BROOK FARM TROUT FISHERY
Cranham, Gloucestershire, GL4 8HZ.

Brook Farm Trout Fishery was created by the present owner in 1984, and comprises two spring-fed lakes nestling at the bottom of a steep-sided valley. Brook Farm is situated in the middle of a triangle between Stroud, Cheltenham and Cirencester, and occupies a magnificent setting high in the Cotswold Hills. The totally rural setting could not be more idyllic; there is Saltridge Wood (a Nature Conservancy wood) to the South, and the wooded slopes of Cranham Common are to the North. To the East (which is the top end of our valley) the land is owned by the National Trust, and there are again wooded slopes and the grazing pastures of our neighbouring farm. To the West, the valley opens out and unfolds into a magnificent vista with views extending as far as the Painswick Beacon.

The lakes, formed by damming the valley in two positions, are well-established, and now appear to be as natural a part of the landscape as the folds of the valley itself. The Top Lake is about an acre, and is mostly deep water between 8 and 12 feet. The larger Bottom Lake is about two and a half acres, and offers various depths with shelves, bars and deeper holes, up to perhaps eight feet, while the average depth will be four to six feet. Both lakes are surrounded by yellow irises and small stands of alder trees.

All the usual facilities are available in the fishing Lodge, including refrigerator and cooker. The added bonus is that you can fill your empty spring-water bottles from the tap to take home with you!

The secret of any Trout fishing is the quality of the water, and Brook Farm is entirely fed from Spring water rising from limestone aquifers. The crystal clear water has a Ph Value of 8, and the result is that we enjoy an aquatic environment which is becoming increasingly rare in the UK. This has not always been the case; in recent years our environment had been impacted by neighbouring cattle, but we are delighted to say that this problem has been fully resolved for some time, and the lakes are rapidly returning to their pristine condition.

Fly life is prolific, as you would expect for such pure alkaline water. The up-winged flies, Mayflies and various Olives, did suffer some declines during the years when cattle had access to the feeder stream but, following the resolution of that problem, their numbers are now returning.

Our environment is pretty special;  indeed, much of it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.  It goes without saying that the Trout that we introduce to this environment must complement it, and we are very careful with the standard of Brown Trout that we stock into the lakes.  For the 2012 Season we still have some our own-bred Rainbows in the lakes, from before we stopped breeding our own.

The quality of the water and the fly life determine the style of our fly fishing which is very much short-range targeted fishing, very much like chalk stream fishing.  Dry Fly accounts for perhaps 50% of the Trout caught, with small Nymphs and Buzzers catching the rest.  We do not fish with lures of any kind.

The fishing is offered on an exclusive Syndicate Membership basis.  All Members fish Catch-&-Release, which over the years has proven to be a great success.  This applies to Rainbows; but  all Brownies are returned on all occasions.

 

 

Syndicate Members have access to the lakes any day Monday to Saturday, 9am until twilight.   We always rest the water on a Sunday, which is also maintenance day.  In this way, our Members are free to fish when they like, and to catch what they like and if that sounds too good to be true, then of course thats because it is!  In a commercial environment, Catch & Release simply does not work;  the result is damaged fish, with altered behaviour.  We have never had the slightest problem here at Brook Farm, and the key to that success is simply the right kind of caring fishers being mindful and therefore reducing our impact upon the environment.

If our Members fished several days a week each, and caught and released dozens of Trout each visit, then the Trouts natural behaviour would be lost, and our Fishery would be ruined.  So, in practice, there might be two or three fishers one day, and none at all the next.  It is a simple understanding among our Members that we are mindful about preserving the quality of our fishing.  Similarly, we limit our catch on those good days to perhaps 5 or 6 fish caught and released.  It does not come naturally to a fisherman to turn away from the water when there is another fish to be caught;   it requires a greater vision and the realisation that we are enjoying such good fishing simply because we have the foresight to preserve it.

We have no wish to spoil the Fishery by commercialising it, and in order to achieve these aims, the Membership will continue to be limited to 15 Rods for the 2012 Season.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any queries.