Rutland Water
fish for week 1320 (9385) returns 449 (2397) rod average 2.93 (3.91)
Two boat anglers, Barry Thompson from Whitwell, Oakham and Tony Shields of Melton Mowbray, had ten good fish whilst fishing the main basin. The pair had browns to 5lb and rainbows to 3lb, fishing deep with gold/silver tube flies.
Boat angler Gary Wright, a current England team member, returned an estimated 10lb rainbow whilst drifting off the Old Hall last weekend. Gary was fishing a cormorant deep when the big fish took. He said the fish was in tremendous condition.
Bank anglers have been enjoying good sport with recent cold easterly winds encouraging fish into sheltered areas around Old Hall, Stockie Bay, the Monument and Whitwell Creek. The weather conditions have also meant that fish have been reluctant to feed. Over the weekend the wind turned to a warm westerly and this, along with recent heavy stocking should see conditions improve. The flat, calm conditions on Saturday saw fish being caught in most areas. Fishing was more challenging on Sunday as the water on the shoreline coloured up.
Masses of buzzers have been hatching throughout the first weeks of the season. Most have been tiny olive buzzers with the bigger varieties just beginning to show. Olives have also showed, along with good numbers of Hawthorn flies falling onto the water in some areas. Fish have been spotted on the surface in many areas with some falling to dry fly. At the moment the bottom of the arms are quiet but with larger numbers of buzzers showing fish will soon start to respond.
Competition News
IBM Computers held their annual two day match last week.
1st North Harbour Relics 44 fish for 99lb 14½oz
2nd Nymph a Maniacs 49 fish for 73lb 8¾oz
3rd Just in Time 23 fish for 53lb 9½oz
best rainbow 5lb 8oz taken by Tom Davies of Leicester
best brown 5lb ½oz taken by Rick Broome of Whissendine
best boat areas main basin, East Creek, Old Hall Bay, Flats, Yellowstone
best bank areas Sykes Lane, Whitwell, New Zealand Point, Old Disabled Bay, fishing lodge frontage, Gibbetts Gorse
best methods bank – floating line with black/olive buzzers, diawl bach, hares ear bloodworm, dries have been working.
boat – As bank methods but include various sinking lines with lures, boobies, cormorants gold/silver sparklers
mid week boat winner Vic Winterton of Marholm, Peterborough
Rutland continued
fish stocked 6,700
forthcoming events May is a busy month – please call the lodge for boat availability – 01780 686441
Beginners courses 13,19 & 26 May, 3,10,16, 20 & 30 June and other dates throughout the season
Tuesday Night Boat league commences 8 May
Anglian Water WaterAid Team Challenge (all boats taken) 18 May. Boatmen are needed for this event if you would like to volunteer please contact John Wadham on 01572 771092
England Eliminator ‘Odds & Sods’ 20 May www.fmffa.org.uk
AWFMI Midland heat 25 May
Spring International 30 May – 1 June (all boats booked 1 June)
Grafham Water
fish for week 1086 (season6134) returns 300 (1383) rod average 3.62(4.43)
Rob Edmunds from Ringstead, Northants took the best rainbow of the week. Rob caught the 4lb 4oz rainbow whilst boat fishing from G Buoy with a floating line and black buzzer. Mr Robson, visiting from Co Clare, Ireland took the best brown of the week. This 5lb 2oz fish was taken on a floating line with a black buzzer from Deep Water Point.
The fishing at Grafham Water has been very good this week, considering the recent changeable weather. With cold north easterly winds at the beginning of the week veering to strong south westerlies by the end of the week.
Anglers are mainly catching along the north shore of the reservoir with G Buoy, Deep Water Point and Hedge End producing the best sport for the anglers. The south dam and the seat area are also producing good catch rates for both bank and boat anglers. The main methods are still floating/sink tip lines with diawl bachs, black or olive buzzers, crunchers and gold ribbed hares ears or fast sink lines with orange lures, cormorants, cats whisker, diawl bachs and bobbies.
best rainbow 4lb 4oz taken by Rob Edmunds of Ringstead
best brown 5lb 2oz taken by Mr Robson of Co Clare, Ireland
best boat areas G Buoy, Hill Farm, Hedge End, Deep Water Point, Seat, Sludge Bank, south dam
best bank areas G Buoy, Hill Farm, North and South dam, Deep Water Point, Seat, Gaynes Cove
best methods see report
Grafham Water continued
fish stocked 800
mid week boat winner R Townshend of Welwyn Garden City
forthcoming events Beginners courses 20 & 30 May, 2,17 & 27 June & other dates throughout the season
Bob Church Classic Wednesday 9 May
Troutmasters 14 May (no bank fishing available)
Tuesday evening boat league starts 15 May
Ladies International 31 May (all boats booked)
Pitsford Water
fish for week 896 (5413) returns 288(1697) rod average 3.1(3.1)
The best fish at Pitsford this week was an 11lb 1oz rainbow taken by Ian Broach. Ian, from Southampton, was fishing in a Thames Valley Police match. He caught this fish in the Small Half with a sparkler on a di 6 line.
Peterborough Fly Fishers visited Pitsford this weekend and boat partners Mick Nickels from Eye near Peterborough and Brian Cowand (also from Peterborough) had a great day. They managed their six fish limit each and returned seven other fish. They fished Sailing Club Bay with buzzers on floating lines. Their fellow club members all enjoyed a great day out catching lots of fish.
First time disabled boat angler Dave Fox of Stanwick, Northants, quickly took his limit this week with six fish weighing 14lb 13oz. Dave thanked the Pitsford staff for help boarding the boat and plans to be back on the wheelyboat very soon. Anthony Douglas from Northampton had a great bank session with his six fish weighing 18lb 5oz. Anthony was grateful to the Pitsford warden for information as to fly patterns, taking up the suggestion to use small buzzers led to bigger fish!
best rainbow 11lb 1oz taken by Ian Broach of Southampton
best boat areas Small Half, Pig Stream, Sailing Club, Gorse, Pines
best bank areas Pig Stream, Gorse, Sailing Club
best methods fish well spread out all over the water and feeding well on a diet of daphnia and buzzers. Fighting hard so strong leaders are recommended. Few over wintered fish beginning to show.
mid week boat winner Mr Middleton from Mitcham, Surrey
fish stocked 1000
forthcoming events beginners courses 12,16 & 27 May, 9,13 & 23 June and other dates throughout the season
Scierra UK Pairs Heat 23-24 May www.scierra.com
AWFMI Midlands heat 26 May
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
fish for week 467 (season5935) returns 104 (1012) rod average 4.6(5.8)
Some exceptional fish have been taken at Ravensthorpe this week. The best of the double figure rainbows weighed 14lb 10oz and was taken by Dick Haynes of Ravensthorpe, on a GRHE from the dam. (Dick returned this fish safely to the water). Bob Unglass took a 13lb rainbow from a boat off the island on a buzzer. Mick Griffin was kept busy on platform three with rainbows of 9lb 10oz and 8lb 6oz, both with GRHE. The best brown weighed 9lb 8oz and was taken with a buzzer by Dave Kopczak from a boat at the Coton End.
best rainbow 14lb 10oz taken by Dick Haynes
best brown 9lb 8oz taken by Dave Kopczak
best boat areas all areas are fishing well
best bank areas all areas are fishing well
mid week boat winner T Williams of Conway
best methods floating lines and buzzers, damsels or olive patterns such as crunchers, diawls and GRHE
fish stocked 350