Fishery News
Week ending 27 April 2008·
Buzzer bonanza
All four of Anglian Water’s Trout fisheries report that fish are gorging on the fantastic buzzer hatch with both bank and boat anglers recording superb rod averages and good quality fish
· English Disabled Flyfishers have a great time at Grafham Water
Hosted by GWFFA, with help from the English Ladies, Invicta and EMTFA, 45 anglers fished this fantastic match, now in its sixth year
· Be a boat buddy at Pitsford Water
The Pitsford Boat Buddy scheme gives novice boat anglers the chance to team up with a more experienced angler for a great evening’s boat fishing. Call the fishing lodge on 01604 781350 to book a place - 27 May, 24 June and 15 July
· fishing courses for Teenagers
These courses are sponsored by the Salmon and Trout Association:-
Friday 29 May Grafham Water
Wednesday 6 August Pitsford Water
Friday 22 August Grafham Water
The cost is only £10 for tuition lasting 3 hours.
Choose either 9.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 4.30 pm on each of these days. To find out more, or to book a place, please contact the course tutor Peter Hartley on 07922 126154 or email him hartley.p@btconnect.com
Peter is a member of The Game Anglers Instructors Association and holds government Fishcoach licence 00693.
Rutland Water 01780 686441; Grafham Water 01480 810531;
Pitsford, Ravensthorpe & Hollowell 01604 781350,
Taverham Mills Fishery 01603 861014; Alton Water 01473 589105
Recreation Dept Anglian Water 01572 653021
Rutland Water
fish week 1732 (season 5463) returns 449 (1415) rod average 3.85 (3.86)
There were some stunning bags of fish this week at Rutland Water. Fly life is amazing with large hatches coming off almost all around the lake and fish are feeding hard on them in most areas. Both banks and boats are fishing very well with lots of top quality over wintered fish coming to the scales. Highlight of the week was the Northern Heat of the Anglian Water Fulling Mill International, held at the reservoir on Saturday 26 April. The match produced some tremendous bags and a rod average of 5.06. The top 8 teams go forward to the Northern final at Rutland Water on 21 July with the chance to qualify for the International final 1-2 October. The best fish of the match weighed 6lb 2oz and was taken by Kerry Richardson of Fish Hawks B. Francie Jarrett fishing for Leven Fly Casters had the best bag at 27lb 9 7/8oz.
Anglian Water Fulling Mill International Northern Heat
Winning team at the Northern heat of the Anglian Water Fulling Mill International held at Rutland Water last Saturday. Iain Barr Fly Fishing Team 1 weighed in 46 fish for 129lb 2 1/8oz
1st Iain Barr Fly Fishing Team 1 46 fish for 129lb 2 1/8oz
2nd Foremark Falcons 45 fish for 121lb 15 7/8oz
3rd Leven Flycasters 43 fish for 121lb 7/8oz
4th Fish Hawks B 35 fish for 105lb 1oz
5th Guideline Rutland Raiders 39 fish for 101lb 10½oz
6th Ashington Kingfishers 37 fish for 100lb 9 5/8oz
7th Masterline Stocks B 34 fish for 98lb 8 7/8oz
8th Peregrine Flyfishers 31 fish for 90lb 9½oz
9th Masterline Esthwaite 29 fish for 76lb 13oz
10th Wanny Wanderers Team 1 30 fish for 73lb 4¾oz
11th Soldier Palmers Team 1 30 fish for 73lb 4oz
12th Froggies Flyfishers 27 fish for 69lb 12½oz
13th Wearddale Flyfishers 25 fish for 64lb 10¼oz
14th Pickering Fishery Association 15 fish for 39lb 6½oz
15th Wanny Wanderers Team 2 14 fish for 38lb 14¼oz
16th Wanny Wanderers Team 3 6 fish for 12lb 9_¼oz
Best methods Boat anglers; floating line buzzers black/green with sinking lines and blobs and sparklers
Bank anglers; floating line, buzzers, black green/red. Black or orange lures.
Best rainbow 6lb 2oz taken by taken by Kerry Richardson
Best brown 4lb
Best boat areas Dickinsons Bay, Barnsdale steep bank, Sykes Lane, Normanton to Fantasy, Yellowstone to Hickmans
Best bank areas Finches to north Arm, three Trees, Dickensons Bay, Normanton to Fantasy, Whitwell Creek
Mid week boat winner Geoff Day of Rotherham
Fish stocked 4000
Forthcoming events 7 May Bob Church Classic (by qualification)
13 May Tuesday evening boat league commences. Book in from 5.15pm, draw at 5.50, boat leave at 6pm. Light supper available
17 May Sportsman 4 man Team competition, Rutland Water Heat - to enter a team please contact Ron Ayers on 07976 668659
beginners courses 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 848 (season 3229) returns 200 (843) rod average 4.24(3.83)
With the improving weather the fishing has continued to go from strength to strength at Grafham Water this week. The fish are spreading out from the North Shore and can now be found around the South Shore as well as in certain areas in the middle of the reservoir. The best methods are either boobies fished close to the bottom or long lined olive buzzers on a very long leader fished very slowly and deep. Also green and black lures fished on slow sinkers around the margins are catching. The fish in the middle of the lake seem to be the quality over wintered fish all around the 3lb mark with many of these fish well over 4lb.
The English Disabled FF match, now in its sixth year, hosted by GWFFA, ran on Sunday with help from the English Ladies, Invicta and EMTFA. They had 45 boats including the new Coulam Wheelie boat from Rutland. This new boat was only launched two weeks ago and was hailed a great success. All the local anglers partnered an EDFF member and this friendly match is fished as a pairs competition. With plenty of fish to be caught the boats split quickly throughout the reservoir, with G Buoy and the North Shore being favourites, as well as the south end of the Dam where the eventual winners were to be found fishing and also off the Sludge Bank where there is a lot of the larger over wintered fish feeding heavily on buzzers deep.
Photo taken at the English Disabled match at Grafham Water last weekend. Mark Andrews is on the left and Chris McLeod on the right. 45 Anglers fished this fantastic match now in its sixth year and run by GWFFA with help from English Ladies, Invicta and EMTFA.
1st Harley Smith & Roy Palmer 16 fish for 43lb 3oz
2nd Peter Hartley & Rick Varley 15 fish for 36lb 10oz
3rd Dave Waters & Ray Crompton 12 fish for 36lb 7oz
4th Tony Dighton & Dia Evans 16 fish for 34lb 13oz
5th Andy Linwood & Jim Watts 12 fish for 32lb 9oz
6th Ron Lusardi & Danny Peet 14 fish for 31lb 8oz
Top rod on the day was Roy Palmer with 8 fish for 22lb 6oz and the best fish went to Dave Waters – a typical Grafham over wintered specimen of 5lb 5oz taken on an olive buzzer from the Sludge bank.
Best methods see report
Best rainbow 5lb 8oz taken by Martha Thompson of Corby
Best brown 6lb 3oz taken by V Rogers of Northampton
Best boat areas G buoy, Deep Water Point, Bowl of Dam, south Dam, Seat/Sludge bank, Central Drifts
Best bank areas South end of Dam, G Buoy, Deep Water Point, Perry Point, the Seat
Mid week boat winner Bob Saltmarsh of Newmarket
Fish stocked 4,000
Forthcoming events beginners courses 23 & 26 April; 10,14 & 25 May and other dates throughout the year
11 May England Eliminator (Odds & Sods)
Tuesday Evening Boat League starts 13 May
19 May Trout Masters final (please note no bank or boat fishing available for non competitors) bank fishing may commence from 5pm onwards
Pitsford Water
fish week 633 (season 3566) returns 132(1010) rod average 4.7(3.5)
Graham Pearson pictured with the 7lb 14oz Rainbow he took from the bank at Pitsford on a home tied black and green Pitsford Pea on Sunday. Graham, from Northampton, only recently took up the sport. He landed the fish on the popular Stilton Point.
Boat and bank fishing have really taken off with a rod average of 4.7. Boat anglers have enjoyed sport in the small half, catching on buzzers on floating lines. Slow sinking lines and lures have also worked this week. Boats were also catching 100 metres out from Bog Bay and the Gorse this weekend.
Bank anglers are catching steadily throughout the day. But sport really takes off in the evening when fish have indulged in a buzzer feeding frenzy close to the bank. A dry fly or nymph sub surface can provide exciting sport. Top spots for the bank are the Gravels and Sermans also Northfields Shore. Top spots for the boats are Small Half, the Gorse and Bog Bay.
The Pitsford Boat Buddy Scheme has been developed especially for the first time boat angler. Novice anglers are paired with experienced anglers for an enjoyable evening out boat fishing on Pitsford Water. If you are interested in joining this scheme please contact the Lodge at Pitsford. Forthcoming dates are 27 May, 24 June and 15 July. Spaces are limited so book early.
Best methods see report
Best rainbow 7lb 14oz taken by Graham Pearson of Northampton
Best boat areas see report
Best bank areas see report
Fish stocked 1500
Mid week boat winner Jason Taylor of Wilby, Northants
Forthcoming events Beginners courses 10,14,25 May then alternate Saturdays until the first week of November.
Boat Buddies 27 May, 24 June, 15 July
7 May David Brooks Trophy
24 May Anglian Water Fulling Mill International Midland Heat
25 June Scierra Pairs
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
fish week 605 (season 4188) returns 81 (579) rod average 7.5(7.23)
The more settled weather and steady pressure, coupled with crystal clear water has helped maintain a high catch rate on Ravensthorpe Reservoir. Large and small buzzers in varying shades of black, grey and brown have been hatching. Anglers have been taking fish at all depths, dependent on prevailing light conditions. Static bung fishing has proved very successful this week. Long leaders (15-20 feet) are essential for good catches if fishing traditional buzzer teams.
Some nice 3-4lb over-wintered Rainbows are still showing in catches, with Browns also putting in an appearance. Gary Turner, pro fishing for the total Flyfisher magazine, returned a pristine 5lb plus Brown that should appear in next month’s issue.
Season ticket holder David Brady fished a team of buzzers from a boat off the Island to take 41 fish to 6lb. The biggest fish taken by a boat angler went to visiting angler Gordon Brown on an Anglian Water 3 day boat package. Gordon safely returned a 10lb 2oz Rainbow to the water. Gary Wilson had the best fish from the bank – an 8lb 1oz Rainbow taken on a size 10 black buzzer from the dam wall.
Mid Northants Flyfishers fished for the Hector Woolnough Floating line Trophy. 28 Anglers caught 208 fish for a rod average of 7.4. Most fish came to buzzers and diawls.
1st Pip Jeffs 9lb 0oz
2nd Barry Jones 5lb 10oz
3rd Pete Daniels 5lb 8oz
Leicester Police held a mid week boat competition catching a total of 91 fish.
Best rainbow 10lb 2oz taken by Gordon Brown
Best brown 5lb taken by Gary Turner
Best boat areas Island, Willows and Coton End
Best bank areas dam wall
Mid week boat winner John Mills of Coventry
Fish stocked 309
Demand for boats often outstrips supply – pre-booking is essential.
For boat bookings and enquiries please call 01604 770875.