Stillwaters & reservoirs
Small waters, big reservoirs, and fishing them through the winter.
Small Stillwaters
Five to fifteen acres of honest water — find the feeding depth, then stay in it.
Find the feeding depth, then stay in it
The Big Water
Grafham, Rutland, Blagdon — where the wind decides everything and the boat angler who reads it properly catches fish.
Wind is king — fish where wind meets structure
Winter Stillwaters
The stocked fisheries that stay open when the rivers rest — what cold water does to trout, the slow deep presentation, and where to go across Britain and Ireland.
Deeper and slower than you think. Late morning to mid-afternoon.
November Stillwater: Fry-Feeders and the Season's End
Fry-feeding trout on the big reservoirs in the last weeks of the season: where to look, how to fish a fry pattern, and cold-weather safety.
Roach and perch fry. Floating to fast sink.