Chew Valley Lake Walk farm shop food and onto the Medieval City of Wells

Chew Valley Lake is a reservoir in Chew Stoke, Chew Valley, Somerset. It is the fifth-largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom, with an area of 1,200 acres. The lake, created in the early 1950s, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956

Chew Valley is well renowned for its scenic beauty and top quality fly fishing. The size and condition of the trout caught here is second to none and anglers find success using a wide variety of fishing methods and fly patterns making it a popular competition venue. Opened in 1956 Chew is a relatively shallow reservoir with an average depth of only 14ft at top level and a maximum depth of just 37ft. The area it covers, once rich farmland, is now fertile ground for the aquatic life necessary for sustaining quality trout fishing.

As the water starts to warm in early season Buzzer hatches can be prolific before giving way to a rich larder of non-hatching aquatic insects later in the season such as corixa, snail, hoglice and shrimp. With such a plethora natural feed it is easy to understand why fishing imitative dries, emergers and nymphs on floating lines proves so popular amongst our regulars. Chew has an excellent capacity for producing grown on fish and the lake records stand at 22lb 7oz for Brown Trout and 14lb 9oz for Rainbow Trout.

More Here and Here thanks to Bristol Water and Bistol Water Fisheries