MARK GODBOLD's 8Lbs 7oz BROWN

Rutland Water

fish for week 467 (season29,845) returns 165 (9602)  rod average 2.83(3.1)

Mark nets best fish!  Mark Godbold from Bedfordshire netted a personal best brown with an 8lb 7oz specimen from the North arm of the reservoir.  Fishing with his father, the pair soon netted two other browns around the 2½lb bracket.  Father and son fished slow and sinking lines with 3” gold/silver and blue sparklers.

There were some other notable catches this week, all browns.  Jamie Weston took a brown of 6lb 3oz and Phil Brown a 5lb brown.  Jamie and Phil fished the Rutland Water Fly Fishers Loch Style match on Sunday and recorded six fish for 19lb 11oz which won them the match

Good numbers of fish were taken throughout the week, including a good number of limits.  Most of the fish have been from the boats with very few bank anglers fishing.

Fish are still feeding on daphnia, however, there were massive hatches of buzzer throughout the week including a steady number of olives.  Daddy longlegs are steadily hatching with as yet no reports of fish feeding on them.  Fry activity is increasing and with it good numbers of browns are showing interest – prospects look good.

Bank angling should improve with the cooler weather with early morning and late evening worth fishing.  Be prepared to move around for best sport.

best rainbow                           3lb 5oz taken by Ian Whiteside whilst fishing in the Inter services match

best brown                             8lb 7oz taken by Mark Godbold of Bedford

best boat areas                      in front of fishing lodge, the main basin (boils), Gibbets Gorse

best bank areas                     in front of fishing lodge, Normanton, East Creek, Gibbets Gorse

best methods                         bank – nymphs, diawl bach (green), hares ear, black lures, fry patterns are worth a try

                                               boat – as above but include sinking lines (various), mini lures, cormorants, boobies and blobs and sparklers.

fish stocked                            1000

mid week boat winner            Mike  Barrett of Sheffield

Rutland Water continued

competition news

Inter Services Match

Teams from the RAF, Army and Royal Navy battled it out, each team recording 8 fish limits.  The RAF landed top spot, with the Army coming in second ahead of the Royal Navy.

Anglian Water Autumn Pairs

This was an excellent match with fish averaging over 2lb.  20 anglers caught 96 fish, giving a superb rod average of 4.8.  Only 1oz separated second placed Rob Edmunds and Graham Pearson from Ken Merridan and Nigel Savage in third.

     1^st        Mike Barratt & Julian Hubbard            16 fish for 35lb 6oz

     2^nd       Rob Edmunds & Graham Pearson    13 fish for 27lb 10oz  

     3^rd        Ken Merridan & Nigel Savage 13 fish for 27lb 9oz

forthcoming events                Beginners courses 30 September, 14 & 28 October, 11 & 24 November

                                               Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain Charity Day 24 September

                                               Anglian Water Fulling Mill International final  1, 2 & 3 October (boats are heavily booked either side of this match)

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

                                               call the fishing lodge on 01780 686441 to book

Grafham Water

fish for week 472 (season 17,108) returns 215 (4476) rod average 2.1 (3.82)

The biggest bag of the week was taken by Keith Jones from Peterborough.  Keith caught 6 trout weighing 22lb 15oz from the harbour by fishing a humungous booby on a di7 line and a floating fry on a floater.  The smallest fish weighed 3lb 3oz and the biggest 4lb 12oz.  Keith also said he lost a brownie of 8lb plus. 

Another week dominated by large fish at Grafham with the Harbour Arms and surrounding area producing quality fish regularly between 3 and 5lb with 20% of the trout weighing in over 3lb.

The best fishing this week has been around the harbour and lodge frontage for both bank and boat anglers with boobies and minkies on floating/sink tip lines taking the majority of fish.

best rainbow                           5lb 6oz taken by Colin Hemple     of Hitchin

best brown                             5lb 8oz taken by Damian Paddon of Watford

Grafham Water continued

best boat areas    lodge frontage, west end of reservoir, savages creek

best bank areas                     the harbour arms, G bank

fish stocked                            670

mid week boat winner            Raymond Bolton of Bolton

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

                                               English National 21 & 22 September

                                               Anglian Water Rudder match 7 October

                                               Fur and Feather match (bank) 28 October

Pitsford Water

fish for week 344 (season 12,630) returns 145 (4657) rod average 2.3 (2.7)

On Wednesday Pitsford hosted a very successful Rudder Match.  Despite very little wind some good fish were caught.  The best brace was taken by Peter Ertl who weighed in 8lb 3½oz.  In his bag was a brown weighing 6lb 7oz which was the best fish of the day.  Second best brace went to Andrew Beaton for a total of 4lb 10oz.  Jim Watts was third with 4lb 8oz.  At the end of the match everyone enjoyed a hog roast supplied by Sauls of Spratton.

Pitsford has been a hive of activity this week with anglers taking boats out to catch the rising fish on dries.  Fish were well spread out from Brixworth Bay to the dam and were rising throughout the evening in the sunshine.  Top methods have been traditional wet flies or hoppers and cdc’s with the wets working the best in ripple.

On Sunday Pitsford hosted the last beginners club of the year.  These have proved popular and more are planned for next season along with more boat buddy sessions.

A 20lb pike was caught and returned this week by Mr Foster.  For more information on boat fishing for pike at Pitsford call the lodge on 01780 781350.

Pitsford Water continued

best rainbow                           6lb

best brown                             4lb

best boat areas                      main basin/Brixworth Bay

best bank areas                     Bog bay, Stilton Point, Gorse

best methods                         see report

mid week boat winner            J Gorringe of Kettering

fish stocked                            525

forthcoming events                beginners courses  29 September, 13 & 27 October, 10 November

                                               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 192 (season12,228)  returns 51 (2425)  rod average 3.9(5.0)

There has been lots of surface feeding again this week with dries and emergers fished from drifting boats.  Hoppers, diawl bachs, cdc’s and crunchers are all taking fish.  The Coton End is the hot spot.

best rainbow                           8lb 3oz taken by J Savage of Notts from a boat with a cdc

best boat areas                      Coton End

best bank areas                     Dam

mid week boat winner            T Barker of Slough

fish stocked                            500