Stuart McNaughty's 7lb 14oz rainbow taken in Rutlands fry bashers match.

Northern Ireland's Darryl Grimason with an 8lbs 10oz brown taken in

                                   the same match.

Grafham Water

fish for week  477 (season 19,547) returns  217 (5430) rod average 2.19 (3.5)

Grafham Water has continued to fish well from boat and bank this week with the vast majority of trout being caught on fry imitations from the eastern end of the reservoir on floating – di3 lines.

Boat anglers are still having the best of the sport as the majority of trout are still feeding heavily in the more central areas of the reservoir, I, K, A, C and G buoys being the hotspots.  Savages Creek has also produced some arm wrenching sport with many anglers connecting with good trout but not always being able to get them in. The most productive method for the boat anglers this week has been floating, intermediate and di3 lines with minkies, boobies, cats whiskers and cormorants fished at a varied retrieve.

Bank anglers have also had some entertaining sport this week mainly from the south end of the dam and Gaynes cove and the G bank on floating lines with minkies, cats whiskers, diawl bachs and buzzers.

Pike anglers are enjoying probably the best start to the pike season for a number of years with over 40 pike being caught and even more zander. 

The biggest recorded pike caught this week is 27lb which was taken from the north tower on a jerk bait and the biggest zander of the week was caught by fly angler Ian Bradfield of Pontefract on a large white minkie also from the north tower a cracking 18 lb 3oz specimen. There has been 5 pike recorded at over 20lb and 31 over 10lb. The biggest zander caught by a pike angler this week was 13 lb 7oz and the average weight of zander caught is 9 lb.

Competition News

Fry Bashers Match (day 1 at Grafham) 20 October (organised by

Chris Guthrie  and Simon Bird).

1^st Mike Laycock with 6 fish for 20lb 7oz

2^nd Rob Fullerton with 8 fish for 20lb 2oz

3^rd John Calvert with 7 fish for 20lb 2oz.

Best brown 6lb 13oz went to David Auld

Best Rainbow weighing 4lb 8oz went to Hilary Tomlinson/Mike Laycock

Rod average for match was 2.71

best rainbow                                            2 x 4lb 8oz taken by Hilary and Mike (above)

best brown                                              6lb 14oz taken by Pat Sweeney from Bedford

best boat areas                                         I, K, G, C & buoys, Savages Creek and Central Drifts.

best bank areas                                        Harbour Arms, South Dam, G Bank

mid week boat winner                              Clive Hart from Essex.

forthcoming events                                    Beginners course  4 November

                                                               Pike boat fishing with lures and dead sea fish over 18cm (excludes Lamprey) 15 October – 25 November

                                                               Fur and Feather match (bank) 28 October

Rutland Water

fish for week  415 (33,794 season) returns 305 (11,260)  rod average 1.36 (3)

The fish at Rutland Water are showing very little interest in this year’s fry and are still feeding hard on daphnia.  The fish are generally staying out in the deeper water, making fishing more productive for boat anglers.

Boat anglers have been catching from the Yachts to Yellowstone and the Fishing Lodge frontage to the blue pipes along Normanton bank.  Best methods have been various sinking lines with boobies, blobs, cormorants and gold/silver sparklers.  Whether the recent frosts will see fish turn onto the fry remains to be seen.  

Competition News
Anglian Water Loch Style (4-man team) was held on 17^th October with the “Anglo Scots” winning the event on a bright and breezy day.  Cameron Neil helped his team considerably with an excellent eight fish limit weighing in 21lb 5oz.  Local angler Dave Doherty weighed in another seven fish for a convincing win.

1^st   Anglo Scots with 17 fish for 37lb 13oz

2^nd  Greenwell Persuaders with 13 fish for 27lb 4oz

3^rd  ACA with 6 fish for 16lb 14oz.

George Moore Rudder Match 20^th October.  The 7^th memorial match was held on a day with very little wind.

Best brace and winners of the tropy were  Jim Connell & Tom Sharkey with 2 fish for 6lb 8oz.

Best Bag went to Clive Morgan & Gary Geogham with 12 fish for 27lb 12oz.

Best Rainbow went to Barry Saint weighing 3lb 15oz.

Best Brown went to Graham Pearson weighing 2lb 7oz.

England Youth Captains Day 20^th October.  Tom Cooper from Empingham hosted a captain’s day and was in good form, as was his brother Richard (a former England Youth member).  They both netted their eight fish limit.  Tom will be representing England again next year in Ireland.

Fry Bashers Match – (day 2 at Rutland) 21 October.  Great fishing! Brilliant! Just some of the words to describe Sunday’s match at Rutland Water.  Stocks Reservoir Manager, Ben Dobson, told warden Nigel Savage that “it had been an excellent day with plenty of interest and fish”.  Big fish put in an appearance for Darryl Grimason from Northern Ireland who netted a superb 8lb 1oz brown and Stuart McNaughty who netted another superb fish, this time a 7lb 14oz rainbow.  Top rod of the day and overall winner was Mike Laycock with 8 fish for 16lb 14oz.  Mike pipped good friend John Calvert in the last two minutes of the match with his final fish, taking John to second place with 14 fish for 37lb 5oz and 15 fish for 36lb respectively.  Third was Bill Barnes with 16 fish for 33lb 6oz.  100 anglers fished with 581 fish caught at Grafham/Rutland over the two days.  Overall rod average for both waters was 5.81 with Rutland’s at 3.1 an excellent return for this time of year.

Rutland cont’d.

best rainbow                                            5lb 12oz taken by John Allen of Gateshead                           

best brown                                              5lb taken by Jiri Buchtela of Checkoslovakia

best boat areas                                         Sailing Club frontage across to Yellowstones.  Browns Island, Fishing Lodge to blue pipes at Normanton and fish are starting to come from the North Arm.

Best bank areas                                        Fishing Lodge frontage, New Zealand Point, Old Hall Point, Barnhill Creek to Carrot Creek.

mid-week boat winner                              Mr A Worsford of Langham

fish stocked                                              700

forthcoming events                                    this Saturday 27 October - Rutland Challenge – boat pairs competition fished to reservoir rules.  Normal permit prices plus £5 pool fished 9.00am – 5.00pm - enter now at the fishing lodge 01780 686441

                                                               Beginners courses 11 & 24 November

                                                               Pike boat fishing with lures and dead sea fish over 18cm (excludes Lamprey) 8 October – 31 October

Pitsford Water

fish for week 168 (season14,351) returns 109 (5318) rod average 1.5(2.6)

Intermediate and sinking lines with fry patterns, boobies and lures are catching  at Pitsford Water although nymphs, crunchers and wet flies are still worth a go.  Mr Reeves caught a lovely brace of fish – a rainbow of 5lb 10oz and a brown of 4lb 10oz from the bank using a boobie on intermediate line.  Pike anglers are generally catching pike up to 11lb but Mr Dudley from Oxford had a 14lb 2oz pike on a lure from the boat.

best rainbow                                            5lb 10oz Mr Reeves – see above        

best brown                                              6lb 1oz Mr Baty from Grantham

best boat areas                                         Narrows, Main Bowl

best bank areas                                        Stone Barn, Gravels

Pitsford cont’d

mid week boat winner                              season ticket holder, Patrick Flynn of Northampton

forthcoming events                                    beginners courses  27 October &10 November

                                                               Pike - boat fishing with lures and dead sea fish over 18cm (excludes lamprey) 1 October – 25 November. Call 01604 781350 for details

                                                               Fur & Feather (bank) 25 November

Ravensthorpe Reservoir

fish for week 190 (season 13,505)  returns 57 (2719) rod average 3.3(5)

Fish at Ravensthorpe Reservoir are being caught on a wide variety of fly.  Buzzers, Minkies, Daddy Long Legs, Hoppers all taking fish.  Boat anglers are having most success drifting.  More of the natural bank is now available  to bank anglers with waders.

Twentry-six local anglers held their Fun Fur & Feather at the weekend

1^st Steve Drakulic,  2^nd Bill Ferguson  3^rd Alex Ferguson

best boat areas                                         Island Area

best bank areas                                        Coton car park/Dam

mid week boat winner                              Mr S. Wills from Southam

forthcoming events                                Pike - boat fishing with lures and dead sea fish over   

                                            18cm (excludes lamprey) 29 October – 25 November.           

COARSE FISHING

Taverham Mill Fishery

Despite being flooded again for the last week, some season ticket holders have braved the elements and banked some superb carp in the dropping temperatures.

Gavin Norman                  30lb 1oz Leather a new PB for him!

Mark Gray                       26lb15oz Mirror

Jon-Paul Martin                                23lb 5oz Mirror

David Middleton 21lb 8oz Common

Steve Hughes                   15lb 4oz common

River Angler Mark Watson has had a late barbel in the flood conditions of 9lb 10oz