Originally Posted by sewinbasher

Snaggit,

It very much depends on what floats your boat. If you want to catch big fish in clear water go to Dever, you would be unlucky to get one under 4lbs and you have a very good chance of a double. Last time I went I got four fish for about 30lbs and was pulling the fly away from 8lbers at the close.

If you want value for money in a nice fishery with a few big fish and a good average weight go to Avon Springs, it also has a nice stretch of the River Avon which for me is better than the pools.

Avington sort of splits the difference between the two but has mixed reports and with all these fisheries it very much depends on what has been stocked recently and how heavily the water is fished. On some every fish is within casting range and by the end of the day a lot of them will be highly stressed and will not look at a fly.

Chalk Springs you either love or hate. On the good side it has a high proportion of browns and on the down side it can be crowded and the pools are more like river stretches than lakes, not all that wide.

I've never been to Chiphall so can't comment.

Personally if I was spending £40/£50 on a day I'd go to Barton Court on the Kennet, not Hampshire but close and nice river fishing for a fair price.

All the small still waters fish well first thing but as the fish get lined and thrashed they get a lot more difficult and the middle of the day is often a tough spell with the fish coming back on as the light fades and the line/fly visibility moves back in your favour.