Catch Returns

1 May

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	111	30	116
River	7	3	6

25 April

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	83	26	113
River	12	0	11

18 April

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	120	44	135
River	10	0	2

11 April

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	69	25	131
River	20	11	11

Biggest fish from the lakes; 9lbs 8ozs from Great Springs, 1 x 6lbs, 2 x 5lbs, 3 x 4lbs and 3lbs 8ozs on a wide variety of flies.

4 April

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	81	29	227

Biggest fish 6lbs 8ozs, 2 x 5lbs and 4lbs

28 March

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	134	49	222

Biggest fish 7lbs 10ozs, 9lbs 12ozs, 3 x 5lbs and 2 x 4lbs.

21 March

	Visits	Taken	Returned
Lakes	136	41	418
River	not	open	yet

Many of the fish were over 2lbs, the best was 8.5lbs. Three fish over 5lbs and two at 4lbs were also caught. A great opening week with the vast majority of fish returned to the lakes.

Catch and Release

Catch and release is optional, members can retain fish for the pot or release them. If you are going to release trout, you must use a barbless hook. Wild fish from Little Bognor or the Rother must be returned.

After hooking a trout play it out quickly and use a landing net with a fine knotless mesh. If possible do not touch the fish, barbless hooks normally drop out once the line is slack. If you must handle the fish, use wet hands. Release it from the landing net. That will enable you to nurse the fish until it can maintain an upright position and swim out of the net unaided. It might take a few minutes for the fish to fully recover. If you release a trout from your hands before it’s fully recovered, it may sink to the bottom of the lake and die. If the fish is bleeding it should not be returned. If you are in doubt don’t return the trout. It is a good idea to use a pan shaped net to give the fish room to recover. A long handle enables safe netting and release.

The links below give more detailed advice.

https://www.wildtrout.org/content/catch-and-release

https://www.keepemwet.org/