Latest Fishing News and Tweets

Latest From Albury

Updated 4th March

The fishing has been on fire over the last month with the conditions being perfect. 203 fish caught last week. We have seen some really nice big brown trout caught up tp 9lb 8oz over the last month. Weston fishery as normal has seen the most angling pressure owing mainly to the fact that the water clarity has been exceptional due to being spring fed. Vale End and Powdermills are fed by the River Tillingbourne, so always have a slight tinge of colour in them. Tactics have mainly been focused around using a floating line and long leader with small lures such as Blue Flash Damsels and variations of this, Cats Whisker and Humungous. On milder days we have seen small hatches of buzzers.

Please remember that all this seasons yellow tokens will expire at the end of March 2024 and will not be extended beyond this. If you don’t catch your fish before the end of the season you can exchange them for frozen fish to be collected from the fishing lodge Tuesday to Friday 8am -3pm. This will run to the end of the season 31st March. Alternatively fresh fish can be collected from the fish farm from March 25th to 29th by appointment only. Please call fish farm manager Richard King  on 07967 461063.

2024/25 season rods will be available to purchase from mid March. A season rod offers fantastic value for money and has many benefits outlined below. Season rods can have unlimited visits to Weston, Vale end, Syon park and season rod only water Powdermills which is often less busy than the day ticket waters. This includes unlimited visits to our fly only carp lake at Weston and catch and release fishing on our river beats during the river season. Season rods can also buy tokens in larger quantities which reduces the cost per token. Season rods may also bring a guest that has valid day membership and they can use your tokens. 

An exciting change to the rules next season is that we will allow catch and release fishing on the river beats at Weston, Vale End and Powdermills. This will only be for the duration of the river season from 1st April until 30th September. Anglers must have day or season membership and be in possession of fish tokens, you cannot fish the river with just day membership. Barbless flies must be used and the fish must be treated with respect and returned to the water with minimal handling, preferably unhooked in the net and not removed from the water. Anglers may if they wish keep a stocked fish from the river using tokens in the normal manner but all wild brown trout must be returned. This new rule change will strictly apply to the river beats only, under no circumstances may anglers return fish in any of the lakes (except the carp lake at Weston) and anyone caught doing so will face disciplinary action. We will trial this rule change for the duration of the season and if successful will make it a permanent rule change.

Following on the success of the day we ran with Peter Cockwill back in January we have organised another event with him on 25th April 2024. This event will be split into  two halves, with a morning session covering trout fishing with an emphasis on buzzer fishing and in the afternoon Peter will be doing a talk/demo on fly fishing for carp which will cover the equipment needed, tactics and handling of the fish. Numbers are limited to 20 anglers in the morning and 20 in the afternoon. If you wish to attend please email me to book a place on [email protected].

Richard Algeo caught this superb brown trout at Weston fishery (see pic below).

A couple of really quality brown trout for Freddie Botha and James Evans this week.

Well, almost another year has passed us by on the fishery and it certainly has not been without its challenges. However as we move into December things are looking much brighter with the fishing returning back to its best, largely aided by much cooler weather and lots of rain which has helped replenish the aquifers and we now have lots of water running through Weston fishery as well as the River Tillingbourne which feeds all the other fisheries. With this cooler weather we have been able to stock some really nice spartic trout (Arctic Char, brook trout cross) which are always popular with our anglers and provide a lovely bit of variety to the beautifully conditioned rainbow and brown trout from our own fish farm.

We have organised a couple of events in January 2024 starting with drop in sessions with Peter Cockwill on Januray 24th. This will be at Weston fishery and all anglers are welcome to drop in throughout the day and pick the brains of the best in the business. The day will be a combination of in the lodge activities such as fly tying, knots and leader construction etc, as well as on the bank casting demos. The other event is a tour of our very own fish farm by farm manager Richard King. This will take place on Wednesday 10th January at 10.30am and is a free event. To book a place please email [email protected].

Tactics wise, medium to large lures have really worked the best with Gold head and hothead damsel, Cats Whisker, black and green nomad and black and gold humongous have been the pick of the flies. If the lures are not working or takes dry up try bloodworm and diawl bachs. 

I cant emphasise enough to focus on your leader set up, I see a lot of anglers fishing leaders that are way to short. Quite often they are 4ft to 6ft, leaders ideally want to be 9ft to 12ft, longer if you think you can manage it. Also cover the water in front of you effectively, not just putting the fly in the same spot all the time. Its also important to cover as much water as you can not just stay and fish the same spot all day. There is so much good advice online now and some great videos on youtube on small Stillwater fly fishing not to mention the magazines.

Remember the cafe is open Tuesday to Friday 8.30am to 3pm.

Latest From Syon

Updated 7th March

Fly’s to currently try – With the water still slightly coloured, trout seem to preference the colour white at the moment – white buzzers, small white lures, white gold headed nymphs etc, so make sure you have white fly’s in your box. Hothead damsels are also working.

Please remember that all this seasons yellow tokens will expire at the end of March 2024 and will not be extended beyond this. If you don’t catch your fish before the end of the season you can exchange them for frozen fish to be collected from the fishing lodge Tuesday to Friday 8am -3pm. This will run to the end of the season 31st March. Alternatively fresh fish can be collected from the fish farm from March 25th to 29th by appointment only. Please call fish farm manager Richard King  on 07967 461063.

2024/25 season rods will be available to purchase from mid March. A season rod offers fantastic value for money and has many benefits outlined below. Season rods can have unlimited visits to Weston, Vale end, Syon park and season rod only water Powdermills which is often less busy than the day ticket waters. This includes unlimited visits to our fly only carp lake at Weston and catch and release fishing on our river beats during the river season. Season rods can also buy tokens in larger quantities which reduces the cost per token. Season rods may also bring a guest that has valid day membership and they can use your tokens.

Please could all members swipe their individual membership cards on the gate entry system when entering and exiting the fishery.  If another member is coming in or out of the gate when you arrive or exit the fishery, please can you still swipe your card upon entry/exit.  

If any member is at the entrance without a valid membership card, please call the bailiff.  The number is 07956 378 138.

The lake is fishing well at the moment.  Some lovely big fish were stocked on our last stocking, including some really big brown trout.  You will often find that the browns are caught just past the bridge in the deeper water.  Some lovely sparctics have also been coming out.

Chris caught this stunning sparctic.

It is all about method and finding the depth of the fish at this time of year.  We aren’t seeing fish showing on the surface, so this indicates that they will be low/deep.

Jan has fished at Syon and had this lovely bag of Albury Estate rainbow trout.  

He regularly changed his depth until he found the fish.  This is his method and has paid off. 1 foot down 15 mins – nothing, 2 foot down 15 mins – nothing, 3 foot down, bingo! 3 feet down under an indicator using an Olive tungsten head scud. 

If indicators aren’t your thing, an intermediate line with a sinking/poly leader with tungsten head lures or nymphs will give you that depth without touching the bottom.  These poly leaders all sink at different rates, so read the description before you buy any.  

If you only have a floating line, make sure you still use a sinking/poly leader or attach a sink tip to your floating line and use a fluorocarbon leader with a weighted lure.  Sinking/poly leaders are readily available online. 

There is so much information online now.  Guys have tried full sinking lines with boobies but their fly comes back in with weed off of the bottom.  

Something we commonly see here is anglers stripping lures on a floating line with monofilament leader, often too short, which will not reach the depth of the fish, leaving anglers frustrated.  It’s about presentation of your fly within the water column. Rule of thumb the leader should be the length of your rod at least (9-10 foot).  Fluorocarbon line/leader sinks faster in the water than a monofilament line/leader.

Floating lines are great here at Syon in spring and summer months when we begin to have buzzer hatches, emergers and surface insects.  The fish begin rising and are higher in the water column.  

Change your method, move around and cover different areas of the lake.  This is the best advice.  Also, speak to our other members and their tactics if they are catching.  Speak to the bailiff regarding where the fish are or have been being caught.

The lake here at Syon is a vast expanse of water, and the fish have the ability to go deep.  The lake in the deeper water is 10-12 foot deep. Its about locating the fish and the method approached.

 Remember to wrap up warm and bring some wellingtons.  If you are after a nice breakfast before you start fishing, there is a restaurant on site in Hilliers Garden Centre that serves a good breakfast, other hot food, and hot and cold beverages.

We are trialling line disposal bins around the lake.  They are around the lake and one box at the hut.  We would like to ask our members kindly, to not fill these with general rubbish.  General rubbish can still be disposed of in the bin at the fishery hut. Thank you.

*** We would like to remind our members to purchase your day membership and tokens via our website before arriving at the fishery. *

Some improvements to the fishery entrance have now been completed.  We have removed the green exit button, so you will now need to use your membership card when both entering and exiting the fishery.    

Please continue to sign in and out of the fishery, and ensure that fish tokens are posted into the returns box.

 

Shopping Basket
Scroll to Top