• HOME
• TROUT
• COARSE
• TACKLE
• TUITION
• NEWS
• GALLERY
• CONTACT US

News from RMF...

Article for ESF about my recent road trip to South Uist.

Monday 16th April

Its been buzzers galore this past week at RMF, with the fish really switching on to the warmer weather and abundance of fly life present at the fishery.

Monday 9th April

The unsettled weather has meant a real mix of fishing conditions last week. As expected, the warmer and overcast days have seen some great buzzer fishing. On Friday Roy Harvey banked a fantastic 16 Rainbows using both buzzers and hare's ear patterns. Luis de Souza from Gt. Ellingham fished an evening session on Saturday and was rewarded with 8 Rainbows on a diawl bach. Also on Saturday, and using a diawl bach, Barry Tierney from Norwich landed 10 Rainbows. Although more showers are expected, temperatures are increasing which should in turn see an increase in surface activity. Buzzer, diawl bach and hare's ear patterns have been the most successful.

Monday 2nd April

The bank holiday weekend was a bit of washout, with wet and windy conditions putting paid to any prolific Easter weekend buzzer fishing...
A handful of anglers on Easter Sunday saw some decent catches with buzzers and damsel nymphs proving the most effective patterns.
Heavy rain on Monday didn't put off Drew Patrick and Patrick Larke, landing 5 and 15 rainbows respectively.
The far end of the lake and the West bank are the best places to try and static buzzers or small nymphs fished deep will work.

Monday 26th March

As the more Spring like weather prevails, this week has been all about buzzers at RMF. Notable catches include Patrick Larke from Attleborough who banked 18 Rainbows on Friday all on buzzers. Jimmy Sayer from Wymondham used both damsel and buzzer patterns to land 9 rainbows. Thanks to everyone who came along to our casting clinic on Sunday. The weather was very kind and provided near perfect conditions. Newcomer to the sport Paul East picked up some top tips from James on buzzer fishing and moments later landed his first RMF trout to a small black buzzer. Member Graham Coles banked 5 rainbows using RMF's renowned scruffy buzzer pattern.

Monday 19th March

A brief show of Spring last week saw water temperatures increase and continued success for buzzers and bloodworms. Tom Shead banked 6 Rainbows on Wednesday using static bloodworms. On Friday, Clive Bound from Rocklands landed 4 Rainbows using olive damsels. The return of the Beast from the East at the weekend was enough to deter most but braving the icy winds paid off for Jimmy Sayer from Wymondham who banked 6 Rainbows in a short morning session. On Sunday 25th March we will be holding a casting clinic with our GAIA instructor James. Anyone who is fishing on the day and looking to brush up their technique can take advantage of James' guidance. Tea, coffee and cake will also be available.

Monday 12th March

The warmer day time temperatures have seen a real increasing in fish activity at RMF this week. Friday saw many anglers take to the banks and, using predominantly buzzers, the day's rod average was an impressive 6.2. The weekend was again dominated by buzzer patterns and the odd damsel. RMF member Patrick Larke had an amazing morning session which saw him land 17 Rainbows using James' infamous scruffy buzzers.

Monday 5th March

The Beast from the East put paid to the fishing over the last week with the lake frozen since last Tuesday. Drew Patrick was the last angler to grace the banks and managed 7 rainbows in near arctic conditions.
The lake has pretty much thawed out today and we should start to see an increase in both water temps and fly life.
For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971 

Monday 26th February

Monday 19th February

Last week saw RMF members Jimmy Sayer and Drew Patrick bank 7 and 5 Rainbows respectively. Using damsel nymphs and bloodworms. On Thursday the more Spring-like weather saw many anglers on the banks . Ranging from cats whiskers to GRHE, an array of flies produced takes and all anglers caught, with Simon Ford landing an impressive 8 rainbows in total. As the weather is set to stay cool, bloodworms and cats whiskers will remain effective but on warmer days try buzzers and hares ears. 

Monday 12th February

The recent cold snap has seen the lake freeze on a couple of occasions with fish moving into deep water at the far end of the lake.
Static buzzers or bloodworms fished over deep water have been the best bet, with lures fished on a sinking line struggling to get results.
The odd fish has been tempted on dries, with cdc's and emergers proving surprisingly successful in the cold wind, providing there is a ripple.
Numbers have been inconsistent, with returns showing 3 and 4 being the norm.
For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971.

Monday 5th February

Last week Drew Patrick from Thetford had an impressive 16 Rainbows from predominantly the far end of the lake using bloodworms and olive damsels. On Wednesday afternoon, RMF member Jon Brooks had a great couple of hours. Using buzzers, fished static on a floating line, Jon banked 4 Rainbows in quick succession. The cold snap this week will mean anglers may have to fish a little deeper with buzzers, bloodworms or slow nymphs being the best fly choice, sinking lines and lures may also work for new fish. 

Monday 29th January

Its been a surprisingly difficult week this past week. Temperatures have been all over the place and the weather cant decide what to do which may have had an impact.

Monday 22nd January

Despite some fairly grim weather conditions, the lake has seen some excellent sport this last week. Patrick Larke had a fantastic couple of days, a 4 hour morning session saw him bank an impressive 14 Rainbows on a combination of buzzer and bloodworm patterns. Patrick fished again a few days later and landed a further 5 Rainbows on the same fly choices. RMF member Drew Patrick banked 11 Rainbows on Cat's whisker earlier in the week and Friday saw all anglers catch a good number of fish with buzzers, bloodworms and hare's ear proving the best fly choice. Fluctuating temperatures did see the lake freeze on Sunday but it was fully thawed by the evening. Please call for weather updates before travelling. 

Monday 15th January

Its been a week of big numbers and pretty consistent fishing. Conditions have been pretty good, with breezy days and overcast skies prompting fish into feeding in the relatively mild temperatures over the last week or so.
Its been a pleasant surprise to see that buzzers and bloodworms have probably been the most productive patterns, with cats whiskers or large nymphs fished on a sinker making up the numbers.
Mary Taylor enjoyed her best day ever on Thursday when she landed 16 rainbows. Other notable returns include Drew Patrick with 11 on damsels, Patrick Larke with 17 on buzzers and Roy Harvey with 11 on hares ear nymphs.
The fish are well spread out so wind speed and direction will dictate the best areas, but the inlet point and bay have been hotspots over the last few days.
For more information call James on 01953 483971.

Monday 8th January

The recent cold snap and Northeasterly wind has put the fish down into deeper water at the far end of the lake. Static bloodworms, buzzers and lures pulled on sinking or intermediate lines have proved most productive.
Tom Shead had his best day for a while landing 8 rainbows on Friday using static apps bloodworms fished on the far point. As long as the wind is in the North, expect conditions to be difficult with location being probably more important that fly choice.
Deeper water or windward banks when it’s blowing will be the best options and gold head lures or static apps bloodworms fished very slowly would be a good bet.

Sunday 31st December

The heavy rain, wind and fluctuating temperatures have certainly not affected the trout over the Christmas period, with various methods continuing to be productive all over the lake. On certain days, conditions have made fishing extremely difficult but these have seen the biggest numbers in the returns book with buzzers and apps bloodworms fished on the windward bank working really well.

Monday 18th December

There has been a sudden spate of big fish captures over the last week with fish up to 5lb making an appearance over the weekend. Tom Shead landed the best of the week with a beautiful 5lb rainbow on Saturday caught on a damsel and floating line from the West bank. Drew Patrick, Bob Fleetcroft and Jimmy Sayer all managed good number with Drew banking 16 on Thursday using Damsels, cats whiskers and buzzers. An Icy Sunday saw the lake freeze completely, but rain in the afternoon soon had it fishable again. Milder temps are forecast so the risk of ice is over and a good week ahead should be had by all.
Try small lures or goldhead nymphs, or on gloomy, breezy days dry flies in the ripple such as hoppers and cdc's.
For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971

Monday 11th December

With the cold snap well and truly upon us it was nice to see that it didn't deter the anglers for the Christmas Competition on Sunday.
Despite the snow, most fish were caught on buzzers and surprisingly, in the afternoon fish were seen rising up the middle of the lake.
The winner was Patrick Larke, who won a goody bag full of Vision tackle.
Sinking lines should now start to become much more effective as the fish move into deeper water. Water clarity is still exceptional so the smaller flies have been proving more successful. Hare's ears and bloodworms fished slow and deep, especially near the island and over deep water should prove effective.
A special mention this week to 11yr old Kyle from Garvestone who had his first casting lesson with James on his birthday and really impressed!  
For more information call James at the Lodge on 01953 483971.

Monday 4th December

It was a joy to see so many fish rising on Sunday. A mild day and gloomy conditions meant that a good number of fish were rising right up the middle of the lake and feeding on tiny emerging buzzers. Water clarity is exceptional so small nymphs, goldheads and buzzers have been the best choice for floating lines.

Deeper tactics such as inters and lures will also work if pulled with the best areas being the slightly deeper water at the far end of the lake.

Monday 27th November

Its been a great week here at the fishery and although the weather has turned pretty Wintery, the fish are acting like its Spring!
Buzzers and dries have been the order of the day and with fish spread out and feeding all over the lake, it really is quite a nice change for this time of year.
Newcomers, Trevor Johnson and Jim Rowland banked an impressive 10 rainbows each on Saturday using small buzzers and dries.
Graham Coles had 8 on cdc emergers from the island and Mike Glynn had 10 on lures from the far end of the lake. The rod average over the last 7 days was 5.5.
Crystal clear water means that small naturals have been productive fished on a floating line as fish aren't too deep at present. Sinkers will work when coupled with lures in the depths but try something with a bit of colour on the dull days.
We have a Christmas competition on Sunday 10th December and have 3 spaces left for anyone that wants to attend. Entry is £20 and includes a hot lunch. For more information call James on 01953 483971.

Monday 20th November

A couple of frosts last week sent the majority of fish into deeper water at the far end of the lake and although not many anglers have tried it yet, heavier flies or goldhead nymphs will start to work now. The island is still fishing well, with dries being the best bet for this shallower water. Graham Coles enjoyed a successful day on Sunday when he banked 8 rainbows from opposite the island on a simple cdc buzzer. David Shipp also used this method on Thursday and had 7.
We will be holding a Christmas competition and social event over the next few weeks so keep an eye on the website and facebook page for updates.
For more information call James on 01953 483971

Monday 13th November

Monday 6th November

Things have picked up over the last few days with most new fish now starting to spread across the lake and feed freely. There still seems to be a congregation of fish off the point and around the island so this would seem the obvious place to start, although most are challenging to catch. A few fish are now being taken from the West bank and a good day was had on the far point with anglers taking fish on buzzers, small nymphs and when conditions permit, dries.
Inters will also work especially when fished with long leaders and unweighted flies as the fish aren't too deep yet. Lures to try are cats whiskers, blue flash damsels or blobs. A welcome cold snap will bring water temps closer to something expected at this time of year and the fishing should continue to improve.
For more information call James on 01953 483971

Monday 30th October

The introduction of more new stock fish last week has seen anglers get into double figures for the first time in a few weeks. Darren Blayney managing 10 rainbows on Friday using lures. The dry fly action is still worth a shot with most fish still withing a couple of feet of the surface. Nymphs too will work but smaller sizes tend to be more productive due to the clear water.

Monday 23rd October

Another challenging week last week, with strong winds putting most anglers off for a few days. The best returns of the week were 3 and 4's with Drew Patrick and Ian Tomsett sharing the honors. Dries have still been the best bet with olive damsels working too pulled just under the surface. The introduction of new stock fish today should make things a little easier and stir the resident fish up a little.

Monday 16th October

Its been another slightly frustrating week. With plenty of fish showing all over the lake the fishing has been challenging. Dries and emergers have still produced the best results as the warm weather has seen some really good hatches of sedge in the evenings. Martin Smith landed 7 rainbows last week from the island on dries and a couple on blobs and Jimmy Sayer managed 8 on Sunday using home tied cdc's.

Monday 9th October

Last week proved difficult for most, with the best entry in the returns book being Drew Patrick with 9 rainbows caught on buzzers, bloodworms and klinkhammers.

Member Paul Trevelyan had a great morning on Thursday with 5 in just a few hours on dries which has been a theme recently. Shipmans, cdc's and klinkhammers have been the best bet, particularly due to the weather we've had recently with breezy overcast days being perfect conditions for surface tactics.

Monday 2nd October

Pretty consistent weather and mild temperatures have meant that although some resident fish are still struggling with the effects of the summer, the new stock are settling in and feeding. Dries and emergers have been by far the best patterns when conditions permit and decent numbers have been seen in the catch returns at the end of most days. Martin Smith landed 18 on Saturday and with the rod average being around 4 and only a couple of blanks things are certainly getting better with the demise of the warmer weather.

Monday 25th September

On Friday Carl Eke from Wymondham had a fantastic session. Carl landed 15 Rainbows in total using small nymphs and a black gnat. Martin Smith had a great day on Saturday. Using mainly buzzer patterns, Martin landed 8 Rainbows. In fact Saturday saw a rod average of 4.75 and most fish falling to small dry patterns. Dries have been performing well when conditions are right but the forecast sunnier weather may see buzzers and nymph work well.

Monday 18th September

Wet and windy weather has meant that water temps have dropped significantly over the last few days. This has been a blessing in disguise and although the anglers don't like it, the fish welcomed the cooler conditions.

Monday 11th September

The wind and rain this week have provided some challenging casting conditions. On Friday those who braved the bad weather were rewarded. RMF member Jan Lewandowski fished a short 2 hour morning session and banked 4 rainbows in quick succession on daddy patterns. Visiting angler Rob Gibbons landed 6 Rainbows in the slightly more favorable weather on Saturday. All were landed on small black buzzers. The forecast of decreasing wind and rain will hopefully make fishing a little easier and continued cooler temperatures will see fish activity increase.

Monday 4th September

The arrival of some more autumnal weather has seen the fishing improve no end. On Thursday Martin Smith landed 11 Rainbows and a Brownie on damsels and Chris Smith also banked 11 Rainbows in a short afternoon session using a variety of damsels and buzzers. On Sunday, Barry Tierney and Jimmy Sayer landed 5 a piece on CDCs, PTNs and F Fly patterns. The continued overcast and cooler weather will almost certainly see fish actively feeding and expect evening rises and dry fly patterns to prevail. For more information please call 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 29th August

The heatwave over the bank holiday weekend didn't really do much for the fishing, but although extremely hot, fish were still caught on nymphs.

Monday 21st August

The constantly changing weather has seen a real variety of flies produce takes this week. RMF member Drew Patrick had a great day on Thursday. Using various dry patterns including klinkhammers and CDC buzzers, Drew landed 5 Rainbows and a stunning 3.5lb Brown. In the last couple of days we've seen fish landed on klinkhammers, damsel nymphs, CDC & shipman's buzzers, F fly and hoppers so don't be afraid to try a variety of flies. As usual, late afternoon onwards seem to be the most productive times. We will be stocking the lake on Thursday.

Monday 7th August

As we draw closer to Autumn and the days start getting a little shorter there is a real sense of things starting to improve for a trout water. Cooler nights have seen water temps drop slightly and although still just touching 20 degrees the fish seem perfectly happy and the fishing over the weekend was unseasonably good!

Monday 31st July

A much cooler week and a night of heavy rain has brought water temps down considerably and the fish have certainly responded. From seeking shade around the island and margins they are now freely feeding in open water and are much more active. However, its still Summer and fishing is still incredibly hard on the bright, hot days so try and choose your days carefully if possible.

Monday 24th July

Water temperatures remain at 22 degrees although not anything like critical, the fish are now starting to get difficult to catch due to the Summer temps.

Monday 17th July

Occasional rain showers and cooler nighttime temperatures have kept the fishery going over the Summer. Water temps are still pretty high but nothing like last years heatwave and although anglers have to pick their times carefully there is still some good fishing to be had. Evenings have by far and away been the best time of day, with a good evening rise occurring on most nights. Sedge have been hatching and any small imitation has been a good bet, particularly near the island as fish are tending to congregate in the shade of the willows.

Monday 10th July

Changeable conditions and more rain over the last week have meant water levels are unseasonably back up to their Winter mark. Temperatures still remain pretty high so dont expect any amazing sport on the bright, sunny days but when its overcast and breezy there is still some fantastic action to be had on dries.

Monday 3rd July

The heavy rain and drop in temperature last week was a godsend and decreased water temps dramatically overnight. The fish seemed to really respond to this and the weekend in particular saw a definite rise the in catch returns book.

Monday 26th June

A perfect weekend of weather meant the fishing went from pretty average at best to exceptional overnight. The hot, bright sunny days saw fish retreat to the deeper water but over the weekend the temps were cooler and stormy, overcast skies meant that fish were making the most of the conditions and were up and feeding.

Monday 19th June

A scorching few days recently has made fishing pretty difficult. The weekend was a write off due to temperatures close to 30 and not a breath of wind. Despite the conditions the fish seem to be surprisingly happy and ready to feed when conditions permit. An overcast Friday morning saw Lester Bishop bank an impressive 10 Rainbows in a couple of hours on dries, by mid day the sun was shining and temperatures increased putting paid to any action for the rest of the day.CDC's and F Flies have been a popular choice, damsel nymphs or deep buzzers for when its sunny. The rod average over the last week was 2.2.

Monday 12th June

The cooler temperatures of last week have been a godsend with water temperatures dropping by a couple of degrees and things looking a little more normal for June.

Monday 5th June

Even though the water temperatures are unusually high for this time of year the fishing has been consistently good. Saturday was the busiest day of the weekend, with 18 anglers throughout the day. The best return was Lynne Wee who landed 10 rainbows and 2 browns, closely followed by Adrian Head with 9 rainbows. All were caught on either shipmans or scruffy buzzers from the island.

Monday 30th May

The weather has been the deciding factor recently with bright, hot days proving a little challenging. The fishing is still surprisingly good, especially on the overcast, cooler days with Bank Holiday Monday seeing a lake full of anglers and some respectable returns. Deep buzzers have been the order of the day when its sunny, with Jon Brooks using them to great affect on Saturday evening, when in a short 3 hour session he landed 10 rainbows. Jimmy Sayer used Shipmans in the morning to temp 11, finishing at mid day when things got a little too hot.

Monday 22nd May

Recent warm and bright sunny days has still seen fish readily feeding and the appearance of some much needed cloud cover has meant we've seen some glorious evening rises. Martin Smith fished a morning session on Friday and banked an impressive 12 Rainbows using buzzer patterns. A jam packed day on Saturday saw 13 anglers on the banks. RMF members Richard Mainprize and Graham Coles both fished CDC buzzers and landed 9 and 6 Rainbows respectively. Sunday saw regular Jimmy Sayer bank 11 Rainbows despite the bright sunshine all on emergers. With more warm and sunny weather forecast we expect to see plenty of evening hatches and rising fish. The odd mayfly have been spotted so don't rule that pattern out of your arsenal but buzzers remain the most effective fly choice.

Monday 15th May

Despite the changeable weather over the last few days the fishing has been consistently good, particularly on the overcast and breezier days. On Friday Kevin Southey had a fantastic 4 hour session. Using a real mix of flies including buzzers and dries, Kevin banked 15 Rainbows. On Saturday Andrew Tink and Luis De Souza had very productive sessions. Andrew fished the afternoon during both sunshine and rain showers and landed 12 fish in total. Luis took advantage of a great evening rise and banked 12 Rainbows on black gnat and grey duster flies. Mary Taylor fished Sunday's evening rise and managed 10 Rainbows on CDC buzzers. Buzzers have most definitely accounted for the most fish this week, whether CDCs during an evening rise or Shipmans and olive buzzers fished almost static just under the surface on the brighter days.

Monday 1st May

A busy bank holiday weekend was greeted by perfect conditions for fishing. Saturday saw 13 anglers land a total of 54 fish, with the rod average being 4.1. Conditions on Sunday and Monday were even better, with overcast skies all day and good breeze meaning most fish were up and taking dries. CDC buzzers and shipmans were stand out flies when condition permitted with sub surface buzzers or bloodworms for brighter periods.

NEW Fly Tying vid for those interested

Monday 24th April

Typical Spring weather over the last few days has been perfect for buzzer fishing and dry fly action. Warm, overcast days have seen an abundance a fly life, both aquatic and terrestrial and the feeding frenzy of rising fish which follows.

Monday 17th April

Unsettled, cooler weather last week didn't hamper the fishing and buzzer hatches were still in abundance. A few Hawthorns have been making an appearance too, with black hoppers taking a few fish on overcast days.

Monday 10th April

Monday 3rd April

March was one of the busiest months to date, with 175 anglers in total catching 965 fish with the rod average being 5.5. Almost all fish fell to buzzers and emergers with the fishery seeing some of the best buzzer hatches for years.

 

Monday 27th March

The key word this week has been "buzzers". With fish gorging themselves on this subsurface phenomenon there has been plenty of extremely high catch returns.

Monday 20th March

Monday 13th March

Its been a busy week its been at the fishery this week and with lots of anglers on the banks the fish have been in fine form.

Monday 6th March

Its been an exciting few days at the fishery recently. Not only has the fishing been really good, there's also been some major changes in the shop too.

Monday 27th February

Our first mention in the report this week must go to RMF member Andrew Patrick who not only fished the day storm Doris hit but banked an impressive 12 Rainbows on bloodworms, appetizers and even on dries! Sunday proved a productive day on the trout lake. Tom Shead from Norwich landed 6 Rainbows in just a few hours using a cpmbination of bloodworm and damsel patterns. Mary Taylor had a fantastic session on Sunday too. Using gold head hare's ear, Mary banked 11 Rainbows and a Brownie. With the weather set to overcast and blustery, fly choice should remain unchanged however, on the warmer cloudy days, dry fly patterns are definitely worth trying. 

Monday 20th February

Last week's mixed weather certainly provided a range of conditions for anglers. Despite the flurry of snow, RMF member Jimmy Sayer landed an impressive 22 Rainbows all on small buzzers fished static and bloodworm patterns. Relative newcomer to the sport Mary Taylor had a great day's fishing when she banked 9 Rainbows on a gold head lure and on the same day Patrick Larke from Attleborough had 12 Rainbows on small cat's whiskers. On Sunday, father and son Bob and James Fleetcroft made the most of a short afternoon session. The pair landed 11 Rainbows between them in a little over three hours. With overcast but warmer weather forecast we should see more and more buzzer hatches and fish starting to switch on to dries.

Monday 13th February

Despite the return of wintery weather the lake has continued to fish well. On the colder days the fish have sunk a little lower but on warmer days we've still seen plenty of action higher up and buzzers working well. On Saturday Ken Fish had an incredibly productive 3 hours session. Ken landed 8 Rainbows and 2 Brown trout using black lures and blue flash damsels. Also on Saturday, Graham Coles fished a minkie blob to bank 9 Rainbows in another short pre-rugby session! On Sunday RMF member Jimmy Sayer banked an impressive 22 Rainbows. Using both bloodworms and buzzers static on a floating line, Jimmy caught fish from predominantly from the far end of the lake.

Monday 6th February

The almost Spring like weather over the weekend resulted in some excellent fishing at RMF with our first buzzer hatches of the year and fish being taken on dries. On Saturday Andy Hunt from Morley had 8 Rainbows on a combination of bloodworms, buzzers and klinkhammers. Lester Bishop fished on Sunday morning and banked 9 Rainbows on apps bloodworms and Kevin Southey landed 6 with the weekend's rod average being 3.9. Unfortunately the temperatures are forecast to drop again so surface action may decline. Recommended fly choices would be the ever popular apps bloodworm fished static or small lures such as cats whiskers, damsels or minkies fished on a sinking line.

Monday 30th January

The cold snap put paid to any fishing until Saturday, which greeted us with a rise in temperature and an ice free lake for the first time in a week.

Monday 23rd January

The cold snap has put a stop to fishing for a few days as the lake has been frozen since Sunday. We were able to keep the water ice free for a few days but despite running the aerator and using the boat to break it up it is now frozen solid and not likely to be clear until the weekend.

Monday 16th January

Wintery showers and freezing temperatures have done nothing to put the fish off over the last few days with most anglers enjoying some superb sport despite the icy conditions. It is now pretty certain than sinking or intermediate lines have the edge, with lures and minkies really coming into their own. Floating lines and buzzers have surprisingly still caught fish, this being proved by Jon Brooks on Sunday evening when he managed to tempt 3 rainbows to a static black buzzer from the lodge end of the lake. 

Monday 9th January

A mixture of conditions last week saw a variety of methods used, most of which proved successful. A sharp frost on Thursday meant that the lake was partially frozen, this didnt stop Alan Cobham, who despite having to wait for certain sections of the lake to become clear managed to bank 8 rainbows in total in difficult conditions. Alan was using an intermediate line and a combination of Damsels and apps bloodworms. A much milder weekend saw standout performances from Martin Matthews and Chris Bonner. Martin landed 20 rainbows in total using a sinking line and lures such as cormorants and cats whiskers and Chris had 13 again using a sinker but snakes and damsels were the flies of choice.

Monday 2nd January

A busy few days at the fishery between Christmas and the New Year saw a total of 29 anglers over 4 days catch a total of 116 trout including some belated Christmas presents for some of them!

Tuesday 27th December

The windy weather over the Christmas period certainly rewarded those who braved the conditions and got out on the bank.

Monday 19th December

A foggy week last week saw some exceptional fishing. The dull, low light conditions really seemed to help the clear water and most anglers returned up to and over 10 fish. The best numbers for the week were from Elliot Macrow with 17 rainbows and a brown on Thursday. Other good returns included Keith Mills with 14, Mike Glynn with 13, Gary Waker with 12 and a special mention to Drew Patrick with 15 and a fish from every platform on the lake! All manner of flies have been taking fish and due to the conditions dry flies have been working well if a breeze picks up. Lester Bishop banked 10 on Saturday on a combination of cdc buzzers & Klinkhammers. Other flies to try are static buzzers, hare's ear nymphs or lures such as blue flash damsels, cats whiskers or minkies.

Monday 12th December

The fishing last week was a tale of two halves, with the early part of the week being decidedly easier than the latter. The rod average was up around 6.0 until the temperatures soared up to 14'c which surprisingly made the fishing more difficult and anglers struggled to see the same double figure returns of a few days beforehand. 

Monday 5th December

The recent cold snap has seen fish move to deeper water, with sink tip lines or intermediates starting to fish really well particularly on the brighter days.

Monday 28th November

At the moment the fish are still up, but as the temperatures start to drop expect the fish to begin moving to slightly deeper water.

Monday 21st November

Wet and windy weather recently certainly hasn't had a detrimental affect on the fishing, with even the bright, calm days fishing surprisingly well for this time of year.

Monday 14th November

Consistent fishing and inconsistent weather has been the story recently with anglers that are willing to brave the rain being rewarded with impressive catch returns and some really great sport with hard fighting fish.

Monday 7th November

Last week was probably the busiest and most consistent week of fishing so far this year. Cooler temps and a change in pressure has meant that the fish are now really active and this has been proved by the catch returns. 

Monday 31st October

The fishery has been extremely busy over the last week and fishing has been pretty consistent, with the odd angler returning into double figures.

Monday 24th October

Visiting angler Elliot Macrow fished on Thursday and, despite changeable conditions, banked 8 Rainbows and a Brown Trout using a variety of dry hoppers caught predominantly from the far end of the lake. The favourable weather on Saturday saw a busy day at the lake and a wide variety of flies produced fish. Damsels and CDC buzzers seemed most effective and the rod average for the day was 4.4. A special mention this week to Mary Taylor who, after a casting lesson from James, went on to catch her very first trout and on a nymph to boot! The forecast mild and overcast weather for the end of the week should ensure some excellent fishing with black or claret hoppers being our fly recommendation. 

Monday 10th October

Monday 3rd October

What a week its been! The temperatures have dropped significantly and the fish are really active. All but one of the returns for last week had been successful with the rod average being well over 6 and the most falling to Darren Blayney who landed 17 Rainbows and a Brown on Friday using daddies and lures at the far end of the lake fishing from the point. 

Monday 26th September

After a 6 week closure due to high water temps and dangerously low oxygen we are pleased to announce that we are back up and running again. The weekend was by far the best couple of days of last week, with the weather being near perfect on both days.

Barry Lister enjoyed his best ever day at RMF on Friday when he landed 8 Rainbows in total. Barry was fishing a sinking line and fishing from the West bank using lures and Damsel Nymphs. His 8 fish haul included 2 fish over 3lb.

Saturday saw a return to RMF for Nick Wale from Toftwood. Nick fished the far point and using various flies managed to land 8 rainbows in a morning with the biggest being a 4lb fin perfect specimen which was safely returned to fight another day. Nick was using a combination of Damsel nymphs and lures and catching over the deep water in the middle of the lake. 

A special mention must go to Carl Norman and Andrew King who after a lesson with James on Friday morning both went on to catch their first trout each, with Andrew landing two. Both caught on goldhead Damsel nymphs from the lodge end.

More fish are due to be stocked this week and the fishing should only improve as the weather gets cooler. For more information or to book call James at the lodge on 01953 483971.

Monday 5th September

After a problematic few weeks we are pleased to announce that the trout lake will re-open on Thursday 22nd September. The lake has been closed due to severely high water temperatures and significantly decreased dissolved oxygen readings, despite running the aerator 24/7.

The Environment Agency were consulted and after a site visit confirmed the diagnosis made by myself a few weeks ago... Here's to a cooler September!

Monday 29th August

The trout lake is still closed while we wait for water temperatures to drop. The coarse lake is still open as usual.

Monday 22nd August

The trout unfortunately remains closed due to water quality issues but oxygen levels are improving and we plan to restock and reopen shortly.

Monday 1st August

Although July is generally considered the height of summer and never the easiest month for trout fishing, due to the heavy rain at the beginning of June, water temperatures are nothing like that of last year and the fishing is still hanging on in there...JUST! Its is pretty inconsistent, with morning and evenings obviously being the best times, but don't write off overcast days either.

Monday 25th July

Even with the recent hot weather and increasing water temperatures the fishing over the last few days has been pretty consistent with anglers returning a rod average of well over 4 fish.

Monday 18th July

Conditions this week have meant that fishing during the day, particularly mid day when the sun is at its strongest have been tricky. Early mornings have been by far the best times with plenty of fish caught on dries and buzzers. Mick Donoghue proved this on Monday morning when he has his best session to date, landing 6 rainbows in just a couple of hours. Dave Johnson fished on Saturday and managed to land 10 rainbows on various dries and small emergers.

Monday 11th July

More unsettled weather over the last few days has been a real godsend for this time of year, with water temps unseasonally low. The fish are feeding throughout the day, with a real emphasis on early-mid morning, with a slight lull in activity by midday on the brighter, warmer days. Surface sport has been thick and fast, with many anglers choosing dries over nymphs or buzzers. Small Adams, Shipmans or CDC emergers and Klinkhammers have been worth a try, but the smaller the better in such clear water.

Monday 04th July

With all the rain over the last couple of weeks, the fishery is unusually more Spring like than Summer, with water temperatures surprisingly low and lake levels quite high. This has helped the fishing, with the fish being in good condition and happy to feed, even on the most unsuitable days.

Monday 13th June

Slightly more unsettled weather recently has really helped the fishing, with the high temperatures and bright sunshine being replaced with overcast skies, heavy showers and the odd storm. The dry fly fishing has been superb, particularly on these days, with all manner of dry flies taking fish. Jimmy Sayer from Wymondham banked 10 rainbows on Thursday using Klinkhammers and buzzer emerger patterns, while on the same day, Tom Shead from Norwich also landed 10 on black Shipmans buzzers fished static in the surface film.

Monday 6th June

With increased water temperatures and warmer weather recently, the buzzer hatches have been prolific. The odd Mayfly appearing on Sunday meant that most fish were caught on dries, a contrast to last week when cooler temperatures and strong Northerly winds meant that many fish were caught on lures or nymphs. 

 

Monday 16th May

Monday 9th May

Monday 2nd May

Monday 25th April

RMF member Drew Patrick enjoyed a productive day on Thursday. Drew landed 11 Rainbows in total using olive damsels and bloodworms. Kieran Harney had a fantastic session on Saturday. Using both suspender and black buzzers, Kieran banked 10 Rainbows and 2 Brown trout. A special mention this week goes to Stan Worrell who fished an afternoon session last week. Stan landed not only his first ever Rainbow but also his first Brownie on home tied Diawl Bachs. With warmer temperatures encouraging hatches, buzzer patterns have accounted for the majority of fish recently, particularly in natural black and olive colours.

Monday 18th April

Despite the changeable weather over the past week, the fishing has remained consistent with the rod average staying above 4.5. Callum Naismith from Great Ellingham landed his first ever trout at the weekend. He went on to successfully bank 4 Rainbows using a home-tied F Fly. RMF member Ken Whitton had a great session on Wednesday. Using small lures fished on a floating line, Ken landed 8 Rainbows in total. On Friday visiting angler Elliot McRow had a fantastic day. Using a variety of buzzers, Elliot banked an impressive 3 Rainbows and 4 Brown trout. The dry, fine weather and warmer temperatures forecast will encourage buzzer hatches and general fly life on the fishery. On warmer days, Hawthorns and Alders will be in abundance and black Hoppers, Bibios and CDC F flies should prove successful.

Monday 11th April

Monday 4th April

 

Spring Newsletter

Sunday 3rd April

On Sunday 3rd of April we will be holding a competition to mark the start of the new season here at RMF. This is an open event and not to be taken too seriously but just a great opportunity to enjoy some good fishing and bankside banter with some great prizes up for grabs as always. The competition will be run as catch & release only and entry is just £10 which includes lunch for all those attending. Full details and rules will be set out on the day but start time will be approx. 9.30, breaking for lunch half way through. Please can you let James or Katie know if you'd like to attend as places are limited and likely to taken quickly!

2016 Ticket Prices

From 1st April we will be changing our ticket structure for day ticket fishing. There will no longer be day and evening tickets but a 4 fish day ticket at £25 and 2 fish day ticket at £20 regardless of length of stay.

Season tickets, rules and catch & release policy have all remained unchanged.

Season Tickets

We have a handful of Season Tickets left for the 2016 season. As you know, we limit numbers each year so if you wish to renew or join for the first time, please get in touch as soon as possible. Thank you to all of you who have joined already, the season starts on the 1st of April and tickets will be sent out at the end of the month or collected from the lodge nearer the time.

Fly Tying Sessions

Due to popular demand, we will once again be hosting fly tying classes. the first will be in late April and the sessions last 2-3 hours... depending on supplies of tea and cake! There is a sign up sheet in the lodge for those interested or speak to James about dates. The classes are for all tying abilities and are £10 per session.

Monday 28th March

A special mention must go out to the anglers who braved Storm Katie to fish RMF over the Easter weekend. Member Jon Brooks was rewarded with 8 Rainbows on PTNs and black buzzers on Saturday afternoon and Drew Patrick who braved the awful conditions on Sunday to fish. Drew managed 5 Rainbows despite gale force winds! The forecast warmer and more settled weather will see plenty of buzzer hatches and rising fish particularly on overcast days so black & olive Buzzers and Pheasant Tail Nymphs will continue their success rate. On Sunday the 3rd April RMF will be holding its annual fishing competition. A catch and release session with prizes for the most fish caught is just £10 pp including lunch. To book a place please call 01953 483971 or email rocklandsmerefishery@gmail.com

Monday 21st March

Its been a busy week at the fishery and, thanks to a good hatch most afternoons, numbers in the returns book have been well into double figures. Paul Chipperfield from Norwich fished three sessions last week and totalled 50 fish. His best day was Thursday when, using small hare's ear nymphs on a floating line along the West bank, Paul returned 21 fish, 4 of which were Brown Trout. RMF member Jimmy Sayer had a great afternoon session on Sunday. Using small buzzers at the far end of the lake, Jimmy banked 12 Rainbows and 4 Brown trout in total. A special mention this week to Nathan Muir who, after trying for nearly a year, landed not only his first but his second and third ever Brown trout on Saturday as well as 14 Rainbows. The fish are well spread throughout the lake and are feeding on buzzers and nymphs so fly choices for the coming week would be hare's ear nymphs, crunchers and olive buzzers generally quite small due to the clarity of the water.

 

Monday 14th March

On Saturday RMF member Tom Shead had a great day. Using both buzzers and a black damsel, Tom landed 7 Rainbows. Also on Saturday Mike Palmer from Dereham had a fantastic afternoon session. Mike banked 6 Rainbows and a Brownie using buzzers in the top 3ft of water. RMF member Patrick Larke enjoyed a productive morning on Sunday. Using buzzers, bloodworms and montanas, Patrick landed a impressive 11 Rainbows in just 4 hours! The warmer and more settled weather should see more consistent buzzer hatches, particularly later in the day.

Monday 7th March

Monday 22nd February

RMF member Andrew Patrick had a productive session last week. Using the go to fly choices of bloodworms and cat's whisker, Drew banked 4 Rainbows in total. Glyn Isaacs fished a very short session on Friday and landed 4 rainbows on a white cats whisker. A special mention to John Hogg from Bury who landed a beautiful rainbow at well over 3lbs on Sunday morning. With the cold nights set to return, we expect fly choices to remain unchanged but the warmer days may see fish nearer the top and buzzers will be worth a try.

Monday 15th February

RMF member Terry Eley had one of his best days on Friday. Using a bloodworm buzzer, Terry banked 6 Rainbows in total. Jan Lewandowski from Thetford had a great session on Sunday despite the chilly weather. Jan landed 6 Rainbows on Cat's whiskers. A special mention this week to Dave Lewis and his nearly 4lb Rainbow taken on a buzzer pattern on Saturday afternoon. The cold weather means the fish tend to head into deeper water and cats whiskers have been the most successful fly choice. However, on the warmer and sunnier days, fish have been taken on buzzers and pheasant tails recently.

Monday 8th February

Stuart Marshall from Norwich had a great day last week. Using the ever popular cat's whisker and a Montana nymph, Stuart landed 8 rainbows in a short morning session. David McColl had a successful 3 hour session on Saturday morning. David banked 5 Rainbows on using a variety of damsel patterns. The forecast wet weather might not be ideal for anglers but hopefully the recent strong winds will die down to aid casting! Whilst cat's whiskers and damsels continue to be the most popular fly choice, Mike Glynn from Thetford had 4 Rainbows on dry flies last week.

Monday 1st February

Warren Barwick from Thetford had a great session  on Friday. Using damsel nymph patterns, Warren landed an impressive 12 Rainbows in total. Also on Friday, RMF member Drew Patrick had great results with a cat's whisker, banking 6 rainbows. On Saturday Jimmy Sayer was another angler to see good results from a cat's whisker. Jimmy landed 5 rainbows in a short afternoon session. Although the forecast windy and wet weather may be unfavourable casting conditions, the lake has been fishing well with damsels and cat's whiskers remaining the most popular fly choices.

Monday 25th January

RMF member Jon Brooks had a great 2 hour session on Friday. Using small damsels, John landed 3 Rainbows. On Sunday, angling couple Sam and Barry banked 5 Rainbows on cat's whiskers and damsels. The recent cold weather did see the lake freeze but as temperatures are set to stay close to double figures we can be sure of frost free fishing. Damsels, cat's whiskers and small lures continue to be the most productive fly choices and the far end of the lake, close to the island a particular hot spot.

Monday 10th January

On Friday morning RMF member Dave Black from Wymondham defied logic to land 3 Rainbows on a dry fly! Using a sedge pattern Dave fished behind the island and into a good ripple. Visiting angler Leonard Richards from Hampshire had a productive 2 hour afternoon session at the weekend. Using cat's whisker patterns, Leonard banked 6 Rainbows and a Brownie. Also on Saturday, Paul Worley from Tharston landed 4 Rainbows on a gold head bloodworm. At the moment the fish seem to be holding up in deep water in the middle of the lake. Reaching them can be tricky on windy days but when casting is up to scratch, bloodworms, crunchers and cat's whiskers all prove successful.

Monday 21st December

Monday 14th December

As temperatures have finally dropped to a more seasonally appropriate level, the fish have gone into deeper water. However, when conditions are right, dries can still produce takes, as proven by Dave Black from Wymondham who had 3 Rainbows on dries last week. RMF regular Stuart Marshall had a great session on Thursday morning. Using damsel nymphs and cat's whiskers, Stuart landed an impressive 10 Rainbows in just 3 hours. On Friday afternoon Nathan Muir banked 7 Rainbows. All were taken on bloodworm buzzer patterns from the far end of the lake.

Monday 7th December

A big thank you to all who attended our Christmas event at the weekend and particularly those who braved the blustery weather to fish. Conditions may not have been favourable but many anglers had an excellent day's fishing. On Saturday Martin Matthews from Norwich landed an impressive 12 Rainbows. The fish were taken on daddies and cats whiskers predominantly from the far end of the lake. On Sunday RMF member Jimmy Sayer had a great afternoon session. Using bloodworm patterns, Jimmy banked a stunning 21 Rainbows. Despite the cooler temperatures fish can still be taken from the top daddies and buzzers have proven to be the most popular fly choices.

Monday 30th November

Monday November

Chris Ives had a great day on Friday. With the majority of fish coming around lunchtime, Chris landed 10 Rainbows in total. All were taken from around the island on dry daddy patterns and bloodworms. RMF regular Nathan Muir had a great morning session on Saturday. Using buzzer and bloodworm patterns, Nathan banked 7 rainbows in just a few hours. The recent rainfall has ensured water levels are back up to their pre summer state and despite gin clear water, fish are still showing near the surface. When conditions permit, there has still been dry fly action to be had but as temperatures continue drop, fish will start moving into the deeper water where slow weighted nymphs, buzzers and lures will be the best fly choice. On the weekend of 5th & 6th of December we will be holding our annual tackle sale with up to 50% across all product ranges.

Monday 9th November

Monday 2nd November

Monday 26th October

On Wednesday Ryan Hawes from Carbrooke and a great 3 hour session. Using small lures, Ryan banked 7 rainbows in total. Also on Wednesday, Paul Worley from Tharston landed an impressive 11 Rainbows. All taken on nymphs from the East bank of the lake. The East Anglian Fly Dresser's Guild had a great day on Sunday. Using a wide variety of flies including bloodworms and klinkhammers, the group landed 25 fish between them with Alan Nelson being crowned the overall winner on the day. The East bank of the lake, particularly near to the island, continues to be a hot spot with nymphs and bloodworms proving popular fly choices. Rod average over the last few days has been 5.3 and mornings seem to be the most productive times.

Monday 19th October

On Saturday the trout lake was booked for a corporate event and 12 anglers of mixed fishing experience took to the lake. A great day was had by all with a total of 27 fish being caught on a wide variety of flies. Matt Hutchinson from Diss had a great 4 hour session on Sunday afternoon. Using nymphs and cat's whiskers, Matt banked an impressive 12 Rainbows. Special mention this week to teenager Fitz Horner from Brooke. During his second casting lesson with James, Fitz landed his first ever trout - well done! Crunchers and nymphs have been productive fly choices on still days with daddies, hoppers and shipmans working well when fished on a ripple. A particular hot spot has been on the East bank close to the island.

Monday 12th October

RMF member Roger Bobbin had an impressive morning on Wednesday. In just a hour and a half Roger banked 7 Rainbows on a cruncher. Martin Matthews from Norwich had a great morning session on Sunday. Using home tied klinkhammers, Martin landed 10 Rainbows in total. Whilst Shipman's buzzers still seem to account for the majority of fish, klinkhammers and other dry patterns are starting to produce takes with mornings seeming to be the most successful sessions at present. Please note the trout lake is closed for day tickets on the 17th and 25th of October for group bookings.

Monday 5th October

As the Autumnal weather continues the fish are becoming more active. Daddies and buzzers, particularly shipmans, are still the most effective flies. RMF member David Shipp enjoyed a afternoon session on Thursday. Using the go to combination of daddies and buzzers, David banked 7 Rainbows. Brian Sims from Thetford had a spectacular morning on Friday. In just a few hours Brian landed 12 Rainbows using both daddies and shipmans buzzers. Please note the fishery will be closed for day tickets on the 17th October for a group booking.

Monday 28th September

RMF regular Kieron Haney fished a day session on Saturday, banking 9 Rainbows in total using hoppers, daddies and black buzzers. Richard Mainprize from Wymondham had a great morning session on Sunday. Using a combination of buzzers and black midges, Richard landed an impressive 10 Rainbows in just over 2 hours! Despite the return on sunnier days, the fish are still feeding well. Buzzers and pheasant tail nymphs have been doing the business this week but, on overcast days, any dry fly seems to perform.

Monday 21st September

David Setterfield from Hampshire fished an early evening session on Friday. David landed 10 Rainbows in total all taken on daddies. Nick Wale from Dereham had a spectacular return to fly fishing on Saturday. Using various daddy patterns Nick banked an impressive 18 Rainbows in just 4 hours! Another notable catch this week is from RMF member Paul Worley. Using a small Shipmans Buzzer, Paul landed a beautiful Brown Trout after stalking the margins. The fish are continuing to feed well since the arrival of Autumn and daddies or small buzzers remain the most effective fly choice. For more information or to book, please call 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk 

Monday 14th September

RMF member Geoff Peek had a splendid afternoon on Thursday. Using gold ribbed hare's ear, Geoff banked an impressive 8 Rainbows in just 3 hours! Jimmy Sayer from Wymondham fished a morning session on Sunday. Jimmy landed 5 Rainbows in total all taken on Shipman's buzzers. Now that Autumn has well and truly arrived the fishing will continue to improve. Buzzer patterns, particular Shipman's, and hare's ears have proven the most effective fly choices this week and we expect that to remain the same. For more information or to book, please call 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 7th September

The consistent lower temperatures combined with showers and overcast days have really improved the fishing recently. Alan Robinson from Thetford had a great session on Saturday. Using a black peacock spider and a sunken daddy just under the surface, Alan landed an impressive 9 Rainbows in total. RMF regular Jimmy Sayer fished on Sunday afternoon. Using various dry flies, Jimmy landed 5 Rainbows in quick succession. This week's catches have been almost exclusively on dries with CDC buzzers and daddies proving most effective.

Monday 24th August

Monday 17th August

Monday 11th August

Monday 3rd August

Monday 27th July

Monday 20th July

Monday 13th July

Monday 29th June

Monday 22nd June

The bright sunshine of last week made fishing slightly more challenging but mornings and late afternoon, particularly on cloudy days have seen some prolific hatches. Keith Mills had a fantastic session last week. Using the ever popular black buzzer, Keith landed 7 Rainbows in total. A morning Father's Day session for Andrew and Martin Matthews proved very rewarding. The pair banked 7 Rainbows between them all on damsel nymphs. A special mention this week to Henry Dye who, on Friday, landed a stunning Brownie estimated at around 3lb, caught on a dry fly from the margins. The warmer but overcast days that have been forecast should ensure some excellent fishing this week. Nymph patterns and static buzzers both continue to work well.

Monday 15th June

Monday 8th June

Monday 1st June

Monday 25th May

Monday 18th May

Perfect conditions have seen plenty of fly life at the fishery over the last few days.
The odd Hawthorn is still present which is surprising for the middle of May and we are now starting to see the odd Mayfly hatching off, something which will steadily increase until we reach a crescendo in a couple of weeks time. Damsels too are now making an appearance as well as the obvious buzzer hatches, Alders and sporadic sedge in the evenings. Water conditions are excellent at present, in fact crystal clear, which does make for tricky fishing, especially on the calm days.
In such conditions, dry fly fishing can be difficult in the middle of the day as Mike Glynn from Thetford proved on Thursday. After no luck on surface flies, Mike used a slow sinking tip and various lures to tempt his total of 13 Rainbows.
A different approach was taken by member Brian Sims, also from Thetford. Brian fished an evening session using small shipmans buzzers and landed 7 Rainbows from the far end of the lake. Using the wind to his advantage on Saturday, RMF newcomer Gary Smith fished dries such as mayfly patterns to bank 8 Rainbows in total. Fishing in bright conditions, Gary had the wind on his side and most fish came from the windward bank at the lodge end of the lake, where fish were seen to be rising all day.
Slightly more unsettled weather this week and the chance of rain will mean the fishing should actually be a little easier, especially on the overcast days. Rain will put the fly life and rising fish off for a while, but nymphs or buzzers fished just under the surface will certainly be the way to go in these conditions.

Monday 11th May

Monday 5th May

Monday 27th April

The continued warm weather has meant frequent and sustained buzzer hatches from midday onwards. Colder mornings have meant activity is a little slow on the surface. Dry flies and Shipman's buzzers have proven the most popular flies this week. RMF member Brian Sims had a great evening session on Friday. Using both shipman's and pheasant tail nymphs, Brian banked 9 fish in just a few hours. Another member to have a productive session later in the day was Paul Worley. Paul fished for just two hours on Saturday but was rewarded with 7 Rainbows all on klinkhammers. Bucking the trend of afternoon success, Richard Mainprize from Wymondham fished on Sunday morning. Using black shipman's and pheasant tail nymphs, Richard landed a total of 12 Rainbows.

Monday 20th April

The recent warm weather and brighter days have produced prolific buzzer hatches, however, the best dry fly action has been predictably mornings and evenings. When the sun is high in the middle of the day, sub surface buzzers or nymphs such as Diawl Bach have been better choices. RMF member Jan Lewandowski enjoyed a productive afternoon on Friday. Jan landed 9 Rainbows in total including one falling to a dry fly pattern. On Saturday, Gary Smith banked 7 Rainbows and a lovely Brown Trout using a combination of buzzer patterns including Shipmans. Richard Mainprize from Wymondham had a great short session on Sunday morning. Richard landed 6 Rainbows in just a couple of hours. A special mention this week goes to newcomer Ryan Hawes. After a casting lesson with James, Ryan went on to land an impressive 3 fish on his first solo fly fishing day. With the end of the week set become more unsettled, fishing is likely to improve especially on overcast days. CDC buzzers, klinkhammers or other emerger patterns will work well during morning and evening rises.

Monday 13th April

Monday 30th March

Monday 23rd March

Monday 16th March

Monday 9th March

As the weather continues to warm and turn Spring-like, we have seen more hatches, particularly in the overcast afternoons. Prevailing wind has meant the fish are predominately at the far end of the lake where the water is deeper. Such a hatch happened last Thursday afternoon and RMF member Luis deSouza took full advantage of the rising fish. Using a small buzzer on a floating line, Luis landed an impressive 20 Rainbows and 2 of our resident Brownies. On Friday, John Archer from Norwich had his best session of the year. John banked 16 Rainbows and a Brown trout on Pheasant Tail Nymphs and Gold Ribbed Hares Ears. On Saturday visiting Angler Malcolm Smith enjoyed a great short session. Using buzzers and fishing the far end of the lake, Malcolm landed 8 Rainbows and a Brownie in just two hours! With some cloudy, dry days forecast we can expect buzzers and nymphs to continue to work well and overcast afternoons will see buzzer hatches and freely feeding fish.

Monday 2nd March

Mike Glynn from Thetford had a great session last Thursday. Using lures and a sink tip line, Mike banked 12 Rainbows in just three hours. Stewart Easey from Great Yarmouth fished on Friday and landed 13 Rainbows and 2 beautiful over wintered Brown trout. All taken from the deeper far end of the lake on a Cat's Whisker fished deep and slow. On Saturday RMF member Ken Whitton had his best day of the year so far. Using zonkers and damsels, Ken managed a total of 14 Rainbows. A special mention to Paul Rogers this week who took advantage of a buzzer hatch on Saturday. Using an Olive buzzer pattern, Paul landed 7 Rainbows while the fish were rising. When conditions have been right, we've seen some great buzzer hatches and rising fish but, while temperatures remain low, the fish have been predominately in the deeper water at the far end of the lake. Later this month RMF will be hosting the annual fly fishing competition, more details will be on our website and in the EDP shortly. 

Monday 23rd February

Trevor Seaman and RMF member Luis deSouza both had great sessions last week. Trevor banked 12 Rainbows on damsels and Luis 19 Rainbows in short morning session, all taken on a static bloodworm and floating line. Spring is on the way and on warmer afternoons the first buzzer hatches of the year have begun. Roger Gibbons and Paul Worley were the fist anglers to capitalise on the rising fish at the weekend. Roger catching on a small black buzzer and Paul enticing 2 Rainbows on a tiny CDC buzzer - no small feat in February! Although cold nights are forecast, daytime temperatures are quite mild for the time of year so we expect to see some more afternoon buzzer hatches this week. For more information or to book, please call 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 16th February

Last week saw some spectacular fishing with plenty of double figure catch returns. RMF regular Stuart Marshall had a fantastic session on Thursday last week. Using buzzers and cat's whiskers, Stuart banked an impressive 22 Rainbows in just four hours - that's a fish every 10 minutes! On the same day, John Little from Oulton landed 16 Rainbows and one of our beautiful resident Brownies. John was using damsels and fishing the far end of the lake. On Sunday, RMF member Jimmy Sayer fished static bloodworms just few feet from the surface and totalled 9 Rainbows. With mixed weather conditions forecast, we expect the same mixture of flies to produce results. Damsels and cats whiskers will continue to be successful with subsurface bloodworms and buzzers becoming effective on warmer days.

Monday 9th February

The slight rise in temperatures recently have seen plenty of notable catches. On Thursday RMF regular Jon  Brooks managed 7 Rainbows in just a couple of hours. Jon was fishing Cat's Whiskers and Damsels and caught from various locations. Jimmy Sayer from Wymondham fished the fully thawed lake on Sunday. Using Cat's Whiskers on a floating line with a slow retrieve, Jimmy banked an impressive 14 Rainbows in total. Tom Shead from Norwich also fished on Sunday. Tom banked 5 Rainbows and a stunning overwintered Brownie. All were taken on Cat's Whiskers and a sink tip line.  As we draw closer to Spring and the weather becomes milder the fish will begin actively feeding, however, cold nights will ensure the fish are still quite deep. Static bloodworms or lures such as Cat's Whiskers fished on sink tip or intermediate lines will still be the best bet and the majority of fish are coming from the deeper far end of the lake. For more information or to book, please call 01953 483971.

Monday 2nd February

Monday 26th January

Monday 19th January

Monday 12th January

Monday 5th January

Happy New Year!

RMF regular Philip Bodie had an excellent day last week despite the lake being partially frozen. Fishing the only clear spot on the West bank, Philip landed 9 Rainbows in total on Corixa patterns. Father and son Mike and Matt Bradbeer had a great session on Friday morning. Using bloodworms and floating lines with a long leader, the pair banked 6 Rainbows each. The forecast mild and windy weather for the end of the week will provide excellent conditions. Expect large dries to work in the ripple or static bloodworms or small, weighted nymphs.

WE WILL BE CLOSED ON SUNDAY DUE TO A GROUP BOOKING.

Monday 22nd December

Monday 15th December

Monday 8th December

Firstly, a huge thank you for everyone who came to our Christmas Event over the weekend. Always nice to chat with our anglers away from the bank! Ken Whitton fished on Friday and banked an impressive 12 Rainbows and a Brown Trout from the far point. Ken was using zonkers on a floating line and a fast, figure of eight retrieve. RMF member Paul Worley had a great session on Saturday. Despite the bright sun, Paul landed 8 Rainbows from the island using a gold head olive nymph on a floating line. The area around the island is certainly proving to be a hot spot at the moment and the most effective flies have been weighted olive nymphs, damsel nymphs and zonkers or minkies.

Recent rain showers and cooler spells have helped lower water temperature and the fish have responded. Sunday afternoon in particular saw a decent rise although the fish were tricky, with only tiny flies working well. CDC emergers and Griffiths gnats have been popular patterns with small hares ear nymphs working sub surface. The large resident brown trout are starting to make an appearance again, with Colin Brown from Oulton Broad landing a 6lb'er last week.

The far end of the lake is still the favoured spot, but unsettled weather and recent stocking should see fish start to disperse and move into the shallower areas again.

For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971

Monday 11th August

Monday 4th August

Monday 28th July

The high temperatures and bright sunshine have meant fishing has been challenging with dry flies and buzzers being responsible for the majority of fish. RMF member Mike Glynn from Thetford had a productive session last week. Using green buzzers and fishing from the far end of the lake, Mike was rewarded with a total of 7 Rainbows. Peter Allison from Newmarket enjoyed a short morning session on Sunday. Fishing towards the island, Peter had 3 Rainbows and a beautiful Brown trout taken on daddies and klinkhammers. Overcast, cooler mornings have seen plenty of rising fish and with slightly cooler and cloudier days forecast dry flies and buzzers will remain the most productive fly choices.

Monday 21st July

Monday 14th July

Although the weather has been mainly warm and sunny, the few recent downpours and cloudy days have produced some excellent fishing. A good example of this is Friday when RMF member Nick Wale banked 12 Rainbows in a short morning session. Nick was using a combination of nymphs and dries. Another RMF regular Rolie Flynn had a great day fishing on Saturday. Using a selection of tiny dries, Rolie landed 7 Rainbows in total despite the mixed conditions. With warm weather set to continue, mornings and evenings will no doubt prove the most productive times particularly on overcast days.

Monday 7th July

Monday 30th June

Season ticket holder Nick Wale had a spectacular 4 hour's fishing on Saturday. Using hoppers and nymphs, Nick was rewarded with 14 Rainbows in total. Also on Saturday Adrian Bordianu managed 10 Rainbows in an evening session, again all taken on hoppers and pheasant tail nymphs. Despite the terrible rainy start to Sunday, the afternoon provided some excellent fishing. RMF member Paul Worley banked 6 rainbows in just a few hours. Paul was using the ever successful hoppers too. Although temperatures are set to rise again, the cloud cover should ensure plenty of surface action and fly choices will remain hoppers, klinkhammers and daddies.

Monday 23rd June

Monday 16th June

Monday 9th June

The increasing temperatures and bright sunshine of late have meant fishing during the day has been quite challenging recently, morning or evening sessions have proved most successful.  RMF season ticket holder Luis de Souza capitalised on a great evening rise on Friday. Using small black shipman's buzzers, Luis banked a total of 13 Rainbows in just 3 hours. With some warm and overcast days predicted, we can expect plenty of dry fly action and evening rises a plenty.

Monday 2nd June

Monday 26th May

Monday 12th May

The more unsettled weather over the last week has seen a variety of flies produce takes, however, Mayfly have been consistently hatching. RMF regular John Archer had a great day on Thursday. Using Mayflies, Pheasant Tail Nymphs and buzzers, he was rewarded with an impressive 16 fish including 2 beautiful over wintered Brown Trout. On Saturday, visiting angler Kieron Harney had a fantastic evening on Saturday. Kieron banked 17 Rainbows in total on a black suspender buzzer from the far end of the lake. With the weather set to warm up again later this week, we expect to see some prolific Mayfly hatches. We are holding an open weekend and BBQ on the 24th and 25th of May with both fly tying and fishing competitions taking place.

Monday 5th May

Monday 28th April

Monday 21st April

Monday 7th April

Monday 31st March

Monday 24th March

Monday 17th March

Monday 10th March

Monday 3rd March

The recent Spring like weather has made for some much more pleasant angling conditions although the wind has still been a challenge on some days! RMF regular Adrian Bordianu had a great afternoon on Saturday. Adrian banked 5 fish in total all taken on Buzzers and fishing the windward bank. Also on Saturday, James Poley from Mildenhall fished a short 3 hour session and landed 5 fish including a beautiful 5lb Brown trout. Bloodworms and buzzers fished static or Cats Whiskers fished deep are still the most productive flies and fishing the windward bank , although a little challenging, is the key to success. The warmer afternoons have seen prolific buzzer hatches and subsequent rise - a sign that Spring is upon us at last.

Monday 24th February

Monday 17th February

Monday 10th February

Monday 3rd February

The deeper water at the far end of the lake has seen the most action over the last week. Goldhead damsels and cat's whiskers fished deep has been a rewarding method so too has diawl bachs or buzzers drifted with the wind. Once again, several larger, grown on fish have been caught, with the biggest last week being 7lbs. Big brown trout have also been showing with Ken Smith from Trowse catching two in an afternoon, both estimated at  around 5lb each. With all the recent heavy rain and wind, the water is slightly coloured and with similar weather forecast, it may be that lures are the better option.

Monday 27th January

Monday 20th January

Monday 13th January

Monday 6th January

Monday 30th December

Monday 23rd December

Monday 16th December

Monday 9th December

Christmas Event

The annual RMF Christmas event will take place on the 7th and 8th of December this year. Alongside our usual festive refreshments there will be a fishing competition held over both days with some fantastic prizes on offer including a new vision fly rod.

James will be giving Smoking demonstrations throughout the weekend on everything from how to fillet and prepare your catch to brining and selecting woodchips. Those of you who fish over the event weekend may also be able to have your catch smoked for you!

There will be a fly tying demonstration and a chance to sign up for the RMF fly tying evening classes held at the fishery.

Monday 21st October

Monday 14th October

Monday 7th October

Despite unseasonably warm and sunny days, the lake has continued to fish well thanks to cool night time temperatures. Regular visitor Bill Moore fished RMF on Saturday. Using small dries such as klinkhammers, Bill had his most successful visit yet catching 8 Rainbows. Fly fishing beginner, Isabella McBride from Hingham had a lesson on Sunday and was soon casting like a seasoned angler. Isabella landed three Rainbows, her first ever solo effort, using a diawl bach nymph. Season ticket holder Patrick Larke had a very productive day on his most recent visit banking a total of 14 Rainbows. Patrick was using black klinkhammers and fishing the lodge end of the lake.

Monday 30th September

Monday 23rd Septemeber

Monday 16th September

Monday 9th September

Monday 2nd September

Monday 19th August

Monday 12th August

Slightly cooler temperatures and some overcast days have really effected the fishing recently. There have been really good rises throughout the day and the majority of fish are being caught on drys. A good example of this was on Wednesday evening when Rhys Hunt from Great Yarmouth had 7 Rainbows in quick succession. He was using CDC emergers and black hoppers on a floating line. On Saturday, Richard Mainprize from Wymondham, had a total of 5 Rainbows on a combination of pheasant tail and damsel nymphs. With more cool and cloudy days on the horizon conditions are set to return to those more favourable for trout and fishing will continue to improve.

Monday 5th August

Monday 29th July

With slightly more unsettled weather recently, the fishing has improved. Responding mainly to dries such as black gnats and klinkhammers, most fish have been taken off the top or just under the surface on emerger patterns. Adrian Bordianu from Taverham enjoyed a quick, spur of the moment evening session last week and was thrilled with his total tally of 9 rainbows. Adrian was fishing various dry flies, but found the klinkhammer was favourite. The fishery is still at its best in the evenings and will continue this way until we get some lower temps or a good thunderstorm or two..

Monday 22nd July

Monday 15th July

Monday 8th July

Monday 1st July

Monday 24th June

Monday 17th June

Monday 10th June

Monday 3rd June

A warmer weekend, particularly on Sunday afternoon, saw a few remaining Mayflies coming off at the North end of the lake. Brown trout were feeding very close to the bank so stealth was required to tempt them into a take. Alan Blake from Brandon, had a spectacular evening's fishing on Saturday. Fishing the North end of the lake with a Mayfly pattern, Alan landed 6 rainbows and 2 Brown trout. Paul Rogers from Taverham had an equally successful evening resulting in 8 rainbows and a Brown trout. All were caught on a floating line and a home-tied, size 18 pheasant tail nymph from the windward bank. The weather is set to get warmer in the coming few days and the fishing will no doubt result in some fantastic rises.

Monday 27th May

Monday 20th May

The infamous Mayfly has begun to make it's annual appearance at RMF. Sunday afternoon saw a spectacular hatch at the North end of the lake, with an incredible number of Mayfly coming off and the trout were literally gorging themselves! Any imitative pattern would produce results. Nick Wale, from Toftwood, caught 15 fish in total, a good number of these were on Mayfly dries. Andrew Tink, from Lowestoft, had his best day ever since starting the sport earlier this year. He managed to land 12 fish in total from the lodge end using klinkhammers and black gnats. As was the case last year, we can expect 2 weeks of Mayfly activity as long as temperatures don't drop too low. The obvious Mayfly patterns will produce takes as well as klinkhammers and don't neglect buzzers fished sub-surface on the brighter days.

Monday 7th May

Monday 29th April

It has been a busy week at RMF, no doubt thanks to the beautiful sunny weather! James has had lessons all weekend and its great to see so many young people looking to get involved in the sport. Afternoon rises have been a daily occurrence and buzzer hatches are prevalent. Paul Chipperfield, from Norwich, had a great day on Friday afternoon, landing 15 Rainbows in total. Paul was using a floating line with a small foam black beetle on the surface and buzzers fished subsurface. On Saturday, Chris Bonner from Attleborough, took advantage of the afternoon buzzer hatch and banked 8 Rainbows. A special mention to Miles Contreras Brown, from Great Hockham, who had his first fly casting lesson on Sunday. 14 year old Miles took to it like a duck to water and caught 3 Rainbows on a small olive buzzer.

Monday 22nd April

Spring has definitely sprung and the fish are now really responding to the abundance of fly life at RMF. Hatches of Buzzers throughout the day, particularly in the afternoon, has meant we are seeing some excellent rises. Buzzers, fished sub-surface, or the emerging variant, fished on the top, will both produce results. The Brown Trout are also much more active and can regularly be seen in the margins chasing fry. Ben Wyer from Wells landed 10 rainbows on Sunday. Ben was using Emergers in the morning, fished just under the surface and, in the afternoon, small black Hoppers. Newcomer Josh Fisher from Norwich banked 7 Rainbows and 2 fin perfect over-wintered Brown Trout using Buzzers and Hoppers.

Monday 15th April

Monday 8th April

Spring has finally made an appearance and the sunshine ensured a busy few days at RMF. Rob Turrell from Diss had a productive 4 hour evening session, landing 7 Rainbows and 2 over wintered Brown Trout. Rob was using a small olive copperhead nymph on a floating line and slow retrieve. Other notable catches from last week include Roger Bobbin from Wymondham who, on Saturday, landed 9 Rainbows and a Brown Trout. All on a Buzzer, fished static on a floating line. Sunday saw an afternoon hatch of small black buzzers, resulting in sporadic rising fish - Spring really must be here!

Tuesday 2nd April

A huge thanks to all those who braved the cold and attended our Easter event last weekend. The hot smoked trout demos and fly tying tuition were a huge success, with many anglers trying both for the first time! The fly fishing competition also proved a great success, with lots of entries. The cold North-Easterly wind made things tricky but small black buzzers, copper John's and bloodworms all proved successful when fished on a floating line. Despite the unseasonable weather, many anglers reached double figures and, in the afternoon sun, even dry flies produced takes. The competition was won by Adrian Bordianu who caught 15 Rainbows to clinch 1st place. 2nd was Nick Wale and 3rd, Kevin Knights. The prizes were a guided day on the River Glaven with our instructor James Harrold, the new Vision Vipu fly rod and Rio fly line.

Monday 25th March

With the changeable weather recently and the onset of yet more winter weather, the few brave souls that have withstood the conditions have been rewarded with some great fishing. Strong winds have actually helped in some ways with various methods being more successful due to a good chop on the water. Floating lines with buzzers have still accounted for most fish, but wake flies such as small muddlers and hoppers have taken the odd fish when twitched through the ripple. Weighted nymphs such as small goldhead Hares Ears in natural or olive are, as usual, still the go to fly in most conditions. Tony Eagling and Andrew Wright withstood an onslaught of freezing cold winds on Sunday afternoon but managed to land 7 fish between them, including a lovely over wintered Brown trout. Black Buzzers were the order of the day.  Remember the RMF open weekend at Easter for fly tying displays, smoking & filleting demos and fly fishing competition.

Monday 18th March

Monday 11th March

Monday 4th March

Monday 25th February

An indredible day last Wednesday saw Paul Humphrey from St Albans bank a total of 17 fish, 15 Rainbows and 2 Brown Trout. Paul was using a combination of methods, the first being a buzzer under an indcator and the one which worked later in the day was a small white lure. With many anglers experiencing their rod rings freezing up over the last few days, the wind chill is still siginficant and the fish maybe slightly deeper. Despite this and with gin clear water, buzzers on a floating line have and will still account for most fish. For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 18th February

The promise of Spring in the air recently has woken the fish up from their winter slumber. Even though it is still cold at night, there have been frequent mid-afternoon buzzer hatches on the warmer days. Small black buzzers fished within 18" of the surface have accounted for most fish and Nick Wale from Toftwood caught 7 Rainbows in the bay nearest the lodge using this method on Saturday. Stuart Marshall from Norwich had 4 Rainbows and 2 Brown trout over 3lbs in an afternoon session last week using a small cats whisker. Since the thaw, rod averages have been surprisingly high for February at 3.2 per angler. Keep an eye on our website www.rocklandsmere.co.uk and in the EDP for details of our 2013 Season Open Weekend. For more information call James at the lodge on 01953 483971. 

Monday 11th February

Monday 4th February

Monday 21st January

Given the recent volume of snow and continuous freezing temperatures, the lakes are currently frozen and we are closed for fishing. We are hopeful that, as the weather is set to warm, we will be thawed by next week. If you are wishing to fish or use the tackle shop, please call first to check on 01953 483971.

Monday 14th January

With a cold snap upon us, it is clear that the fish are slightly deeper, although certainly not hugging the bottom as you may expect this time of year. Buzzers left to go down on a long leader have still been working well but patience is key and don't be afraid to have a rest between casts. RMF newcomer Nick Benton landed four Rainbows on Saturday using this method. With the weather staying cold and consistent overnight frosts expected, it is advisable to call James in advance to check the status of the lake on 01953 483971 www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 7th January

Nick Wale enjoyed a Spring-like day session on Saturday, when he landed 12 Rainbows. Nick was using a floating line and small black buzzers and takes were coming at no more than 2ft deep. With the mild weather and overcast days, there have been periodic buzzer hatches during the day, but with such gin clear water, the smaller the selection the better. Cats Whiskers and any small lures will also work if buzzers are refused. For more information or to book, please call James on 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 31st December

Monday 17th December

Monday 10th December

Monday 26th November

Monday 19th November

Monday 12th November 

It's been more of the same at Rocklands Mere this week. Damp and cool weather means the fishing has been consistently good. Kieron Harney from London had 2 Rainbows and 2 Browns one of which was estimated at over 10lb and was returned safely. All were caught off the top on dries in perfect conditions. As always, finding a ripple has been the key for dries this time of year. We are still getting some remarkable rises throughout the day when the weather permits. On colder days when the fish are less likely to be rising, or before the surface warms up enough, nymphs or lures will catch fish that are not yet switched on to surface activity.

Monday 5th November

Monday 29th October

Monday 22nd October

Monday 15th October

Monday 8th October

Monday 1st October

Monday 24th September

Monday 17th September

Monday 10th September

After an autumnal feel to the start of last week and a couple of extremely hot days at the weekend, fishing over the last 7 days has been mixed. Plenty of fish are being caught, but the methods vary dramatically depending on weather and conditions. Wednesday and Thursday evening saw some incredible evening hatches of Sedge and small upwings. The subsequent rise that followed was a sight to behold, especially late in the evening just before dark. Peter Slight enjoyed a 4 hour session on Thursday and ended on a total of 8 Rainbows and 2 Browns. Peter was using small spider patterns fished just in the surface film and Klinkhammers. The weekend was significantly hotter and the trout were less inclined to rise, especially in the middle of the day. Morning and evening numbers were good, with most anglers having a well earned "long lunch" and waiting for early evening when things picked up again. Steve Blackburn and Dave O'connor fished on Sunday and between them caught 9 Rainbows, most before midday and on a mixture of Klinhammers and buzzers fished slightly deeper.

As we draw into Autumn, water temperatures start to drop and fish become much more inclined to pack on weight before the winter. Expect some of the best fishing all year during September and October with Daddies and late evening Sedge hatches becoming more prolific.

For more information or to book call James at the lodge on 01953 483971 or visit www.rocklandsmere.co.uk

Monday 3rd September

Tuesday 28th August

There has been a definite decrease in surface activity as the day goes on, with some quite spectacular morning rises taking place until about midday when conditions allow.

The water is clearing from the recent storms and is getting back to its usual standard, this should particularly please dry fly anglers.

Monday 30th July

Monday 16th July

With Spring like weather rather than Summer at the moment, the fishing has been pretty constant over the last week. Buzzers have started catching fish again, static olive or black buzzers accounting for more fish than dry flies, probably due to the heavy rain. Darren Smith from Suffolk took 4 fish and released a further 11 on Saturday. All were caught on small buzzers on a floating line from the far end of the lake, black and olive being the preferred colour. Big brown trout have also been showing up, particularly when fishing the margins, fish of 4-6lb are common and are generally caught within 4-6 feet from the bank.  For more information or to book, please call James at the lodge on 01953 483971.

Monday 2nd July

Monday 25th June

Monday 18th June

Monday 11th June

Monday 28th May

Monday 21st May

Tuesday 15th May

Tuesday 8th May

Bodie breaks Brown Trout record

Monday 30th April

Monday 23rd April

The fishing this week has been fantastic despite the weather. The buzzer hatches in between the rain showers have been a sight to behold and the rising trout that followed have been spectacle for even the most seasoned of anglers. RMF is pleased to announce that a new lake record Rainbow trout was caught last Thursday weighing 12lb. Pat Curtis from Poringland hooked the fish at the north end of the lake and after a 20 minute battle was cradling the magnificent specimen in the water. Pat was using a floating line and damsel nymph fished just below the surface. The fish was returned to fight another day. This beats the old lake record by 5lb which was held by Andy Platten at 7lb 2oz. Over wintered specimen Brown trout have also been landed recently with newcomer David Brunton releasing a fish estimated at well over 5lb from the inlet point. With more unsettled weather predicted this week it is always worth ensuring your dry flies are never far away, as cdc buzzers, klinkhammers and small black gnats or griffiths gnats will always take fish during warmer spells. The rod average last week was 5.3

The trout lake will be closed for the day on Sunday 29th due to a corporate booking.

Wednesday 18th April

Monday 9th April

The fishery has gone from strength to strength since re-opening at the beginning of the month. An abundance of hatching buzzers throughout the day means that surface sport has been pretty spectacular, even on the days when the weather isn't conducive for such methods. Most of the fish spooned have been full of large olive buzzers, so obviously an imitation fished on a floating line has resulted in plenty of takes. Other flies to try which have also proved successful are cdc buzzers, scruffy seals fur buzzers and Hares ear nymphs.

Notable returns include a spur of the moment hour long session for RMF member Andrew Rix from Hingham, who returned 9 fish in total, all caught off the surface on black cdc buzzers. John Baskerville and Rob Turrell fished an afternoon session on Thursday with spectacular results. Rob caught 7 fish in total one of which was an overwintered resident rainbow of over 3lb. John went one better and caught 8 fish in total, 5 of which were beautifully conditioned Brown trout. A mixture of black buzzers and hares ear nymphs accounted for most of the fish.

Although we arent surprised, it is nice to see how much fly life there is present at the fishery at this still very early stage in the year. Expect the surface sport to get better and better as the weeks go on and get ready for the hawthornes in the last week in April!

Monday 2nd April

The opening weekend at Rocklands Mere Fishery was certainly one to remember for all those who attended.

The weather on the Saturday was perfect for top of the water fishing, with a slight wind and overcast skies, most fish fell to dry flies such as cdc buzzers and olive buzzers fished just below the surface. Notable returns included Kevin Knights who landed 7 fish in total, one of which was returned at 5lb+ and Pat curtis who also had 7 fish, including 2 large over-wintered Brown Trout. Richard Mainprize from Wymondham fished an evening session and was rewarded with "his best evenings fishing ever". Richard caught 13 fish in total, all released to fight another day and all caught from the inlet point on a mixture of pheasant tail nymphs and emergers.

Trevor Hagger from Newmarket enjoyed his first ever visit to RMF on Sunday and landed 12 fish in total. A combination of small buzzers and damsel nymphs accounted for all of his fish, which also included several large over-wintered Rainbows.

A total of 27 anglers fished over the 2 days with the rod average being 7.4

Gin clear water and an abundance of fly life means that things should continue this way for weeks to come, with small buzzers and dry flies accounting for the majority of the fish.

I would like to thank all those who came along and showed their support on the opening weekend.

Wednesday 28th March

Just a reminder that we are fully booked for the Saturday, with 2 spaces left on the Sunday of opening weekend.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and dont feel too cheated that its all over already! As you can see from the picture above, we now have a flow into the lake and the water level is starting to rise quite rapidly. Without any real substantial rainfall, we have seen the level increase by 6 inches in under a week, with the coarse lake now full to the limit and a potential emergency supply if needed before the Spring.

The fly in the above video link is tied using a new product, developed by a good friend of mine from my school days, "Reel Wings" are a life-like imitation insect wing. RMF is fortunate anough to be the first retailer to stock this product over here in the UK, so if any of you fly tyers are interested check out this link 

Monday 12th September

Monday 25th April

Monday 4th April

The extension to the trout lake was finished on Friday and the sluice opened to begin filling it up. Apparently March was the dryest for 60 years, which helped when digging, but we really need some rain now! Depending on when and how much rain we get over the next few days will determine when the lake is able to be re-opened. I would like to think it is sometime this month.

Season tickets are now available for the forthcoming season and are priced at £265, they are valid until 31st March 2012 and are available on a first come first served basis.

Wednesday 23rd March

Monday 14th March

After a hectic day digging the extension, repairing water pumps and swearing a lot, we actually ended up having a fairly productive afternoon and cut a sizeable chunk off the lodge end of the lake. More to follow tommorrow with pics.

Depending on the weather, it is possible that we could be finished and open again by early April. Season ticket holders can e-mail (rocklandsmere@safe-mail.net) for details on the upcoming season and dates/prices etc, or alternatively wait for the newsletter in  a couple of weeks detailing the format for the year.

Thursday 9th March

Monday 7th March

Derek Wagstaff from Norwich only managed to squeeze in a 2 hour session at the weekend, but managed to land 4 Rainbows and a 4lb+ Brown trout. Derek was fishing the far end of the lake and was using a floating line and black buzzer. Takes were coming at about 12" beneath the surface and static, casting to rising fish.

The lake is currently undergoing an extension to the West bank and will be closed until April.

Monday 28th February

Archie Johnson from Kings Lynn had a memorable day on Wednesday with a Brown trout that gave him 'the fight of my life!'. Archie had 7 fish in total, 2 Rainbows and 5 Brownies, all on a floating line and black buzzers and a white lure. Paul Chipperfield from Norwich had three sessions at RMF this week and was rewarded with 9 fish in total. All were taken on a black buzzer fished just a foot below the surface. The changeable weather has made fishing conditions tricky but anglers that have braved the cold and wind have enjoyed great fishing, both on dries and sub surface flies..

Monday 21st February

Alec Mcmanus from Perth, Scotland was visiting RMF for the first time whilst on holiday.  He fished a day session on Saturday and was rewarded with 4 Browns and 3 Rainbows, the Browns were all estimated at well over 3lb with one being close to 5lb. Alec was using a floating line and a combination of black fritz lures and black buzzers. He was fishing very slowly with almost no retrieve at all. Most takes came close to the marginal shelf on the lift.

Monday 7th February

Mr Gibbons enjoyed a successful evening session last week when, despite the howling wind and extremely difficult conditions managed to land 3 fish. Black buzzers were working well fished on a floating line just under the particularly choppy surface. The fish have actually been rising recently and have favoured the margins near the island, especially on extremely windy days. The lake is still open even now work has started.

Monday 31st January

Monday 24th January

The cold snap over this last week has slightly affected the rod average, with it being just under 3 for the last 7 days. Cats Whiskers and Damsel Nymphs or Lures have still been the most popular flies to try, but skinny black buzzers and bloodworms have all still managed to take fish. On windy days fish have actually been caught on dries, although the margins have tended to be the hot spots for surface activity. The lake remains open but will close shortly due to bank maintenance and widening.

Monday 17th January

Things are starting to get back to normal now that Christmas is over. The cold weather has meant that fishing over the last 6 weeks has been pretty much non existent, but at last the ice has thawed and temperatures for this time of year are pretty high. John Archerwas the first to fish the lake after the thaw when he had a day's session on Tuesday. John managed ten fish in total with four being well grown on and reaching in excess of 3lb. John also landed two 3lb+ Brown trout. His fly choice was varied, with Black buzzers, apps bloodworms and cats whiskers all accounting for fish. Mr Fishburne landed 4 Rainbows on Saturday one of which was estimated at 6lb+. Cats whiskers were his favoured fly. Philip Bodie fished a morning session on Sunday and with extremely high winds making casting a bit of a lottery he managed to land 4 fish in total. 3 Rainbows and a Brown Trout. All had full tails and were well mended fish fighting extremely hard. Philip was using a floating line and Damsel Nymphs. The fish have been seen rising in the margins since the thaw, especially near the island. As temperatures recently have been pretty mild it may be worth trying large dry flies such as sedge patterns or hoppers to induce a take.

Friday 14th January

Sunday 9th January

The Lake is now fishable.....In Places. The far end of the lake is totally thawed and within a couple of days the rest of the lake should be totally free of ice.

Monday 3rd January

STILL FROZEN!.....But may be thawed for the weekend. Keep an eye on the news section for updates.

Monday 27th December

FROZEN!

Monday 20th December

Due to the recent bad weather and severe drop in temperatures, the lakes are still totally frozen over. There is no sign of an improvement this side of Christmas, so it looks likely to be the case for at least the next 2 weeks. As always, keep an eye on the site for updates.

Monday 13th December

Unfortunately the trout lake is still frozen due to the recent cold snap, although slightly warmer during the day, the night time temperatures have not allowed the lake to thaw enough to break the ice. With temperatures as low as -7 forecast for the end of the week it looks as though it will be another week of no fishing at RMF. Keep an eye on the news section of the site for updates.

Monday 6th December

The RMF open day this weekend proved to be an almighty success. Even though the weather all weekend was terrible, the fact that the lake was frozen solid made it even more of a success as we saw a total of 49 people over the two days. Made up of seasoned RMF regulars as well as newcomers to the sport, everyone enjoyed the fly tying displays, exclusive tackle sales and advice and guidance on all things fly fishing...as well as the mince pies and mulled wine! Winner of the RMF Christmas Raffle was Dale Gardiner from Great Ellingham who won the exclusive hand tied fly box set. The lake is still frozen solid but keep an eye on the website for updates.

Monday 29th November

RMF regular, John Archer from Litcham enjoyed one of his best days fishing to date on Thursday. John was fishing the far end of the lake and was using buzzers and bloodworms and totalled 8 fish in total including a whopping personal best Brown Trout estimated and nearly 5lb, another of 2.5lb as well as a 3.5lb rainbow and 5 other stock fish. The weather recently has been less than favourable and as of today, the lake is frozen over. The RMF Open day is still very much ON for this weekend. Although fishing may not be on the cards due to the weather, there will still be fly tying displays, tackle sales, demonstrations and tuition, as well as refreshments on tap all day for those attending.

Monday 22nd November

Monday 15th November

Geoff Peekfrom Stalham had a day to remember on Thursday when in cold, wet and windy conditions he managed to land 5 Rainbows and a 3.5lb Brown. Geoff was using a floating line with buzzers and diawl bachs fished slowly at the far end of the lake where the fish were surprisingly rising throughout the day. The weather recently has seen the majority of fish caught on dries, or sub surface flies such as black buzzers or small nymphs fished just under the surface. Another angler to enjoy success was Matt Fisher, who only had a couple of hours before dark but managed 3 rainbows and a 3.5lb brown trout. Matt was again using a floating line and a mixture of small buzzers and dries to tempt his fish which were feeding just under the surface from the inlet bay and lodge end of the lake.

Monday 8th November

The wet & windy weather recently has meant that the anglers who braved the conditions were rewarded with some really excellent top of the water action. Large dry flies such as hoppers, muddlers and snatchers in a veriety of colours have all been taking fish. With a chop on the water a fairly erratic retreive has seen some really exciting takes with some of the original resident RMF Brown Trout coming out at over 5lb. Tim Cooperfrom Norwich had an exciting morning on Friday with 7 Rainbows and 2 Browns. All falling to a fiery brown hopper fished on a floating line from the lodge end of the lake. Tim commented on how hard the fish fought for thier size, which averaged just over 2lb. The rod average this week was 3.8.

Monday 1st November

A mild week and relatively warm evenings have produced some really excellent surface action at RMF recently. Season ticket holder Chris Efstratioufrom Norwich fished on Saturday afternoon until dark and was rewarded with 8 Rainbows and 3 Browns. Conditions were perfect for Chris, with a good breeze and a ripple on the water the fish were feeding confidently from the surface. Chris was using a home tied variation on a Griffiths Gnat in a size 16, fished very slowly, almost static and at range as the fish seemed to be coming from the deeper water towards the middle of the lake. Many anglers have been successful on dries recently with the rod average being 4.2. For conditions less suitable, small black buzzers fished almost static have been working well, as have Hares ear nymphs and Diawl Bachs.

Monday 25th October

Monday 18th October

Costessey Bush Angling Club Corporate Event

Monday 11th October

This week has seen some sensational fishing at RMF with nearly all anglers seeing some Brownie action. On Firday, Mr Ekereturned to Rocklands Mere after a previously successful day. He had 7 fish in total, four fin perfect Rainbows and 3 Brown trout on a Matuka. RMF season ticket holder Chris Efstratiou from Norwich had 19 in total on Saturday including two exquisite browns, all taken on a home tied dries. Stuart Malone enjoyed a great day on Saturday with four fish including yet another Brown Trout. Dale Gardiner from Great Ellingham had a fantastic day on Sunday catching one of the RMF 'big boys', a brownie on one of James' hand-tied buzzers. He followed this up with 8 Rainbows which fell to a variety of Klinhammers, Daddys and Buzzers. The water remains gin clear and the calm weather is providing some incredible Autumnal fishing.

Monday 4th October

Monday 27th September

Its been an amazing week for Rocklands Mere Fishery, with a royal visit. The nephew to the King of Spain & his family visited RMF for a fly fishing lesson from James. The royal visitor took two fish using a damsel nymph during his lesson. The lake is still gin clear. Best flies have been buzzers and emergers fished just under the surface. 

Monday 20th September

Crystal clear water and the recent introduction of new fish has ensured averyone has reached their limits and carried on to release fish, with the rod average up to 6.2. Jon Brooks enjoyed an evening not to forget on Friday when he fished a 4 hour session and ended up landing 18 fish in total. Jon was using a floating line and home-tied skinny black buzzers, all were rainbows and came from the lodge end of the lake. The windy weather has made things a little difficult for casting, but small flies fished high in the water where there is a decent "chop" has seemed to be the best tactics. Because the water is so clear at the moment it is possible to see the bottom in over 15ft of water so presentation is crucial.

Monday 13th September

Monday 9th August

Monday 2nd August

RMF season ticket holder and newcomer to the sport Dale Gardinerfrom Great Ellingham fished on Friday morning andwas rewarded withperfect weather for a change. With a slight breeze andovercast skies, Dale fished the island point and manangedto tempt 3 Rainbows to a Bloodworm buzzer fished just under the surface with a very slow retrieve.

Monday 26th July

Monday 19th July

Monday 5th July

It is with great sadness that I start the weeks report by announcing the death of Hubert "Jack" Frost. Always willing to lend a hand or give advice to a newcomer to the sport, Jack became a great friend as well as a very accomplished angler and a proper old country gentleman and will be greatly missed.

The fishing recently has started to improve, although still a little frustrating during the day.

Evenings are still the most productive time of the day, with many anglers catching the majority of their fish during the last 2 hours of daylight. Flies to try would be small black hoppers, cdc buzzers, F fly or daddies. Expect dry fly fishing to be difficult when flat calm, but deadly if a ripple occurs. Buzzers are still catching fish, but be expected to fish them static and fairly deep during the day. The rod average this week has been 3.9.

Monday 28th June

Monday 21st June

Monday 14th June

Monday 7th June

Simon Easthope - 11 Rainbows Bloodworms and Black Buzzers far end of lake.

John Goddard - 9 Rainbows, 2 Browns... Black hoppers & CDC buzzers lodge end.

Monday 17th May

Monday 10th May

Monday 3rd May

Monday 26th April

Monday 19th April

Buzzers and small dries have been by far the most successful flies recently. Many anglers having the most success during the last 2 hours of daylight when they are experiencing some really fantastic evening rises. RMF newcomer Michael Parker caught 9 fish in an afternoon session on Wednesday, all were taken on a size 14 black buzzer fished just under the surface on a floating line. Chris Efstratiouwaited until the evening on Saturday when he released 13 Rainbows, the biggest estimated at over 5lb. All were caught on a mixture of cdc buzzers, shipmans buzzers and small caddis patterns. Most of the fish were caught from the far bay. The rod average last week was 3.8. Cloudy skies and warm days are perfect conditions and will see the majority of the fish feeding in the surface. The smallest dries, such as shipmans buzzers and cdc's will be perfect for these conditions.

Monday 12th April

Monday 5th April

10 year old Josh Stephens enjoyed a successful, if not a little windy morning at RMF on Wednesday. Josh caught his first Rainbow from RMF on a black shipmans buzzer from the far endof the lake. Although very windy, with occasional rain showers, the fish were seen to be rising sporadically when the sun broke through the clouds...Well done Josh!

Monday 29th March

 Robert Youngs with 3 of his 7 Rainbows caught on Saturday morning

Monday 22nd March

              Roy Woods with his biggest of the morning - 4.5lb 

Monday 15th March

                Simon Easthope with his near 6lb Rainbow 

Article written for "Town & About" Magazine - 20/12/09

Fly Fishing in Norfolk

James Harrold – L2CCA & GAIA Fly Fishing Instructor

It's been more of the same at Rocklands Mere this week. Damp and cool weather means the fishing has been consistently good. Kieron Harney from London had 2 Rainbows and 2 Browns one of which was estimated at over 10lb and was returned safely. All were caught off the top on dries in perfect conditions. As always, finding a ripple has been the key for dries this time of year. We are still getting some remarkable rises throughout the day when the weather permits. On colder days when the fish are less likely to be rising, or before the surface warms up enough, nymphs or lures will catch fish that are not yet switched on to surface activity.