Long time reader first time poster!

have been fishing for a year now so am still a newbie.

I am taking a trip of to Avington lakes for the first time with a few friends at the end of February and I wondered if any body has any tips on the fishery?

Favoured areas or tactics?

What lb fluro to take?

Good flies for this time of the year etc?

Not sure what to expect really, tho I’m hoping for the chance to catch my first double!

Hi Lenok, wouldn't say you need fluoro, possibly better without.

Try to get there at opening time, you'll see lots of trout slowly cruising, but they are often deeper than they look.

Wooly buggers work well, blacl, olive, white, as do nymphs and shrimps.

All the lakes hold plenty of fish though the furthest has never been so kind to me.

Depends if there are many others fishing, if so by afternoon the fish are shell shocked.

Wasn't impressed with the fish quality last time or two.

I have blanked there too.

Smaller fish but Holbury Lakes are really nice.

Good luck.

right, take some 6lb tippet (at least). next, if you want to catch a double then you must have a look around for them then cast to them. as for flies i feel that at avington anything with a bit of weight on it and fished at the right depth will catch you fish. it is not the hardest place to catch fish but more fish are caught first thing rather than in the afternoon. it is a beautiful fishery with great big fish and i have enjoyed a few days there but, the best fishing is in the little itchen carrier.

2fish ticket get them out a bit sharpish then straight on to the carrier for some grayling. lovely day!!!!

enjoy your day, jon mcmillan.

Hi, Ive fished Avington for about 25 years on and off and love teh place when i can afford the prices!

I've been lucky enough to get my fair share of big fish from there, with PBs of 18.6, 17. 16.7, 16.4 etc. If i have any tips i'd say DO NOT cast blind. you'll get a couple of 5 pounders. All my doubles have been stalked. if you don't see any, keep looking. They will be there, you kijust need to find them. while they can be anywhere, concentrate on the following spots.

Lake 1
Walk along the left hand bank, and concentrate on the furthest part of the lake from the lodge. the fish can be anywhere from halfway up, but realistically the best bet is at the far end or under the trees on the LHS.

Lake 2

Anywhere really. as you walk up the bank try the little bay by the inflow from lake 1 and then anywhere up either bank. If i had to chose a hot spot, i'd suggest the far end of lake 2 or under the large oak tree on the right hand bank.

Lake 3

Either end is your best bet. either look under the bushes at the near end to the lodge of lake 3 or right up the other end (which was closed last time i went) if you can get up there, it's your best bet as very few fishermen try it.

Main tip is KEEP moving. you may see a lot of stockies, but the big ones are there too don't give up looking. Just as you despair, a 15 pounder will drift into view!
Try weighted flies with marabou tails at this time of year. people will say buzzers, but to hell with that. Black or olive marabou damsels catch the big fish.

The lakes have doubles in them, but dont expect your first double! keep moving and looking and you have a good chance, but there's probably 500 fish in there and 5 doubles.

If you fancy a few pointers on stalking the big fish, give me a note. i'll gladly offer assistance. go to Avington and fish blind, and you may bet the big one, but the chances are 50/1 that you'll get a stockie of about 5lb

One thing i will say, is that Feb is NOT the time to fish Avington. the light is poor, so stalking is difficult. i wait till May before my first assault. The best winter fishery for a double is Lechlade.

GOOD LUCK

Alex

Good advice already but I'd like to emphasis some of what BrownieBasher says.

Fish will have seen a lot of flies after the water has been open for a couple of hours but anglers are generally lazy so look for the difficult places as many anglers will just walk past. So where there are overhanging branches, a difficult back cast or big weed beds are all good bets to find a fish that is more relaxed and likely to take.

Also fish will definitely look smaller than they are, you will think you are looking at a 5lber 6 feet down but it may be a 10lber 12 feet down.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Avington today
But as to the original post, I'd say use a regular 10-12 foot leader tapered down to a 6lb point & plonk on one of these (all leaded):

or one of these:

or one of these:

and you'll soon have fish of between 5-7lb on the bank.
You also have a good chance of catching a bigger fish if you can wait 2 or 3 months, when you'll be able to actually see further than 6 foot across the lakes!

Good luck with you,re day out. I hope you have read the thread on boat safety

Indeed, vital at Avington.

You might find this thread good to browse;

Avington today

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Hi Lenok

Welcome to the forum.

I used to fish on occasion with Tony Pawson who liked to switch fly colours and had a belief that worked on that system. Great memories of him on Lake2.

Having said that the stocking policy in the last couple of years has not been good although there have been encouraging signs of late.

Heed what Browniebasher says and reread his words. February can be very difficult and I have been there at that time when the owners have decided to dredge a lake!

If you do go in February and there is any sunshine then my only advice would be to keep it off your back.

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[COLOR="Blue"]"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"[/COLOR]