Watermark is a fishery complex based close to the quaint rural town of Cirencester (near Swindon ). The complex offers the ideal location to escape for a day, or a few days, from the hustle-and-bustle of city life, being within easy driving distance of towns and cities such as Swindon , Bath , Reading and London . Whether your quarry be carp (40lb+), tench (10lb+), Perch (5lb+), Roach or Pike on the secluded coarse fishing lakes or chasing rainbow, brown, and blue trout on a well matured lake with healthy fly hatches throughout the year – the Watermark has this to offer, and a whole lot more.

The watermark fisheries are an ideal location for beginners and advanced anglers alike, having something to offer every palate. The Watermark offers the ideal venue to host corporate events, and we can arrange tuition etc. to run alongside such events. . In addition, it’s a superb venue just to escape from it all; superb surroundings, on-site facilities, on-site fish rearing, along with fin-perfect, hard fighting fish. The Watermark fishery also has an on-site lodge, which is an ideal place to stop over on a fishing trip – the lodge can be incorporated as part of the package cost.

Fishing season

Fantastic sport can be had on the Watermark fishery throughout the year, and fishing packages can be arranged on the fishery 12 months of the year. Sport can be particularly good in the spring and autumn, however, the summer months do provide superb evening dry-fly fishing and the milder winter days provide superb sport on buzzers.

The coarse fishing lake fishes well throughout the season, too. Late spring, summer, and early autumn sees the fish move up in the water layers and become more active when sport can be prolific and very rewarding. However, the winter months offer superb sport too, with the carp and tench being in fine fighting form.

Accomodation

There is an on-site lodge which can be rented out as part of the package – a superb place to start and end your day. The lodge comes fully equipped, and offers most services found in the average household. There is a decking area outside the lodge for your private use along with a barbecue – catch your quarry (species allowing), cook it, then relax on the veranda, perfect! Alternatively we can arrange anything from campsites, B&B’s, plush hotels, through to self-catering cottages. Contact us with your requirements and we will do the rest. Please note that cottages and self catering units should be booked several months in advance to assure availability – they book up fast, as can hotels and B&B’s.

Fishing licences and permits

A non-migratory fish/coarse fish rod licence (which covers you for trout and all coarse species) is necessary for all that undertake these packages. UK residents can buy these prior to their arrival, or within the fishing locality. We can purchase these in advance for visiting/foreign anglers and include them in the cost of the package. Permits will be included in the price of the package and will be arranged prior to your arrival. We want to make your stay as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, ensuring that’s all you have to concentrate on is catching fish!

Tackle

Fly; Any rod between 9ft and 10ft with a line rating of between 5-8 will suffice for trout, ideally a 9ft for 6 line. Reels are to your preference – but make sure that they have plenty of backing and a decent drag system, as a large watermark trout can take some stopping! A floating line will suffice for the majority of the season, however, we do recommend carrying an intermediate and a fast sinker to cover all eventualities. Nylon in 6-8lbs should be carried. The usual Stillwater trout flies should be deployed on watermark with the following being particularly successful; large black buzzers, brown buzzers, dark red buzzers, jc hare’s ear, small f-fly’s, Montana goldheads, boobies. Also, why not try your hand at catching carp on the fly-rod Contact us for further details

Coarse; Standard float fishing or avon style rods will suffice for the tench, whilst heavier rods with a 2-3lb test curve are best for the carp fishing as there are leviathan carp within the lake. Sweetcorn and/or maggots will suffice for the tench, whilst boilies and surface baits are always popular for the carp. Main line should be around 8-15lbs. Jigs, jelly worms, and live worms usually score well with the Perch and Chub, whilst jerkbaits, spoons and normal baits work well for the pike.

Tackle is available on loan for those without suitable set-ups, and for those that don’t want the hassle of bringing fishing gear with them on holiday.