Febuary

Despite the terrible weather we have been having again this month, the fishing has remained very good!

Brick lake has taken on some colour after the very heavy downpour’s but is clearing in a couple of days. Well, Stag and Spring have kept a very good level of clarity throughout the month.

The most productive fly seems to be the ever reliable Blue Flash Damsel and in particular the black BFD. Black and green have also been a good colour combination too.

With the slightly warmer days we have had some good spells of rising fish so dry flies have produced a few fish too. Perhaps Spring is finally on the way!!

January 2024

As we sit here in the Lodge in front of the roaring log burner sipping a hot chocolate, the whole fishery looks absolutely stunning dusted with morning frost.  We are of course looking forward to the temperatures reaching above 0° later this week as we have now had 2 days of practically fully frozen lakes which has been a real shame. The sun is out and is making good progress and the ducks and swans are keeping things moving as much as they can too. 

This weekend we are welcoming Spring Hill to Brick Farm for our home match of the Winter League (a multi-fishery League between Brick Farm, Spring Hill, Coltsford Mill and Chayleybeat Springs) so on Sunday 21st January Brick Lake will be closed until 1pm for the friendly competition.  The following Sunday, 28th January we will be hosting our next in-house monthly League where Brick and Spring Lakes will both be closed until 1pm.  All other waters remain open on both days. 

The fishing in the recent weeks has been really fantastic, with numerous fish over 4lb being caught.  The elusive ‘dolphin’ is still waving its dorsal fin at many anglers but hasn’t yet been landed.  Successful flies of recent are a real mixed box – with everything from the trusty Blue Flash Damsel or Cats Whisker getting takes to beaded Daddys and the log book reports many catches on “Phil’s fly”.  Our very own Phil is really getting into tying flies – they are often available to purchase on the counter and are proving to be the perfect flies for our Stillwater setup – various flies are available but they all seem to be well received by both angler and fish alike! 

New Year's Eve Festive Competition

On NYE we held our annual festive competition and it was a wonderful and enjoyable, albeit rather wet and windy, day. Thank you to the 34 anglers that joined us and thank you to everyone who brought raffle tickets which raised funds for our onsite defibrillator and also for Fishing for Schools.

After bacon rolls and a talk through the very relaxed rules for this friendly competition, there was a walk off draw to fish anywhere you like across the 4 lakes, the only caveat being that once you catch you must move at least 2 swims. A few anglers hooked into fish almost immediately and were quick to try and find another suitable swim. Others had never fished a competition before but everyone really enoljoyed the relaxed and friendly approach.

By the end of the day over 200lb of fish were landed(!) in what can only be described as very gusty and changeable conditions so well done everybody.

First place with a 3 fish bag of 12lb 1oz went to Ian Watts, whilst Mark Baker took the second place trophy with a bag weight of 9lb 10oz. Ian also won the trophy for the heaviest fish of 6lb 10oz - this was awarded by Charles Jardine in memory of the late Pat Camber who will be greatly missed in the fly fishing world.

Thank you once again to everyone who came along and donated to the fantastic causes.

December 2023

The weather has been much better recently with multiple dry days and even a few crisp frosty mornings. The Lakes have been fishing consistently well over the last few weeks and we have seen some great bags of fish coming out. Various flies have been successfully catching and some days it doesn’t seem to matter the pattern; it’s more about getting a fly in the right place. I cannot stress enough how important it is to move around whist fly fishing, try to watch the water and read what the fish are doing. More often than not they give their location away and also can give hints as to what they are feeding on too. Never be afraid to move to the fish, as there is definitely no guarantee they will come to you! The most productive flies of the last week have been the good old Cats Whisker closely followed by the ever reliable Blue Flash Damsel. The slight exception to this has been on the milder days when Diawl Bach and other small nymphs are catching well. This was proven in particular recently by Paul Latimer who had a stunning 7lb 8oz Rainbow from Spring lake on a small red Diawl Bach.

Eastbourne District Fly Fishers Club held their ‘Fur and Feather’ Christmas event with us when they enjoyed bacon rolls on arrival before heading out on 3 fish tickets followed by a festive lunch consisting of roast turkey and stuffing baps, roast potatoes and mince pies. Neil Cutmore was lucky enough to find the fish straight off the bat therefore fulfilling his bag within the first hour. EDFF’s newest and youngest member Jamie Blake soon followed with his 3 fish bag totalling 8lb which included a hard fighting rainbow of 3lb 9oz.

Brick Farm V Chalybeate - The 2 teams headed out around Brick Lake at 8.30am after a peg draw and the obligatory bacon and egg baps. A few anglers hooked fish almost immediately and throughout the morning more fish were fighting well and being landed and lost. Final results at 1pm were incredibly tight - with only 1 fish difference, and a total weight of only 1lb 13oz separating the teams, Brick Farm brought up the rear with a very healthy 48lb 1oz for 20 fish while Chalybeate took the top spot with 49lb 14oz for 21 fish! Top fish went to Rob Barden of Brick Farm at 7lb 4oz, and the best 4fish bag was caught by Chalybeate's Bob with 14lb 1oz! Well done everyone!!

Brick Farm League – This month’s match was well attended with 17 anglers joining us. After the ever welcome bacon baps, each angler drew their peg from the bag and headed out to await the whistle to start the match at 8.30am. Fishing appeared a little slow to start but it wasn’t long before Dean Baker arrived at the lodge just after 10am having caught his 4 fish closely followed by Danielle Adams. At the final whistle 12 anglers had bagged all 4 fish and the remaining anglers were all reporting multiple fish lost, some frustratingly right at the net and one on a double hook-up (a single dropper is allowed). Final results were very tight with just 3oz separating the top 3 spots this month. Dean Baker won this match with a bag totalling 9lb 3oz, Danielle Adams came in 2nd place with a 9lb 2oz bag and Ray Burt took the 3rd spot with a bag weight of 9lb 1oz. Once again well done to all!

On Sunday the 31st December we will be closed to day ticket anglers as we are holding our Annual Festive Competition. This is a relaxed competition open to all, followed by jacket potatoes in the lodge. Currently there are just a few spaces left so if you are interested in attending then please call the lodge ASAP on 01323 832615 to book your place or for more information.  There is a raffle running in the lodge to raise money for the upkeep to the on-site Defibrillator – we would be grateful for any tickets purchased. The draw will take place on the 31st December at this competition. 

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all or you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Let’s hope for lots of tight lines and some more consistent weather next year! 

November 2023

Rain and more rain mixed with some pretty strong winds! That sums up the weather recently pretty well. However, between this terrible weather (and also during for those who have been brave enough to join us) there has been some really great fishing. We are regularly hearing how the fish are fighting hard and putting up a good account for themselves.

The Lakes are now all full as you would expect and water temperatures are nice and cold. The fish are still being caught on a good mix of flies and techniques with Blue Flash Damsel in both black and olive and Cats Whiskers probably being the most common. However good results are still being had on smaller flies and nymphs as well as dry daddies when the weather allows.

The second of our League matches has now taken place during some of the aforementioned terrible weather. Thankfully we had a good number of competitors still join Mark and Lorraine on the day (Danni and myself were thinking of you all whilst enjoying the weather and sangria in Fuerteventura). Despite the conditions which included high and coloured water in Brick lake as well as rain and strong winds, the competition was won by Ray Burt with a 4 fish bag totalling 11lb 10oz, well done Ray. Second place went to Chad Goymer and third Mark Leeves. Well done and thanks go to all those who continue to join us with this competition. Special thanks also goes to the sponsors of the League - Long Man Brewery, Lost Lake Fly, Flyfishing Journal and Snowbee.

We have now set a date for our annual Festive Competition. As in previous years this competition is a very relaxed and friendly event with Bacon rolls served at 8.30am with peg draw for a walk off start – fishing from 9am to 1pm.  Catch and move at least 2 swims to allow fair angling for all. After the weigh-in, lunch will be served consisting of jacket potatoes served with cheese, beans and coleslaw. Followed by trophy presentation for 1st and 2nd place (total bag weight).

We hope to see as many of you as possible in the run up to Christmas, the kettle is on and the log burner lit!

Tight Lines

Phil

8 October 2023

Despite the sunnier days of early October, the nights are nice and cool and we’re seeing a nice gentle breeze so the water temperatures are now much closer to where we like them to be.  Anglers are catching on a real mixture of flies so a varied box is a must.  Stag Lake in particular seeing some nice fish coming out on dries such as Sedges & Hoppers.  Brick Lake is really benefiting from the recent maintenance with ‘Snake Cove’ having been opened up nicely less flies are being lost in the trees and actually making their way into the water to find the trout!  Fishing close to the margins with a washing line we’ve been seeing some lovely takes and watching the fight from the Lodge.  Cormorant flies and Nymphs fished alongside a Bobby are proving fateful for the fish.  Spring Lake is always a favourite for many of our regulars and with the addition of an air pump in the depths the fish are responding well.  And Well Lake is full and flowing - I always enjoy stopping the car on the way in to watch a fight when a trout is hooked on Well Lake!

We’ve been busy with beginners making the most of the good conditions – John and his grandson Jack had a lesson last week when John didn’t get a take but young Jack lost 6 and landed 2!  A fantastic morning’s work for his first time fly fishing and he is well and truly hooked on the sport, he came back yesterday to practice some more and is looking forward to doing some more in half term in a few weeks. 

20th September 2023

Following a difficult Summer, we are thrilled that the water temperatures are finally heading down and its clear that the fish are responding well.  Danny Kneller had a nice 4 fish bag last week – the biggest of which was a healthy 3lb 8oz.  Also Jeff Bray visited us whilst staying in the area for a couple of days – having caught his limit of 2 fish on his first day and landing 1 fish on day two he was very happy particularly given the strong winds he was presented with – well done Jeff! 

Phil’s diary has been jam-packed with either estate maintenance (on visiting, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s looking fantastic everywhere) and also plenty of coaching sessions.  We always love to see people giving fly fishing a go and everyone who tries it is always thrilled when they hook into their first trout.  A 2hr lesson with Phil, including equipment hire and a 1fish ticket is as little as £60 for one person and only £90 for 2 people – 2hrs is enough to learn all the casting techniques needed for a full day of fly fishing.  Autumn is a particularly good time to give it a go as the water temperatures are falling and the fish are hungry and fighting well.  A voucher for a coaching session makes a fantastic gift too!

Sunday 24th September marks our first Brick Farm League match of this season so Brick and Spring Lakes will be closed until 1pm.  Following the success of last year’s competition we are excited to see some fantastic fish from some fantastic anglers, backed by our brilliant League sponsors (see our website and social media for details, and do get in touch if you’d like to be involved).  Good luck to all involved! 

1st July 2023

Thankfully last winter was nice and cold and despite the warmer temperatures of recent the lakes are faring much better than they were this time last year.  On the fishing front, fish are being caught predominantly in the earlier hours of the days, but that said there are of course times throughout the day when we get a short cloud cover and the fish liven briefly, or they’re being caught out by a passing fly that catches their eye. Despite some unpredictable feeding, bags are still being filled by those lucky enough to be picking the right fly just at the perfect time. Generally speaking small natural flies such as Buzzers, Black Pennells and Diawl Bach are proving the most fruitful.

The forecast for the next week or so is looking more favourable once again so don’t forget where we are – the kettle is always hot and the fish are always in the water - we are still stocking frequently!

April 2023 Update

Time for a rather long overdue update – apologies on that front.  To summarise, the fishing has been fantastic, but the weather has been temperamental at best!!  The changeable conditions have resulted in some good sport though, and the challenge of Angler V’s Trout has been a fight to watch.   

Most Anglers are catching their quota but not all are finding the fish too easily.  The trout seem to be up and down like yoyo’s and have not really settled into the spring season at all.  Even now, coming towards the end of April, we are getting night temperatures down to 6 degrees!  This is resulting in the fish still chasing Cats-whiskers but also falling to the odd buzzer too as the daytime sun warms things up a little, oh and don’t forget the black tadpole in between as there are thousands of them currently in the lakes, particular Stag Lake where the margins can be seen moving in black clouds.   

On the plus side all lakes are still full of water and the water temperatures are still low.  The fish are fighting very well and some of the powerful runs are causing fish to be lots.  Don’t forget to check those leaders for wind knots! 

We were pleased to host a Fishing 4 Schools fundraising day recently – Massive thanks to everyone who came along or donated raffle prizes.  Despite the forecasts, the weather was kind to us and everyone was smiling.  The biggest fish was caught by young Henry Cullen weighing 5lb 13oz and the best 3 fish bag weighed 12lb 13oz and was won by Terry Woodman.  After £5 from each ticket sold, raffles, mini competitions and donations, we are thrilled to have raised a total of £1,198 for Fishing for Schools – money which will go a long way to support the amazing work the charity does and help to get young people out of the classroom and into the countryside, developing confidence and learning new skills.

February 2023

February has been a fantastic month in terms of the weather conditions for fly fishing – we are lucky to be in a little valley of our own and often have our own weather report which can be very different to local towns and seafronts.  The wind hasn’t been too challenging and we are thrilled that there has been some positive uptake on coaching in the last couple of weeks.  As you probably know by now, Phil is a Level 2 qualified fly fishing coach and has been offering a fantastic deal on lessons including equipment and fish ticket.  Most recently Phil coached a couple, Pete and Sara, who after some casting practice chose their own flies and both caught during their lesson!  They were very excited for their first trout caught on the fly which weighed 3lb 3oz and 2lb 7oz and were heading home for BBQ trout for their dinner!  Ashraf also had a lesson with Phil in which he caught 2 fish and was excited to purchase a #7 Snowbee Classic rod kit to take home to Malaysia with him! 

A reminder of our upcoming Fishing for Schools Fundraising event which we are hosting on 1 April – Charles Jardine will be joining us for the day to offer tips and advice or just for a friendly chat!  Fishing tickets will be limited to 35 anglers, and a few non fishing guests so please do get in touch to secure your spot on the day. We will be holding a F4S raffle, so any prize donations will be greatly welcomed even if you are not able to join us on the day.  We will also be holding a casting accuracy competition, casting distance competition, best 3 fish bag and biggest fish on the day so it’ll be a fun filled fundraising day! 

Our monthly Brick Farm League was once again a good match this month, with the top spot being won by Bob Hussey with a 4 fish bag totalling 13lb 7oz.  Bob thought he was in line for the largest fish of the match too as he had a nice 6lb rainbow, but he was pipped to the post by Peter Winder with a fish of 6lb 5oz, and Peter also was awarded second place this month.  The overall standings are tight, and with 3 matches left this League there is a lot to contend for.