Situated at the Western edge of the New Forest on Hampshire’s historical Somerley Estate, Hamer Lake and its surroundings is a place of old English calm and tranquility. The term ‘Best Kept Secret’ is one that is very often over-used.....but having been to Hamer Lake so many times over recent years and seen on many occasions, so few people fishing, I think that when applied to Hamer, is completely justified. Really quite remarkable when you see, not only the quality of the fish that are present but the way that the remarkably rich water encourages them to feed and the way they fight once hooked.
At approximately 5 acres in size and resembling a mini reservoir, the lake is fairly exposed, and without any real protection from the wind the fishing can be quite challenging. But....it is these characteristics that can and often do make the fishing so rewarding, allowing traditional loch style and reservoir dry fly and buzzer tactics to be employed to get the best from the fishing here. The complete access to all the banks
means that an ideal dry fly or buzzer drift across the wind is always a real possibility.
The clear water and lush weed growth creates an ideal environment for the multitude of insects and corresponding fly-life that are present, and the fish don’t waste any time switching on to the abundant hatches and rising freely to take full advantage (as do the local populations of swallows and sand martins). Dry fly and nymph fishing tactics can be equally effective, with excellent buzzer and caddis fly hatches and damsel nymphs being so abundant during the warmer months that they will actually climb up and cover your wellies if you stand in the shallower margins for any amount of time.
The gently sloping grass banks are also a temporary home to the infant crane flies (daddy long legs) and often provide some exceptionally good surface fishing in late September/ early October. In all, a wonderful trout fishery for the imitative fly fisher.
Two boats are available to gain access to the middle areas of the lake, with fixed position mooring buoys present to ensure ample fishing room, if both boats are in use at the same time. That said, the bank fishing is exceptional, with both the complete access to an abundance of shallow margins where the trout will often feed very close in if undisturbed, as well as a number of drop offs into deeper water, all within a very reachable casting range. The fish are predominantly rainbows but there are brown trout present which are most likely to be tempted with a more imitative approach.
Fishing on Hamer Lake is controlled by Christchurch Angling Club and is open all year round. A selection of ticket options are available with catch and release and sporting tickets options and guest tickets being available to club members. Tickets are also available to Salisbury & District Angling Club game fishing members.
A quote from a very experienced local still water trout fisherman... "I have fished pretty much every still-water trout fishery of note across the UK, including the west country and midlands reservoirs, and non come close to this. Hamer is the best lake that I have ever fished"
Here's a snippet of footage (Lift music included) Ian took recently whilst accompanying a few anglers at Hamer.
Ian May is an AAPGAI Master Instructor based in Hampshire, teaching both single and
double handed disciplines for salmon, trout & grayling... contact him here at the