fishery news
week ending 13 April 2008
• wheely wonderful boat launch at Rutland Water for disabled anglers
Rutland Water is first venue in the country to take delivery of innovative Coulam 16 wheelyboat
• new wheelyboat will be in action at Grafham Water
England Disabled Flyfishers match with GWFFA on 27 April
• delighted Dennis takes 10lb 6oz Rainbow at Ravensthorpe
best Rainbow of the week for Dennis Footman of Leicester
• new competition comes to Rutland Water with a heat on 17 May
the new Sportsman 4 man team competition is organised by Ron Ayers. Ron hopes to hold heats at Llyn Brenig, Llyn Landegfedd, Bewl and Stocks with a final at Grafham Water on 13 August. Entry fee £80 per team plus usual fishing fees for heat.
to enter please contact Ron Ayers on 07976 668659
Rutland Water
fish week 1128 (season 2156) returns 318 (598) rod average 3.54 (3.6)
Rutland Water is the first venue in the country to take delivery of The Coulam 16 Wheelyboat. This innovative wheelyboat is specifically designed to improve the enjoyment for disabled anglers and is based on the existing reservoir fishing boat, rather than having a drop down bow and wide body as seen on the current wheelyboat model, which is available at Rutland Water.
Members of the Wheelyboat Trust attended the launching ceremony along with boat builder Jim Coulam. Danny Peet, England team member and a regular Rutland angler, cut the ribbon to celebrate the boat's launch.
Anglian Water's Fisheries Manager Jon Marshall said "Whilst our existing fleet does give disabled anglers access, this new boat will at last mean all our visitors can enjoy angling on equal terms. The design answers concerns that disabled anglers may feel too conspicuous on our existing Wheelyboats. This is a significant breakthrough in accessible boat design."
design features of the Coulam 16 Wheelyboat
• wheelchair users have step-free access on board via an external ramp from the pontoon and a hydraulic platform located in the boat.
• The deck is open and level throughout.
• The disabled angler can sit at the bow or the stern if desired.
• The boat is being fitted with a 10 horsepower outboard with push button start to make it easy for disabled anglers to use.
• The boat has a low centre of gravity and is very stable. Wheelchair brakes should be sufficient to hold the angler in place in normal conditions but D rings on the deck provide secure strapping points if required.
• The modifications are incorporated into the hull as the boat is being built and are very discreet. The boat looks and performs in exactly the same manner as all the other boats in the fleet.
Disabled anglers can book the new Wheelyboat by calling Rutland Fishing Lodge on 01780 686441. The boat will also be in action at Grafham Water on 27 April for the EDFF match with GWFFA.
Rutland Water continues to fish well with both bank and boat anglers taking good numbers of fish, including many limits.
Junior member of Rutland Water Fly Fishers, Angus Smith from Careby, weighed in a Rainbow of 3lb 2oz last Thursday. This will be in contention for the Mike Ellis junior trophy for the best rainbow caught by a junior for the 2008 season.
Fish are feeding heavily on the massive hatches of buzzers that have been taking place, supplemented with huge amounts of daphnia that is in the reservoir again this season. Methods are wide ranging with sinking lines and lures for boat anglers. Bank anglers using nymphs have had some fantastic sport - nymphs, black/green/brown buzzers, diawl bach, pheasant tail. Black/green dawson olive lures and sinking lines with boobies.
Prospects look good with the weather conditions determining where to find fish. In settled conditions they will be on the surface, whereas cold northerly winds will drive the fish deeper.
Competition news
The Anglian Water Spring Rudder match on Saturday 12 April provided a very close result with 7 boats recording 16 fish limits and a total of 20 anglers taking 152 fish for a fantastic rod average of 7.6
Cambridgeshire anglers Graham Davis and Chris Orders showed the locals how it’s done with 16 fish weighing in at 46lb 6oz. All six anglers in the top three places are season ticket holders. The best Rainbow was taken by Mike Barrett and weighed 4lb 7oz. Steve Cavoo weighed in the best Brown at 3lb 13oz. A good number of offish weighed over 3lb, including numbers of over-wintered fish.
1st Graham Davis & Chris Orders 16 fish for 46lb 6oz
2nd Graham Pearson & Mike Barratt 16 fish for 43lb 14oz
3rd Brian Flack & John Wotherspoon 16 fish for 43lb 10½oz
best methods see report
best rainbow 5lb 2oz taken by Dave Kennell of Nuneaton
best brown 10lb 1½oz taken by Steve Banks of Stamford.
best boat areas the main basin drifting into Normanton and Sykes Lane, Normanton Church area
best bank areas Normanton, Sykes Lane, New Zealand Point, Carrot Creek, the Finches and Whitwell front, the dam, Fantasy Island
mid week boat winner Robert Bradley of Caldecott, Corby
fish stocked 3500
forthcoming events 19 April Troutmaster ‘fish off’ on bank
20 April Lexus European Individual Qualifier 01761 490367
21 April Lexus European Team Qualifier
01761 490367
17 May Sportsman 4 man Team competition, Rutland Water Heat - to enter a team please contact Ron Ayers on 07976 668659
beginners courses 20 & 27 April, 3,9,11,17 & 24 May and other dates throughout the season
boat fishing for beginners 13 June
Boats are heavily booked during May – phone fishing lodge for availability
Grafham Water
fish week 534 (season1624) returns 153 (444) rod average 3.49(3.65)
Another excellent week at Grafham with both boat and bank anglers enjoying the great sport. The fish seem to have moved up in the water a bit more and are now taking buzzers freely. Crunchers and diawl bachs have also started to work.
Keith Morton, who manages the Harbour View Restaurant at Grafham Water, enjoyed his best ever day fly fishing at Grafham. Not only did Keith take his first ever limit of 8 fish, he topped it off with a personal best rainbow at 5lb 14oz.
GWFFA held its first bank match of the season on Sunday with club newcomer Chris Lane taking first place with 8 fish for over 31lb. Season ticket holder and local farmer Steve Ellerbeck was second with 29lb of fish.
Regular angler Mick Loy won this year’s Troutmasters fish off at Grafham, fishing from the Seat area on nymphs. Mick will go forward to represent Grafham Water on 19 May at the Troutmasters final, also held at Grafham.
best rainbow several over 5lb
best boat areas Hedge end, G buoy, Hill Farm, deep water point
best bank areas south end of dam, Hill Farm, G buoy, deep water point, pylon point
mid week boat winner Brian Collins of Hitchin
fish stocked 2,500
forthcoming events 27 April EDFF & GWFFA
beginners courses 23 & 26 April and other dates throughout the year
Pitsford Water
fish week 517 (season 2339) returns180 (716) rod average 2.8 (3.2)
Boat fishing has had the edge over bank anglers this week. With gin clear waters and sunshine fish have moved out slightly. Paul Skelton of Abbots Langley recorded a good day afloat with 8 rainbows for 18lb and returning three fish as well. His boat partner Malcolm Ritter of Luton caught 7 rainbows for 17lb, his best was a 4lb fish. Season permit holder Pete Cousins from Northampton had a good day on the bank. He took 5 fish and returned a 10lb 10oz Rainbow.
John Emerson, Anglian Water retail assistant, boat fished with boat partner Mike Mason and they fished the small half first and found plenty of fish from the pontoon to the mouth of the Holcot Arm and they took all the fish whilst on the drift using a medium sinking line with a cats whisker, with an orange blob and black buzzer with slow pulls and stop/start retrieve. They found most fish drifting across Stilton Point to the Gorse. John said “ the fish were 150 yards off the bank in about 20 feet of water. I took fish on all flies on the cast even in the bright sun and cold weather”. John and Mike caught and released over 30 fish on barbless hooks. John said the fish were feeding hard on daphnia and black buzzer.
best rainbow 10lb 10oz taken by Pete Cousins of Northampton
best brown 6lb plus
best boat areas small half/Stilton to Gorse/ Hell Bay Bog Bay
best bank areas North Farm Bay/Gravels/Pines
fish stocked 1,000
mid week boat winner Martin Doyle of Wollaston, Wellingborough, Northants
forthcoming events beginners courses 26 April, 10,14,25 May then alternate Saturdays until the first week of November.
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
fish week 482 (season 3021) returns 75 (430) rod average 6.1(7.0)
David Bletsoe-Brown (jnr) from Sywell took a 9lb Rainbow whilst spending a day boat fishing for trout with Bob Church. “The 15 year old has become a real good fly fisherman”, said Bob. David’s ambition now is to get into the England International Fly Fishing team through the Youth National knockout competition fished at Grafham Water on 6 July. Bob caught 9 and David caught 6 during the session but David’s 9lb Rainbow was the heaviest fish of the day.
Dennis Footman took the best Rainbow of the week – a superb 10lb 6oz specimen. Dennis used bloodworm and floating line. He also returned another good sized fish of 7-8lb, caught on a buzzer.
Good numbers of fish are falling to buzzers and other nymphs fished on floating lines. Epoxy buzzer, diawl bachs, GRHE and PTNs are all taking fish. A few fish are falling to lures, green and black, white or orange, but nymphs are probably best.
best rainbow 10lb 6oz taken by Dennis Footman of Leicester
best boat areas Willows, Island
best bank areas Lodge bank
fish stocked 400
mid week boat winner P Timms of Stoke
Demand for boats often outstrips supply – pre-booking is essential.
For boat bookings and enquiries please call 01604 770875.