish for consumption. You should look towards one of the major wholesale markets such as Billingsgate or Birmingham.

If you’re looking for a high-quality course fish supplier, call Sport & Leisure Fisheries today on 01952 585002.