Lakes
Pine Lake
The deepest lake with depths ranging from 6ft to a 20ft hole, fed from multiple springs, often very clear with good weed growth through the middle, a large bank of Norfolk reed along one bank and overhanging trees at both ends providing cover and natural food for the trout. Noted for its good hatch of buzzers and damsel.
Often fishes well in the height of the summer due to its great depth and spring fed nature providing cool water for the trout to seek refuge. Both buzzer and nymph fishing work well through out the year with great stalking opportunities from spring to early Autumn because of the deep margins and fantastic water clarity. Sinking lines are often need to reach where the fish are held up.
Oak Lake
A particularly beautiful lake, secluded, surrounded by trees, reed lined with prolific weed growth and clear water most of the year due to its inlet of Spring water at one. Good hatches of dragonfly, damselfly, sedge, pond olives and buzzers. Also a great dry fly water.
Offers the best stalking opportunities, with fish often targeted in the channels between the weed beds or under the large over hanging willow or by casting dry fly’s in to the path of cruising fish. All tactics work well with olive damsel nymphs working particularly well through Spring to Autumn with a noticeable shift to cats whiskers and appetisers being the most productive pattern from late Autumn to early Spring when the trout are often fry bashing the juvenile roach. A floating line is often the best choice because of the weed growth.
Spring Lake
A particularly beautiful lake, secluded, surrounded by trees, reed lined with prolific weed growth and clear water most of the year due to its inlet of Spring water at one. Good hatches of dragonfly, damselfly, sedge, pond olives and buzzers. Also a great dry fly water.
Offers the best stalking opportunities, with fish often targeted in the channels between the weed beds or under the large over hanging willow or by casting dry fly’s in to the path of cruising fish. All tactics work well with olive damsel nymphs working particularly well through Spring to Autumn with a noticeable shift to cats whiskers and appetisers being the most productive pattern from late Autumn to early Spring when the trout are often fry bashing the juvenile roach. A floating line is often the best choice because of the weed growth.
Bridge Lake
Spring fed and the smallest and shallowest lake overall with a 4ft deep plateau at the outlet end and a deep channel of 8ft running along the middle. Good hatches of damselfly and dragonfly. A great stalking water.
Plenty of tree cover provides the quiet and cautious angler with great stalking opportunities but one misplaced heavy foot can see the trout disappear back to the depths! Small stalking bugs and olive damsels are top fly’s to try fished on a floating line. Montanas or alley cats are also great patterns early season as there are always thousands of tadpoles in Bridge Lake.
Alder Lake
A very pretty lake stretching out alongside the lodge with a deep hole of 15ft at one end and lots of weed growth through the middle. A great nymphing water that has a great hatch of damselfly, alderfly, sedge and some mayfly. The inlet is a particularly good hot spot in the summer along with the deep hole.
Often best fished with a floating line because of the weed growth but through the winter the fish often can only be caught on sinking lines over the deep hole. Another water in which the fish can often be seen fry bashing the juvenile roach from late Autumn to early Spring when natural food is limited. Olive damsels, cats whiskers and GRHE’s often produce the goods on Alder Lake.
Long Acre Lake
A very picturesque lake fed from Sweatford Water, often crystal clear and with prolific weed growth providing plenty of natural food. A superb shrimp and corixa water with a good hatch of damselfly, dragonfly and mayfly - best dry fly water here at Rockbourne and on a late Spring day you can watch the trout rise and take the mayfly that have hit the waters surface. It has also been noticeable the it is often the brown trout that are the fish that are rising.
There are lots of roach fry in Longacre every year and through the winter months the trout often gorge themselves on the fry so patterns such as appetisers and cats whiskers are an excellent choice. Through the warmer months smaller natural patterns seem to work best, especially for those that like to stalk along the tree lined bank! A floating line is the best choice.
CHALK STREAM FISHING AT ROCKBOURNE
In the heart of the valley here at Rockbourne, runs a mile stretch of pristine chalk stream, part of Sweatfords Water and a tributary of the famous Hampshire Avon .Work is in progress to open this stretch for anglers this spring.
This pristine, intimate chalk stream, untouched for over a decade, is home to some exquisite truly wild Brown Trout which reach 1 lb in weight, and which will test the skills of even the most experienced of fly fishers. We will be supplementing these very precious ‘wildies’ with some beautifully marked, fully finned, hard fighting Browns in order to ease pressure on the native population and allow our anglers to take a brace of fish home with them.
The water is crystal clear – good for stalking and spotting fish. Wildlife is abundant, Kingfishers nest in the banks and can often be seen, and one of our anglers spotted a Nightingale recently. In fact, this ancient woodland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a haven for wildlife. It would be hard to find a more beautiful and tranquil spot: a real escape and a wonderful experience indeed.
There is an excellent May Fly hatching and abundant other fly life including damsel flies, Demoiselles and Sedge on the stream, and superb sport to be had during open season.
In order to preserve the quality of sport and the pristine nature of the valley, availability will be strictly limited and pre booking is essential. To ensure the stream is only lightly fished, there will be an exclusive two rod beat available only on a couple of days a week.
CHALK STREAM FISHING RULES
No wading
Upstream dry fly only
No fish to be kept under 12 “
Catch and release on wild fish
Anglers may keep a brace of fish under 1 lb.
Cancellation fee applies.( Chargeable at full rate if cancellation less than 2 weeks of visit.)
Barbless hooks only.
