Client Feedback

'After 20 years working with the Environment Agency, and witnessing thousands of carp stockings over the years, I have first-hand knowledge of most of the fish suppliers in the country. That's why, when choosing stock fish for my fisheries at St Ives, I had no hesitation in using VS Fisheries. Viv and Simon are second to none when it comes to breeding carp in the UK. Their dedication to their beloved fish, mixing the right strains, professionalism and fish husbandry are unsurpassed, and when combined with their passion for carp fishing, the history and future of our pastime, you know the fish they stock will play a valuable part of carp fishing in this country for years to come.'

Gordy Howes, St Ives Lakes

Here at CEMEX Angling we only buy what we think are the best fish that we can source from suppliers in this country. Since VS Fisheries started a few years ago we have continually bought fish in all size ranges to stock into our waters as we feel that they are not only consistent in terms of great appearance and quality but also have shown a superb growth return year on year.

When stocking waters with outside sourced fish, having peace of mind in your suppliers and their product is everything and the supply, service and of course the fish from VS Fisheries are second to none. Years of experience have provided the staff at VSF with the knowledge and expertise to produce, in our eyes, some of the best fish available in this country.

Rupert “Roo” Newby, Cemex Angling Manager

Horseshoe Lake is renowned for its beautiful looking fish, their colouration, scale patterns and condition have long been the stuff of dreams for countless Carp Anglers.In 2009 we took the decision to invest in stock which would underpin and ensure that future generations of anglers would continue to enjoy the wonderful fish and fishing at Horseshoe. Our fish aren’t getting any younger and whilst all is well now, at some point Horseshoe would need an injection of new stock. To maintain the quality was very important to us.

We had no hesitation in selecting Viv and Simon as the supplier. We have known and admired them for many years in their capacities as Lecturers at Sparsholt. They have taken that expertise, enthusiasm and knowledge into their business and now produce some stunning fish.

We stocked 180 C4 fish into Horseshoe in November 2010 and 50 into our Syndicate Lake in Lincolnshire. A large financial investment but worth every penny! So pleased are we with the quality of their fish we have ordered 30 C4 fish each year for the next five years for our waters.

If you are seeking new stock look no further, these guys are at the top of their game.

David Mannall, The Carp Society

I would just like to say thank you for the professional friendly service I have received from VS Fisheries. After receiving my first delivery of C4 and C5 carp I would also like to compliment you on how stunning these carp look. Members of my syndicate and friends have also publicly expressed how happy they are with the looks and weights of these carp. Since I decided to order from VS Fisheries I must say the service has been exceptional. I have been kept informed of the whole process from the initial order through to delivery, every email I sent was replied to promptly. Both Viv and Simon have taken the time to speak to me over the phone when I called and on delivery Viv took his time to ensure all went smoothly and the carp were safely released.

This was the first stocking I have undertaken and choosing the right supplier for my fish I believe was crucial for the future of my business. I now know I have made the correct choice and look forward to dealing with VS Fisheries in my future projects.

Again well done on producing these stunning carp and thank you for a professional and friendly service!

Stephen Alford, Inspired Angling

When choosing fish for your lake to me it's imperative that you select fish with individual characters, markings, and selective strains, the fish we were supplied with from VS Fisheries are without doubt the best we have seen, tick all the right boxes and then some! The 'Sovereign' strain of fish they supply are truly breathtaking, solid frames and some wicked scale patterns. The fish have achieved excellent growth rates and a set to become very much sought after in years to come. The testament of us re-ordering with them for late 2010 speaks volumes for the quality of these fish.

Callum Wilson, Silver Lake Carp Fishery - www.slfishery.co.uk)

After contacting a few fisheries and making enquiries, it was obvious that V.S. Fisheries were the company to use to obtain quality, good looking, healthy carp that would grow to be absolute stunners. On initial contact with Viv, it was touch and go whether we would get our 30 fish, due to the fact that we had enquired so late in the year, but we were delighted when Viv contacted us to tell us that he had the fish available and they were ready for collection! We travelled to V.S. and were warmly welcomed by all the staff. Simon and Viv where very down to earth and they were extremely helpful and forthcoming with all the information we required to make a successful stocking. We look forward to purchasing more fish next year from V.S. In our eyes, there's no other fishery that gives this kind of quality and service. Thanks very much to you all at V.S. Fisheries, it has been a pleasure!

Parc Nant-y-waun Angling Club members

I have been lucky enough to build a fishery from start to finish, I now realise how much hard work and investment it takes to get there.  With this in mind I wanted fish that would offer something special for the visiting anglers, and also help set the venue apart from other fisheries.  I believe the delivery of 80 fish I took from VS Fisheries this winter will give Blackthorn fishery the best opportunity possible to be a premiere water in the future.  The variety of fish delivered was fantastic, from almost fully scaled to full linears, and all in mint condition.  I have placed an order for next year already!  Viv was more than happy to answer any questions I had, I’m sure I will be using him for any consultancy I need in the future.  In a nutshell dealing with VS Fisheries was friendly and professional from start to finish, and money well spent! 

Charlie Hughes. Blackthorn Fishery, Oswestry, Shropshire

Superb! That is the best way that I can describe both the service, and the carp, we have received from VS Fisheries. Having just taken delivery of a second batch of carp from VSF, we have again been impressed by the ‘team’ of Viv, Simon and Sue. They were all up and ready at 7am when we arrived to select our fish, carefully picking out and weighing each beautifully scaled carp, then delivering them safely within a couple of hours.

The first batch of VS carp were stocked into one of our lakes in November 2009, one year ago, and have thrived. Some have already put on in excess of three pounds, but most importantly this new strain will boost our existing and future stock level.

Mike Holcombe, Godalming Angling Society

I would just like to take this opportunity to say the 20 x C4 carp we purchased from you in November 2010, are some of the most stunning characters our syndicate has come across. Whatever looks of fish we asked for, we got and some real growers in there too! This is an excellent acquisition to our stock, and will enhance our lake greatly. Every member was really impressed with them with several asking why we had not purchased them from you before? Once again many thanks.

Joe Easton and the Birch Pool Syndicate

Having just seen the fish you supplied upon my return from work I would like to say they are the best fish we have ever been supplied. Having bought over 3000 carp from different suppliers over the last year or so and your fish are the best we have seen by far! Now really looking forward to seeing the C3 fish next winter – Cant wait!

Gary Sutton, Stoke-on-Trent

Firstly a big thank you from all of us at Harrogate and Claro for supplying us with fish this year. All those present commented on their classic looks and good average size. Due to the age of our original fish your fish represent the future of our lake and with the stunning selection of fish you brought up to us today it is now definitely looking good for many years to come.  We all look forward to seeing this new blood prosper and will keep you informed of their progress. We are already looking forward to seeing you next year with our second batch of fish due, which are due in late 2011.

Steve Barwick, Harrogate & Claro Conservative AA

Having known Viv for a number of years and being a committee member of a popular Angling Association we took the decision a few years ago, after a number of conversations, to add some stock to one of our mature lakes that, due to the age of the original fish, required some new "blood", not only to increase the stock for future generations, but add stock that would do the lake and it's history some justice.

We felt that the current stock of stunning mirrors required similar looking fish and after a long time discussing the options and evaluating all of the pro's and con's we felt there was only one option, VS Fisheries.

They did not disappoint, 10 x C5's and 5 x C4's were stocked in November 2008 and we are proud to announce that these fish are now being caught having gained 4-5 pounds in 18 months (one summer). Not only that but they have retained their fantastic shape and have started to "colour up" in line with the current older stock and look like they belong in this lake.

It is worth noting that Viv and Simon have been nothing other than extremely helpful, on both this issue and other issues of fisheries management consultation.

All of the Club's committee members and I would not hesitate in recommending their fish and advice to any club.

Runnymede Angling Association

Thanks again for all your assistance. Viv was very understanding with a novice attempting to register a water for the first time and his advice and help was invaluable throughout.

Simon couldn't have been more patient with ourselves when choosing the carp. Everyone was a stunner and I would have been pleased taking any of them home. After taking the time to ask what I was looking to achieve with my stock he even advised me to purchase fewer fish!

What a refreshing change to deal with a company who isn't just out to make a buck and really do put your needs and the carps welfare first.

Mike Tuppenney, West Sussex

Dear Simon and Viv

Just wanted to drop you a quick mail to say thanks for your help and allowing us to hand select our order of C3 carp on Sunday 13th December 2009. We were all impressed with the quality of the stock available to choose from and are very pleased with the fish we selected. Your professional approach and courteous attitude shown throughout the ordering and collection process was also discussed on our long drive back. Your commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for what you do at VS Fisheries is clearly obvious to us.

Wishing you continued success for the future, I'm confident we'll be ordering with you again.

Steve Jackson, Aldermere Carp Syndicate

Hi Viv, It was a great pleasure to meet you, Simon and the rest of your team.

Phil and I were greatly impressed with your organisation and setup on site. The help and assistance we received with selecting, weighing, photographing and bagging the fish for transport was wonderful.

We were asked by Simon to individually select the fish we wanted. To you and Simons credit the fish available to us were so good that it was nigh on impossible to make a selection, all the fish in the holding tank were absolute stunners. We could have taken any of them and they all would have been fantastic.  All the fish travelled perfect and are now swimming happily in our lake.

It is complement to you and Simon that we were so impressed with what we found that we have ordered some 20s for a future date. Thank you very much for all the good work and we look forward to seeing you again when we collect the 20s.

Bicton Specimen Angling Club

Thank's again to all of you at V.S. Fisheries. We have just received our first consignment of C4s from V.S.Fisheries on 28th November 2010. From the time we picked out our carp to them swimming in our lake was less than two hours, a very smooth operation indeed. These are probably some of the best looking carp I have ever seen. Viv and Simon are very friendly and answered all our questions with the utmost professionalism. I wound not hesitate in highly recommending them to anybody who wish to have some first class stock.

R Northeast, Surrey Estate Lake

Thanks to you and yours for an awesome day! Dave and I really enjoyed ourselves picking out our C3 carp. They are now in our lake, leaping around everywhere... and hopefully at some point in the future munching all that bait. Now down the pub dreaming of your very sexy carp!

Ben Hollis, West Sussex

All the kids are now home safe! When we left they were playing like spring lambs – a very special day for me. It’s rare that I enjoy parting with money but thanks for making it very much pain free!

Jon Spong , West Sussex

"We had our first delivery from VS Fisheries at the beginning of Dec 07 and weren't disappointed. The 100 (C4's) that we stocked into our Hardwick Lake were absolutely stunning with some of the fish having an incredible length to them for their size - I'm sure they will grow on to be very sought after fish to catch in years to come, in fact we've already placed another order for winter 08 for one of our other lakes."

Chris Blunt, Linear Fishery Officer

"Everyone from the club who saw the 2007 stocking were very impressed with the quality of the carp that were purchased as well as the very professional friendly service and advice offered from Viv and Simon. We were so impressed we have placed another order for this coming winter (2008/9). Sittingbourne Angling Club is looking forward to dealing with VS fisheries again."

An update from Sittingbourne Angling Club following a stocking from VS Fisheries in December 2007.

"Recently, I purchased 30 x C4s of the most stunning carp I have seen in a long time from VS Fisheries. On the day that I turned up, I was very fortunate to have the pick of the litter. In all, I choose my 30 carp from a batch of around 70. The scaling pattern of these fish were very distinctive and in certain cases, almost Leney-like. To counter this, there were also a couple of leathers that hopefully one day will be modern-day Heathers! The carp varied in size from about 8lb up to 12lb. The most pertinent point of the whole exercise was the service that I received from Viv Shears and Simon Scott. I had come across the both of them during my work as Editor of Advanced Carp Fishing."

"During the last couple of years, I have asked for their advice on fishery management and it is always been constructive. More importantly, I had been keeping tabs on the carp that they had stocked up and down the country. In nearly all the cases the growth rate was very good without being spectacular. I have purchased fish in the past that have grown very quickly but also have encountered problems with them due to unsustainable growth rates. The carp supplied by VS Fisheries have a sustainable weight gain that does not appear scary. Fed on a diet formulated from their knowledge of the ecology of carp, both are lecturers at Sparsholt College, the VS stock get the perfect dietary balance they need when they need it most: the early part of their life."

"I would have no problem in recommending the fish that Simon and Viv supply."

Mark Holmes, Editor, Advanced Carp Fishing

"We ordered our first consignment of Carp from VS Fisheries in 2006. In November 2007 they were delivered to our stock ponds, I have to say they were without doubt the best looking carp I have ever seen and we put in another order on the same day!"

Charles Thompson, Fisheries Manager, Boyer Leisure Ltd

"Very pretty fish, which will make a new generation for our future stocks and improve the genetics of existing stock should they breed successfully. We were able to hand pick the fish with the scale patterns we wanted from their clean water holding tanks with ease and at our leisure. I have known Viv and Simon for some time in various roles; as angling activists, lecturers in fisheries management and now fish farmers. With the stock they have they will be successful and continue to produce fish of exceptional quality."

Mike Heylin, Boxmoor & District AC

"When we received our first batch of fish from VS Fisheries we were so delighted with them that we ordered some more for delivery a few weeks later. Stunning, scaley and well-proportioned fish that we are more than pleased to introduce into Waveney. When we need fish again then we know who we will be calling."

Mr M Davis, Waveney Valley Lakes, Norfolk

"Sittingbourne Angling club had been trying to restock a couple of it's lakes for the past three years with the same quality strain as previous stocking's only to be let down time and time again by our previous supplier. Enough was enough and so we decided to look elsewhere and were pointed in the direction of VS Fisheries. After a very informative chat with Viv Shears, who was very helpful in discussing the best way forward in restocking our lakes, the club has decided to go ahead with the stocking due to the excellent and professional approach we received from VS Fisheries..."

Sittingbourne Angling Club

"Viv and Simon supplied us with exactly what we required, beautiful looking carp of the highest quality with growth rates that have more than exceeded our expectations. Their expert advice both before and since stocking has been invaluable."

Tim Smith, Fishery Manager, Llynclys Pool

"After investigating lots of potential fish suppliers I spoke to Viv Shears at VS FISHERIES as I was in search of 50 special carp for my new syndicate lake. The fish they supplied were a mix of lovely commons and mirrors with varying scaling and I was more than impressed with them when they arrived. The fish have been in my lake for two and a half years and are going from strength to strength. They have flourished and the best fish have put on in excess of 13lbs with around 10lbs being the average..."

Adam Cooper, Weavers Way Carp Syndicate, Norfolk

"The service that VS Fisheries provided to me and my brother when we were setting up the lake was first class. A site visit by Viv covered all areas of the sites development and stocking requirements plus other aspects that I had never considered. The post-consultancy service is amazing and despite peppering them with various questions over the last few months they have always come back promptly with their views and suggestions to solve our concerns. A first class service from a first class company."

Jeff Collins, Manager, Lake Juvansé, Wakeupfishing.com

"I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that Simon Scott and Viv Shears had teamed-up sell their own carp for the trade under the banner of VS Fisheries. Having previously received good advice for my own fishery from this experienced team, I had no hesitation in placing an early order in the autumn of 2006. VS Fisheries supplied us with around 30 fish which were well marked carp and from a proven parentage. We know these fish will develop good shape and bone structure with the deep shoulders that can help sustain weight and add strength over time. Running a fishery is not easy and there are many factors that can affect the progress of the fish and the fishing. Cutting corners is not an option for me especially when it involves my own lake and a life-times ambition. So, a reliable and experienced fish supplier is an imperative requirement for the success of a private syndicate such as ours. I have no hesitation in wishing VS Fisheries a great future. I will continue to purchase stock fish and seek their advice at all times"

John Baker, Whistley Mill Fishery

I would like to offer my congratulations to Viv and Simon for producing some of the best looking carp we have seen, with perfect length and proportions the fish I received in December 2008 were real belters and everyone at the Park Fishery syndicate are looking forward to seeing their progress in the coming year. The service does not stop there, both Viv and Simon have been there to answer all my questions and generally offer their valuable advice. Anyone looking to stock quality carp with hassle free service need look no further than VS Fisheries.

Mark Wickham, Park Fishery Syndicate, Sussex

"I have just received around 50 fabulous carp from VS fisheries to complement my existing stock, and all of them as good as their exceptional web site suggests. Not only were they in superb condition, but I also managed to get some virtually fully scaled mirrors, linears, near leathers, and commons all in one batch. The service was first class, down to earth and Viv and Simon both gave me more of their time and knowledge than I could have hoped for.

I have no doubts that these fish will become very sought after, and would recommend not only the fish, but Viv and Simons knowledge and helpfulness to anyone looking to build a quality fishery for the future."

Dave Marvell, Blakemere, Shropshire.

With a well established lake containing carp to over 40lb we decided to invest in a small number of top quality carp to ensure the long term future of the fishery as a specimen water. Our extensive research identified VS Fisheries as one of the few businesses able to supply carp to the quality we desired. The knowledgeable and friendly advice from Viv Shears helped us to finalise our plans, and a dozen stunning looking C4 carp were delivered in November 2008. The carp had a wide range of scale patterns making them easily identifiable, all beautifully proportioned with sturdy frames that makes us confident that they will steadily grow on to become the specimens of the future. From first contact through to delivery of the fish, VS Fisheries provided a very professional and helpful service.

Richard Bell, Shefford & District Angling Association

"Above and Beyond" springs to mind with the service I received from VS fisheries.

When I made my first tentative enquiry to Viv about a small number of carp for my genetic collection, I was met with total enthusiasm, unlike some carp farms where I was met with disdain.

The logistics of getting carp to the most northerly tip of mainland UK are frightful at times, yet Viv with quite a lot of difficulty and time consuming work finally managed to get the fish to me.

The fish were everything that I had hoped for, so much so I am now going to place further orders for my fishing lakes.

The enthusiasm that Viv and Simon share for the carp they farm means that when you purchase carp from them you get the best."

Frank Bojda. Owner and Manager Nipster Fisheries, Caithness, Highlands. Scotland.