Trout & Fly Fishing Tackle Tips

A 9-10 foot rod is ideal.  We recommend about 6 weight lines, either floating or sink tip for the colder months, with a 6 lb tapered leader of about 10 - 12 feet.

As for flies, all the usual still water patterns work well in sizes 10 -14.  Damsel fly, Montanna, Cat's whisker and Gold head nymphs are particularly deadly.  Emerger patterns such as Buzzers and Klinkhammers are good as the weather warms.  Try Sedges on a Summer evening and Daddy Long Legs into early Autumn.

Tackle Hire and Sales

Fully set-up rods, lines and reels and nets can be hired at the fishing lodge.
We also carry a good stock of leaders and flies for sale for those inevitable snags and can supply items from the full range of Hardy Greys equipment.
For further information or advice about tackle or hire and sales please contact us.

EA Rod Licences

Environment Agency Rod licences are required for fishing at Rockbourne.  From 31 March this year, the EA changed the way that licences area issued.  Unfortuntately, fisheries such as us are no longer able to issue paper licences.  Instead there is a new online system available here or you can buy your licence from a post office.

Fishing and Stocking Policy

Our lakes are Catch and Take only for Rainbow Trout. This way all our fish are in good condition when taken. The lakes do have the odd Brown Trout in but these should be released and not taken as these are wild and are not stocked and we are trying to preserve them.

We re-stock on the basis of your Catch Return Cards. We keep the lakes topped up all the time so during busier periods they are stocked every day or maybe twice a week in winter. We aim to stock first thing in the morning before opening so there is no disruption to fishing.

It does mean that Catch Returns are very important to us so please do leave them in the Returns Box in the Lodge at the end of your day or post it back to us should you forget.