Caroline's report for July

Ok… it is now officially, according to the MET office, the start of summer… so what do we get chucked at us? The worst storm and wild weather to hit the South East since the storm of 6th June 1870 which apparently cost the life of Thomas Pierce and presumably many other sailors “in sight of home” according to the memorial plaque in the church yard in Pevensey. When I read the words etched on it a while ago I did a double take, the 6th of June by chance is our birthday, and my identical twin sister and I (Yes, sorry, I know it’s hard to take in but there are indeed two of us!) growing up, were always blessed with  wonderful weather for our Big Day. Surely at the start of a British summer we could never have had such terrible storm force winds. Perhaps the engraver made some awful mistake and suffered a severe slip of his chisel when he was working and this terrible tragedy really happened in January, his mistake going unnoticed for 147 years.  I know, highly unlikely! While I stood and pondered at the time, I tried to imagine what particular set of strange meteorological, astrological or even mystical circumstances had come together on this particular June 6th. The poor sods must have set sail full of confidence for an easy passage up the Channel, maybe finding time for a spot of sunbathing on deck, perhaps planning a little fishing en route or even a chance to drop anchor and indulge in some skinny dipping to cool off in the summer heat but no, instead they were tossed and battered by a cruel sea never to see land or loved ones again! A complete freak of bad luck I decided, a colossal, unfortunate, miss-alignment of the stars, a coming together of special, never to be repeated conditions weather-wise that they could not have predicted. Well how wrong was I! Suffice to say my Big Day this year was spent not at all how I had intended. No fishing trip as planned and no grilled trout on the BBQ for supper! I spent the day wondering if the electricity was about to switch off, listening to the howling gale and watching my lovely roses being totally wrecked!  The garden was being shredded before my eyes and my freshly planted oriental foxglove can unfortunately testify to this. I suppose it could have been worse… I could have been out at sea!

The weather will improve, the winds will calm down and we will be able to return to our fly fishing and enjoy the summer again.  Although the fish are becoming a bit on the picky side in regard to the normal flies, this time of year finds us dusting off our dry fly imitations and trying new tactics to fool the little devils. There is never a better time to take a stroll round the lakes here at Brick Farm and keep your eyes open for those tell-tale signs of activity on the surface or in the close margins and get a good “feel” for the water before choosing a spot to fish. There is never such a good time to seek advice and pick the brains of regulars or with us in the lodge with regards to recent “hot spots” or flies of the moment. There is also never such a good time to make full use of your day ticket, starting as soon as we open the gate, (7.30am) fishing for those first key hours in the day while the sun is lower in the sky and then perhaps, if distance allows, popping home for a break in the heat of the mid-day and returning later in the afternoon to catch the end of the day as the sun drops. If you live too far away for this then why not bring a picnic and enjoy a shady spot for a while. Just being outdoors at this time of year is a pleasure all by its self we wait all winter for, so let’s make the most of it! Unlike some other fisheries, we continue to stock regularly throughout the summer months so there is every chance to catch your bag, it may take a little longer than normal but that is all part of the fun! Trying new tactics and different swims, using different flies or teams of flies, (no restrictions here at Brick Farm) is all part and parcel of fly fishing at this time of year. I personally have dozens of small winged and hackled wet flies I have never used and I have decided that this is the time to steer away from the old Cat’s Whisker or fritz lure and work my way through this assortment for my next few trips.

Here at Brick Farm Lakes we have a wonderful Lodge for you to enjoy. We provide complimentary tea and coffee for our anglers and at this time of the year cold water and squash are on the counter. Guests are free to sit and enjoy the beautiful view from the deck area. We would like to remind you however, as we approach the holiday season that … dogs are not allowed around the lakes and obviously best not left in cars and only children fishing properly on a one to one basis with an adult are permitted around the lakes, for safety reasons and for the enjoyment of all anglers toddlers are not permitted around the lakes at any time. Here we have clean toilet facilities and if I may say these are I’m sure, as important to men as to us ladies! I had reason to really consider very hard weather I returned to a certain fishery I visited recently. Although the fishing was good and the setting beautiful the lavatory left a lot to be desired, the scrap of soap was disgusting, the toilet had not been cleaned in days if not weeks and as for the towel on which we were supposed to wipe our hands, well let’s just say that I seriously doubt if any self- respecting house elf would have even considered wrapping himself in it! This is not good enough in this day and age. We fisheries are constantly being encouraged to promote our beloved sport to the young, the elderly and the disabled. We are expected to provide beginner days, casting schools, charity events and the like and, whilst I know that some fisheries are set deep in the middle of the countryside, to have clean toilet facilities are essential and the very minimum for an up-to-date 21st century business.

We have had some wonderful fish caught in the last month. Some stunning Rainbows have fallen to the skilled hands of our lucky anglers. The fish are fighting hard and in fin perfect condition so well done to all of them and there are plenty more left out there for everyone!

Over and out now … tight lines for a… I-haven’t-used-this-before-let’s-try-anything-and everything summer.

Caroline's report for June 2017

Someone said to me the other day “you like a good chat don’t you?”  I took this comment as code for, “why don’t you shut up a minute and let me think straight”, this is hubby’s more direct approach and one, I must admit I have become used to hearing and ignoring, most of the time. My point being that by chatting and of course listening back, we all learn from each other and solve life’s little problems together. In the unique sport of fly fishing this is absolutely part and parcel of the experience of the day’s fishing as much as catching a fish, in my humble opinion. Whilst tending the Lodge here at Brick Farm Lakes I very often see anxious faces arriving with looks of apprehension, stress and worry. It may be because they have simply forgotten to bring their net, not sure if they are allowed droppers or fear they may not be in time for an egg and bacon sandwich! These problems are quickly dealt with and folk sent on their way quick sharp to fish but sometimes a little more specialist attention is need. Maybe failing eyesight will not let them fit a new leader loop, they may have not fished for years and require more of a confidence boosting chat re flies and tippets etc.  This time of the year in particular anglers and yours truly may sit over a coffee for well over an hour or sometimes longer (don’t tell Annie) to discuss the best and various methods for fishing a dry fly! More often recentlyit is that they know absolutely nothing about any form of angling, have never even held a rod in their life before but have always fancied “giving it a go”, these folk in particular are often nervous and unsure what to expect at that all important initial enquiry. This is the best part of my time in the Lodge! To chat to a complete stranger and instil enthusiasm and knowledge at the same time and to see them relax and smile and leave as more of a “new friend” than just a “customer” is wonderful! To have booked them a lesson, alleviated their worries and started them off on their fly fishing adventure is brilliant and all from taking the time to have a “good old natter” as Nan used to say, so please forgive me if I “go on a bit” in the words of an exhausted hubby.

 Now for a few items of late news…

Once again we saw some wonderful fish caught in May! The record being a beautiful Rainbow of 10lbs 5oz caught by Mr. Buster Jenner (only a youngster at 93 years!!).  We are still stocking regularly and including some of the large Rainbows and Browns while the weather remains cool. The water temperature remains colder than normal for this time of year and although this meant “curtains” for the freshly planted Begonias it is good news for the fish! They are fighting hard and are extremely active. The May Fly and sedges are hatching out in force and we have just begun to see the first blue damsels and dragon fly over the water. We are keeping the grass around the banks trimmed nice and short and weed clearing will take place to keep the swims as free and clear as possible throughout the summer.

We held our Troutmaster Competition fish-off for adults and juniors on Sunday, 30th April. It was a good turn out and a decisive victory for Calvin Wallace. The junior competition was won by David Carden (he will be in the adult’s competition next year!!)  Congratulations to them both! They will represent Brick Farm Lakes at the finals later this year.

Please note that through the summer we will be opening the gate at 7.30am and closing at 8pm. We will happily arrange to open longer into the twilight hours for those anglers keen to experience the potentially“extra special” experience of the “evening rise” of fish during in the summer months but only for pre-arranged group bookings.

Over and out now and let us hope for a month of glorious roses and Pimms in the garden along with a wonderful hatch of buzzers and midges!

Tight lines, Annie and Caroline.

Caroline's Report for May

We did have a laugh the other day! One of our wonderful regulars, Mr. Peter Clare arrived to fish. I should make clear at this point that we do not make a habit of laughing at our customers, with them all the time yes, but not laughing at them! This particular day however was an exception! He arrived in the middle of the April “heatwave” in thick mustard coloured corduroy trousers, a heavy and apparently ancient Irish fishing/sailing jumper and deerstalker. We did not dwell at the time on the age or suitability of his underwear but suffice to say he looked a tad warm and if he had been unfortunate enough to fall in he would never have surfaced again! He declared to all the amused spectators that he was going to have a “retro day” and proceeded to set up his seventy year old, split-cane, Hardy rod. He was using a forty year old reel (the oldest he possessed) complete with its original line and used nylon leader. His only nod to the new century was a tippet of fluorocarbon which the gathered crowd could see he was feeling sorry and even guilty about, but, in his defence there was no trace of a polystyrene indicator or any carbon fibre anywhere. He was going to use traditional flies, no blobs or boobies for him, no holographic tinsel or coloured firefly hothead beads, no synthetic cock, (jungle I mean)! There was to be no sign of any uni-French tinsel or anti-tarnish bead chain, no micro flash ice straggle cactus chenille or suspender balls! Epoxy and silly legs were out for the day! (I hope you can see and are suitably impressed that I have done my research!) When he was ready he strolled up the hill to Well Lake to, as he put it “have a bit of a play” and we wished him well. A little while later he returned to the Lodge for a quick coffee having had a “lot of fun” using his old rod, which took some getting used to by all accounts. He handed it to yours truly to feel the weight and I must say I very nearly dropped it! It weighed a ton in comparison to the modern, light-weight carbon fibre ones and I was shocked. I would not have been able to cast for more than ten minutes or more, if at all! No wonder he needed a cuppa and a break and I congratulated him for sticking with it. I was beginning to see that this “retro day” was more serious than I imagined first off. Now, a funny turn of events was just beginning to emerge. Just before he joined me for his drink a large fish had launched itself from the water in Brick Lake, next to the disabled platform in front of the Lodge, where the aerator was bubbling away. Although I didn’t actually see it with my own eyes it had landed with such a smack and a belly flop that the ripples and bow waves spread out across the whole of the bottom half of the Lake. Peter had, coincidently decided to change Lakes and have a go at Brick Lake and I told him “A whopper has just jumped out right there” and I pointed him in the rough direction of whence it had flown. “Ok” he pronounced, “I’ll try there for a wee while” and off he trotted, heaving his rod onto his shoulder. He wandered round to the far side on the Rive-gauche and began to cast, I watched with interest and admiration. Well now the funny turn of events was just about to become a whole lot funnier, he immediately hooked into a fish and I decided it would be a nice idea to capture the moment for posterity and of course the Informer so I grabbed my “device”, which regular readers will remember I purchased for just such occasions a year or so ago, and tottered down to the disabled platform in my sling backs to gain a good view across the water of him playing his fish and click off a few pictures. He was smiling deservedly from ear to ear and enjoying the moment but the fish was staying down deep. “Is that a good fish by any chance?” I enquired, that strange tingle of suspicion, and anticipation was starting to run up and down the back of my neck! “I think it may be” Peter replied the smile was wavering slightly, “my arm is really starting to hurt” he groaned. The rod which bent through its entire length was looking like it was about to snap in two as he was starting to use a lot of side strain to stop the line tangling in the pipe of the bubbler. “Is your net handy?” I called over to him and I saw him glance anxiously to his left, it was in fact a little way off. “Hang on, I’m on my way” I called not waiting for an answer. I ran as quickly as my sandals would go around to help him, passing him his net. We had, up to this point, not set eyes on the fish yet and suddenly it realised it was hooked and decided to make a break for it leaping into the air. Peter fortunately is a very good angler and held on, keeping it under control and he played it perfectly while I snapped away. He eventually netted it successfully, after a couple of near misses and breath-holding moments and dragged ashore a whopping 8lb. 4oz. beautiful rainbow! With shaking hands he dispatched it quickly with a hefty priest borrowed from another angler and glanced up at me. “Well you couldn’t have written your “retro day” any better than that” I told him, “I love it when a plan comes together!” It surely was the big fish I had heard a couple of minutes earlier and “what fly?” I hear you all shout… well, it was a tiny black Pennell and if anyone deserved a big fish that day it was him! It just goes to show that the old ways and tackle still work, if you can be bothered, skilled and dedicated enough to try. Keeping things “simples” in the words of another of my heroes, Alexander, is sound advice.

Now for a few items of late news…

The plans for our new fourth lake have been submitted to Wealden Council! We will keep you updated on the progress as we hear any news. This new lake, if it gets the go ahead, will add another 16 or so swims giving us approximately 50 in total! It will be sited down in the dip of the land below Stag Lake and will be sheltered, (from the North winds in particular) and enjoy a lovely vista down the valley. Even on a busy day there will be plenty of room for all of our anglers, opening up another range of possibilities for “just the right spot” in any conditions. While the diggers are here we hope, weather permitting, to re-dig the shallow end of Stag Lake as well! Giving the Lake a more even depth will make for a better angling experience and help the fish in the hot weather to find cool water.

We held a marvellous, fun, Easter Competition on Sunday, 9th April, the hottest day of the year so far! Twelve anglers of all ages competed for a four fish bag and the trophy was won by Roy Plumbley , with John Whitlock a close second. The heaviest fish was caught by Mike Carden and the lightest by Ron Townsend.  £50 was raised in the chocolate egg raffle and this is to go to our chosen charity: Mastersport and Play.

The largest fish to be caught this month was a whopping 14lb 8oz Rainbow. Caught on Brick Lake (peg one) by Mr. Fan, on a Cat’s Whisker and only about six feet from the bank. We are stocking some large fish in all three Lakes so don’t forget to use a 6/8lb leader to stand a chance of landing one of these monsters. We stock blue, brown and golden trout as well as the rainbows and have no fly restrictions here but we do insist every fish is landed and killed and that the returns book is completed, even if you are unfortunate enough not to catch.

Over and out now … we have set up an information black board outside the Lodge for the latest suggestions for flies, current insect life and records of any good catches. Tight lines the coming month and watch out on our website for up-to-date news this year’s hatch of Mayfly, expected any day now!

Take a Friend Fishing promotion - do come and join us !!!!!!!!!!!!

Angling Trades Association supported by the Environment Agency promotes

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TAKE A FRIEND FISHING

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 JUNE 16 - 2 JULY       /       OCTOBER 14 – 29

The Environment Agency is supporting this promotion by offering free one-day rod licences for each of these time periods

We are supporting this promotion by offering:

*  2 for the price of 1 for anglers introducing a friend who has never fished here before

*  Children under 16 years can fish for free on our 2-Fish £25 and 3-Fish £30 tickets

Caroline's Report for April

April is a wonderful month I have decided. The sun has some real warmth to it at last, the frogs are “playing” in the margins filling the lakes with spawn for the trout to eat, the grass is a lovely green colour again, the blossom is out in the gardens and hedgerows, the wildlife is emerging from the winter hibernation and on a more personal note, Easter Eggs are in season! One of our Eastbourne and District Fly Fishermen has just pointed out “this should be the best month of the year for fly fishing”, so, all in all what is there NOT to like about April? Brick Farm Lakes is the perfect venue for those of you who love your “nymphing” or buzzer drifting, for Whisker twitching or even, (depending on the weather) sedge soaking! If the wind is a bit keen, why not consider a session with a muddler, perfect for a choppy surface or, maybe a deeper Damsel, the blue flash variety is a must, or maybe black is best? There are NO fly restrictions here and with a policy of regular stocking we give our anglers every chance to catch a hard fighting Blue, a fin perfect Rainbow, a pretty Golden or a whopper of a Brown! We can proudly boast to being one of the most affordable venues in the South where there is a chance to catch a double figure fish and have a choice of lakes with the finest of facilities. We really do have a wonderful range of trout sizes here and are well stocked for Spring.  And a quick word to all our anglers – Please do photograph your big catches because we love to add those photos to this report and to put them into the Lodge.  Or ask Annie to photograph them!  Thanks a million.

Around the banks we have cleared away many of the “in the way” bulrushes and brambles, making each and every one of our thirty-something swims clear and ready for action. We have repaired the electrics ready for the use of the aerators and bubblers and have started mowing already to keep the grass areas trimmed and tidy. We are ready to begin a fun filled spring season of this wonderful sport/hobby/past time/ way of life!

We can happily announce that the planning application for our new fourth lake has been submitted and are keeping everything crossed that this will in fact, be dug in the autumn, ready for fishing next spring or sooner! This additional body of water will give us lots of extra fishing space and is to be sited in a natural sheltered spot, just right for anglers to tuck themselves away and still be able to fish, even when the weather is inclement. This new lake will mean that we will have up to fifty swims available for our customers and all of which will be wooden or hard surfaced, no standing in liquid mud at Brick Farm! We will also be installing another railed, wide width platform for anyone needing this security and safety. The existing one on Brick Lake is and the new one will be available to pre-book, just call the lodge.

This year we have entered into a scheme where if you hold a current membership to the Angling Trust, on presentation of your card, you may deduct 10% off the price of your fishing ticket. This is a nod towards keeping the cost of your beloved sport as affordable as possible!

On Sunday 30th April we are holding our Troutmasters fish off Competition (senior and junior) so if you had the good fortune to land a good size fish and win a badge you will have received your letters of invitation. We hope to see as many of you as possible to make a good day of it and if you have not received any details please call Annie at the Lodge! 01323 832615.

Over and out now and tight lines for a wonderfulspring.

Caroline's August Report

Let us start this month with the weather. Will it be a hot month? Will we have a break from these constant, annoying winds that just will not stop? Will it remain seasonally unsettled and deliver us into an early autumn? Who knows! Either way we will have to manage with what we are given and make the best of this sometimes tricky time of year. Many of our Brick Farm regulars take a break and are replaced by summer visitors from all over the place. Folk arrive from up North, from the East and West and from distant countries. It’s a month where our normal routines tend to go out the window; the children are on holiday of course and everyone’s lives are forced to revolve around them and their needs and our normal habits and daily lives are ad hoc, flexible and downright muddled.

Many fisheries choose to take their own, well-deserved, holidays now but at Brick Farm Lakes we will remain open for business as normal and look forward to seeing some of those regulars not caught up in the August mayhem and a host of holiday visitors as well. We are intending, weather permitting, to stock the Lakes throughout this period and all the normal facilities will be available from the Lodge. Some essential, seasonal maintenance such as mowing, weed clearing and strimming will be taking place so there will be a bit of noise at times but we will endeavour to keep it in short bursts so as to minimise the disruption to your quiet fishing time.

We have a “new Product “to offer to all of our angling couples! Whether you are a husband and wife fishing team, a Father and Son/daughter or just a couple of good mateswe can offer a “shared, 5 fish” day ticket for £35. This means that neither of you will have to stop fishing. If you do not choose this option you have to fish to your own, individual ticket and NOT fish for each others fish. We have many anglers who do come with an angling buddy and so hope they will appreciate this new idea and make good use of it.

We will be also offering a £5 August up-grade on any ticket… in other words if you catch your ticket limit you are welcome to carry on fishing and pay £5 per fish when you finish.  As we all know, only too well that August can be a month of “feast or famine”. A time when, if you deploy all the tactics in the book it can either pay off or not! Let’s not forget, August is a wonderful time to introduce a new novice to this wonderful sport, a time when it is good to be out-doors with a picnic and making the most of the last of the longer days before autumn comes.

Flies to suggest for this time of year are the obviously the more natural patterns rather than the lures, flies such as Bloodworm, PTN’S, Diawl Bachs, Crunchers and the like. Dry flies such as Daddy Long Legs are starting to work very well and small, winged wet flies such as Invictors and Stragglers.

On Sunday 17th July we were happy to see the (almost) entire Eastbourne and District Fly Fishers Club enjoy a summer-time hog roast at their base here at Brick Farm Lakes. They held a casting competition on the banks of the Lake and this was won by David Turner and a healthy £160 was raised in the very generous raffle, a good time was had by all and if you fancy joining the Club next year for some angling fun and company just call the Lodge for details, currently only £15 to join for the year.

Over and out now and tight lines from Annie and Me, Caroline, for an action packed August.