Stillwater · Clay · South East / East Sussex, GB-ENG

Hastings Fly Fishers Club (Powdermill Reservoir)

Wide, still view of the western arm of Powdermill Reservoir bordered by woodland

56-acre Powdermill Reservoir near Sedlescombe on the East Sussex/Kent border, run by the Hastings Fly Fishers Club since 1932.

Fair · Rainbow
Minkie · 6-10
Fairlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Hastings Fly Fishers Club (Powdermill Reservoir)
Glassy and bright — hard work without a breeze. Hard work without breeze. Look for the dimples.
64% confidence

Hastings Fly Fishers Club (Powdermill Reservoir) is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 50 km/hNear gale · Gusts to 61 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Near gale · Gusts to 61 km/h
W 50 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveHeavy wave — unfishable
Water temp12.1°C
Air temp12°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1001 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
South-western end

A southwesterly has held for 6 hours, running colder than the water (10°C air against 12°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. 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
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Hastings Fly Fishers Club (Powdermill Reservoir).
Where
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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. Too windy to fish from a boat today — stay on the bank, on the sheltered shore.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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. Too windy to fish from a boat today — stay on the bank, on the sheltered shore.

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

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Bank, sheltered shores

Strong wind makes boat fishing difficult — sheltered bank spots near lee shores will fish best.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
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.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Black buzzer, orange thorax
In this water’s box: Black Buzzer
#10
How to fish it
Intermediate line · let the breeze drift the team, then hang it 15–30 s

Fly recommendations

Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.

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Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
51%
Cloud70%
Wind30%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide, still view of the western arm of Powdermill Reservoir bordered by woodland
    Powdermill Reservoir, East Sussex
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

56-acre Powdermill Reservoir near Sedlescombe on the East Sussex/Kent border, run by the Hastings Fly Fishers Club since 1932. Stocked weekly in season with quality rainbows (record 15lb) plus browns; club house, boats and bank fishing, day/guest tickets available.

  • Reservoir
  • Clay
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (very_strong) are not ideal for this water.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 February → 31 December
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts