LAKESIDE COTTAGE FISHING GUESTS
Guests staying at our Self-Catering Cottage have, for the duration of
their stay, the unique opportunity of joining the long-established Brook Farm
Fishing Syndicate. We do not
sell Day Tickets, and our Syndicate is limited to 15 Members, so there is no
other opportunity to fish at Brook Farm. The exclusivity of the
Syndicate is greatly valued, and experienced like-minded enthusiasts will
immediately feel a part of our friendly atmosphere. It must be said that Brook Farm is not
the place for novices. The
banks are very steep and casting can be difficult, and a high degree of stealth
is required to deceive the Trout in our clear
water.
We are also
predominantly a Catch & Release Fishery. Our Fishery Rules in this
regard are absolutely un-bendable and so again, regrettably we cannot allow
novices who might damage fish due to inexperience. Our Brown Trout are always
released following capture, as are the majority of our Rainbows, although
Members, including Holiday Guests, are welcome to take one or two Rainbows for
the table.
From a fisherman’s point of view, the prospect of non-fishers walking around the lakes, disturbing the Trout, is unwelcome and so regrettably, for Guests, the lakes are strictly for fishermen only at all times.
Syndicate Members have access to the lakes any day Monday to Saturday, 9am until evening. 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 that’s 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 Trout’s 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 ask that Lakeside Cottage Guests do not fish on your day of departure but, beyond that, rather than impose a regimented regime upon our Holiday Guests, we ask you to enter into the spirit of the Fishery, and restrict your impact upon the water accordingly. If you wish to fish all day, by all means do so, but please not every day; and again – if you have had a good day with 5 or 6 Trout - then sit back in the Crow’s Nest with a glass of Single Malt Whisky and quietly re-live the moment when that fish broke the surface and your dry fly disappeared!
Fishing Guests do need to agree to these conditions before arranging their fishing.
The fishing has to be pre-booked with us
as soon as you have booked your holiday through Manor Cottages, and the cost for
Temporary Membership of our Syndicate is £180 per Rod per week, and is limited
to a maximum of two Lakeside Cottage Fishing
Guests.
In many regards, fishing at Brook Farm is analogous to a glass of fine wine or Malt Whisky:- it is always to be sipped and enjoyed slowly, never rushed.If you are a new visitor to Brook Farm, then you are in for a real treat - savour each moment!
For availability, Terms & Conditions for a holiday at Lakeside Cottage and for booking, go to www.manorcottages.co.uk .
To arrange fishing while staying at Lakeside Cottage, contact Brook Farm Trout Fishery.
Email: brookfarm.fishery@btinternet.com. Tel: 01452
813162