Report - 8 November 2020

We are certainly now in a more favourable season for trout fishing, and with the recent announcement of another lockdown we are pleased that the government agrees that angling is a solitary sport and there are no problems with social distancing so we can remain open!  We have had to make some slight adjustments for this current lockdown by way of not serving any refreshments from the Lodge.  This is unfortunate for some as I know many of you really enjoy our bacon rolls and a nice cup of tea, but it’s definitely great to be open as a fishery.  Access to the Lodge is still limited, and will remain so for some time, but you can still purchase flies and tackle and record your catches which help us with restocking.  We are still stocking weekly, and are continuing to see regular larger fish being caught.  We have a new record for Brick Farm Lakes since we took over last year – Peter Simmons landed a stunning brown trout weighting 10lb 8oz out of Spring Lake!  He caught it using a sinking line with a bobby which shows that the fish are still deep at times.  Other stand out catches of recent include Keith Farmer with a nice 9lb brown and Tony Benton who had a 9lb 13oz rainbow – both were caught on a competition day held by Kent Police where they cumulatively landed 27 fish with a total weight of 88lb 6oz and an average weight of 3lb 4oz! 

The Fishing for Schools event has been cancelled on 14 November due to government restrictions on competitions, and so we will be open to the public on that day as normal. 

Catches over 3lb 8oz for this report:
Alan Franks - 9.13lb
Tim Tyrrell - 8.2lb
Ivor Smith - 7.4lb
C.McWilton - 6.10lb
Tim Tyrrell - 6.10lb
Brian Wood - 6.5lb
M.Clark - 6lb
C.Mick - 5lb
P.Hunter - 5lb
M.Bristow - 4.8lb
D.Fullager - 4.7lb
N.Mold - 4.4lb
Tim Ashnom - 4.4lb
P.Clementson - 4.4lb
A Hurdle - 3.12lb
Mike Shine - 3.8lb
Graham Goddard - 3.8lb
D. McCabe - 3.8lb
Richard Larkin - 3.8lb

Report - 22 October 2020

October has seen temperatures remaining low.  The leaves are just starting to drop which has peaked the interests of some of the trout as they can regularly be seen patrolling the floating leaves hoping to find an easy meal amongst them! 
We are yet to have a frost but they can’t be far away.  The squirrels are frantically running around each day collecting the fallen acorns and stashing them ready for the imminent winter. 
Congratulations to Brian Wood for catching one of our prize Albino trout which weighed 3.6lb as well a lovely 6.1lb rainbow! 
Fishing has remained fairly consistent over the last couple of weeks.  All lakes are fishing well and producing fish most days. 
There have again been numerous large fish caught, listed below are again the most successful over 3½lb.  These include a couple of stand out catches, being Chloe landing an 7.8lb rainbow on her 14th birthday outing.  Also Mark Denman from Eastbourne District Fly Fishers caught a stunning 9.7lb brown from the far end of Brick Lake on a daddy long legs. 
We are continuing to stock weekly including larger fish most weeks and the odd albino mixed in which are still rewarded with a 2fish ticket for use on your next visit. 
Please note we have a Fishing for Schools event on 14 November.  This is a pairs competition and anglers of all age and ability are encouraged and welcome to participate.  If you are new to competitive fly-fishing this is an ideal opportunity to experience a unique event in a relaxed and informal setting.  We will be closed on this day for the private function – if you would like any more information please email r.p.barden@btinternet.com or call the Lodge for bookings. 

Notable catches: 
3.8lb – Peter Finnis
3.12lb – Graham Goddard and C.Smart  
4lb – C.Farley, Mark Donaldson and G.Manley
4.4lb – Peter Buss
4.8lb – C.Blackman and A.Mortimer
4.9lb – K.Lee
4.10lb Brown – Matt Robbins
5lb – J.Elkins
6.1 – Brian Wood
6.4lb Brown – Caroline Cutmore
6.4lb – W.Hardy
7.8lb – Chloe
9.7lb – Mark Denman

Weekly Report - 1 October 2020

We are now beginning to see some good amounts of rain coming through which will always be welcome in relation to pond levels following the recent dry spells, October has also brought with it a mass of Daddy Long Legs as can be seen not only from the surrounding areas, but also the log book with catch reports.

The last week or so has seen some very good catches including the following all over 3lb 12oz…

3.12lb – Mike Richardson, Rob Barden, M.Lane and Colin Cornford
3.14lb – Brian Brawn
4lb – I.Harris and John Lindley
5.9lb – Peter Finnis
6.8lb – Ashley Singer
6.12lb – P.Johnson
7.3lb – Dennis Wellman
7.4lb – Mick Pass
And fish of the moment goes to Derek Hill will a lovely 8.3lb! 

Weekly Report - 16 September 2020

The last week has seen some un-September-like weather, but thankfully for the fishing we aren’t getting several hot days in a row and the cooler nights and overcast days are ensuring that the fishing remains good. 

This week’s fish of the week was caught by Paul Doin with his catch of 4.8lb, closely followed by Peter Buss with 4.4lb and P.Buick with 4lb exactly.  Other notable catches include A.Norry who landed a good 3.8lb and Ian Workman, A.McLoan and S.Dawson each catching fish weighing 3.4lb. 

Successful flies continue to include damsels and buzzers but we are beginning to see some good catches on daddies and black ants too so it is clear that Autumn is well and truly on the way! 

We continue to be stocking weekly and now that the water temperatures are getting back to where we like them, we are regularly going to be putting in some larger fish, including several over 8lb so we are excited to see these coming out in the coming weeks! 

Weekly Report - 9 September 2020

Fishing continues to be very good with some good bags this week – notably Ray Burt with a 4 fish bag of 14.15lb the largest of which was 6.9lb – well done Ray!  Other notable fish of the week were Dudo Rae at 4.1lb, Colin Penfold at 4lb, A Singer with 3.12lb, David Harris & Steve Novis both with 3.8lb and Simon Price with a fish of 3.2lb.  By far the best fly of the week was the Damsel in its various guises.  Other significant flies include buzzers, diawl bach, cat’s whiskers and black and green lures. 

Tuesday 8th marked 1 year since we opened the gate and we ran a special offer of free ticket upgrades.  It was fantastic to see so many regular as well as new faces join us for the day and there was some great fishing to be had.  Fish of the day was caught by Paul Strevens – a lovely fish of 4lb.  The rod average for a 3 fish ticket was the day was 1.6

Weekly Report - 3 September 2020

Getting back to the weekly reports – after the hot spell and now that the weather has turned cooler, the fishing has picked up dramatically with some good bags being caught, notably a 3 fish limit of 10.4lb which included the largest fish of the week at 4.12lb caught by Simon Price.  Second largest fish of the week was caught by David Goldsmith weighing in at 4lb, closely followed by a fish of 3.9lb caught by John Inch.  Most successful flies at the moment include damsels, daddies, buzzers, montanas, cat’s whiskers and sedges.  Even though the evenings are drawing in, there are some really good rises and good fishing to be had!

Tuesday 8th September marks exactly 1 year since we opened the gates at Brick Farm Lakes - to mark to occasion and thank you all for your support, we will be offering a free ticket upgrade on all tickets, for example if you buy a 3 fish ticket then we will upgrade it to a 4 fish ticket for free. This offer is only for Tuesday 8th September and excludes voucher purchases.

Thank you all for your support over the last 12 months - here's to looking forward.

Weekly report - 20 July 2020

Cooler weather and even some rain has helped and the water temperatures have dropped slightly.  Fishing has been good, with lots of fish coming out.  On Saturday 18th Peter Johnson had 3 fish and purchased 3 additional fish ending the day with 6 fish to 3½lb all from Spring Lake.  On 16th Mr Clarke enjoyed a successful day catching his 3 fish including a lovely rainbow of 4lb 13oz.  On 12th Lee Holden caught his 3 fish from Brick Lake with a total bag weight of 10lb 4oz including a 6lb rainbow, caught on various flies in the changeable conditions. 

In general buzzers are still working well down deeper and when the fish are coming up in the water both damsels and montana have proved to be fruitful. 

During the day we are seeing various rises when the cloud comes over.  Most evenings have seen fish rising consistently in all lakes, with some great sport being had on the dry flies including Sedgehogs and Snatchers. 

Weekly Report - 6 July 2020

Yet again we had a strange week weather wise - it started off a little better with some cooler days and then the wind really picked up and was gusting in all directions providing for some challenging casting.  Again Spring Lake seemed to be the general favourite amongst our anglers wish the majority of fish early in the week being caught down in the depths.  However the last few days have thrown everything you would think into the air and literally blown it in every direction possible.  As always Damsels have been catching and also small buzzers, but blobs and boobies have proved fruitful too, particularly at the far end of Brick Lake.  Despite a recent quiet spell, Well Lake has started to produce some catches again in the last day or so, notably on a retrieve with a fast stripping action.  The largest fish for this week was a 3 ½ lb rainbow caught by Mr Richardson from Brick Lake on 3rd July despite it being a windy day.  3 other 3lb fish were caught by Lee, Nigel Hayden and Tim Smith. 

Weekly report – 29 June 2020

Last week was a funny one weather-wise which reflected in the fishing.  Earlier in the week it was very bright and warm, which whilst nice for the partners who came along to enjoy the scenery, it did reflect with the fishing being more challenging - this is where fishing to the conditions is really important.  Spring Lake is 24ft deep so the fish will be down at 18ft +.  Fishing deep with a slow retrieve proved to be essential for a good catch, particularly using black buzzers on your main fly, with some catching on a Daddy at the top of a very long leader!  As always blue flash damsels proved popular, particularly in the evenings.  Again our Saturday morning 5am early opening proved popular and well received with several anglers catching well before the usual 7.30am start!  The end of the week has brought some cooler weather, cloud cover and slight winds which has reflected in the fishing somewhat picking up.  The forecast for the following week is looking to continue on the cooler and cloudier side so there should be some good fishing.  Despite the warmer weather we are currently still managing to get a stock in weekly so as always there are plenty of fish to be caught! 

MAY UPDATE

WE ARE NOW BACK OPEN!

As of 7.30 on the 13th May we have been able to reopen with additional safety measures in place. Please read the new notice board on your way into the estate, you cannot miss it!

We are currently faced with difficult times given the Covid-19 pandemic and in line with Government restrictions and guidelines from The Angling Trust and the Institute of Fishery Management, we unfortunately had to close our gates to the public in March.  As angling has being included in the first lot of UK relaxations we are now open and are looking forward to seeing you get back to the bank and enjoy some fresh air.

The last few weeks or so for us have been filled with maintenance, predator checks and fishery improvements (there are certainly worse places to be isolating!)

The Lodge itself has been cleaned and treated (with the “help of the children as I am sure you can imagine).  It took a few days between cleaning, sanding and treating, and the window frames are still to be done, but I’m sure that once you see it you will agree that it is much softer and almost blends into the surroundings.  Even Alfie enjoyed “painting” the railings with water! 

The path to the side of Brick Lake has been widened, flattened and is much more accessible.  The swims around Brick Lake have been cleared and are more casting friendly so hopefully this will make things more enjoyable now you are able to get your rods out again! 

Everywhere has been mowed and is looking nice and neat. We have also cleared huge amounts of weed from the ponds!  

There has been some good movement on the lakes and the fish have been regularly rising throughout the day. We have observed some great hatches of Buzzers, Blue Damsels and even some May Fly!  I posted a photo on Facebook of some lovely Coot chicks which are on Stag Lake and the children were thrilled that the Easter Bunny came out of isolation to hide some eggs for them.  We have been doing our best to make sure that everything is healthy and neat for your return and have scared a few cormorants off and thankfully the fish are still in great condition (sorry – that’s an isolation perk of ours in having the lakes, but it’s not been for pleasure – purely stock checking!)  The early morning checks certainly aren’t hard work when there are such lovely views awaiting. 

Now we have been given the go ahead to open again, there will be social distancing measures in place and we ask that at all times when you are on site you keep a distance from other anglers.  We are operating a 1 in 1 out system for the Lodge and ask anglers to use the outside toilet facilities rather than indoor as access will be to the log book only.  We won’t be serving any food until cafes and restaurants are given the OK to reopen so please bring a packed lunch with you can still enjoy a day out. We do have some confectionary available such as chocolate bars and flapjack. You will still be able to make use of the free tea & coffee we offer to anglers, but in order to limit the use of the kettle we will happily make drinks for you.  For those of you that would rather, we are happy for you to telephone us from the car park and we will complete a ticket for you and can take payment over the phone – we just ask that you call us again before you leave so we can complete the catch report on your behalf.

Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you again soon!