- Team Elinor excels to take 2014 Anglian Water Airflo International title
Consistent two day performance earns Elinor Team Gold just 4lb ahead of Ospreys - Second placed Ospreys take Silver
- Welsh Hawks win Bronze
- Predator fishing – Rutland, Grafham, Pitsford and Ravensthorpe
Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October
Please book boats to avoid disappointment
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 2,904(season 38,099) Returns 792 (8,924) Rod average 3.66 (4.26)
The biggest competition on the trout fishing calendar, the Anglian Water Airflo International, took place last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Elinor excelled to take the 2014 title. With just 4lb separating the winners from second placed Ospreys.
Team Elinor, consisting of team captain Ed Foster, Richard Slater, Brad Gifford, Paul Haskey, Ian Donaldson and Mick O’Farrell put in an excellent, consistent performance against the 22 other top teams. At the awards dinner following the second day of competition the team was presented with gold medals, the coveted silver salver, £1500 cash and tackle prizes. Over the two days the team weighed in 68 fish for 139lb 5 5/8oz. Second placed Ospreys took silver, with 62 fish for 135lb 6½oz. Ospreys were Captained by Hywell Morgan fishing alongside Steve Peart, Ryan Faber, Mike Low, Mark Howard and Steve Smalley. The Welsh Hawks were bronze medalists with 57 fish for 127lb 1 1/8oz. The top overseas team was G.Loomis Shimano Belgium
Blagdon were just out of the medals weighing in 58 fish for 126lb 13¼oz. Close behind in fifth place were Nymph-a-Maniacs weighing in 61 fish for 125lb 9 7/8oz.
The top individual rod was local angler Paul Wild, fishing for Orvis Team Rutland. Paul took eight fish on both days for a combined weight of 36lb 15oz. Paul was just ounces ahead of Team Airflo’s Steve Winstone and Renegades John Hardy who took second and third spot respectively.
The best fish of the match fell to Seighford Sharks team member Phil Longstaff who took a superb 5lb 1½oz Rainbow. John Braithwaite, fishing for Blagdon FlyFishers, caught the Best Brown at 4lb 12¼oz. The best bag of the match went to Frederick Schmitt fishing for Froggies Fly Fishers. Frederick had eight fish for 21lb 2½oz including time bonus.
Orvis Team Rutland topped the table on Day One, only to tumble to 6th place overall with 56 fish for 117lb 14 7/8oz after a disappointing 18th place on Day Two. Whilst last year’s champions, the Seighford Sharks, sportingly accepted their 2014 prize – the wooden spoon awarded for 23rd place.
Rutland Water was in excellent form providing anglers with very consistent sport and 1,202 fish over the two days. Day One’s rod average was 4.4 with Day Two coming in at 4.31; the overall rod average was 4.36. Boats fished out in the open water of the reservoir stretching over the very deep water of the middle of the South Arm all the way through to the corner of the Dam at Fantasy Island, continuing across to Whitwell front down to Barnsdale. Nobody opted to go for the bigger fish in the shallower waters. A very impressive number of fish fell to dry fly tactics, with fish moving at certain times during the day with anglers frantically lifting off to cover the next fish as quickly as possible.
Elsewhere during the week…..
Bank anglers are catching well around a good many areas of the reservoir, mostly on dries, nymphs and fry patterns with above average sized fish and Rainbows to 5lb plus being recorded.
Boat anglers fishing around the shoreline have been rewarded with cracking Browns and Rainbows. Boat pair Tony Nattrass and Peter Blythe from the North East landed twelve fish last Friday. Whilst fishing the North Arm and Sykes Lane they had six Rainbows and six Browns and followed this up with a similar stamp of fish on both Saturday and Sunday.
The arrival of cooler weather, coupled with some rain will herald a change in conditions. Once things have settled the vast amount of food available around the shoreline including fry, corixa, snails, etc will see both bank and boat anglers enjoying some action.
Please note that the Brown Trout season ends on Wednesday 29 October.
Best Rainbow 5lb 1½oz taken by Phil Longstaff in the AWAI Final.
Best Brown 8lb 12oz Taken by Stanley McCart.
Best boat areas Continuing the trend of recent weeks fish are out in the open water, from Old Hall, Normanton, Middle of North Arm. Also around the weedbeds.
Best bank areas New Zealand Point to Sailing Club. Normanton to Fantasy Island. Finches to Carrot, Barnhill Creek.
Best methods Bank – Floating line with dries, nymphs and fry patterns.
Boat – As for bank but include intermediate slow sink lines with mini lures.
Mid week boat winner Phil McGuire of Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October through to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Beginners courses: 11 and 25 October; 1 November.
Anglian Water Autumn Boat Pairs 11 October.
Improve your bank fishing 9 and 22 November
Fry Feeders Match 19 October
George Moore Memorial Trophy (rudder) 25 October
Rutland Fur & Feather (bank) 7 December
Grafham Water
Fish week 870(season 23,019) Returns 299(5,312) Rod average 2.9 (4.33)
Grafham Water has continued to fish well off both the bank and boats with a healthy rod average of 2.9.
Bank anglers have had the best sport mainly by fishing small nymphs and shrimp patterns on floating lines. The most prolific fly patterns have been red holographic diawl bachs fished in the top two feet of the surface. The most consistent bank areas have been Plummer Bank, south and bowl of the Dam, Valley Creek/Lodge Bank, Perry Point and G Buoy.
Boat anglers have enjoyed good sport catching the majority of their fish in the top two feet of the surface. The best methods for boat anglers have been to fish floating or slow intermediate lines with Daddies, Yellow Hoppers, Diawl Bachs, GRHE, FAB’s and Viva or Cat Whisker Boobies. The most consistent boat areas have been Valley Creek, West Bank, Lodge Frontage and P and B Buoys.
M Morris of Luton took the best Rainbow of the week at 6lb 8oz. The Best Brown was an over wintered specimen of 5lb 4oz taken by David Spall. Season ticket holder Sean McMahon caught a 4lb Brown on Grafham Dam in the bowl using a home tied white and yellow lure on an intermediate shooting head.
Competition news
Grafham Water Fly Fishers bank match 28 September
Eight anglers fished this competition catching 32 trout for a rod average of 4.0. Top rod on the day was David Spall who caught 8 fish for 19lb 1oz and also the heaviest fish of the match – a superb over wintered Brown of 5lb 4oz. David caught his fish by using a floating line with diawl bachs and shrimp patterns at the South Dam.
1st David Spall 8 fish for 19lb 1oz
2nd Andy Linwood 6 fish for 15lb 13oz
3rd Peter Waterhouse 8 fish for 14lb 4oz
Anglian Water Rudder match 4 October
Seven pairs fished this competition catching 51 trout for a rod average of 3.64. The winning boat pair of Pat Sweeney and Paul Telling took 16 fish for 35lb 5oz. Paul also took the biggest fish of the match – a Rainbow of 4lb 1oz.
1st Pat Sweeney & Paul Telling 16 fish for 35lb 5oz
2nd Steve Crowder & Dave Porter 11 fish for 21lb 4oz
3rd Richard Cooper & Graham Haywood 10 fish for 18lb 15oz
Best Rainbow 6lb 8oz taken by M Morris of Luton.
Best Brown 5lb 4oz taken by David Spall.
Best boat areas Valley Creek, West Bank, P and B Buoys.
Best bank areas Plummer Bank, South & Bowl of Dam, Valley Creek, Lodge Bank, Perry Point, G Buoy.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Andy Linwood of Perry.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October through to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Beginners courses: 19 October
Fry Feeders match 18 October.
Four man team bank match 26 October
Improve your bank fishing 8 and 23 November.
Grafham Water Fur and Feather (bank) 30 November.
Pitsford Water
Fish week 303(season 10,966) Returns 88(2,778) Rod average 3.4 (3.9)
Varied weather conditions this week have seen the fish moving up and down in the water but still willing to play. The rod average has remained at a healthy 3.4 for the week.
When conditions have been mild with light winds the fish have come to floating lines and combinations of dries and nymphs.
Towards the end of the week when the weather cooled down the fish were still willing to feed but were caught on sunk lines.
Top catches for the week were Pat Flynn with 35 fish on sunk line tactics. Graham Hutchings had 18 fish including a 6lb Rainbow. Mick Foster and Pete Cousins had their limits, again on sunk lines. Mr Burdett also had a Rainbow of 5lb 8oz
Predator anglers have taken plenty of notable fish with several Perch over 4lb and a stunning Rudd/Bream hybrid of 7lb 8oz. Pike angling has been steady with lots of smaller fish caught. The best areas continue to be Brixworth Bay and the Narrows. The best bank areas are Rigbys, Stilton Point and No Fish Point.
The best flies are dries and nymphs in favourable conditions, while black and green lures or yellow dancers on sunk line have worked as temperatures have fallen.
Best Rainbow 3lb 6oz.
Best Brown 4lb 5oz taken by M Burdett.
Best boat areas Brixworth Bay, Narrows.
Best bank areas Stilton Point, Rigbys, No Fish Point.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Lee Woolford of Isham, Kettering.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing – Lure and dead sea bait from 1 October (subject to boat availability)
Beginners courses: 12,18 and 26 October.
Lure fishing for predators, boat only, to 31 January (subject to boat availability)
Pitsford Fur & Feather (boat) 9 November
