Where to fish



Welcome to our "where to fish page". Here we have listed a few of our favourite places to fish in and around the Westcountry. We have added a few tips on how to fish the major lakes.

Blagdon lake
This lake is a 440 acre reservoir supplying Bristol. It is over 120 years old and has a well established ecosystem for fishing. The lake fishes well over its entire area however a little local knowledge is necessary to get the best from it.
Best methods
Early season – small lures, blobs, booby, buzzer imitations, on slow sinking lines or floating line and a long leader.(my set up is 18ft leader, goldhead damsel on the point, size 12 diawl bach on the middle and size 14 diawl bach or green midge on the top).
Mid season – buzzer imitations and dry flies.
Set up – 15 ft leader, size 10 black buzzer on the point, size 12 diawl bach on the middle, size 10 kate maclaren on the top.
Late season – as above and dry daddy longlegs
Flies to use - small diawl bachs, damsels, buzzers, emergers, dry flies – greenwells, shipmans buzzer, grenadier, Blagdon green midge.

Chew Valley lake
This lake is over 60 years old and like Blagdon, is well established. Most areas will produce fish however local knowledge is key to finding the best areas to fish.
Best methods
Early season – small lures, Blobs, Boobies, buzzer imitations, on slow sinking lines or floating line and a long leader.
Mid season – buzzer imitations and dry flies
Late season – as above and dry daddy longlegs, fry imitations such as appetiser, ace of spades, perch fry.
Leader set ups as for Blagdon.
Flies to use - small diawl bachs, damsels, buzzers, muskins, cormorant, emergers, dry flies – greenwells, shipmans buzzer, grenadier, black midge. Boobies.
The Barrows Reservoirs. Often referred to as ‘the Tanks’, the Barrows consist of three concrete bowl reservoirs. They are large enough to offer a real challenge, but not so big as to be intimidating, making them ideal for the angler who wants to learn the skills, flies and tactics for approaching larger waters. Early season tactics such as very long leaders and bloodworm or heavy buzzer and stickfly patterns on floating lines or fast sinking lines and Boobies or the Mouse all take a fair amount of fish. As the season progresses and the water warms, buzzer fishing comes into its own, with fish taking Buzzer, Diawl Bach, Cruncher, and most patterns imitating chironomids.  


Jacklands Fishing LakesThis is a small fishery of just over 1 acre, well stocked with Rainbow trout from 2lb upwards. The lake is excellent for beginners as there is access all round it so it doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing.  There is a cafe onsite which sells excellent coffee, cakes and pastries as well as home made jams and preserves, and of course trout!

The River Wye
One of the longest rivers in England, the Wye flows from the Brecons to the Severn Estuary.
Its is both a game and coarse fishery, with runs of Salmon and sea trout as well as brown trout and most coarse species.
There are many beats available on the River, my favourites are on the middle Wye for both salmon and trout. (Although I have caught some fantastic Barbel here)!
Spinning is permitted for early season Salmon, as is fly fishing. Trout fishing is Fly only.

River Exe
The River Exe in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, 5 miles from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon.
The middle and upper Exe and its tributaries hold Trout, Grayling, Sea trout and Salmon.
There are beats available from The Dulverton Angling club and Exeter Angling club.
My favourite beats are in the middle and upper Exe, the Barle and little Exe.
Fishing is mainly fly only, with dry fly, nymph and wet flies taking fish on their day.
 
Kings Sedgemoor drain and the Somerset levels.
There are several excellent rivers and drains on the Somerset levels.
I fly fish for pike during the season and have had fish from most of the waterways.
The Kings Sedgemoor Drain holds some very large pike, my largest was 19lb 14oz.
Access to the fishing on the rivers and drains is through The Bridgewater Angling club.