Moorhen Trout Fishery

Well… we’ve been a little quiet on here lately! 👀

It’s been a very busy few weeks at Moorhen, and we’ve decided to make the most of the quieter period by giving the lake a bit of TLC.

We’ve been lucky enough to have the fantastic Andrew Ellis and his team AE Fisheries working with us, using their years of experience to reshape and replant the banks with over 2,000 native plants. Not only will they look fantastic as they establish, but they’ll also act as a natural filter and help us improve water quality for years to come.

We’ve also finished even more fishing platforms, meaning there are now stable, comfortable pegs right around the lake ready for when the trout return.

Our tree surgeons, Hampshire Heartwood Tree Surgeons , have been busy too, helping us manage the surrounding woodland and keeping everything safe, healthy and looking its best. We honestly can’t recommend them highly enough—they’ve done a fantastic job.

Safe to say there’s been plenty of blood, sweat, tears… and more than a few cups of tea along the way! ☕💪

There’s still lots to do over the coming weeks, but we’re really excited to share the progress with you as we go.

If you’re passing by, don’t be a stranger! Pop in for a chat, grab a cuppa in the café, or have a browse around the shop—we’re always happy to help and it’s always lovely to see familiar faces.

A huge thank you to everyone for your patience and continued support over the last few weeks. It genuinely means a great deal to our family, and we can’t wait to welcome you all back to the lake.

Just a reminder: our shop and café are open Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00am–4:00pm throughout the summer, although fishing remains closed for the time being.

We’ll keep you updated as things progress! 🎣🌿

Due to the recent increase in water temperatures and the extreme heat we are experiencing, we have made the difficult decision to close the fishery for all fishing activities with immediate effect until 1st September.

The welfare of our fish is always our top priority, and these conditions can place significant stress on them. We know this will be disappointing news, but we are sure our anglers will understand that this decision has been made in the best interests of the lake and its stock.

Throughout the summer, we will be carrying out a range of scheduled maintenance works and improvements around the lake to help enhance the fishery for the future. We look forward to welcoming you back in September to see the progress that has been made.

Our shop and café will remain open Tuesday to Saturday throughout the summer 9am-4pm, so please continue to pop in and see us. Please note that there will be a full site closure during the first week of July while essential works are carried out.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our anglers for their continued support, loyalty, and understanding. Your support means a great deal to us, and we look forward to seeing you all back on the bank when we reopen on 1st September.

Thank you,
The Moorhen Fishery Team

🎣 Some great fish coming out the last few days, with plenty of happy anglers — including a few catching their first trout! 🐟😃

🎣 A few great catches from yesterday!

It's always great to see the younger generation getting involved in fly fishing and enjoying time on the water. Plenty of enthusiasm, a few nice fish, and some big smiles all round.

Hopefully the start of a lifelong passion for many of them.🎣 🐟

Sorry for the lack of fish posts lately – it’s been a busy few weeks here at Moorhen!

Here are just a few photos from the last month showing some of the fantastic catches our anglers have enjoyed. We've seen some cracking fish landed and it's been great to have so many people out on the water.

We've also had the pleasure of welcoming lots of new faces to the fishery through our Introduction to Fly Fishing lessons. It's always great to see beginners giving fly fishing a go and enjoying success from the very start.

A special shout-out goes to one of our regular anglers, Jon, who landed a new personal best weighing an impressive 6lbs! Congratulations, Jon – a fish to remember!

Thank you to everyone who has visited us over the past month. We really appreciate your support and look forward to seeing many more great catches in the weeks ahead.

Tight lines everyone! 🎣

🐟 Fishery Update 🐟

Please note that the fishery will be closed on Tuesday 2nd June and Wednesday 3rd June due to maintenance works being carried out on the lake.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding.

The fishery will reopen as normal on Thursday 4th June. 🎣

🎣 Spring Bank Holiday Competition Results 🎣

What a fantastic day we had at our Spring Bank Holiday Competition! The hot weather and difficult conditions made the fishing tough, with the fish not showing much interest throughout the morning but we still saw some great effort and quality catches from our anglers.

A huge well done to everyone who took part and stuck at it despite the challenging conditions.

🏆 Results 🏆

🥇 1st Place – Nick W. who managed to catch his full quota on a very tough day.(11Ibs.10oz)
🥈 2nd Place – Keith M. (10Ibs.14oz)
🥉 3rd Place – Oliver U. (7Ibs.15oz)

🎖️ First Fish on the Bank – John G

🐟 Biggest Fish Award – Oliver U. with a cracking fish weighing 7lbs 15oz.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the day enjoyable despite the difficult fishing. We look forward to seeing you all again at the next competition! 🎣