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Lakes – Record late August Bank Holiday temperatures made fishing at the lakes very difficult. Last week members visited the lakes on 28 occasions and only 1 trout was caught. The hot weather is forecast to end shortly and a return to normal Autumn temperatures should see an increase in the number of fish caught.

Now that the water temperature has dropped the lakes have all been stocked to maintain the fish numbers as they were at the start of the season. Weed clearing at Great Springs and Lower Figgs will continue this week.  It is hoped that the new stock, weed clearing and lower Autumn temperatures will see an improvement in the fishing during the rest of the season.

River – The river fishing last week was very good. Members visited the river on 33 occasions and caught 40 trout, 18 of which were over 2lb. A sea trout of 6lb was caught above the fish pass and returned to continue it’s journey upstream to spawn. A wild brown trout and 6 dace over 8ozs were also caught. The river has returned to it’s normal level and as the lake fishing is challenging, members are encouraged to visit the river.

Lakes – The unusual summer weather continued and the water temperature in the lakes stabilised. More weed was cleared from Great Springs. The lakes will be restocked shortly and this should improve the catch returns. Members visited the lakes on 33 occasions and caught a total of 6 trout, the majority from Little Bognor. Three carp were caught from Jacksons.

River – The river level rose and fell throughout the week but members who fished when the conditions were good were rewarded with some nice fish. Members visited the river on 24 occasions and caught a total of 18 trout, 11 of which were over 2lb. Most of the fish were caught on nymphs from Beats C and D, Keeper’s Bridge and Rotherbridge. This afternoon several fish were rising to midges at Rotherbridge and above Keeper’s Bridge. No rain is forecast for the next few days and when the river level drops, the fishing should be excellent.

The Autumn Guest Day is on Sunday 3 September from 11:00am at Great Springs. Please contact Holly at the Estate Office and let her know if you are going and how many guests you are taking, so that the food and wine can be arranged.

Lakes – The change in the weather helped reduce the water temperature. The cool nights, wind and rain lowered the water temperature at Little Bognor to 15 degrees. The other lakes averaged 18.5 degrees. The pH of the lakes, which varies with the time of day, also improved to between 7.1 and 7.8 and these conditions should enable the trout to feed. Members visited the lakes on 33 occasions and caught a total of 17 fish. The cooler weather is forecast to continue, early morning and evening are the best times to fish.

River – Last week the river level rose about three feet and the river was unfishable for several days. Members visited the river on 15 occasions and caught 6 fish. The river has returned to a good level and has lost most of it’s colour.  There were plenty of fish rising in the evening. This trout weighed 2lb 8ozs and took a Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph just under the surface. A stealthy approach and good presentation are necessary as the fish are easily put down.

Lakes – The wind and rain lowered the temperature of the water in the lakes. Yesterday the water temperature at Great Springs was 18.5 degrees and at Little Bognor it was 16 degrees. Last week members visited the lakes on 25 occasions and caught 12 trout, more than half of which came from the top lake at Little Bognor.

River – The level of the river rose and fell several times during the week. Members visited the river on 16 occasions and caught 7 fish, 6 of which were caught on Beat D,  Rotherbridge. Several sea trout were hooked and lost.

So far this season 667 fish have been caught from the lakes on 688 visits. On the river 302 fish have been caught on 316 visits. As the water cools down and the trout become more active, these figures will improve.

The trout are active early in the morning and late in the evening. They are taking small dry flies and buzzers at Little Bognor and small nymphs fished deep at Great Springs. A long leader and fine tippet increases the chance of a fish or two.

Lakes – The changeable weather kept the temperature of the water at Great Springs steady at 20 degrees. The water temperature at Little Bognor was 17 degrees. During the week members visited the lakes on 23 occasions and caught 3 fish, all from Little Bognor. Fishing early in the morning or late evening is the best approach, the fish are staying deep to take advantage of the slightly cooler water.

River – Last week members visited the river on 16 occasions and caught 19 fish including 1 wild fish and a sea trout of 3lb. A junior member caught a trout at Rotherbridge on a Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph. The water temperature is 17 degrees and when the water clears after the recent rain, there should be plenty of fish rising.

The Estate Maintenance team are making improvements to the north bank of the river upstream from Perryfields to the end of the top beat. A cattle drink is being dug and several access points are being excavated to allow members to net their fish and return them safely. The work should be completed next week.

The Orvis Day was a success, members, guests and Orvis customers enjoyed the sunshine and Mrs Smart’s splendid cake. It was an opportunity to try several different rods and lines and to get advice from Brian and Hamish.

Weed cutting to remove the Spiked Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is continuing at Great Springs. This weed is very invasive and difficult to completely eradicate. The Estate Management team are working hard to remove as much as possible. The recent increase in water level and drop in water temperature should see the fishing improve during the remaining months of the season.

At Luffs weed is being cleared to give the boat unrestricted access to the main body of the lake. Trout feed along the edge of the large weedbed and at the top of the lake where the water is shallower. There is clear water along the bank beside the road and the south bank.

Weed is also being removed from Lower Figgs to ensure that fish can be landed without getting tangled. During the long spell of very hot weather the number of fish deaths was lower than last year and the number of fish caught from the lakes should soon return to normal.

The long spell of very hot weather ended and heavy rain reduced the temperature of the water in the lakes. This morning the water temperature at Little Bognor was 16 degrees and fish were rising to midges. The fish were also moving at Great Springs and now that the water temperature there is considerably lower, it is a good time to resume fishing. The wind and rain kept members away from the lakes at the weekend. During the week members visited the lakes on 18 occasions and caught 2 fish, both from the top lake at Little Bognor.

The heavy rain during the latter part of the week caused the river level to rise dramatically. The river level is now dropping and the water is clearing. During the week members visited the river on 21 occasions and caught 24 fish including 3 wild trout and a sea trout of 4lb 8ozs, photo above. Members reported losing quite a few sea trout. If you are fishing for sea trout, please ensure that you have the appropriate Environment Agency rod licence.

Orvis will be at Great Springs on Friday from 10:00am to 3:00pm with a selection of rods, reels and lines for you to try out. Guests and members of the public are welcome to attend. If you are not a club member, please contact Mark Allen at the Estate Office on 01798 342502 for directions.

Orvis will be holding a demonstration day at Great Springs on Friday 28 July. The event will run from 10.00am until 3.00pm and offers the opportunity to come and try out some of the kit that Orvis has to offer.

If you are free, please call in to have a look and try out some of the rods, reels and lines. Brian Smart will be on hand to offer any guidance and Hamish Hiddleston from Orvis will be available to answer any questions that you may have about the Orvis products. If you have a guest that you think will be interested in the demonstration or the fishing club, then please bring them along. Tea and coffee will be provided.

If you are not a member of the club and wish to come along, please contact Mark Allen at the Estate Office on 01798 342502 or email lfc@leconfield.net for directions.

The weather was cooler last week and consequently the temperature of the water in the lakes dropped. The wind and rain lowered the water temperature at Little Bognor to 19 Degrees and at Great Springs it was 22 degrees. The forecast cooler weather and rain should further reduce the water temperature. Members visited the lakes on 21 occasions and caught 8 trout, most of them from Little Bognor. Yesterday trout were rising on the top lake at Little Bognor and taking midges.

Members visited the river on 19 occasions and caught 9 trout including 3 wild fish. No sea trout were caught although members have reported seeing a lot. The rain early in the week raised the river level and coloured the water. Now that the level has returned to normal the river should be more productive, particularly late in the evening.

The hot weather continued and made the fishing very difficult. Members visited the lakes on 21 occasions and caught 9 fish. The water temperature at Little Bognor was lower than the other lakes, kept low by the shade from the trees and the fresh spring water. The temperature of the spring feeding the top lake at Little Bognor was 16 degrees. All 9 fish were caught from that lake. The weather has broken and the forecast rain should lower the water temperature in all the lakes which will improve the fishing.

Members visited the river on 17 occasions and caught 16 fish including 1 wild trout and a sea trout of 4lb 8ozs. The sea trout was carefully returned, which the club encourages, to continue upstream, spawn and improve the ecology of the river.

The run of bigger sea trout has started and these fish, mainly females, should be handled carefully and returned to the river as quickly as possible. Most of the trout were caught late in the evening from Beats C and D, Keeper’s Bridge and Rotherbridge.

The Environment Agency have finished cutting down the trees around the fish pass.