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Midlands Tour
15th & 16th November 2025 · Report by Ian Watts
This was a Championship Points weekend, starting with Saturday's trip to Draycote, with an overnight hotel stay at Caldecott near Eyebrook and then a short trip to Rutland Water on Sunday
Day 1: Draycote
Five members fished at Draycote on a cold morning which was coupled with light NE winds
Danielle partnered Alastair, Keith fished with son, Cane and Ian fished on his own
Most anglers struggled in the morning, trying various parts of the reservoir, which yielded the odd fish here and there
In the last hour, Ian eventually found some fish at the dam, taking 7 fish in one drift!
A quick call to the other pairs, caused Keith to join Ian at the dam but the other pair had already found some feeding fish at C buoy and decided to stay
At close, Ian had 19, Alastair 7, Keith 6, Danielle 4, Cane 1
Day 2: Rutland
A comfortable overnight stay and evening meal at the Castle Hotel, followed by a full English breakfast at the Premier inn at Corby set up Danielle, Ian, Keith and Cane for the day at the so called 'Mecca' of fishing, Rutland Water
The quartet were joined by Graham and Neil, forming 3 pairs with Danielle joining Ian
The Ranger informed us that East Creek and the Normanton Bank were fishing well, especially for browns
However, the wind had increased in strength and was now easterly, which led to bitterly cold fishing conditions
This affected the fishing considerably with all anglers struggling to locate any feeding fish
Some fish were found either side of New Zealand Point and most pairs caught there
An early finish was happily greeted by all, as the conditions got considerably colder and windier
At close, Graham had a credible 6, Keith 4, Ian 3, Danielle 2, with Cane and Neil having 1 each
Summary:
The weather provided some tough fishing conditions especially on Sunday,
Both venues provided some difficult fishing at times
However, all participants caught fish despite this, which was an achievement in itself, considering that on talking to other anglers at the dockside, who all seemed to have had a poor day
The members staying overnight seemed happy with both the evening meal and the accommodation
Special mention must go to the members who journeyed up on the day to make this event possible
Brick Farm Trout Fishery
2nd November 2025 · Report by Simon Gregory
Nine members and 1 guest fished this event. Everyone arrived at 8AM for Bacon Rolls, teas and coffees, and fishing commenced soon after. The fishery was also hosting the Eastbourne club, yet there were still plenty of lakes and swims for us to choose from. Initially it rained but this soon passed with good weather, a west to south westerly wind, cloudy with come breaks of sunshine. Everyone dispersed themselves across the lakes, all equally producing fish throughout the day. A few members bagged up early and took the opportunity to circulate and socialise. Gary Manley joined us for the day as a guest, mainly fishing Spring Lake. He fished a floating line with a washing line of Daiwl Bach nymphs and was very successful with it. The trout were certainly feeding higher in the water, often surfacing. On most lakes, trout were often caught on the downwind banks due to the concentration of food. Other anglers also opted for a team of droppers, Cormorant nymphs or Buzzer midges, while some had success with a single fly, an orange or black Wolly Bugger! We caught up over lunch and were tickled by Gary Collins' stories including his recent escapade when his boat seat broke tipping him upside down for an unexpected swim. Poor fella! Fishing resumed, then concluded at 3 in the afternoon. The results showcase a fantastic day of fishing! A total of 26 fish were taken, with 6 anglers achieving their 3 fish limits, and no blanks
The members results were as follows:
Congratulations to Martyn Gray, with many thanks to Mark and Lorraine for a welcome breakfast and accommodating us throughout the day
Bewl Water
Pairs Trophy 25th October 2025 · Report by Ian Watts
Ten TWFFS members fished the recent event, as Bewl Water was reported to be fishing well
Five pairs left the jetty with renewed hope
Sadly, the Bewl trout refused to give themselves up easily, with all pairs struggling to locate areas containing any quantities of fish
At the close, trophy winners with 5 trout were Danielle Adams and Ian Watts, with worthy runners up with 2 fish, Keith and Kane Lawrence
The other 3 pairs had 1 fish each.
PS. I haven't mentioned Gary C's malfunctioning boat seat, which snapped on his back cast, launching his upper body into the water. Luckily, he managed to hook his leg on the thwart board and pull himself back in
It might be worth a mention to all members to check both their boat seats (routine maintenance) and their life jacket/buoyancy aids (gas check) etc. in the near future
Chalybeate Springs
Reg Littlechild Memorial Trophy 19th October 2025 · Report by Mickey Heasman
Seven anglers attended the Reg Littlechild memorial trophy event at Chalybeate. Reg was a popular member of TWFFS supporting many of the events and always offering advice to those that asked or needed it. Along with his family Reg was a passionate supporter of Hospice in the Weald. Far too early in life Reg died suddenly of heart failure and left us for better fishing waters in 2014.The memorial trophy was introduced the following year
Our day started as many do, with breakfast rolls provided by our host, Jim. Fishing conditions looked good, the water was gin clear and with plenty of fish in the lake we looked forward to casting our winning fly patterns. This time of year daddy long legs patterns were pretty near the front of our thinking. So it was for me and my 3rd cast of the day produced my first fish - a lovely fin perfect rainbow. I didn’t know then it would be my only one! No other fish were taken for what seemed an age - 'uh oh!' - were we in for a tough day? Then bang, a flurry of fish came to the nets, something or someone perhaps had flicked a switch. Again things seem to go a little quiet. Myself, Mick Priest, Buster, Steve McGregor on one fish apiece. Paul Osborne, Bob Holland and April Heasman doing everything to get off the mark. Paul then rallied and caught 2 fish in quick succession becoming our leader at lunch. A raffle to raise funds for the Hospice was held with the scandaliser/randomiser appearing once again. Along with donations from Peter Thomason, who was unable to attend, and from Fishing For Forces founder Bill Howell a terrific £120 was raised - thank you all
Suitably 'scandalised' the 7 anglers recommenced their fishing - typically Chalybeate is tougher in the afternoons but not on this occasion - we were all getting action but fish weren’t sticking - the shouts from Paul on missed fish told us the story. Steve McGregor landed 2 fish in short order and into the lead. Micky Priest followed so now 2 anglers on 3 fish. Bob Holland found the formula and also got 3 fish. Then finally Paul Osborne got his 3rd. This was going to be tight at the weigh in. The Heasman’s were languishing. Micky Priest hooked a 4th but lost it so at the close 4 anglers were on 3 fish. So off to the weigh in and the final results are as below
Biggest Fish of the day prize fund of £10 was shared by Steve McGregor and Mick Priest both caught fish of 2lb 9oz
Our thanks to Jim at Chalybeate for hosting us splendidly. Thanks also to the magnificent 7 anglers for their support
Lakedown Trout Fishery
Hospice in the Weald Fundraiser 5th October 2025 · Report by Mickey Heasman
Twelve society members turned out (nicely) for a fundraising event in support of Hospice in the Weald. With some recent rain and cooler weather along with a recent stocking we were hopeful of some decent fishing. We’re always a hopeful bunch though
Lake 1 was out of commission due to some recent de-silting work so our efforts would be aimed at lakes 2, 3 and 4
Well, fish were moving but not particularly interested in much that TWFFS folks were putting out. Fish were caught but not many, we did raise our hats to a group of novice fly fisherman who’d travelled a distance to fish at Lakedown - they all caught fish including a lovely 6lb rainbow. We meanwhile scrambled around for the pickings they left
But the focus of the day was fundraising for the Hospice and once again TWFFS folks were generous in their support of a raffle we held. Once again my randomiser also affectionately known as the ‘scandaliser’ delighted the hushed crowd and prizes were plenty. Along with some donations by those that couldn’t attend the day we raised a wonderful £160
Our thanks to Jamie, Ted and, of course, to Cathy who provided us breakfast rolls, a wonderful curry lunch and pudding along with the much famed lemon drizzle cake. Of course we also enjoyed the fine Lakedown Ales on offer at the tap room
Another great day
Brick Farm
24th September 2025 · Report by Neil Osmond
Wednesday 24th of September saw nine anglers from Tunbridge Wells Fly Fishing Society visit Brick Farm. With the usual good-natured banter abound we tucked into mugs of tea, coffee and cracking breakfast rolls before heading out to the various lakes. The weather was blustery with a mixture of sunshine and light cloud cover. The impact of a long hot and dry summer was evident though with very low water levels, the lowest I’ve seen at Brick Farm. The water levels on Well Lake, Stag Lake and Brick Lake were manageable but Spring Lake, the newest lake, was challenging with many of the jetties standing out of the water
The fishery contacted us to let us know they were going to stock before our visit and they also introducing new fish on the day of our visit. Despite their best-efforts to liven up the fish with the new stocking the fishing was tough, the fish had obviously not read the script! On Brick Lake, Peter had early interest with fish following the fly. Following a change in tactic, he caught a couple using Diawl Bach fly pattern on a very slow / static retrieve. Mick swapping to a similar tactic also caught a couple of fish by lunch. Meanwhile Steve managed to catch a couple by lunch on Stag Lake fishing into the wind, twitching a black lure through the weeds. Richard also had a couple on Stag Lake following Steve’s success. For the rest of us there was limited success and plenty of casting practice!
Following lunch, we returned to the lakes with renewed optimism - we are fly fishers after all. That said, our optimism may have been slightly misplaced. Mick, Richard and Steve managed to bag up, for the rest of us it remained somewhat challenging, some single fish bags and a few bags remained empty – mine included!
Many thanks to all who attended and Brick Farm for making us very welcome. Despite the hard fishing conditions it was a very enjoyable day shared in great company
Lakedown Trout Fishery
21st September 2025 · Report by Keith Lawrence
Lakedown Trout Fishery
14th June 2025 · Report by Simon Gregory
The Tunbridge Wells Fly Fishing Society assembled for a midsummer points match at Lakedown Trout Fishery, a venue renowned for its tranquil setting and superbly maintained spring-fed lakes. The day delivered excellent conditions for fly fishing and an ideal environment for socialising members
The event attracted a healthy mix of long-standing, new and junior members, thirteen in total. Participants were met with a gentle south-westerly breeze increasing in the afternoon, partly sunny with scattered clouds, and ambient temperatures at approximately 19°C
Fishing was conducted from the bank under fishery rules, with total catch weight determining standings. Several members reported success with black or white lures, such as Cats Whiskers, and Diawl Bach nymphs. A standout 6lb rainbow trout caught by Ian Watts underscored the fishery’s reputation for high-quality stock, while James Dench completed his bag shortly after 10 AM
Lunch at the on-site taproom provided an opportunity for members to catch up, share tips, and enjoy refreshments in a relaxed setting. Washed down with the wonderful Lakedown beers and of course a raffle accompanied by the 'Randomiser' and echoes of “Put it back, put it back
The event was warmly received and marked another successful entry in the Society’s angling calendar. Lakedown Trout Fishery once again proved a fitting host, and members departed with renewed enthusiasm for the coming fixtures
The results were as follows:
Congratulations to the competition winner, Ian Watts
Brick Farm
18th May 2025 · Report by Micky Heasman
12 members fished the TWFFS event at Brick Farm. Weather conditions were good with a light NE breeze and some cloud cover. Being May this would point to good Nymphing conditions and most of us opted for this method and it proved right especially on Brick Lake
After some good morning membership banter over Danni and Phil's breakfast rolls we all headed out. Most targeted Brick Lake but some ventured to Stag, Spring or the one in the mountains known as Well Lake
Lunch was at 1pm and we enjoyed a superb BBQ followed by Cakes. Some fun was had at the raffle when we discovered that duplicate tickets had been sold and on a couple of occasions we had double ups for prizes - all good fun in the famed TWFFS way. Most had caught fish with only Kenny Kemp and April Heasman still to get off the mark. Keith Nicholson had bagged his 3 fish and used the afternoon to tour the lakes and offer encouragement
fishing ended at 4pm and bags were weighed and results announced - incorrectly at first, I must confess, but keen eyes and ears soon got my muddle sorted out
So at the end of another very enjoyable TWFFS event the final placings and points allocated are as follows
April Heasman, Kenny Kemp, Buster Heasman, Dave Crouch, Paul Osborne and Peter Thomason all receive 2pts for attending the event and a thank you for their enjoyable company
Powdermill Reservoir
12th May 2025 · Report by Peter Thomason
Our regular early season visit to this quiet and attractive reservoir saw a good turnout of nine members to fish during mayfly time. The weather was warm, bright and sunny and the water was very clear – not usually conducive to catching but the fishing went extremely well. All but two members chose to fish from the dam or the natural bank; Bob Holland and Peter Thomason took to the water and found fish distributed all round the reservoir. Mayfly were evident, not in great numbers but sufficient to encourage fish to take dry patterns as well as nymphs and wet mayfly patterns. Nearing the end of the day, a number of members resorted to lure tactics to complete their bags. Catching was steady and all had bagged fish by lunchtime when we enjoyed a magnificent Victory cake cooked and perfectly decorated by Paul Bassett-Huckstep to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe day. A raffle assisted by our Chairman’s amazing randomiser (scandaliser? tantaliser?) app was also held
Fishing continued until 4.30 in the afternoon with more fish coming to the net. The results testify to the excellence of the fishing and the quality of the fish. A total of 50 fish were taken, including 6 x 6-fish bag limits and there were no blanks
The day was concluded in traditional TWFFS manner by welcome cooling pints in the nearby Queen’s Head at Sedlescombe. All in all, a very good day!
Results:
Bewl Water (Bank)
Dave Clarke Cup 22nd March 2025 · Report by Simon Gregory
The committee chose to fish this bank event between Ferry Point and Dunsters Bay. The majority of members took the ferry from Bewl boat house to Ferry Point, while Micky, Paul, James and myself walked up to meet them from Dunsters Bay car park. Peter Radula Scott visited, and two junior members also attended the event, Charlie Blaker and Chris Gregory
The morning was cloudy with spells of sunshine, the afternoon was partly sunny with broken clouds, both accompanied by a light south easterly wind. Various early season methods were employed including blobs, black and green lures
Anglers were asked to record the time of the first fish they caught and to count the total number fish caught. The angler with the highest number of fish caught would win the competition. In the event of a draw the earliest time of the first fish caught determined the winner. Anglers had the freedom to choose any ticket
The results were as follows:
Congratulations to the Dave Clarke Cup winner, James Dench!
Lastly, Chris Gregory also caught his first Brownie, estimated to be around 2 pounds, and qualifies for the Brownie Cup!
Chalybeate Springs
Pairs Challenge 20th April 2025 · Report by Micky Heasman
Five pairs entered for the 2025 Chalybeate Pairs trophy held on Easter Sunday 2025. Fishing conditions on the day looked perfect. Overcast with a light East/North Easterly breeze with a chance of light rain which duly arrived whilst we were setting up rods and enjoying our breakfast rolls. To introduce some fun into the day I once again themed the event on an old school favourite cartoon series called Wacky Races. Each pair drew a team name based on the cartoon cars and characters. It straight away brought some laughs and interest to the proceedings. Team and character names are listed below
1. Team Car - The Arkansas Chuggabug 'driven' by Luke (Martin Wright) and Blubber Bear (Bob Holland)
2. Team Car - The Boulder Mobile 'driven' by the Slag Brothers - Rock (Micky Heasman) and Gravel ( April Heasman)
3. Team Car - The Buzzwagon 'driven' by Rufus Roughcut (Andy Stoner) and Sawtooth (Paul Osborne)
4. Team Car - The Mean Machine 'driven' by Dick Dastardly (James Constantine) and Muttley (Peter Thomason)
5. Team Car - The Army Surplus Special 'driven' by Sergeant Blast (Jo Harris) and Private Meekly (Buster Heasman)
Each angler could catch 3 fish and release 2 fish. with C&R fish counting as 2lb toward the bag total. Added bag weight could be gained by catching fish in the teams allocated Joker round where any fish caught during this round would gain an extra 2lb to their total bag
On the starter's whistle we were off and almost instantly the Arkansas Chuggabug took the lead with a fish hooked and landed by Bob (Blubber Bear) in the first few minutes. Hot on their tail was the Mean Machine with Peter (Muttley) Thomason also landing a fish quickly. Then James (Dick Dastardly) Constantine added some turbo charge to the Mean Machine by quickly landing all of 3 fish and then his 2 catch and release fish. The Mean Machine was out in front in the early laps. The boulder Mobile driven by the Slag Brothers Micky (Rock) and April Heasman (Gravel) were keeping in touch with the leaders with 4 fish. Also in the chasing pack were The Buzzwagon with Andy (Rufus Roughcut) Stoner landing fish and his co-driver Paul (Sawtooth) Osborne also adding to their bag. The Army Surplus Special with Jo (Sergeant Blast) Harris and Buster (Private Meekly) Heasman struggling to get off the start line in the early part of the race
The Chalybeate Race track was proving to be fast with plenty of fish moving and all methods working well. Fish were being caught in the allocated Joker rounds and Peter (Muttley) in the Mean Machine made a decision to get into the pits early and wait for their allocated Joker slot. The Arkansas Chuggabug with Martin and Bob (Luke & Blubber Bear) also used the tactic by coming in early for lunch. Rock Slag (Mick Heasman) landed 2 fish in their Joker round. Peter (Muttley) Thomason caught his final fish in their Joker slot (a nice 2lb plus brownie) which meant The Mean Machine was in the lead at the halfway stage
All the cars came into the pits for lunch and to discuss tactics - could the Joker slots after lunch help change the race for Bob and Martin in the Arkansas Chuggabug and Jo and Buster in the Army Surplus Special? A Joker Fish for the Arkansas Chuggabug - a small wild brownie landed by Martin (Luke)
So all the 'drivers' in their Wacky Cars crossed the finish line at around 3pm and the final result follows
1st Place - The Mean Machine 'driven' by Dick Dastardly (James Constantine) and Muttley (Peter Thomason)
Total Bag Weight (Including Bonus Weight) - 23lb 8oz
2nd Place - The Boulder Mobile 'driven' by the Slag Brothers - Rock (Micky Heasman) and Gravel ( April Heasman)
Total Bag Weight (Including Bonus Weight) - 21lb 12oz
3rd Place - The Arkansas Chuggabug 'driven' by Luke (Martin Wright) and Blubber Bear (Bob Holland)
Total Bag Weight (Including Bonus Weight) - 20lb 10oz
4th Place - The Buzzwagon 'driven' by Rufus Roughcut (Andy Stoner) and Sawtooth (Paul Osborne)
Total Bag Weight (Including Bonus Weight) - 19lb 5oz
5th Place - The Army Surplus Special 'driven' by Sergeant Blast (Jo Harris) and Private Meekly (Buster Heasman)
Total Bag Weight (Including Bonus Weight) - 10lb 13oz
Congratulations to the Winners of the Chalybeate Pairs trophy for 2025 - Dick Dastardly (James Constantine) and Muttley (Peter Thomason) in their Mean Machine
We also raised £50 on a raffle to go towards Club Funds and the Biggest fish pot of £10 won by Peter Thomason (Muttley) was very kindly donated to our Hospice in the Weald fund
Our thanks to Jim Streeter for hosting us on the day
Cars and drivers will return in 2026 for another whack run for the trophy
Lakedown Trout Fishery
8th March 2025 · Report by Micky Heasman
The first TWFFS event of the 2025 season at Lakedown had a good turnout of 13 anglers. Recent fishing reports from Lakedown were good and spirits were high in anticipation of some good fishing. Weather was dry with some cloud and a light breeze
We welcomed 2 new society members on the day - Paul Bassett-Huckstepp and Steve McGregor. Welcome both and we all look forward to future events with you
After some excitable banter along with breakfast rolls everyone headed off to the lakes. Fishing did not disappoint with some good fish coming to the net on all of the 4 lakes
This was a non-points event and was all about getting some of our members out for some early season enjoyment. Although not a Championship points event any good size Brown or Rainbow trout would count towards the Brownie and Rainbow Shields
By lunch a good number of the members had caught their quota of fish, many of them in the 4lb plus range with Mick Priest leading the way with a very nice 4lb 8oz Rainbow until, that is, James Constantine appeared over the horizon with what turned out to be a 5lb Rainbow - meaning that we have an early marker for the Rainbow shield. No Brown trout were caught on the day
We all enjoyed a fabulous lunch provided by Cathy with the wonderful Lakedown beers and of course the now famous raffle using the ever reliable 'Randomiser' to pick the winning tickets
A very enjoyable day with a superb catch return of 38 fish from 13 anglers
Thanks as always to Jamie, Ted, Cathy and the Tap Room crew for a great start to the 2025 season
Best Fish - 5lb Rainbow - Caught by James Constantine
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