Stillwater · Mixed · South East

Bough Beech Reservoir

Bough Beech Reservoir venue image

Bough Beech sits in the Kent Weald looking more like a flooded valley than a waterworks, which is part of its charm.

Marginal · Rainbow
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
A patient day, if you fancy it
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
40% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindW 5 km/hCalm
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
W 5 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveFlat calm
Water temp—
Air temp31°C
CloudClear
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Bough Beech Reservoir. Flat calm means fish may be spookier — longer leaders and subtler flies will help. Very warm conditions — trout have a narrower safe zone of cool, oxygen-rich water. Fish only at first light or last light, use barbless hooks, keep fish in the water during release, and stop if fish struggle to recover.
Where
Start with Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box

Spider-heavy and practical. Strong tradition of North Country soft hackles, useful nymphing, and simple dry flies when fish rise properly.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
41%
Cloud25%
Wind65%
Temp25%

Conditions are away from Bough Beech Reservoir's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
Coltsford Mill Trout Fishery
11 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Brook trout
Chalybeate Springs Trout Fishery
13 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Spring Hill Trout Waters
15 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Ashdown Forest Fly Fishery
22 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Bewl Water
23 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Bough Beech sits in the Kent Weald looking more like a flooded valley than a waterworks, which is part of its charm. It's reservoir trout fishing in the proper sense — rainbows that cruise rather than hold, and a few browns that lurk near the deeper margins and make you work for them. The fishing turns on small things. A buzzer hatch on a still spring morning will have fish head-and-tailing in the film, and a light ripple does more good than harm by hiding your leader. Pick a bright bright midday and the fish go down and sulk, which at least gives you time to watch the cormorants and reconsider your life choices. Best read by wind, light and water temperature.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • High temperatures may push fish deeper and reduce surface activity.
  • Damsel Nymph is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
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