July 2022

Generally speaking, fly fishing is as you’d expect for this time of year and the conditions. Fish are still being caught but it isn’t as prolific as cooler months. Small buzzers or even dries can be fruitful more so in the mornings or evenings. Don’t forget, we are running a special 1 fish ticket for July & August – for only £20, with additional fish at £12 each.

Yesterday, 17 July, we hosted our first Brick Farm Lakes Ladies Day.  24 people joined us – mostly ladies, but with the odd male guest also here, the day started with tea, coffee, fresh pastries and fruit.  The sun was incredibly strong throughout the day, but with complimentary cold water and scheduled refreshment and shade stops, everyone was well looked after.  Top casting instruction for the complete beginners was given on the grass by Stag Lake before lunch and roaming coaches gave advice to other anglers on the water. After lunch, everyone went back out to put what they had learnt into practice on the water.  8 fish were caught on the day but many were hooked and lost in the fight – honestly, more than we had expected with the weather forecast!  Everyone left with smiles and a breadth of knowledge gained. 

 Our next Ladies Day (plus guests) will be held on Saturday 1 October so if you have ever fancied giving fly fishing a go then this really is the perfect opportunity to learn in a relaxed and friendly environment.  Places are limited so please give us as call at the Lodge on 01323 832615 to sign up – the cost will be £52 per person to include onsite coaching, tea/coffee, breakfast & lunch. 

SPECIAL OFFERS - SUMMER 2022

From 1st July to 31st August we will be offering a 1 fish ticket for only £20.  We think this limited ticket will be a welcome choice for many across the warmer days, and of course the option to purchase Additional Fish at £12 each still stands so 2 fish would not be any more expensive than if you had purchased a 2 fish ticket at the outset.  Don’t forget though, you’re paying for the ability to catch fish, it is not guaranteed.  We will always offer advice and suggestions based on what has been catching well recently but we cannot force the fish to feed!  Last Summer we were fortunate enough to learn that Spring Lake’s depth means the water is still a reasonable temperature for the trout so we will be continuing to stock weekly throughout the warmer weeks this year too! 

From 1st July to 20th August we will be offering an evening special for groups of 5 or more anglers.  Gather a few friends together and with arrival from 4pm onwards, each member of your group will be able to have:

• A 1 fish ticket, BBQ (burger in a bun, hotdog, potato salad & a green salad) plus a Long Man beer (or soft drink) for only £30pp

• A 2 fish ticket, BBQ (as above) plus a Long Man beer (or soft drink) for only £40pp. 

This evening special must be pre-booked and is not available for walk-ins - please call the Lodge on 01323 832615 to book. 

May 2022

We are now in one of the best seasons for fly fishing for trout and the recent catches reflect this – we’re seeing much more being caught on the more natural flies such as buzzers and dries, as well as pheasant tail nymphs and smaller versions of the ever popular blue flash damsel. 

We are still stocking weekly, with top up stocks throughout the week so there is always a good head of fish in the water.  It’s the perfect time to get newbies into the sport of fly fishing because we’re not having to fight strong winds and can often see the fish rising nicely – we’re beginning to see some lovely Mayfly hatches so a beginner can really see and understand what the fish are doing naturally and learn to mimic the same in their own retrieves. 

We have now extended the spaces available for our first ever ‘Ladies Day’ perfect for anyone who might like to give fly fishing a go in comfortable and relaxed surroundings, with other female anglers and expert tuition.  BUT IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE LADIES – this event is also open to couples so it is a great way to get your wife or partner to have a go – it's the perfect opportunity to #GetFishing.  Proudly sponsored by Snowbee UK Ltd there is a £100 Snowbee voucher to be won on the day (t&cs apply).  Please call Danni on 01323 832615 or message via Facebook to book places for you and your friends!  See our homepage for the event poster.

Notable catches of recent include, but are not limited to: 
Alistair Bell who landed a stunning 9lb 7oz Brownie from Spring Lake on a yellow damsel – despite a harsh easterly wind Alistair was thrilled to catch 2 fish for 11lb 8oz,
Ashley Singer was thrilled with an 8lb 2oz rainbow from Spring Lake,
James Stone caught a nice 9lb 4oz Brownie from Brick Lake on Easter Sunday,
Ian Robertston had a huge 12lb 14oz Brown from Well Lake on a Cats Whisker on Bank Holiday Monday,
L Smallwood, had a 6lb 12oz fish from Well Lake on a nymph, and

In other news Mark Leeves hooked into something a little different on Stag Lake – after fighting for more than 30minutes, with several other anglers putting their rods down to watch, he finally landed a real beauty of a Grass Carp which weighed in at 22lb 8oz!!!  To catch this on a fly was amazing, and Mark is very happy with his new PB carp. 

February 2022

February has been a very changeable month weather wise! The recent storms have of course brought some challenging casting conditions. We even took the decision to close on the Friday due to the red and yellow weather warnings! Thankfully though our regular anglers have been sensible with where to fish during these windy days – Brick Lake has been producing some lovely fish, particularly in “snake cove” where the fish sometimes tend to be for shelter and a good amount of food. 

Generally speaking Cats Whiskers are still proving fruitful as are Damsels, but we are seeing an increasing number of fish being caught on the more natural looking flies such as buzzers, particularly when the sky is clear and the day is bright.  We will always offer advice in the Lodge and the log book is available for your perusal. 

There have been many incredible “Brick Farm Biggies” caught of recent, including Mark Baker who was rewarded with a lovely 10lb 3oz rainbow during our Brick Farm League. Regular angler Peter Clarke had a beautifully coloured rainbow of 9lb 12oz, Leigh Fullager caught a 9lb 4oz Brownie on a self-tied green fritz yellow lure, Tim Tyrrell had an 8lb 4oz Brown from Spring lake whilst braving the strong winds. In the days after the storms the lakes really came alive, possibly due to the ‘rest’ they had had due to the reduced angling. Scott Morley had a brilliant 10lb 8oz Brownie on a Cats whisker, Richard Carter used the ever reliable BFD and bagged himself another lump of a brownie weighing in at 11lb 13oz! Simon had a fin perfect 12lb 12oz Brown (our new Brick Farm record) and finally Graham Jenner was rewarded with a Rainbow that had eluded several anglers over the past few weeks which weighed in at 11lb 14oz. These are just the top of the weights with many others being caught on a daily basis.

We are now coming into the prime season for fly fishing for trout, so if anyone is thinking of taking up the sport, we would suggest a lesson with one of our recommended qualified coaches – details of whom can be found on the Coaches page.  The Spring months and early Summer are a fantastic time to learn as the conditions are really suitable with cold water and an abundance in natural food to mimic with the fly. 

We recently held the 49th Annual General Meeting for local club Eastbourne & District Fly Fishers Club – the group of keen anglers have a vast breadth of knowledge and are always happy to give advice to newbies.  They offer a good annual programme of events throughout the year at various venues which are popular – the social side of fishing with other like-minded anglers partnered with the friendly competitions mean it is a great club to be a part of, and with full membership being only £15 for the year (reduced for juniors) it’s great value.  Please contact the club if you are interested in joining them – we are proud to be their home venue for another year and look forward to the year ahead with them.  Email: edffc2016@gmail.com and give their Facebook page a Like to be kept up to date.   

January 2022

We have had some lovely weather of recent, and some lovely fish to prove it!  We are enjoying the crisp mornings and the fish are responding well to the fresher water – they’re hungry for all sorts, from hot headed cat’s whiskers and the ever popular blue flash damsel to buzzers and even the odd fish has been caught on the dry!  The fish are generally higher in the water, but intermediate lines are still giving an attractive presentation too. 

Newick Crown Fly Fishers visited us for a group day early in the new year, and Mr Mace caught an 8lb 9oz Brownie on a damsel – celebrated by him buying a round of beers for his group from our fully stocked bar.  That said, our 2022 diary is now open and we are beginning to get some bookings for group days, so if you would like to visit with some friends or for an event, please give Danni a call in the Lodge on 01323 832615 to make sure we have everything in to cater for you!

Other notable catches of recent include:
W Matthews - 4lb 2oz
J Smith - 4lb 5oz
M Doherty - 8lb 12oz
P Clarke - 9lb 12oz
P Clarke - 5lb
P Clarke - 4lb 2oz
P Mason - 10lb 8oz (brownie)
J Lutkin - 10lb 12oz
D Innes - 4lb
D Wellman - 5lb
M Burnage - 5lb 4oz
A Fretwell - 4.12oz (spartic)
A Wood - 4lb 8oz
N Wiles - 8lb (brownie)
R Tayoll - 4lb 8oz
Y Southern - 4lb
M Farley - 5lb 4oz

Also, 4 year old Harry Nicholas was in charge of the retrieve and caught a great 3lb (rainbow) from Stag lake!

December 2021

Firstly, sorry for the lack of updates recently! Unfortunately, due to one thing and another we have not been very good at keeping the website updated. I think a new year’s resolution needs to be at least a fortnightly update on here! However, we do update the Facebook page and Instagram as and when things happen so this is usually several times a week, if you are on social media please do give us a like or follow!

We are now well into the winter period however the weather is somewhat sporadic still as it has been throughout the autumn. The leaves have finally dropped apart from the odd oak and the weed has died back considerably. We are having some fantastic fishing now the lakes have all cooled down with some fantastic larger fish too. Stocking is still weekly to keep the fishing as consistent as possible and we have now started to stock Spartic trout too, these are a cross between Arctic Char and Brook trout.

As for maintenance this time of year, things do change direction a little. The mower and strimmer have been put away for the winter but the chainsaw, loppers and shovel have come out. Now the leaf has all dropped and we can see what branch reaches where it is an ideal time to work round all the swims giving them their annual trim and tidy.

Notable catches in the last two weeks include the following:

P Clarke – 5lb 8oz
R Burt – 4lb 2oz Spartic
P Clarke – 7lb 8oz Brown
C Fagg – 4lb
D Kitney – 4lb 8oz
D Turner – 4lb 12oz
R Burt – 5lb 2oz
J Barker – 5lb
Pat – 5lb 15oz Brown
Matt – 8lb 14oz Brown
C Nunn – 7lb
B Black - 8lb
A Wood – 5lb 4oz Brown
R Barker – 4lb
W Thomas – 4lb
A Franks – 8lb 10oz

Mr P Clarke had a fantastic day on the 12th catching his 6 fish for a total weight of 20lb 8oz including a 7.8lb brown and a 3.8lb Spartic.

In general, the fish are far more active again now and can regularly be seen chasing fry. As a result of this the ‘cat’s whisker’ has been fishing very well as has the old faithful ‘blue flash damsel’ in both the olive and black varieties.

June 2021

Once again hello from all of us here at Brick Farm Lakes. We are suddenly in June and the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer! As a result of this and the unusually cold April, the flora seems to be growing faster than ever and everything is now a very lush green. All the water based plants are looking fantastic with the rushes and reeds that were planted on Spring lake last year starting to develop and spread. The usual weed in brick lake along the western bank is back but we are keeping this maintained as much as possible so as to keep the areas in front of the stands as clear as we can. This weed is absolutely full of natural pond life including damselflies, dragonflies, pond skaters, snails and water beetles and therefore drawing the trout closer to the margins. Phil has even invested in a wet suit so he is not so limited on the depth whilst trying to cut the weed!

We have a pair of Canada Geese that have decided that Spring lake is a good place to raise their 4 goslings so please give them a little space whilst fishing. They don’t appear to be causing any issues and are happy to move out of your way if given a few seconds to do so.

Graham has enjoyed getting the mower back out and is regularly keeping everywhere looking neat and tidy.  We will also now begin to start stimming around the lakes however generally we like to do this in sections to maintain a varied level of growth and therefore insect and fly life around the estate.

Notable catches of recent include the following:
F Bloomfield - 5.12lb
R Barden - 5.9lb
N Cepulis – 7.7lb
R Davis – 9.12lb
T Tyrrell – 8.3lb Brown
B Hussey – 9.12lb
D Goldsmith – 8.4lb Brown
M Emery 7.11lb Brown

The log book is showing that Blue Flash Damsels and Montanas remain the most successful flies. Cats’ Whisker seems to have quietened down a lot now as expected due to the increase in water temperature. However, for this same reason we are seeing regular hatches throughout the day and dry flies such as small Claret Hoppers and Shuttecock Buzzers are producing well, especially in the evenings when it cools slightly. We have even had some Mayfly hatches on both Stag and Spring lakes! 

May 2021

Here we are, finally back to a near-normal in the way of fishing.  With travel restrictions now lifted some of our regulars who travel a little further have been able to visit us rather than simply seeing the photos on social media of those who live closer to us with their great catches.  Also the return of club competitions has shown groups including Eastbourne & District Fly Fishers Club and Sussex Police Fly Fishers return for their greatly missed friendly competitions.  The kitchen is once again open, albeit for outdoor dining only, but that does mean that our ever popular bacon & egg baps are back on the menu!  Since my last report fishing has been great with some really lovely and hard-fighting fish being caught.  Successful flies include the usual Blue Flash Damsels, Cat’s Whiskers if we have a little rain and some wind, black & green and black & orange.  Don’t be afraid to use buzzers, particularly with droppers, as this really is providing some fantastic sport with fantastic results at the moment.  With the evenings a little longer we are beginning to see some rises, particularly on Stag Lake so some good dry fly fishing can be had in the right conditions. 

Most notable catches of recent are 15yr old Benjamin Gipsom who landed a gorgeous 9.12lb rainbow, and Tim Tyrrell with a lovely 9.7lb rainbow.  Fish over 5lb go in the lakes every week so there is always a chance you could claim the top spot.  This report’s leader board spans a longer than usual timeframe but we will be getting back to normal again with weekly or bi-weekly reports resuming: 

Benjamin Gipsom 9.12lb
Tim Tyrrell 9.7lb
Mr Franks 9.6lb
Peter Clarke 9.2lb
Peter Sandgrove 9lb
Des Watson 8.13lb
Brian 8.11lb
Mr Walker 8.6lb
Peter Buss 8.5lb
Chris 8.4lb + 6lb
Dean Burgess 8.4lb
Nerijus 8.2lb + 7.10lb + 6lb
Caroline Cutmore 8lb
Patrick Bowles 7.12lb + 7.12lb
Brian Wood 6.12lb
Peter Finnis 6.4lb
Mr Bennet 6lb

February 2021

With lockdown 3.0 in full swing, many anglers are unable to make the most of the fantastic conditions of late – we have had some frost and since the thaw the temperatures have really improved and the fish are responding fantastically.  A few hardy regulars were rewarded well when they braved frozen lakes with not much choice of where to fish from, but the fish were keen for the fly and there were a few 5lb+ fish being caught during the challenging conditions. 
We are continuing to stock regularly, and it has been fantastic to see local people coming in as novice fly fishermen and returning each week with more well-earned confidence and the fish to prove it! 
In the last week there have been numerous fish caught over 3lb, with the biggest of the week weighing 8.3lb which was caught by Kevin, who incidentally is our new, additional, fly supplier.  There are now 2 cubes in the Lodge filled with flies so there is plenty of choice!  On the mention of flies – most successful at the moment are, as you would expect: olives, nymphs, blue flash damsels & cat’s whiskers, although there have been some fantastic catches on bright pink at times too!