Fancy a crack at a “slam” of freshwater predators on the fly? That was exactly the challenge for Ulvis Strokss, who brings us this entertaining report from the recent multi species competition at this most legendary of Somerset pike fishing venues!
It’s not just rainbow trout that get the attention of visiting anglers at Chew these days. As home to the UK record pike (at a whopping 47lb 5oz), the place holds mythical status among predator anglers. Add giant, elusive brown trout and perch and you have a venue capable of throwing up a huge surprise!
With the now annual Chew Valley Multi-Species Challenge set for October 27th , the date was circled on my calendar. Run by the Fluff Chuckers group on Chew, the ultimate goal was a “slam” of pike, perch, brown and rainbow trout.
Sadly, Chew had definitely seen better days by the time – water levels were worryingly low and visibility was poor. But with the same conditions facing everyone, it was a level playing field. Fly fishing Chew Valley Lake on this occasion would be about who could adapt best, who could read the water, and who could find the fish.
The challenge was simple in theory, with some simple awards for the following:
- Biggest Pike
- Biggest Brown Trout
- Biggest Perch
- Biggest Rainbow Trout
- Overall Team Points
Each angler scored 1000 points for the first fish of each species, then 10 points per fish after. So three rainbows = 1020 points. Sounds fair, but easier said than done.
The journey begins!
With the car packed the night before, I was up at 2:00 AM to grab lunch from the fridge, double-check my gear (twice), and then hit the road. By 2:50 AM, I’d picked up my boat partner and we were off.
A long, quiet 180-mile drive lay ahead – mostly motorway, mostly dark, with a few roadworks to keep us on our toes. We made it to Bristol earlier than expected and stopped for a quick McDonald’s breakfast – double sausage & bacon McMuffin and of course, a toffee latte. A quick tactical chat, and we were back on the road for the final stretch to Chew.
Fly fishing at Chew Lake – the buzz builds!
Pulling into the car park, we could feel the energy. Dozens of anglers were prepping fly rods, sorting their kit and sharing stories. You could tell it was a friendly crew – competitive, but in the right way.
We started setting up our kit, and then a surprising moment – a gentleman turned around in the queue and asked, “Are you the guy who makes the float tube fly fishing videos?” It blew my mind that someone this far from home recognised me from YouTube. What a moment!
I’m only uploading on YouTube in my spare time and I have no intentions to take it up seriously. Maybe I should? I just want to share my passion with like minded-people, and if felt amazing to be recognised.
We had a quick chat, and then it was time to sign in and get the lowdown on the comp and current rules. As for advice from the Chew crew, it was just what I expected. Low, coloured water meant that the best patterns to try would likely be big, dark flies that push a lot of water, or flies with dragon tails. No problem. I had just the thing! Bulkhead patterns were on the rods and ready, dragon tails in all different shapes and sizes in my fly wallet.
Recommended tackle for pike and trout fly fishing on Chew Valley Lake
Our tackle for the Bristol Water Fisheries venue would cover a few bases on the day, with an emphasis on strong, adaptable kit.
Pike fly Setups:
- 9ft 10wt Bob Church Predator Fly Rod + Vision Grand Daddy Intermediate Line
- 9ft 9wt Greys Gxi + Airflo Sink 7
Trout Setups:
- Shakespeare 9’6” 7wt Combo + Floating Line (3-fly rig: size 14 cruncher, size 12 buzzer and leech point fly)
- Shakespeare 9’6” 7wt Combo + Sink Tip Line (7ft leader, Blue Flash Damsel)
All excited and soaking up the buzz, we only just noticed that the start time of 8am had arrived and boats were heading out. With sudden urgency, we made a dash for ours and set off – starting on the far side of the dam where birds and topping fish gave us hope.
Both of us started on trout gear with floating lines. Visibility was poor and hopes weren’t sky-high, but within minutes, my boat partner was in! After a brief fight, a 3lb 5oz rainbow was in the net. After some quick pictures it was time to crack on and try and get the next fish. What a start! Here’s how the rest of the day panned out, hour by hour:
Reality Check – 9:30 AM
That early optimism didn’t last. The lake felt almost lifeless. Hardly anyone was catching – just the odd fish here and there.I cycled through setups – floating line, sink tip, predator gear over deep holes – nothing. With desperation creeping in, we moved to deeper water by the dam. A few boats were there, but not much was happening. After 30 minutes fishing there, we relocated again, heading further down past the cages toward the shallows.
The Shallows – 11:00 AM
We switched back to floating lines, giving flies time to sink. After 20 casts without success, I susepcted they were holding deeper. Time for the sink tip with a tadpole fly. Still nothing!
Turning Point – 12:30 PM
Hope was fading. I looked at the predator rod and decided to give the trout kit one last cast. As I stripped the fly back in, bang, it was a take! It felt small at first, maybe a perch, but then it started fighting – a rainbow! At 2lb 6oz, it was a lifeline, and a confidence boost. Maybe we weren’t done yet? With the whole lake fishing hard, every take would count.
The Final Push – 3:00 PM
The next few hours went quiet. My arms and fingers were sore from all the casting and from line stripping. I switched to my predator kit for the final stretch.
This time, I went bright, opting for an orange and yellow perch pattern, something totally different from the dark flies I’d been throwing all day.
I gave it time to sink (we were sitting in 6-10ft of water with few deeper wholes here and there), stripping back with long pauses. 10–15 casts in, I felt a soft bump. Was it the bottom? A shell? Suddenly, it moved. Fish on! And not just any fish – this time it was a pike.
Adrenaline kicked in. It wasn’t a monster, but it fought hard. Every head shake and jump had me on edge. Finally, it slid into the net. 6lb on the nose. What a relief!
Wrap-Up & Results
With minutes left, I switched back to my trout rod to finish off, absolutely knackered from a full day of hard casting. Back at the dock, we packed up (thanks due to the kind Chew staffer who helped carry some of the kit!) and handed in our catch sheets. Then came the wait.
We didn’t win overall: our team finished in the middle with 3000 points. But my boat partner Tony smashed it with the biggest rainbow trout of the day. What a result!
But what about my pike? It was second biggest of the comp. Only three pike were caught, and I was just edged out by a 7lb 2oz fish from a top angler. I’ll take that.
Final Thoughts
Chew had been a grind on our visit. The conditions were brutal, but the challenge was real and exciting. To come away with points on the board, a solid rainbow, and a pike on the fly in such tough water conditions was a decent result – and I’m proud of the effort. Would I do it again? Without question. I’ll be back for another shot at those big mamas of Chew Valley! Tight lines till then!
Don’t forget to check out Ulvis’ YouTube Channel for his latest fishing adventures here: https://www.youtube.com/@fishing-with-Ulvis
Trout and pike fly fishing on Chew Valley Lake:
For full details on fishing at Chew, see the Bristol Water Fisheries site (www.bristolwaterfisheries.com). Low water and other extreme conditions can see restrictions on angling- so please do check before your visit!