IN SEARCH OF A NEW SPECIES
On a day of top-class trout fishing I catch something entirely new to me
HAMPSHIRE is a bastion of great fisheries for every type of angler, and the mere mention of it conjures up images of big fish from some of the finest lowland vistas England has to offer.
Cattle graze on the meadows next to rivers that flow pure through chalk, while the stillwaters resonate to birdsong.
My latest discovery in the New Forest was six small lakes where I had the opportunity to stalk trout! Rockbourne Fishery is famed for its big fin-perfect
fish, along with a chance to catch a sparctic trout, a variety which I’d never even seen, so my friend Wayne Little and I arranged a visit.
Big stocked trout aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but to me each angling challenge is special so I enjoy this type of fishing for what it is. Do that, and don’t make comparisons with any other type of fishing, and it can be real fun. So I gladly paid £65 for a three-fish ticket and a chance to experience Rockbourne which, surprisingly, was almost empty when we arrived at 8am.
After registering our arrival Wayne and I went for a slow walk around the complex to see what was on offer. With the sun overhead and the lakes reasonably clear, spotting trout was no issue, but with only three fish each to catch we wanted to locate the bigger specimens, as well as the sparctic trout – which we were
told could be identified by the white edges to their fins. What quickly became apparent was that three lakes, in particular, were prolifically stocked and two of these each seemed to hold three or four double-figure fish each, along with a plethora of smaller trout.
Catching, we reckoned, wouldn’t be an issue, but hooking the ones we wanted might be! Rushing or making a blind cast would simply make it a lucky dip, but with all morning at our disposal there was no need to make such mistakes. It was also supposed to be a ‘social’ experience for both of us, and we had every intention of taking turns on the rod, which would obviously lead to lots of banter. Spending a few pleasant hours somewhere we were guaranteed to catch, and having a laugh into the bargain, ticked all the boxes.
We tackled up with 10ft rods, and reels loaded with floating lines and 8ft leaders of 8lb Drennan Supplex fluorocarbon – nothing complex, in fact so simple a beginner to trout fishing could easily set it up. On advice from the fishery manager we selected Blue Flash Damselfly lures.
I can’t offer the experienced trout angler any advice, but I can the fisherman who wants to try a new side to our wonderful sport – it’s not as complicated or as difficult as it seems. A venue like Rockbourne that is stocked regularly is the perfect place to start your game fishing journey. Watching your fly sink in front of a trout gives you a ‘will it, won’t it?’ moment, and as a mouth closes around the imitation it’s impossible not to strike with a smile on your face. That moment epitomises what angling should be – just you and the fish.
After our recce we returned to the bottom pool, all ready to fish. While I sorted out the camera equipment Wayne made a cast at a big brute of a rainbow that waddled above the rich beds of Canadian pondweed. A crimson stripe down its silver flank was unmissable and so, it might have appeared, was the bite it gave Wayne as it chomped down on his lure.
He did his best to wrap 10ft of carbon around my head on the strike which resulted in a missed chance, some blue language, and me offering no sympathy but plenty of mickey-taking!
We’ve been friends a long time and he wouldn’t expect anything less. Fortunately the trout hadn’t spooked and did a circuit of a few weedbeds before returning to its station.
More composed this time, Wayne cast again and this time the hook took hold in the trout’s jaw. More than a little agitated, the rainbow decided it was a good plan to leave the area quickly, Wayne’s fly line marking the route it took up the lake. Only when the bow wave subsided did he manage to get a little line back on the reel.
The trout was clearly angry, evidenced by a series of swirls and vortices as the fish tried its best to break the tackle, but freedom was not coming its way. As each lunge took its
“As a mouth closes around the imitation it’s impossible not to smile”
toll, the net drew closer until the mesh swallowed the trout and a beautiful 12lb specimen belonged to my friend. Patience had resulted in a successful outcome for Wayne.
Sometimes size doesn’t reflect condition, but this fish was a perfect example of the species, with no blemishes and every fin unmarked. Quite rightly Wayne claimed the bragging rights as I took the pictures, and given the size of his grin it was clear he was happy to have got one over me.
It was now time for me to have a cast, and while catching a bigger fish looked unlikely, neither of us had yet caught a sparctic trout, which I announced would represent a
bigger achievement!
The sparctic trout is a cross between an arctic char and a brook trout, and these are grown on at the fishery. Scanning the water, it appeared there were only moderate rainbows in front of me, but looking more carefully I noticed that one of them had the tell-tale white edges to its fins, making it a fish I wanted to catch!
I didn’t make a cast until it had broken away from the shoal, offering me a window of opportunity. Its response to my lure was positive, and it turned ready to take the Damsel.
However, what I hadn’t bargained for was a rogue rainbow hurtling towards the lure. I had to rapidly pull it out of range of the interloper, and only when the coast was clear did I cast again, this time right on the nose of my target fish.
Without hesitation a bony mouth engulfed the lure, embellished with its golden bead, after which I struck and the rod hooped over in a most satisfying manner.
My prize wasn’t as big as Wayne’s, but what a magnificent fish it was, with pink and yellow dots over a flank made up of more pinks, greens and browns. Certainly a beautiful trout, and a first for me.
Our introduction to Rockbourne Trout Fishery had been wonderful, and if you’re looking for a Hampshire adventure to remember, this is one I can heartily recommend.