A Days Fishing at Frensham Trout Fishery

Address: Robinswood, Simmondstone Lane, Churt, Surrey, GU10 2JN Contact names: Richard or Jill Twite Phone number: 01252 794321 Web site: www.countryleisure~msn.comFishery: 6 acres of clear water in five lakes. Three are an acre or more whilst two are small pools. These are all well matured lakes in a lovely woodland setting full of wild life. There is a good mix of deeps, going down to 16ft, and shallows.The woodlands are full of animal life including badgers and deer. As one would expect from the name “Robinswood”, the number of nesting robins has to be seen before being believed.Fishery records: Rainbow trout 21lb, Brown trout 19lb 8oz and tiger trout 6lb. A tiger trout is a brown/brook trout hybrid.Stocking: Twice a week in Winter increasing to three times a week in Summer.Tickets: Full day with four fish limit £30 Half day with three fish limit £23. That is either starting at 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or from 2.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Times are staggered by half an hour to allow cars to leave and new cars to enter the site. Evening tickets after 4.30 p.m. are £18 and allow a two fish limit. Catch and release is allowed after the limit is reached. Sporting tickets for catch and release cost £20. There is also a full day allowing a limit of five fish for £35Tuition: Hourly rate £15. There are various tuition packages on offer. An example is 1 hour tuition with a half day sport ticket and tackle hire for £35.Corporate days: Price on application.Physically disadvantaged: Much of the water is not suitable for wheel chair users but two swims on the largest lake are suitable.Other facilities include WC and flies for sale

A Days Fishing at Frensham Trout Fishery

Virginia and I travelled to Frensham Trout Fishery on a cold April day. It had both snowed and rained during the previous three days. Every river we crossed was chocolate brown with heavy flood water. Certainly not the best conditions to visit a fly fishery!When we arrived, down the long track into Robins Wood, we were amazed to see such a beautiful wood surrounding the lakes. By now this would be an area of outstanding natural beauty. We then met Richard, the owner, at his rustic looking lodge on the edge of the woods. He explained that the water was normally much clearer than today and that the extra heavy rain day put a slight tinge of colour into the water. We then noticed by the car a terrific number of robins, more than I had ever seen together in my life. Richard said that although robins are very territorial, in Robins Wood, for some unknown reason they nest close together. Naturally this is how the place got its name.We walked down to the lakes in the valley. There was plenty of room to cast but some are in parts tree lined. The three main lakes are stepped down the valley and have water running through them. To the sides are two small pools that also have water entering and leaving. The water looked clear to me and there was a nice ripple on the surface. Fish could be seen rising at regular intervals.Having looked at the fishery, I was keen to get started. Richard advised me to fish about two or three feet down with a small nymph. We left him to start fishing. I set up with an 8’6″ AFTM 4/5 rod with a WF5F floating line, with a long 5lb b.s. leader to a size 14 gold bead pheasant tail nymph. The outfit was ideal and I could cover most of the lakes with this outfit. I started half way down the middle lake using a very slow retrieve. On my second cast I had a slight tweak that I missed. Nothing happened for the next dozen casts. Then I had another small tweak that I managed to strike. It was a lovely conditioned rainbow of just over three pounds that put up a good scrap in the clear water. Fishing on in the same spot for another half an hour produced only one possible slight take. Walking further along the bank, I came to a swim just below a small weir. I thought that the area looked very promising with its aeration and could possibly hold a better fish. I fished over the stream produced by the incoming water, changing both depth and retrieve rates but did not get a take. I was still convinced that the area would produce a fish. I therefore made a cast well over the stream and let it settle without any attempt to retrieve. Instead the current on the fly line pulled it round. Almost immediately I had a take on my gold bead pheasant tail, producing a nice three pound plus rainbow.After landing this fish, it was back to the car park for lunch and a chance to feed the robins. There were a terrific number of these birds, all feeding on the bread we had put up on the wooden rail in the car park. After lunch, I moved to the top lake. Starting at the deep bottom end of the lake, I fished the nymph at various depths with different retrieve rates until I caught another rainbow of a fraction under three pounds.Moving round, I tried everything, trying to complete the days catch but did not get another take until reaching the top end. This was narrow and shallow with a spring entering at the very top point. I could clearly see the bottom and the fish. These included some lovely looking natural brownies. I decided to change fly to a conventional hairs ear nymph on a size 16 hook. Then on one cast towards the spring, I noticed that the leader twitched to one side, so I struck. It was a very small fish that turned out to be a lovely 4 or 5oz wild brown trout. It was a terrific looking fish that was released as I do not kill wild trout.Finally I walked down to the bottom lake, changing back to a size 14 gold bead pheasant tail. After about three quarters of an hour, I had another take that produced my final three pound plus rainbow.

Conclusion: There is a terrific variety of fishing in the five pools in the complex. I had not seen the venue at its best but still considered it as an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is not one of those big fish circuit waters but a venue with its own charm. Having said that this is not primarily a big fish venue, big fish well into double figures are stocked at regular intervals. The only regret I had from my day out at Frensham Trout Fishery is that I did not have a number 3 or 4 outfit with me. Had I had this with me I believe that I would have more fully exploited this venue to its full potential.