Fed by the River Piddle
Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes
A fishery near the River Piddle, drawing its water from it. 5 beats available to book, from £30.
About Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes
Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes sits in the lush water meadows beside the River Piddle: 5 small, clear stillwaters run for stocked rainbow trout rather than the wild fishing found on the river itself. Meadow Lake is the largest at two and a half acres, School Pool and The Oxbow are half an acre apiece, and The Bowl and Church Pool are the two smallest, a quarter of an acre each. One ticket covers the whole fishery.
The water is usually beautifully clear, which turns most days here into genuine stalking, picking out and casting to individual fish rather than covering water blind, though early in the season one or two of the pools can carry some colour. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb up to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb, with the odd considerably larger fish put in as well. Fly life can be exceptional, with hatches of buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies, and the popular stillwater patterns, buzzers, goldhead nymphs, damsel nymphs and small lures among them, all take fish. The fishery has been featured in the game fishing press over the years and has built a reputation for good sport in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Two ticket options are on offer: £30 to take the first fish you catch and release three more, or £40 to take the first two and release three more. Catch and release is straightforward: barbless hooks, or barbs pinched down with long-nosed pliers, fish played as quickly as possible, handled as little as possible, and hands wetted in the net mesh before you touch a fish. Barbed hooks may be used for the first one or two fish you intend to take, then it's barbless for the rest of the session. The lakes open at 08:30 and are booked online at lakebookings.com.
Beats at Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes
5 beats availableEach beat has its own fishing details, pricing, and difficulty. This water is fed by the River Piddle. Explore the wider river: all beats on the River Piddle or the River Piddle map .
The Bowl
The Bowl is one of the two smallest waters at , at a quarter of an acre, and it's a pool for close, deliberate stalking rather than searching blind. At this size you can see most of what's swimming in front of you, so the fishing is as much about spotting and reading a fish before you cast as it is about fly choice. The water is usually beautifully clear, which suits a pool this small well, though early in the season it can carry a little colour like the rest of the fishery. Buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies hatch well, and small, careful patterns, buzzers, goldhead nymphs and damsel nymphs among them, tend to work better here than a big lure fished at range. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb. A quiet approach and a longer leader pay off on a pool this size. Tickets start from £30.
School Pool
School Pool is one of the mid-sized waters at , at half an acre: small enough to cover in an afternoon's steady fishing, but with enough room to work a fish carefully once you've found one. It sits between the two smallest pools and Meadow Lake in scale, and it fishes like a good compromise between the two: close enough for careful stalking, big enough that a longer cast still has its uses. The water is usually beautifully clear, and at this size you'll often see the fish you're casting to rather than fishing blind. Buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies all hatch well, and buzzers, goldhead nymphs, damsel nymphs and small lures are all worth having on. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb, with the occasional much larger fish among them. Tickets start from £30.
The Oxbow
The Oxbow is one of the mid-sized pools at , at half an acre, matched in size by School Pool but worth fishing in its own right on any visit here. Half an acre still gives a fish somewhere to run when it's hooked, without turning the day into a long-range casting exercise. The water is usually beautifully clear, so stalking individual fish is the order of the day: work round steadily rather than casting at random. Buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies hatch consistently through the season, and buzzers, goldhead nymphs, damsel nymphs and small lures all take fish. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb, with the occasional considerably larger fish among them. Tickets start from £30.
Church Pool
Church Pool is one of the two smallest waters at , at a quarter of an acre, and a pool this size asks for the most careful approach of the lot. There's nowhere to hide an ordinary cast here: every fish is essentially within range, so the day comes down to spotting a good one, judging the cast, and not putting it down before you've had a chance at it. The water is usually beautifully clear, ideal for the sight-fishing this pool is built for. Buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies all hatch here as they do across the fishery, and small nymphs, goldheads and damsel patterns fished with care tend to outfish anything heavier. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb, so a pool this size can still produce a genuine surprise on light tackle. Tickets start from £30.
Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake is the largest of the five waters at , at two and a half acres, and it fishes accordingly: there's room here to search with a longer line and to cover a rising fish at real distance, which the smaller pools simply don't allow. The water is usually beautifully clear, so sight-fishing individual fish is still very much the game, there's just more water and more fish to work through before you find a taker. Buzzers, pond olives, sedges and damsel flies hatch well through the season, and buzzers, goldhead nymphs, damsel nymphs and small lures all account for fish. Rainbow Trout are stocked regularly from 1¾ lb to well over 4 lb, averaging around 2½ lb, with the odd considerably larger fish mixed in. On a lake this size, working steadily round the margins and reaching a nymph out to fish holding further off both have their place. Tickets start from £30.
Pricing at Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes
- Day ticket
- £30–£40
One ticket covers every beat listed here.
Each beat below carries its own current price and season dates.
Services & Amenities
Where to find Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes
The fishery's location.
Lawrences Farm, Southover, Tolpuddle, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 7HF
Contact
FishingBeats is an independent guide with no affiliation to the fisheries we list. Listings are editorial and unpaid, and are not supplied or approved by the fishery. See our listings policy. Listing details are compiled by FishingBeats and may change or contain mistakes. Some services, such as tuition, ghillies, or accommodation, may only apply to certain packages and not to standard day tickets. Always confirm pricing, fishing details, and what is included directly with the fishery before you book. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@fishingbeats.com and we will correct it.
FAQ
Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes FAQs
Common questions about Wessex Fly Fishing Trout Lakes and its beats, answered in one place.
