Chew Stoke, Somerset
Chew Valley Lake
Chew is an elite trout reservoir that also produced Britain's heaviest officially recognised pike. The combination of big-fish credibility, rich natural food and tightly managed permits makes it genuinely distinctive.
Rules
Trout catch-and-release permits require barbless flies. Shore fishing is prohibited from the designated dam and embankment, sailing-club, picnic and nature-reserve areas. Pike tickets are managed separately. Best months and methods: March-May is especially attractive for early-season buzzer fishing. Later in the season the fishery documents corixa, snails, hoglice and shrimp in the trout's diet, with floating-line dries, emergers and nymphs all producing.