May 2012 fishing report
With the wettest drought since time began firmly settled over Sussex and the forced postponement of our first Open Day you would think that we would all be very despondent here at Brick Farm Lakes, but not so.
The call of the cuckoo has heralded in the wonderful dry fly season with the magical mayfly hatch expected any day. With tadpoles in the margins, flies on the surface and the extended daylight hours some before or after work fishing is not to be missed!
We continue to stock regularly with brown and rainbow trout averaging 2lb up to 10lb and the recent heavy rainfall has brought the fish onto enthusiastic feeding with strong takes and acrobatic fights.
Floating and intermediate lines are both working well at the moment and the most productive flies have been Buzzers, Montanas, Cats, Tadpoles and Damsels.
Both Well Lake and Brick Lake here are fishing well, so whether you prefer deep , clear water or darker more shallow swims with more natural cover you are well catered for at Brick Farm Lakes.
Despite the weather, catch rates have remained an impressive 85% with the majority of anglers catching their full bag. Recent good catches include a 5lb 4oz rainbow by Darren Peters from Eastbourne on a Gold Head, a 4lb 9oz rainbow by Peter Clare from Tunbridge Wells on a Black, a 4lb rainbow by Mr D Cooper from Hailsham on a Viva, a 3lb 8oz rainbow by Keith Abbott from Eastbourne on a Montana, a 2lb brown by Michael Sellings from Pevensey on a Montana and a 3lb 8oz rainbow by Mr A Parmenter from Bexhill caught on an Olive Warrior. Also several anglers have reported sighting a “good 5lb” brownie surfacing in the margins. How tempting is that!!
We are pleased to announce two COMPLETE beginner days to be run in association with the Environment Agency as part of their angling development program. The first for adults on Thursday 21st June and the other for juniors on Wednesday 25th July. This will be an excellent opportunity to introduce a partner, friend or youngster to the sport with first class qualified coaching and tips from the experts. Please ring Sophie or Keith for more details, but hurry as spaces will be limited.
As I mentioned our open day had to be postponed until next year but we still, with the support of the Eastbourne and District Fly Fishing club, raised more than a staggering £800 for the re-build of the Herstmonceux Scout Group hut that was recently burnt down. So a big thank you to all involved.
Finally, despite desperately severe conditions a round of applause to Mr Peter Winder (our PAA coach here at Brick Farm) for a valiant effort in the 2012 Troutmasters final held at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire on Monday 14th May. The weather was so bad that he had to bail the boat out twice!! Only a few locals and professional anglers were able to catch with about 90% of participants catching nothing. It was no doubt a very difficult year so our hats off to Peter for fishing where no other anglers feared to tread!!
Our wonderful licenced lodge continues to offer both comfort and excellent refreshments with the added bonus of fishermans all day breakfasts. It’s just the job to set you up for a day’s fishing.