Although spring is still a month away, those zero temperatures appear to have vanished and I have already seen a bird flying into one of my trees with a beak full of nesting material. I see this period of the year as the perfect time to visit popular places that are overloaded with visitors during the tourist season, which is why I took my Border collie for a day out to the Cotswolds.

I chose Bibury, just 28 miles from Oxford and about eight from Burford as there’s a 41-acre trout farm in the centre of this lovely little village, where freshly-caught trout can be bought every day.

Bibury was described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, and having visited it many times and in all its guises, I am inclined to agree, although I tend to avoid it at the height of the holiday season when it is clogged up with tourists. Visit it now and you will be able to park your car with ease and wander comfortably around the streets without finding yourself dodging around Japanese visitors and their cameras.

The trout farm was founded in 1902 by naturalist Arthur Severn, who wanted to stock local rivers and streams with native brown trout. This still goes on today, which means that there is a little bit of Bibury in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds all over the country.

Mature fish find themselves distributed to the kitchens of pubs and restaurants, where Bibury trout is much prized. You will also discover them on sale in many Oxfordshire farmers’ markets.

Apart from walking the grounds of the trout farm, visitors can view and feed the fish, watching them jump high in the air to catch the pellets. That’s the bit my dog loves most, though I have to keep a firm grip on his lead at that point to stop him trying to join the leaping fish. Yes, dogs are allowed into the fish farm providing they are kept on a lead which turns a visit there into a real family day out.

A playground in a corner of the farm caters for children, though they will also enjoy learning all about the trout, the grading process and the hatcheries.

Visitors can even catch their own trout if they visit during the weekend from March to October. Fishing tackle is provided if they haven’t brought their own. Fresh and smoked trout is also on sale at the farm’s little shop where brown and rainbow trout are available, both whole and filleted.

You can differentiate rainbow trout from brown trout by their colour. Rainbow trout is distinguished by the broad purple band along its flanks and the black spots on its tail fin. The brown trout has — not surprisingly! — a brownish appearance, with numerous black and rusty red spots on its upper side, though both its colour and shape will depend on where it is found.

Trout is one of the oil-rich fish that the government recommends we eat at least once a week. Unfortunately, only a third of adults reach this target, despite the fact that the fish’s Omega-3 plays a vital role in preventing death from heart disease by lowering blood fat levels and reducing blood clotting. An average portion of grilled trout flesh provides 1.838grams of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is well within the guidelines of 1.5g a week.

Trout is an excellent source of iron, calcium, selenium and vitamins A, B1, B2 and B6. It also contains natural oils which help keep hair and skin in good condition.

When buying trout, it’s the eyes that tell you if it is fresh. Look for a bright-eyed, firm fleshed fish that has a fresh sweet smell. One word of advice though: if you are buying fresh fish from the trout farm, visit the shop just before you drive home, so that it remains at a chilled temperature until the last moment. Fail to do that and those gleaming eyes will begin to lose their lustre.

A day out at Bibury is not complete without taking lunch at The Catherine Wheel, Bibury’s only pub, which is just a few yards from the trout farm. This atmospheric, family-owned 15th-century pub is run by Jeremy White and his team. As Jeremy is both the owner and the head chef, a good meal created from local produce is always assured, especially if you choose Jeremy’s fish cakes made from Bibury trout and finish your meal with his delicious home-made ice cream.