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 the Brook Farm Trout are indeed rather special. We have been breeding our own unique strain of Rainbow Trout at Brook Farm for 26 years. We do not seek organic accreditation but our Hatchery is completely chemical-free, including hormone and colour pigment in the feed. This obviously excludes single-sex or triploid fish. The result is perfectly shaped, fin-perfect Trout, that are natural in all respects. They look like Sea Trout, and indeed they fight like Sea Trout; the power of our fish is legendary. The size of the Trout is not considered to be a material aspect of the Fishery; quality of fish and of the fishing is our first consideration. However, as a guide, Trout will range in size depending upon the stage of the Season, between 1¼ lbs and well in excess of 20 lbs. In addition to our own Rainbows, we also have occasional stockings of Brown Trout.

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, combined with some limited pre-booked Group days. Most Members choose to fish Catch-&-Release, which over the years has proven to be a great success. However, it would not be practical to run a Trout Fishery without some turnover of fish, and so the Group Days (which are only Catch-and-Take) fit in very well. Syndicate Members have a list of these booked days before commencement of the Season, and so they simply fish around them.

In theory, Members who can fish at any time could all turn up together on the same day, but in practice this has never happened. The average daily attendance is 0 to 2 Rods, which enhances the exclusivity of the Fishery.

We have no wish to spoil the Fishery by commercialising it, and it makes sense to stay within the limits of our own Hatchery production rather than buying in fish from outside. In order to achieve these aims, the Membership will be limited to 20 Rods for the 2010 Season, which will be from Monday 29th March to Saturday 25th September.

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