Chew Valley Lake cheat sheet
The big pike and the reservoir trout, the licences and limits, the rigs and the kit. One page to take to the water.
Chew Valley Lake
Winter is pike (book the day the moment it opens, 10 January). Spring to autumn is trout, best in spring and autumn.
Licences
You need two. An Environment Agency rod licence (Trout, Coarse Fish and Eel, about £36.80/year for 2026, from GOV.UK), and a Bristol Water Fisheries permit (trout day from £36 bank / £62 boat for two; the winter pike day is separate and limited, £79 a bank angler / £200 a boat for two, booked online). Book trout through Woodford Lodge, 01275 332339.
Limits
Trout, keep up to your permit's bag (for example 8 fish a day), or a 2-fish catch-and-release sporting permit. Pike, catch and release, returned, no size limit.
Pike rules (strict)
Sea deadbaits and lures only (no freshwater baits), wire trace always (40 lb min, 18 in deadbait / 10 in lure), lures 4 in+ de-barbed, compulsory forceps, gloves, mat and a big knotless net. Read the rules PDF before booking.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From the bank | From a boat | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | Yes, the main bank fish | Yes, loch-style drifting | Spring and autumn; early and late in summer | Dry fly, nymph or streamer |
| Brown trout | Yes | Yes | Spring and autumn (fry feeding) | Streamer (fry lures), nymph |
| Pike (winter) | Yes, the opened bank marks | Yes, the productive shallows | The managed winter days, low light | Pike rig (sea deadbait or lure, wire trace) |
| Perch | Yes, the margins and features | Yes | First and last light, warmer months | Drop shot or sliding float |
Bank covers most of Chew. A boat adds loch-style drifting for trout and more water for pike.
The rigs
Fly line → tapered leader → tippet → an imitative dry or emerger to a fish taking off the top
Leader / tippet knots on the rig pageFloating or intermediate line → tapered leader → tippet → a nymph fished slow, the early-season workhorse
Leader / tippet knots on the rig pageSinking line → short stout leader → a lure or booby, or a fry pattern in autumn (and the fly-rod pike option)
Leader knots on the rig page20 lb+ line → wire trace (40 lb, 18 in deadbait / 10 in lure) → sea deadbait under a float or on a leger, or a 4 in+ de-barbed lure
Palomar · non-slip loopBraid → 0.22 fluoro leader → small soft lure on a hook in-line, weight on the tag (3–14 g)
PalomarMain line → bobber stopper → bead → float → split shot → swivel → hook #6 with maggot or worm
PalomarWhat you need
A #7 fly outfit covers the trout. The pike trip needs a strong rod, heavy line and a wire trace, plus the compulsory welfare kit.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse, every lure and bait rig. | Pike, drop shot, sliding float |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop in the line for a hook branch. | Float paternoster |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a lure or jighead. | Lures and jigheads |
Learn the Palomar first, and wet every knot before you pull it tight. The fly rigs use the leader and tippet knots given on each fly rig page.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.