Rutland Water

fish for week 323(27086) returns 161 (8531)  rod average 2.0(3.17)

The best fish of the week was a superb over wintered rainbow weighing 8lb 4oz.  This was taken by Frank Sumnall off Inmans Spinney on a booby sparkler fished on a Di7 line whilst fishing in the Lexus European Team final.  Other good fish for the week were an 8lb brown taken by Pat Faulkner and a 5lb 4oz rainbow taken by season ticket holder Matt Gregory of Oakham.   Rutland Water hosted the Lexus International team event last weekend – see competition news.

One or two fish are turning to this year’s bream, roach and perch fry.  Fry patterns are worth a try.  Some decent buzzer hatches have occurred on some evenings.

Competition news

Lexus European Team final

This was an excellent match where anglers had to work hard for their fish with a two day rod average of 2.68 and 707 fish caught averaging 2lb 1oz.

Tony Baldwin was top individual with 14 fish for 28lb 15oz.  Tony fished for Blagdon Fly Fishers and caught all his fish on floating line and a mixture of diawl bach and buzzers, around the Old Hall bay area. Frank Sumnall’s 8lb 4oz rainbow was the best of the match.

Anglers found conditions challenging with high temperatures and light winds on the first day.  The second day was a little cooler with a light north westerly wind, giving way to a steady breeze from the west.  Anglers found fish off the Sailing Club to the fishing lodge and Gibbetts Gorse on the first day.  Fish were also found off Old Hall through to Yellowstone and in front of the sailing club.  Lures caught well with some fish on nymphs but especially on day two.

     1^st        Loop UK                                              47 fish for 99lb 9oz

     2^nd       Team Tightlines                                  48 fish for 98lb 11oz

     3^rd        ACA                                                    41 fish for 92lb 9oz

     4^th        BRFFA Team Orvis                           43 fish for 90lb 7oz

     5^th        Iain Barr Team Red Bull                    38 fish for 86lb 9oz

     6^th        Airflo Team Cormorants                    42 fish for 85lb 15oz

     7^th        Strathleven Flyfishers            40 fish for 84lb 6oz

     8^th        Airflo Rutland Raiders            41 fish for 83lb 14oz

     9^th        Blagdon FF Team Bristol Water         36 fish for 75lb 7oz

   10^th        Ospreys                                             33 fish for 72lb 2oz

Rutland Water continued

Tuesday Night Boat League

Richard Cooper won the league with 57 points, five ahead of his brother Tom, who won the final night with 3 fish weighing 7lb 10¾oz.  In second place was newcomer Jeremy Ball who started fishing this year and attended one of the Beginners courses run by Anglian Water.  Jeremy shared a boat with Tom on the evening and recorded three fish for 5lb 12¾ oz.

Richard was presented with a £50 tackle voucher by warden Nigel Savage who also presented Malcolm March with a £10 tackle voucher for the best fish in the league a 5lb 5¼oz Rainbow taken in week 7.  The supper on the final night was a superb mixed grill served by Neil Hornsby in the Waters Edge restaurant.  On behalf of the fishery Nigel Savage thanked everybody for their support and hoped to see them all again next season.

best rainbow                           5lb 4oz taken by Matt Gregory     

best brown                             8lb taken by Pat Faulkner

best boat areas                      fishing lodge frontage, Yellowstone, Old Hall, Gibbets Gorse, Sailing Club frontage

best bank areas                     Normanton, Old Hall, East Creek, the dam

best methods                         bank – floating line with diawl bach, hares ear, minkies

                                               boat – as for bank but include lures, boobies, blobs etc in various colours

mid week boat winner            Martin Lester of Liskard, Cornwall

fish stocked                            1230         

forthcoming events                Beginners courses 2,16,19 and 30 September & other dates throughout the season

                                               Sciera UK Pairs Final 1 September

                                               Anglian Water Autumn Pairs 15 September

                                               Rutland Water Flyfishers Loch Style Pairs (members only) 16 September

                                               Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain Charity Day 24 September

                                               Anglian Water Rudder Match (George Moore Memorial Trophy) 20 October

Grafham Water

fish for week 433 (16139) returns 211(4113) rod average 2.05 (3.92)

With the fish out in the middle of the lake now and slowly but surely turning more and more onto the fry, prospects look good for the remainder of the season.  Drifting boats are doing the best with a variety of methods from dries on the calmer days and washing line method with a sparkler booby and two nymphs down to fast sinkers with minkies.

Competition news

The annual Fly Dressers Guild match was held on Saturday for the John Watt Trophy.  This is a four man team event with branches from throughout the country participating.  The match is fished to a four fish limit then catch and release a further eight fish with the winners decided upon with the most amount of fish.  The hot team in this event is London A (winners for the previous two years), with all other 16 teams trying to beat them.  After a hard day’s practice expectations were high. 

London A came out eventual winners to take their third consecutive victory.  They took most of their fish on hoppers.  Best fish of the match went to Dave Willacy of South Cumbria B – a tremendous brown of 6lb 4oz taken on a minkie from the boils fished deep.  Top rod of the day was James Nixon with 4 fish and 4 returned for 17lb 1oz also fishing around the boils but with blobs.  There were a number of fish at over 4lb all in contention for the best fish prize.

     1^st        London A                     20 fish for 42lb 4oz

     2^nd       Luggie Bank                13 fish for 37lb 7oz

     3^rd        South Cumbria B        11 fish for 28lb

best rainbow                           5lb 6oz taken by Ken Dainty of Perry

best brown                             6lb 4oz taken by Dave Willacy

best boat areas                      I,Q,J,X,B and G buoys, central drifts, and Valley Creek

best bank areas                     the Seat, Sludge bank, the Harbour Arms, Savages

mid week boat winner            Michael Love of Bedford

fish stocked                            2000

forthcoming events                Beginners courses 9,23 & 26 September, 6 & 21 October, 4 November

                                               Boat course 7 September

                                               English National 21 & 22 September

                                               Anglian Water Rudder match 7 October

                                               Fur and Feather match (bank) 28 October

Pitsford Water

fish for week 88 (11288) returns 82 (4183)

There have been some notable catches this week with John Drake of Mawsley, Northants taking a very fine, hard fighting brown of 6lb 8oz.  John’s fish took a sunk daddy long legs on an intermediate line – the brown was his best fish of the day but he also caught  3 rainbows which all fell to the Daddy, but they were taken off the top with a floating line.  The best Rainbow of the week weighed 4lb 8oz and was taken by Mr D Jarvis of Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

Bank angling is proving difficult but some fish have been caught along the Gravels and Sermans Bank when conditions are favourable.  Pin fry are being chased in many areas around the reservoir.  Small lures and silver invictas should be worth a try.

best rainbow                           4lb 8oz taken by D Jarvis of Kingsthorpe, Northampton

best brown                             6lb 8oz taken by John Drake of Mawsley, Northants

best boat areas                      dam and main bowl

best bank areas                     Sermans and Gravel banks

best methods                         see report

mid week boat winner            Mr J Douglas of Pitsford

fish stocked                            2000

forthcoming events                beginners courses  1,13,15 & 29 September and other dates throughout the season

                                               Pitsford Individual Rudder match Wednesday 12 September 9am to 5pm.  8 Fish limit best brace wins.  To include barbecue and refreshments.  Call Lodge on 01604 781350 to book

Beginners club Sunday 16 September.  A morning’s bank fishing for beginners with experienced anglers to help.

Pike - boat fishing with lures over 18cm only at Pitsford alternate weeks Monday to Friday commencing Monday 18 June.  Call Pitsford Fishing lodge on 01604 781350 for details

Ravensthorpe Reservoir

fish for week 220 (season11326)  returns 56(2260)  rod average 4.0 (5.0)

Most fish are still falling to dry fly from drifting boats.  Some to damsel nymphs near the weedbeds.  Mornings are the best time to fish.  Bank anglers are catching on damsel and GRHE combinations.

best boat areas                      Coton end

best bank areas                     dam

mid week boat winner            S Elliott of Wigston