Latest News and Information from
Week ending 10 July 2016
• 6lb 12oz Rainbow is best of the season so far at Grafham Water
Another excellent week with a rod average of 7.49
• Max points for Rich Cooper in Rutland’s Tuesday night Boat league Rich is building up a commanding lead in this popular series
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
Rutland Water
Fish week 1032 (Season 20078) Returns 277 (4277) Rod average 3.72 (4.69)
Boat anglers are taking the majority of fish at Rutland Water. The strengthening wind during the week, blowing in a westerly direction put paid to the Normanton shoreline for bank anglers. Although other areas did produce fish, particularly Sailing Club to New Zealand Point, Sykes Lane (Stockie Bay), Carrot and Barnhill Creek.
Boat anglers did well in the main basin with many fish caught along the Normanton shoreline and Sykes Lane. The bottom of the arms produced a number of fish for those few that went down there with dries doing very well with corixa and shrimp and pin fry feeders. Anglers have caught some notable fish this week. Ken Webb of Norwich took the best Brown at 5lb 15oz from the bottom of the South Arm. One popular fly is the ‘snake’ pattern, which originally came about around 15 years ago. This fly accounted for two large Browns, one weighing 5lb 11oz for Alan Ayres and the other weighing 5lb 6oz for Dan Offen of Sutton Coldfield.
John Slavin travelled south from his Scottish home to enjoy a week’s fishing at Rutland Water. John had many quality Rainbows, including around a dozen over 3lb and Browns of 4lb plus. Only twice during the week did John record less than an eight fish limit.
Competition news
Tuesday Night Boat League – week 8
Rich Cooper won the eighth week of this popular league. Rich made the journey down to Manton Bay recording 8 fish all falling to a ‘big red’ dry fly. Rich said the fishing was hectic as he used three dries and had lots of interest. He managed the biggest fish of the evening to win the mid week boat and to earn 5 additional points to the 10 points he notched up for winning on the night. Keith Jones took second place with 5 fish and Adi Naylor was third with four fish.
League standing after week 8
1st Rich Cooper 55 points
2nd Ziggy Lesiakowski 36 points
3rd Keith Jones 31 points
4th Adi Naylor 26 points
5th Kerry Richardson 22 points
6th Chris Evans 17 points
English Disabled Flyfishers
19 anglers fished this match on Wednesday 6 July, taking 71 fish for a rod average of 3.73. Trevor Ashby of Wing won the main prize for the biggest fish an impressive 4lb 2oz Brown.
Prospects continue to look good, settled conditions would help. Fish are well distributed with many still around the shoreline with fish moving close in feeding on shrimp, fry, corixa and snails.
A good tip for both bank and boat anglers is to locate feeding birds, especially the swans, as the trout will not be far behind, feeding on the disturbed insects, fry etc. Boat anglers are finding fish close in and up the Arms. However, there are many fish over the deep water in the Main Basin etc.
Best Brown 5lb 15oz taken by Ken Webb of Norfolk.
Best boat areas Main basin, bottom of both arms, Armley Wood to Carrot Creek.
Best bank areas Normanton, Sykes Lane, Sailing Club, Carrot and Barnhill Creek.
Best methods Bank – floating line with dries, nymphs.
Boat – As for bank but include mini lures and snakes fished on various sinking lines.
Mid week boat winner P Proctor of Blaydon on Tyne.
Fish stocked 1,000.
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 17 & 23 July;7,13,25 & 28 August and other dates throughout the season.
Tuesday Night boat league
Fly fishing for Pike from 16 May (subject to boat availability)
AWAI North of England Final 11 July
Anglian Water Over 50’s Match 30 July
Anglian Water 4 man team Loch Style 17 August
Lexus European Team Final 18-21 August
Grafham Water
Fish week 779(Season 15,351) Returns 104(2,645) Rod average 7.49 (5.8)
Another excellent week at Grafham Water with plenty of fish caught through a fantastic display by our anglers with the rod average increasing to 7.49. The best Rainbow of the season so far – a superb 6lb 12oz specimen – was landed by Mr Cox. Fish are showing almost everywhere, succumbing to differing methods and style, although predominantly up in surface layers of water, particularly when there is cloud cover. The pin fry still appear to be the main target for fish with snails, daphnia and shrimp also being common food items.
Boat fishing is the ideal way to enjoy a good day out and to catch your bag. Popular areas seem to be Sludge Point, Gaynes Cove, the Dam, B Buoy to G Buoy (drifting) and the Seat. Drifting through the middle has produced many fish this week and is often worth a try if you are struggling for takes. Methods fishing well include back drifting with snakes and tubes (in the surface layers), floating lines (washing line style) with buzzers or diawl bachs. There have also been some fantastic bags caught on the dry flies throughout the day.
Bank fishing is much the same as last week. In addition to the best Rainbow of the season to date (6lb 12oz taken by Mr Cox) some very good fish have been landed. A brace of five pounders were taken by Mr Stern and a 6lb specimen was caught by Mr Dean.
Some good advice is to try shrimp patterns in the heat of the day for a chance of some fish close in, though wading out into deeper water is becoming a must in some places. The Seat has seen a few fish landed lately if you are feeling up to the walk, although predominantly the Dam is the place to be.
We have had a few predator anglers out this week. However, it was great to hear reports of a near double zander caught by a trout angler close to the dam and a near 5lb Perch caught on a Cat’s Whisker.
Anglers can now enjoy a delicious cooked breakfast at the Harbour View Restaurant above the fishing lodge.
Competition News
Scierra Pairs 9 July
Congratulations to Alice Davies and Enid Edwards who made some great decisions on the day to win this match. The pair took 16 fish for 42lb 9oz (including 7lb time bonus). This was a close match, particularly between second placed Trevor Davies & Simon Thuriwell with 16 fish for 40lb 10oz (including 6lb time bonus) and Yvonne Webb & Simon Lehane in third with 16 fish for 40lb 2oz (including 3lb 8oz time bonus).
Best Rainbow 6lb 12oz taken by Mr Cox.
Best boat areas 200 yards off North Shore, Dam and Hill Farm, deeper water.
Grafham Water continued
Best bank areas Deep Water and Pylon Points, the Seat and north and south Dam.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Bill Scott of Histon.
Fish stocked 2,200.
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 22,29 & 31July; 14 & 21 August and other dates throughout the season.
Fly fishing for Pike from 16 May (subject to boat availability)
AWAI Southern Final 18 July
AWAI Midland Final 25 July
Pitsford Water
Fish week 327 (Season 7,147) Returns 103 (1,566) Rod average 3.2(4.56)
Season ticket holder Richard Williams loves to fish nymphs from a drifting boat and on Sunday he had 16 fish in a morning session, many weighed around 3lb. However, the same tactics only yielded two fish earlier in the week. Richard’s experience is a reflection of current tactics – there is no logic to the changing feeding habits of the fish but when they are ‘on’ both bank and boats are fishing extremely well. The weather is still influencing the fishing at Pitsford. One minute fish are up in the water and feeding hard on fry, snails, shrimp and buzzer then the next minute they are down in the water totally disinterested.
Pip Jeffs fished the bank with wet flies and a floater and had his limit in no time. David Mullens who is relatively new to the sport had two nice fish on shrimp patterns.
The fish are still in the upper layers and floating or slow glass lines are all that is necessary. Crunchers, hares ears, shrimp and fabs are the best patterns.
Dates for your diary include Pitsford’s popular Evening Summer fishing club which runs every Tuesday up to 9 August.
Mid Northants Trout Fishers Association meets at Pitsford Lodge on the second Saturday of the month with fly tying, casting tuition and friendly advice on all fishing matters.
Mid week boat winner David Strudwick of Kettering.
Fish stocked 2,000
Forthcoming events
Evening Summer Fishing Club – Tuesday evening
Lure fishing and fly fishing for Pike from 16 May
Beginners courses 16 & 30 July; 6,12 & 27 August and other dates throughout the season.
Mid Northants Trout Fishers Pairs Match 23 July
EFFA Match 1 September
Round 5 AMC Group 1 4 September
East Midland FF Match 11 September
Polish Lure Anglers Match 17 September
Lure Anglers Society Match 8 October
MNTF Match 9 October
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 134 (Season 9,020) Returns 35 (1,140) Rod average3.8 (7.9)
Anglers have experienced mixed fortunes at Ravensthorpe with the wind making fishing difficult mid week.
The fish are high up in the water, so floating lines with small dries such as hoppers, klinkhammers and c.d.c’s have been working well. The washing line with small diawl bachs, crunchers, buzzers or damsel nymphs are working as well.
Mick Griffin had a brilliant morning fishing on Sunday. Mick fished small dries from an anchored boat, catching and returning 14 fish, several of which were around 4lb.
Jamie Blaney also had a good morning on Sunday, catching 12 fish on c.d.c. buzzers on a floating line. The bank is also producing fish to the same methods.
Best Rainbow 4lb plus.
Best boat areas Main Bowl.
Best bank areas Dam, Platforms 4,5 and 6.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Jamie Blaney of Northampton.
