Week ending 2 November 2014
- It’s that time of year
Anglian Water Fur & Feathers are here!
Ravensthorpe Fur & Feather a huge success last weekend – won by Richard Slater weighing in at 19lb 12oz
Pitsford Water (boat) 9 November
Grafham Water (bank) 30 November
Rutland Water (bank) 7 December
- Special winter reductions on permits and boats
- Mega November sale at Anglian Water Tackle shops
Up to 30% off a wide range of tackle & clothing
Bag a bargain, maybe even a Christmas gift or two.
The lodges are open 8am to 2pm in November, seven days a week.
www.anglianwater.co.uk/leisure
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
Fish week 258(season 39,716) Returns 123(9,672) Rod average 2.09 (4.13)
Some big fish have been caught again, with both Browns and Rainbows over 6lb reported. The Brown trout season ended last Wednesday, however, Leicester angler and season ticket holder Wol Holynski managed a very late boat caught 6lb 2oz specimen which happens to be Wol’s personal best.
The best Rainbow this week fell to former Oakham town crier, Lewis Carlin. Lewis had a 6lb 12oz specimen whilst bank fishing off the Normanton bank using a floating line and pheasant tail.
Keith Jones, season ticket holder from Wittering, had four nice Rainbows up to 4½lb off the bank at Whitwell using a small floating fry right close into the shoreline. Simon Ashton from Bourne managed eight Rainbows whilst boat fishing the main basin last Friday. Simon used a tube fly on a sinking line, covering lots of water during the day.
Another late feature at the moment is although the fry feeding frenzy has been low key this year there are suddenly a lot of fish showing interest out in the deeper water, with masses of gulls giving away the location of fish chasing vast shoals of Roach/perch fry to the surface. Senior Warden John Seaton and Paul Friend and Mick Connor all experienced this exciting aspect last week and they found that a slow retrieve was the best option as the fish came up. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and head to where the biggest concentration of birds and fish are showing.
New for this season will be boat fishing at Rutland all the way through to January 2015. We will have a maximum of ten boats on the water from December through to January. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Bank prospects – mobility can be the key to catching fish off the bank at this time of the year. Rather than staying in the same spot all day travel light ie minimum tackle and always try not to go wading out first thing as there have been a few areas where the fish are tight into the margins.
With the winter restrictions now in place there is less water to fish for boat anglers. Seek out the old weedbeds around the peninsula, Sailing Club, Old Hall etc, but as already mentioned keep a look out for bird and fish activity indicating fry feeders in the open water.
The Brown trout season ended 29 October, any Browns caught must be returned safely to the water. Winter boat restrictions start from 30 October.
Best Rainbow 6lb 12oz taken by Lewis Carlin of Oakham.
Best Brown 6lb 2oz taken by Wol Holynski.
Best boat areas Fishing Lodge frontage, the main basin, also the open water, look out for bird activity marking fish location.
Best bank areas Normanton, Whitwell, the peninsula, the Dam.
Best methods Bank – floating line with fry and nymph patterns.
Boat – As for bank plus various sinking lines
Forthcoming events
Sale – throughout November we have reductions of up to 30% on a wide range of tackle and clothing at each of our tackle shops.
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October through to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Improve your bank fishing 9 and 22 November
Rutland Fur & Feather (bank) 7 December
Grafham Water
Fish week 783(season 25,968) Returns 186 (6,084) Rod average 4.2 (4.26)
With a rod average of 4.2 both bank and boat anglers are enjoying cracking sport at Grafham Water.
Michael Kelley recent enjoyed two good days boat fishing at Grafham. He was particularly delighted with a 5lb 6oz Brown which was safely returned. Michael caught this fish on a red dabbler purchased at Grafham’s tackle shop fished on a slow intermediate just down from Savages.
Once again the South Shore is giving the most consistent sport for bank anglers. And the most prolific areas have been Plummer Park, Seat, South and Bowl of Dam, Sludge Bank, Lodge Bank and G Buoy. The most consistent methods from the bank have been floating or intermediate lines with minkies, shrimp patterns, Diawl Bachs, GRHE and crunchers fished close to the margins.
Boat anglers have also had a great week’s sport as with the bank anglers fishing floating or intermediate lines with tubes, snakes, minkies, cormorants, diawl bachs and GRHE close to the margins at the Seat, Sludge Bank, A,Q,G and I Buoys, Marlow Bay and the lodge frontage.
Competition News
Hinckley Shield bank match 26 October
Three six man teams fished this event catching 105 trout for a great rod average of 5.83. The heaviest bag was caught by Grafham ‘A’ team member David Spall who caught 8 trout for 19lb 12oz. David’s tactics on the day were to fish a floating line with a minkie and a shrimp pattern on a floating line at Valley Creek. The heaviest fish of the competition was taken by Peter Waterhouse a fellow GWFFA ‘A’ team member. Peter caught a superb over wintered Rainbow of 4lb 7oz from the Seat on a floating line with a shrimp pattern.
1st GWFFA ‘A’ 42 trout for 98lb 7oz
2nd RWFFA 34 trout for 78lb 1oz
3rd GWFFA ‘B’ 29 trout for 62lb
The Brown trout season ended on 29 October, any Browns caught must be returned safely to the water.
Best Rainbow 5lb 8oz.
Best Brown 3lb.
Best boat areas A,G,I and Q Buoys, Gaynes Cove, Marlow Bay, Sludge, Seat, Lodge Frontage.
Best bank areas Plummer bank, South and bowl of Dam, G Buoy, Seat, Lodge Bank, Sludge Bank.
Best methods See report.
Forthcoming events
Sale – throughout November we have reductions of up to 30% on a wide range of tackle and clothing at each of our tackle shops.
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October through to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Improve your bank fishing 8 and 23 November.
Grafham Water Fur and Feather (bank) 30 November.
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 80 (12,561 season) Returns 31(2,143) Rod average 2.5 (5.8)
A quiet week at Ravensthorpe but the rod average has picked up and good fish are being caught. The Anglian Water Ravensthorpe Fur and Feather fished well with a rod average of 2.9.
Not many anglers have ventured out on the water but the fish are becoming more active and the water has begun to clear of algae. Fishing larger lure patterns such as Cats Whiskers, Minkies and Zonkers has paid off. Fishing the flies slowly on a slow sink intermediate has produced best results.
Fish are still congregating in the margins with some lovely silver fish coming from Coton End.
Ravensthorpe Fur and Feather (boat) 2 November.
The Ravensthorpe Fur and Feather saw 18 anglers take 53 fish with an enjoyable day had by all. The clear winner of the match was experienced rod Richard Slater who took six fish for 19lb 12oz by midday. Richard also took the big fish prize with a cracking Rainbow of 8lb 10oz. Second place went to Ian Footman who managed six fish for 9lb 12oz and third went to Ravensthorpe regular bank angler Mark Bradbury with 5 fish for 8lb 8oz. Following the match everyone enjoyed a delicious meal at the Chequers in Ravensthorpe.
1st Richard Slater 19lb 12oz
2nd Ian Footman 9lb 12oz
3rd Mark Bradbury 8lb 8oz
4th Rob Dobson 7lb 12oz
5thequal Karen Slater,
Mick Griffin & John Smith 7lb 10oz
The Brown trout season ended on 29 October, any Browns caught after this time must be returned safely to the water.
Best Rainbow 8lb 10oz taken by Richard Slater.
Best boat areas Coton End, Island to Catwalk.
Best bank areas Monger bank.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Dave Moss of Thame.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October through to 30 November (subject to boat availability)
Pitsford Water
Fish week 70(season 11,390) Returns 46 (2,934) Rod average 1.5 (3.8)
The best fish of the week was a lovely Brown trout weighing 4lb 13oz, taken by Phil Conquest. It has generally been a quiet week at Pitsford with the changeable weather playing a part. Bank anglers continue to pick up good fish all around the margins using floating lines and fry patterns or daddies and hoppers.
Boat tactics have been to use sunk lines or the rudder and this has accounted for the majority of the fish.
The Brown trout season ended on 29 October. Any Browns taken must be returned safely to the water.
Best Brown 4lb 13oz taken by Phil Conquest.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October (subject to boat availability)
Lure fishing for predators, boat only, to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Pitsford Fur & Feather (boat) 9 November
