£110 for a days fishing at Sutton Springs?

[bassett]

I'm off to Hampshire with my job quite soon and as usual I have been looking for places to fish. I saw an ad in this months Trout Fisherman advertising a days fishing at Sutton Springs Nr Winchester for £110 per day. Granted the fish sound huge - 'Minimum stock size 10lbs - 20lbs common and always some much larger fish' But I must admit I was a bit put off by the ad where it says 'the right to refuse entry is reserved'. It doesn't sound very friendly and I've never seen this in an advert before. So could anyone who has fished Sutton Springs give me some advice?
Many thanks
Bassett

[enfieldspares]

I have not been to the place, but AFAIk you pays yor £110.00 (which gives you FOUR fish, I think) and if you catch your limit in four casts...that's it. Home you go!

Some people think that it is the greatest thing in trout fishing ever. But...just read the farmed salmon thread and visit it on www.jamieoliver.com and decide if you would actually want to EAT one of these things.

Again, AFAIK, no "catch and release" at the place. Some of these "big trout" waters are a little bit like an "open prison" in terms of security fencing. But, I stand corrected. They have a website.

[enfieldspares]

For about the same money you could possibly do some "proper" fly casting on a chalk stream down that way!

Some may be a bit out of date but try these various numbers:

HAMPSHIRE
Avington Trout Fishery, Itchen Abbas, Avington, Winchester = 01962 779312 www.avingtontrout.com
Chiphall = 01329 833295
Dever Springs Trout Fishery, Andover = 01264 720592 www.deversprings.freeserve.co.uk
John O Gaunts = 01794 388130
Leominstead = 02380 282610
Meon Springs = 01730 823249
Moorhen Farm Fishery, Warnford = 01730 829460
Holbury Lane Lakes = 01794 341619
River Itchen (lower section) = 02380 814389 www.itchen-fishing.net
River Test (Nursling) = 01264 810829 www.robjents.co.uk
Rockbourne - 01725 518603
Sutton Springs, Sutton Scotney Nr Winchester = 01962 760099 or 07808 812814
Woodington Fishery = 07812 691377

Hampshire Avington Trout Fishery Avington Nr Winchester Hampshire
www.thefishingline
/avington 01962-779312
Hampshire Dever Springs Barton Stacey Andover Hampshire
www.deversprings.
freeserve.co.uk 01264-720592
Hampshire Five Oaks Trout Lake Crableck Lane Sarisbury Green Hampshire 01489-575359
Hampshire Holbury Lane Lakes Lockerly Romsey Hampshire SO51 0JR 01794-341619
Hampshire Leominstead Fishery Emery Down Lyndhurst Hampshire SO43 7GA 01703-282610
Hampshire MBK Leisure Marken, Shortheath Common, Oakhanger, Hants 07885 754365
Hampshire Meon Springs Fly Fishery Whitewool Farm, East Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 1HW
www.meonsprings.com 01730 823249
Hampshire Rockbourne Fishery Rockbourne Road Sandleheath Fordingbridge Hampshire 01725-518603
Hampshire Sutton Springs Trout Fishery Sutton Scotney Winchester Hampshire 07808 812814

Hampshire Woodington Fishery Romsey Road East Wellow Romsey Hampshire 01794-884442

[alan]

Nigel Jackson, was a london car salesman, set up Dever Springs - worked out how to grow BIG fish, sold Dever for about £1.5 million. Not long after he opens Sutton Springs just up the road, but still stocks Dever. Need I say much more!

If you want good hard fighting fish of decent size, go to Avon Springs or Manningford. If you have never caught a Double - go to Sutton or Dever.

The smokehouse I use had a catch from Sutton, two anglers - 128lbs gutted for 6 fish ( sorry I think £110 is a 3 fish ticket) all fat and flabby and went rancid in the smoker. I will not tell you the overall bill for a dustbin full of rancid smoked fish!

Around this area you have a fantastic choice, and could probably fish for several days on the price of a sigle Sutton ticket. If you want loads of fishing on quality water look at the Christchurch Angling club ticket.

[Kypmeister]

I've always fancied getting myself a doubler.

Would I pay £110 for the experience I probably would.

The only thing is, what would I do with the fish. As I don't eat them, and I wouldn't fanacy bringing them home on the car either

So I think the best thing for me to do is don't go!!

Our local water doesn't have these absolute monsters, but what it does is have is quality hard fighting trout that will give you a run for your money.

[Chris]

Fished Dever once, similar to Sutton Springs (but you don't get a wheelbarrow for the fish at Dever).

Waterpigs......

Chris

[JO]

Dever, Sutton.... Fishing Brothels.

If you go, do yourself a favour and concentrate on the the streams that run through the fisheries (well at Dever anyway). You'll have much more fun and won't come away feeling just a little bit dirty... on the inside.

The breakfast at Dever is excellent though.

[Clydesider]

Dever and Sutton Springs look like totally disgusting places to me.

Steer well clear. If you have to fish a stocked fishery, I'm sure there are countless alternatives in the area.

[Dunbar]

Sorry, Bassett but that sounds abysmal - no help to you but you can get a season's fishing for salmon, sea trout, brown trout and grayling on the River Annan for the same price. Some of the fisheries in the South (rivers and lakes) really seem to be overpriced, though I suppose the demand must be there in the first place.

[AR]

My advice would be to spend your money on some of the chalkstream lots on the Wild Trout Trust Auction (see pinned thread at the top of the board). For one third of what you will pay at Sutton Springs you could have a day on Dorset's river Piddle with Richard Slocock. Simply no comparison. Even in mayfly time it will only cost you half the cost of Sutton Springs.

[rad]

Bassett I have fished both Dever and Sutton Springs. The fish are monsters and I found very easy to catch.
Dont expect to stay there all day. The times I have been there I have left well before lunch.

I would suggest trying one of the other still waters in the area or the chalk streams.
Have a look here www.therodsquad.com/productsByCategory.asp?intCatalogID=15&strCatalog_NAME=Hampshire+%2D there is a good few places to fish in that area.

Rad

[Wiggy]

I'm together with the rest of the gang. Use your money catching wild brownies and grayling on a chalkstream and come away as if you've really got back to nature and fished in the footsteps of your forfathers.

If it were me, I'd ban the unatural forced 'growing' of fish just for finacial benefit, but then again I'm not a buisness man nor a politician!

[dunc85]

Brádan said:

Remember all those silly stalking articles in the mags where some olive colored dude with a wide brimmed hat and super expensive , multicoloured , multilensed sunglasses used a catapult cast to cast 5 yards of line from the Sage 10" rod.

Reminds me of Clive White wh caught the British Record rainbow. Only, he later admitted he'd found it dead in the margins. Rumour has it, Nigel Jackson killed it and left it lying around for Clive to find.

[Countryboy]

Hi Basset.

Predictable replies from this forum and all valid

I really think there is an optimum size for stocked

stillwater fish. A balance that produces good firm and

tasty flesh, and for the Vegetarians amongst us ,a fight

that will leave your reel screaming, your backing

showing and your adrenaline pumping.

I don't believe that weight falls between the 10lb and

20lb fish at Dever.

Countryboy

[pitsfordpirate]

Brádan said:

Remember all those silly stalking articles in the mags where some olive colored dude with a wide brimmed hat and super expensive , multicoloured , multilensed sunglasses used a catapult cast to cast 5 yards of line from the Sage 10" rod. Most of the pics were from Sutton and Dever. Then you read of the best method of avoiding catching the 3lbers. Seems to me that calling this fly fishing is really stretching the boundaries.

The 'gentleman' to whom you refer was indeed Clive White, whom fraudulantly claimed a British record in the cultivated trout category with a 36lb 14oz Rainbow from Dever Springs on 4th April 1995.

The deception only came to light in July/August 2003, when Mr White admitted to such.

Incidentally, the mag was 'Trout Fisherman', which previously had Mr White on several cover shots and articles relating to stalking pellet-pigs.

Finally, the rod wasn't a 10 foot Sage, it was a 6ft 6ins Orvis Trident TLS Full Flex in a #4 weight. Mr White was sponsored by Orvis until they realised he was a Charltan, then promptly dropped him and took all their kit back.

Pip pip

The Pirate.