By Bewl Phantom

The fish are on the move!

Fishing at Bewl has continued to be a little up and down this week, with conditions very much dictated by the weather. The high pressure hasn't helped, making things a little more challenging for anglers.

When I talk about the weather, the most important factor this week has been the wind. Not necessarily its strength, but its direction! It seems to have changed so many times, almost doing a full circle, leaving both fish and anglers scratching their heads.

The result is that the fish have been constantly on the move. They are well spread out and have been showing in lots of different areas around the reservoir.

One thing worth noting, and probably the most important observation this week, is that the majority of fish have been favouring the middle layers of the water rather than sitting out in the deeper water.

So, bank anglers, take note! It could well be your time to shine!

Bill and I were out last week getting absolutely soaked, and this is now the second week running that we've caught our fish while drifting towards the bank or fishing the shallows. Our maximum depth has been around 6ft!

Reports from other anglers, along with feedback from the Rangers, have backed up what we've been finding.

This week's fishing

When we arrived this morning, the wind, or rather the ripple, was coming straight into the Lodge Bank. It seemed an obvious place to start.

We motored approximately 100 metres out and started drifting towards the bank, working the stretch from the Lodge towards the Aqua Park, carefully avoiding the bank anglers who had arrived at about the same time.

I managed three fish in this stretch, along with several takes. Interestingly, none of the fish were taken more than 30 yards from the bank.

Bill didn't manage a single take here, and neither did the bank anglers while we were fishing this particular stretch. Apparently, they did pick up a few later in the morning. That's Bewl for you! One minute they're there, the next they've disappeared.

We decided to have a move around and explore a few other areas, travelling across the Dam, Main Bowl, Ferry Point and Chingley.

Unfortunately, this coincided with yet another wind change, which eventually swung almost 180 degrees during the morning.

We had a couple of takes on our travels and found some fish, but they weren't particularly interested in playing ball.

The ripple out in the Main Bowl had turned into something resembling waves, the temperature dropped and the rain arrived. Not exactly ideal fishing conditions!

As with last week, I knew we needed to get out of that cold wind, so we headed back towards the Lodge shore. This time we tucked ourselves into the relative shallows behind the Aqua Park, in the corner of the Dam, where we could get some shelter.

There were definitely fish in the area. We caught and missed a few, but once again they weren't really playing ball.

The rain certainly didn't help and, in the end, it rather ruined our morning. We decided to call it a day and came off the water around lunchtime.

Summary

The majority of fish appear to have been favouring the Dam end of the reservoir this week.

On lighter winds, they seem to favour the banks that the wind is blowing towards. When the breeze becomes colder, they appear to prefer getting out of it and finding more sheltered areas.

The key message this week is simple: don't be afraid to move around and don't automatically head for the deepest water!

Location: where are the fish?

Last weekend, the usual areas around the Main Bowl Aqua Park buoys and the first section of Bewl Straight fished well.

However, as mentioned earlier, the constantly changing wind directions have forced the fish to move around considerably this week.

Anglers and Rangers have reported fish in several areas, including:

Hook Straight, including Seven Pound Creek
Bramble Point
Hook House
Bewl Straight
Dunstars Bay

There have also been plenty of fish spotted in Bewl Straight. This makes perfect sense, as it offers some protection from the colder winds and can often fish particularly well towards the back end of the season.

I was chatting to a couple of local fly anglers who also came off the water around lunchtime. They had managed to catch a couple of fish in Dunstars Bay.

So, it really does pay to explore at this time of year. There isn't much warm water left, and finding the right area can make all the difference.

If the wind stays as it was when we left, with a northerly direction, I would certainly be having a good look around Bewl Straight over the weekend.

Fly fishing

For the last couple of trips, I've been using an entirely black fly selection. My setup has consisted of:

Two black Cormorants on the droppers
A black Huey on the point
A Fast Glass intermediate line
10lb XPlus leader

Fishing in around 5ft of water, I've been working the flies along the bottom using a lift-and-hold technique early in the day.

As we get closer to lunchtime, I've been bringing the flies up and working them through the middle layers.

Bill eventually switched to the same fly combination and managed to catch his fish, although he was using a slow-sinking line.

Sometimes it's worth experimenting with your retrieve and line until you find what the fish want.

Any Method

Any Method anglers have once again been doing well.

Small lures and floated bait have produced fish, although anglers have needed to move around more than usual to locate them.

Don't sit in one spot all day if things aren't happening. A change of location could be just what you need.

Reservoir level

The reservoir is currently sitting at 39.6%.

The Bewl Christmas Experience: have you booked yet?

Now, with Christmas getting closer, it's time to mention something a little different from fishing! The Bewl Christmas Experience is coming, and it's shaping up to be a magical experience for the whole family!

If you've never visited before, why not make this the year you bring the family along and experience the magic of Christmas at Bewl?

Behind the scenes, a lot of work goes into creating this special event, and, as rumours would have it, the Bewl Rangers play a rather important part in bringing the Christmas magic to life!

Now, I'm not entirely convinced that Dan, the Head of Estate at Bewl, actually dresses up as Father Christmas. Although, having previously seen him chasing me around during the old Bewl Halloween event, I wouldn't put anything past him! Perhaps someone needs to investigate that rumour!

Joking aside, the Christmas Experience is a fantastic opportunity to bring the children, make some special family memories and enjoy the festive atmosphere here at Bewl. Whether it's getting the little ones excited about Christmas or simply enjoying some quality family time, it's a wonderful way to start the festive season.

Don't leave it until the last minute! Get your family booked in and come and enjoy the Christmas magic at Bewl. Booking information and event details are on the Christmas at Bewl Water website.

More trout are on their way!

And finally, some exciting news for all you anglers! More trout are due to be stocked into Bewl this week, so there's even more reason to get your fishing gear ready.

With fish already showing in several areas and more trout being introduced, it's looking like an exciting time to get out on the water. Whether you're a fly angler, an Any Method angler or fancy trying your luck from the bank, there's plenty to look forward to.

Don't forget to book your fishing in advance.

Tight lines everyone, and hopefully I'll see you out on the water. Until next time...

Bewl Phantom

Bewl Water Fishing Report: November 2026