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Summer finally arrived and the Mayfly hatched in good numbers both at the lakes and the river.

Mike Rudd – A Service tree (Sorbus torminalis) had been planted near the hut at Great Springs in memory of Mike Rudd. Members gathered around the tree, where Lord Egremont welcomed Mike’s wife, Sally and the Rudd family, fondly remembering Mike’s long career on the estate.

Barbeque – The weather on Sunday was glorious, the members and their guests enjoyed the food, wine and fishing. The food was all eaten, several fish were caught and everyone went home happy.

Lakes – The lakes had been stocked with some good sized fish.  Members visited the lakes on 37 occasions and caught a total of 38 trout including fish of 4lb 6ozs and 3lb 7ozs. Members used a wide variety of flies, both dry and nymphs. Upper and Lower Figgs fished well. At Little Bognor, 8 of the 12 trout caught were returned to the lakes.

River – Members visited the river on 24 occasions and caught a total of 8 trout and a chub of 3lb 8ozs. There were good hatches of mayfly, olive and alder fly all week. The fish were all caught from Beat D, Rotherbridge. All the Beats have been stocked and the trout are rising well for mayfly imitations.

Please record the Beat you intend to fish when signing in as this enables members who arrive later to avoid stretches of river that have already been covered and helps when collating the catch returns.

The weather during the week was settled and very good for fishing. The bright sunny days, cool mornings and evenings encouraged members to visit both the lakes and the river.

Lakes – Members visited the lakes on 63 occasions and caught 65 trout, 14 of which were over 2lb. At Little Bognor 42 fish were caught, 27 of which were returned to the lakes. Two wild trout were caught and returned.

River – The river level dropped but the colour of the water made it difficult for the trout to see members flies. Members visited the river on 27 occasions but no trout were caught. Hopefully the river level will continue to drop and the water will clear before the end of this week.

The barbeque on Sunday is an opportunity to bring a guest, chat with other members and catch a trout or two. The weather forecast for Sunday looks good.

The weather last week was great for fishing and even the Bank Holiday weather was lovely. The lakes looked magnificent and the river level had dropped.

Lakes – Members visited the lakes on 56 occasions and caught 57 fish, 26 of which were over 2lb. The best fish of the week was a blue trout of 3lb 4oz from Little Springs. The first Mayfly was seen at the lakes on 3 May and there were good hatches of Alder fly and Hawthorn fly all through the week. The fish were rising on all the lakes and quite a few fish were caught on dry flies. At Little Bognor 24 fish were caught and 13 were returned.

River – Members visited the river on two occasions and no fish were caught. The river level is dropping and the colour is disappearing. During bright sunny days the trout shelter under the banks and hide among the tree roots. Fishing the margins on both sides of the river with a Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, a Black Pennel or a Red Tag should produce a fish or two. Particularly under the alder and willow trees. Early morning and late evening are the most productive times during the summer.

The EA river level gauge at Iping Mill has been giving spurious readings. If you wish to know the state of the river before travelling to fish, please phone Andrew Thompson whose details are on the ‘Contacts’ page.

Please contact the Estate Office if you are going to the barbecue and tell Holly or Mark as it helps with the catering if the number of people attending is known.

Unfortunately the weather did not reflect the forecast and cold, wet, windy days kept members from fishing. The lakes are in good condition and are fully stocked with trout of a higher than usual size. If members brave the unseasonal weather, good sport can be had at all the lakes.

Lakes – Last week members visited the lakes on 34 occasions and caught 32 trout. Great Springs and Little Springs were the most productive lakes. The average size of the fish was good, 19 of the 32 fish were over 2lb and several were over 3lb. Of the 10 fish that were caught at Little Bognor, 8 were returned.

River – The initial stock of chalk stream reared trout were introduced to the river last week but the heavy rain at the start and end of the week kept the river level high and the water too coloured for fishing.

Members visited the river on 2 occasions mid-week but no fish were caught.

The weather throughout the week was glorious. Temperatures reached the mid-seventies but the water in the lakes retained its chill and the trout were very active.

Lakes – Members visited the lakes on 83 occasions and caught a total of 64 trout. Little Springs received the most visits and of the 13 fish that were caught there, 10 were over 2lb. Little Bognor remained popular, a total of 27 fish were caught from the two lakes and of those, 25 were returned. The trout at Little Bognor are becoming quite fussy, they are feeding throughout the day but a stealthy approach and small flies are required. The most productive flies were buzzers and small dry flies such as Adams. Fish were rising well on Lower Figgs, taking buzzers and Alder flies.

River – The river level dropped mid-week and the water lost some of its colour. Members visited the river on 21 occasions and caught 2 trout, both over-wintered stock fish. Both fish were caught at Rotherbridge. The recent thunder storms caused a small increase in the water level but this week it will drop and give members a good chance of a fish or two. Fishing the margins with a weighted nymph is likely to be the best approach.

The first part of the week was more like Autumn than Spring. Although the river rose it dropped again at the end of the week but remained quite coloured. The lakes were also much clearer at the end of the week and the Spring sunshine encouraged the fish to rise.

Lakes – Great Springs received its first stock of fish since the lakes restoration. The stocking included several trout over 5lb. Members visited the lakes on 55 occasions and caught a total of 64 trout which included 19 fish over 2lb. A trout of 5lb 4ozs was caught from Little Springs and a 4lb 8ozs fish was landed at Great Springs. Of the 39 fish that were caught at Little Bognor 33 were returned. The catch and release trial remains very popular, more than half of members visits were to Little Bognor.

River – The river remained high and coloured until the weekend when the level fell slightly. Two members made several visits to the river but no fish were caught. No rain is forecast for the next week and the river should return to its normal Spring level.

A new gas barbeque has been provided at Great Springs.

Spring finally arrived, the lakes looked beautiful in the bright sunshine. Mid-week saw the river level finally dropping after a long wet winter. However, the end of the week saw more rain and a rising river.

Lakes – Members visited the lakes on 49 occasions and caught a total of 77 fish including 15 over 2lb. Little Springs produced the most fish and 8 of the fish caught there were over 2lb. The Little Springs trout were caught on a wide variety of flies including Blue Flash Damsel, Montana and Pheasant Tail.

Of the 39 fish caught at Little Bognor, 32 were returned. Small dry flies and buzzers accounted for a lot of the fish. After only a month of the season, the total number of fish caught at Little Bognor has exceeded the original stocking.

River – The water level dropped slightly during the middle of the week and the river was losing its colour. The high, coloured water kept most members away. Only one member visited the river during opening week and no fish were caught. Hopefully, next week the water level will drop and the colour will disappear. The wild and over-wintered trout should be hungry.

Please contact Holly at the Estate Office to book tickets for the Spring barbeque which is on Sunday 20 May.