After the week I've just had my brother and I went for an afternoon's fishing at Avon Springs and are both of the opinion that it's overrated and overpriced. We both purchased a 2 fish ticket (£25) at 12pm and were told that we would be able to fish until 4pm ! (if I wanted to pay for something by the hour I'd have hired a hooker). I caught 2 fish at 2.5lbs each and brother had one of 5lb, none of which put up any sort of fight. They have tiny casting stages (about 3ft by 2ft) with gaps that kept grabbing the flyline and no wire on the top, so would be slippery as hell in bad weather. All in all not very impressed.

Was it just a case of bad day at the office or do others believe we are being taken for a ride.

Sorry to hear that the fishery did not come up to your expectations. The customer service skills can be hard to find there even when you know Barry and crew.

You did well to catch in the afternoon because of angling pressure. Most of the fishing takes place in the mornings and if you haven't caught by twelve it can be difficult. During the summer months a split ticket is usually a good option when you can fish/stalk in the morning and cast out a litle way out with small dries on the River Avon - bliss!

The lakes have always produced fish to 10lb as advertised but if you were looking for bigger fish go north.

I have had fish from Avon Springs in the past that I have been proud to take to smokers.

Again I am sorry that you didn't enjoy but look to giving it a go in another season.

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

Agree with Loopy. I have fished happily at Avon Springs for 7 years now and the fish are certainly the best to eat that I have ever sampled. Also surprised that your fish didn't fight well, the ones I have been catching over the last 6 months have been absolute animals, and I use a 7 weight outfit and 6lb leader point so I don't aim to take any prisoners.

Take Loopy's advice and try a split river and lake day in May, June, September or October, the river beat is excellent for both trout and grayling.

Also remember the fishery has two lakes not just one, and the upper lake can fish very well indeed with opportunities for stalking later in the year. Somewhat surprisingly, to me at least, the feeding habits of the fish differ as between the two lakes, I have spooned more shrimps, hoglice, snails and corixa from fish in the upper lake, and daphnia and buzzers from fish in the one nearer the house.

And there's no fishery rule that you have to fish off the little platforms on the house lake.

Loopy's comment about customer service skills is superbly diplomatic
and I know what he means - but do persevere with the fishery and the people.

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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

When i fished the guys in the landrover shop there were making a hell of a racket, my wife used the toilets and said they were awful, the baliff was miserable and unhelpful, i had two fish to 6lb and they fought well , didnt taste to bad either, i would like to try the river there though if i ever go there again

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If in doubt, get the montys out

Intelligence is relative to your environment

I seem to hear a lot mroe bad things than good about this place but off there next Friday to see for myself. I am prepared for the rubbish customer service but is there any update on the fishing?

How does it normally fish this early in the year?

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http://eclecticangler.blogspot.com/

Very well; the fish are in good condition, getting on to natural food like daphnia, phantom larvae and baby damsel nymphs quickly after being stocked, and fight very hard. The lake nearest the car park is the one to fish right now, but by all means take a look at the second lake to see if anything's at home.

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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

Hello is is interesting to hear different views on this fishery and others mentioned on here, but a fishery with no heart and soul only to make money not give anglers a pleasant time with good quality fish and nice surroundings, clean toilets and friendly staff soon get a bad reputation. you just cant dig out a few holes in the ground fill with spring water or river fed put in a few fish and call it a trout fishery. it takes many years to grow and develop into something like letchlade but you pay your money and takes your choice and the good thing about this forum is getting the info out there on still water trout fisheries right across our country good or bad, back in bye gone days i fished quite a few still water trout lakes first being Peckams Copse at £1 a day 4 fish what a difference now, yes i am sure there are good and bad fisheries today as in the past but the cost to run a fishery must be high, but this does not mean we get a poor service so keep the info coming in and hope fishery owners will listen

Personally, I don''t have any issue at all with basic facilities only being provided at fisheries like Avon Springs and one or two others, if the money thereby saved goes on quality stock fish and keeping ticket prices in check.

If I want Sky Sports HD on a 50 inch plasma TV, tackle shop stocked like Sportfish, best bitter on hand pump in a pay bar, multiple choice hot lunch, and for all I know lap dancers, I'll go elsewhere than a trout fishery. Wessex anglers with a long memory may recall that offering some of those items in a large, custom built lodge did not do a lot for the fondly remembered Langford trout fishery.

Others may feel differently.

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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

John, I totally agree about the much missed Langford trout fishery.

In fairness against my opening post (some 2 years ago), I have been back a couple of times, Barry is still not the happiest person I've met but he has improved (might be because my father & brother go there often and our faces are becoming familiar?).

There were some big lumps coming out a few weeks ago (just after the thaw) - between dad, bro & a friend they had 5 doubles (to 12.5lb) from their 9 fish ticket total.

Carl

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If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth.

Glad to hear you have stuck at it and are now getting the best from Avon Springs, Carl !

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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