Stillwater · Mixed · South East, GB-ENG

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.

Good · Rainbow
Partridge and Orange · 14-16
Goodlive now
Good autumn conditions for Bough Beech Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
69% confidence
What moved it
  • WindE 14 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange14-16
Upstream, in the film
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze
E 14 km/h
N
E
from the east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp12.8°C
Air temp15°C
CloudBroken
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftE wind
Western end

An easterly has held for 14 hours, running warmer than the water (16°C air against 13°C water). Expect fish at the western end — the bank it is blowing into — where the drift piles food, colour and warmth together. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The buzzer is on at Bough Beech Reservoir. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

If the main plan stalls, drop to a size 14–16 midge — switch to a washing-line or suspender rig and change drift line before you change food group.

Watch for

Caperer should come on through the afternoon as the water warms.

Bank

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

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
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
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Bough Beech Reservoir — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

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
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts