Fishery News Week ending 21 September 2008
- Lots of limits for Welsh duo at Rutland Water
Derek Edwards and John Roberts take 8 fish limits two days running
- International spotlight on Rutland Water for AWFMI final
Anglers from throughout the UK, Ireland, France and Belgium head to Rutland Water for Anglian Water Fulling Mill International 30 September and 1 October
- Cracking Zander at Grafham Water
- Pick of the Pike
Boat fishing with lures and dead sea fish over 18cm (excludes lamprey)
Pitsford Water 1 October to 23 November
Rutland Water 6 October to 16 November
Grafham Water 13 October to 30 November
Ravensthorpe Reservoir 27 October to 23 November
Rutland Water
fish week 668 (season 32,581) returns 190 (9,048) rod average 3.51 (3.60)
Welsh anglers Derek Edwards and John Roberts fished Rutland Water for two days last week and had a fantastic time. Derek and John mastered the conditions well taking limits apiece on both days, all on dry fly with claret and olive hoppers taken from the middle of the south arm.
Anglers from throughout the UK , Ireland, France and Belgium will be heading to Rutland Water next week for the final of the Anglian Water Fulling Mill International. This prestigious match will be fished on Tuesday 30 September and Wednesday 1 October.
Dry flies and nymphs have dominated sport recently. Last week’s settled weather with near flat to calm conditions and sunny spells saw fish taken off or just below the surface. The fishing has been challenging in these conditions but good numbers were caught. The best dries have been mainly small with hoppers, c.d.c’s and bob’s bits tied on size 14 hooks. The best nymphs have been diawl bach in red, holographic green and red heads with pheasant tails (crunchers) and hares ear also taking fish. Anglers have reported good numbers of fish on the surface with fish moving from Manton Bay through to Inmans Spinney last Saturday
Bank anglers have sighted some good fish around Normanton, Sykes Lane (Stockie Bay) and the Dam. These are being taken on nymphs, dries and fry patterns.
Fly life has been quite impressive with good hatches of olives, sedge and hatches of various sized buzzers. There are plenty of fry in and amongst the weedbeds. In the brighter calm conditions the fry are moving later in the day.
Despite the recent hot weather cooler conditions will soon follow leading to some serious fry activity. Fly life remains good to excellent. Although there are Daddy Long Legs about there haven’t been any strong winds to blow them off the fields onto the water.
The popular Rutland Autumn Pairs match will be fished on Saturday 11 October. This is a reservoir rules competition with no fly size restrictions. The match has a section for rudder and another for non rudder (ie broad side drifting or anchored boat). There are excellent prizes including the biggest Brown and the biggest Rainbow. £36.50 per angler includes fishing permit, boat and £5 pools money. Season ticket holders pay £17.50
Competition News
AMFC (Association Match Fishing Clubs Group 1) – Sunday 21 September
1st Rutland Water Fly Fishers 36 fish for 76lb 6oz
2nd Soldier Palmers 25 fish for 59lb 9oz
3rd Bewl Fly Fishers 24 fish for 49lb 3oz
Colin Faiers took the best fish – a 3lb 15½oz Rainbow. Mark Jones had the best bag with 8 fish for 21lb 1oz including time bonus. This match was fished in hot conditions. With mainly flat calm on the water for most of the day floating lines with nymphs were the best method.
Best Rainbow 5lb plus taken by Jamie Weston of Exton
Best brown 5lb taken by Godfrey Allsop of Warsop, Notts
Best methods Dry fly and nymphs working well. A few fish being taken on fry patterns
Best boat areas South Arm – Mongers, Browns Island, Gibbets Gorse, Inmans Spinney. Main basin, Sykes Lane and Normanton
Best bank areas Normanton, the Dam
Mid week boat winner Des Welch of Chaddesden, Derby
Fish stocked 1,300
Forthcoming events Beginners courses - 28 Sept; 5 & 18 October
Fulling Mill International practice day 29 September, match 30 September and 1 October
Associated Major Clubs final 4 October
Boat fishing for pike 6 October to 16 November (with lures & dead sea fish over 18cm)
Autumn Pairs 11 October (see report for details)
Fry Bashers match 19 Octobe,r 50 boats booked
AW Rudder match – George Moore Trophy 25 October
September and October are very busy with boat bookings so please phone before making your journey
Grafham Water
fish week 487 (season 18,407) returns 134 (4,807) rod average 3.63(3.82)
The fishing at Grafham Water this week has again been very good with the vast majority of trout being caught in the top three feet of water on a mixture of flies with red or claret hoppers, diawl bachs, crunchers, damsel nymphs, cormorants and coral boobies all catching good bags of trout on floating or intermediate lines.
Once again the boats have outfished the banks with L,H,G and K buoys, Rectory Bay ,the lodge frontage and the south end of the Dam/Plummer Park all producing some excellent top of the water sport.
Bank anglers have had some good fishing this week mainly from the south end of the dam and G buoy area on floating lines with claret hoppers, diawl bachs and cormorants.
There has been some cracking zander fishing. Gareth Whittington recently visited Grafham and reported his first and second ever zander at 15lb 4oz and 11lb. Gareth, who fished with Mads Grossell, says that Mads (who has three personal best zanders over 23lb) ranks Grafham as the best Zander fishery in Europe and that the UK record Perch is in Grafham.
Best rainbow 5lb 5oz taken by A Newton of Lincoln
Best Brown 3lb taken by Ryan Worker of Bedford
Best boat areas Valley Creek, K,L,H & G buoys, Rectory Bay, south Dam
Best bank areas South Dam, Plummer Park, G bank
Mid week boat winner Mr Blazey of Thetford
Forthcoming events Beginners courses 24 & 28 September, 11 October
Pike fishing 13 October – 30 November (with lures & dead sea fish over 18cm)
Anglian Water Rudder Match 1 November
Pitsford Water
fish week 480 (season 14,021) returns 175 (4,451) rod average 2.7 (3.1)
It’s been an excellent week for Northampton duo Malcolm Eade and Peter Couzins. They fished on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week taking their 8 fish limits each day. They were catching on hares ears and crunchers and dry flies. Drifting off the cliffs area and in the narrows they had fish up to 4lb.
John Emerson, tackle shop assistant, enjoyed a half day boat fishing on his own last Wednesday and managed 17 fish on crunchers and hares ears, returning them all. He made the most of the windless evening picking off fish as they slurped the surface for food. John remarked on the quality of the fish and said he thought he had a monster at one point until he realised that a pike had hold of the 2lb fish he was playing! John said Pitsford comes into its own in the autumn and he and his wife Julie will certainly have some trips in the next few weeks.
Brian Lloyd, Pitsford retail assistant, boat fished with his wife on Sunday, taking 6 fish on a sinking line and a white lure in the main basin area. Brian said the fish have been on top but went deeper in Sunday’s brighter weather. Dennis Footman, Pitsfor warden, had an exciting session on Wednesday, boating over 20 fish, and he said the most consistent method was a minky on a floating line.
Bank anglers are still catching fish, with near top water levels bank access and weed are good. Cloudy days are better and fish have been taken on nymphs and dries. Fish are now being caught during the day when conditions are right.
Best rainbow 4lb 1oz
Best methods Boat – Drifting, floating lines, nymphs or lures
Bank – Floating lines, nymphs
Best boat areas Narrows, main bowl
Best bank areas Gorse and Cliffs
Mid week boat winner Doug Whibley of Wollaston
Forthcoming events Boat fishing for pike 1 October to 23 November (with lures & dead sea fish over 18cm)
Beginners courses – 27 September; 11 & 25 October
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
fish week 359 (season 13,346) returns 100 (2,381) rod average 3.59 (5.6)
Ravensthorpe regular P Flynn fished on Saturday taking two fish home and returning a further 18. In the right conditions fish continue to be taken on dries. Although the brighter conditions have made the fishing a bit more challenging, those anglers following the fish down have been having some good sport on minkies and small black lures.
Bank anglers are having some good bags fishing dry flies over the weed beds and sedge patterns.
Best Rainbow 7lb 12oz taken by Mr Hickman
Best boat areas Drifting best in all areas
Best bank areas Mongers Point and dam
Mid week boat winner J Ferguson of Rugby