With the nights starting to draw in I decided to use one of my precious day tickets as the thought of having one left over at the end of the season just seems like a terrible waste. A phone call to Mr Aplin resulted in some good pointers on where to go and a bigger surprise that the big fella was going to crack open his one weight and join me on the river!.
As we started fishing on the Lower Water conditions could not have been worse, a strong wind, low water levels and a real lack of flow thanks to the recent weather made me question my sanity. My nymphs were being ignored by every trout and grayling that they passed and I had not seen a rise in two hours of fishing, even John with his wealth of knowledge and silky smooth casting had not managed a fish.
We met up after a couple of hours of struggle and had a chat about all things fishing including how I used to catch a lot on of trout on the Brit and Asker using sedges tweaked strongly under the street lights. With the light fading we both put on a sedge and John took five fish in quick succession. With the code cracked we knew where we wanted to be and in fast fading light hot footed it towards our favourite spot. John continued to catch but with me still on a blank he let me head up to the bridge above him on the beat, my change in fortune was instant ending up on seven trout including one very nice wild fish all falling to the tweaked sedge. We finished at by a bridge catching and missing trout under the street lamp evoking fond memories of learning to river fish back on the Brit all those years ago. Thanks to John A.
Best Regards,
Ben Assirati
The Club is a private one, founded in 1877, of approximately sixty-four members and six Town Rod subscribers. The Club’s waters consist of about 12 miles of wild brown trout & grayling fishing in the main River Frome, River Cerne and River Piddle, together with attendant carriers and side streams. The waters extend both above and below the town of Dorchester and the Club employs a part-time keeper.
Price £60 per ticket per day or three days for £120
Day Tickets are only available during the trout season and only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Bank Holidays. (season 1st April – 14th October)
The Police have made it quite clear that poaching is a crime in progress covered by the 1968 Theft Act. Members should always call 999 to report it and not phone the keeper. Without a report the police will not be aware of the extent of a problem.
If possible note or photo vehicles.
Stress if you are vulnerable/elderly or at risk of intimidation..
In order to give the call handler an accurate location they recommend putting the “what3words” app on your smartphone. Click here…
Angling’s representative body, the Angling Trust, has a web site for anglers to record sightings of cormorants, goosanders and mergansers throughout the UK: www.cormorantwatch.com The site is easy to use and will gather vital data to help persuade government of the need for action to protect fisheries.
Invasive plants and animals can carry diseases that kill fish, block waterways and banks, interfering with fishing. They can be small and hard to spot, so are easily spread on damp clothing and equipment.
Protect the environment and fishing you enjoy, by keeping your kit free of invasive plants and animals.
To find out more please visit
the NNSS Website