- Fabulous 5.4 rod average at Pitsford Water
- 11lb 11oz Rainbow for Mark Draper at Ravensthorpe
Excellent prospects with bumper buzzer hatches
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
Pic: Wiki
Rutland Water
Fish week 631 Returns 112 Rod average 5.63
An excellent start to the season at Rutland Water with anglers enjoying good sport. Although temperatures are still low quality sport has been had both on the bank and from the boats.
Martin Hearth of Hambleton, Oakham, has had a good week on the bank with a few limits. Martin, a former warden at Rutland, took an excellent bag of stock fish with the best going 4lb off the bank at East Creek on his favourite Humungus pattern.
Bank anglers recorded a rod average of 6.13 for the week with boat anglers taking an average of 5.3 fish. Fish are feeding well in many areas around the reservoir and generally close to the bank. Best areas for bank anglers have been East Creek, Church Bay, Normanton Bank, Whitwell frontage to the Mound and Old Hall. The Normanton Bank, Whitwell frontage, Belgrano and Fantasy Island have been most consistent for boat anglers. Overwintered Rainbows have shown up with the new stock fish in a number of bags, these overwintered fish are real bars of silver and in superb condition.
Lures have accounted for the majority of fish but Diawl Bachs and black buzzers have also scored. Although not in particularly deep water the fish are down in the water column and either an intermediate line or floater with a weighted point fly has seen the most success. Various sinking lines have been employed by boat anglers depending on the conditions on the day. Fish are feeding well on small buzzers, daphnia, shrimp, sticklebacks and even Roach fry are featuring. On the warmer days numbers of buzzers have been hatching and if the temperatures rise expect buzzers to feature more prominently in catches.
Some winter restrictions are still in force. Some areas are out of bounds to anglers until 1 April. The usual boat restrictions apply beyond the sailing limits in both arms. Bank anglers are also not permitted in this area plus the banks from Barnsdale Creek around the North Arm Bank to the Finches, from Armley Wood to Hinmans Spinney and from Old Hall Bay to the East side of the Sailing Club Bay. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff at the fishing lodge, maps will also be in display.
Best Rainbow 4lb taken by Martin Hearth of Hambleton,
Oakham.
Mid week boat winner Daniel Barsby of Whittlesey.
Fish stocked 12,100
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 2,8,18 & 25 April; 2,9,23 & 30 May and other dates throughout the season.
Independence Day Trophy (best fish) 1 April.
Anglian Water Airflo International Northern heat 26 April
Tuesday Night boat league commences in May
Bob Church Classic 5 May
Dave Hodgson Memorial 10 May
Anglian Water Rudder Match 16 May
Grafham Water
Fish week 395 (season 703) Returns 109 (178) Rod average 3.6(3.94)Anglers are continuing to enjoy a great start to the season at Grafham Water with a good rod average of 3.6 and 20% of all trout taken weighing 3lb or over.
Bank Anglers have had a great week’s sport with the North Shore giving the most consistent catch rates. The most prolific bank methods have been to fish floating or intermediate lines with big black and green lures with Tequila blob attractor and Diawl Bachs. The best areas for the bank anglers have been North Dam, Willows, G Buoy, Deep Water Point, Pig Bay and Hill Farm.
Boat anglers have also had a great week’s sport with the North Shore providing the most consistent sport. The most productive methods from the boat have been to fish slow to medium sink lines with black and green lures, Tequila/orange blobs, cats whisker boobies, GRHE, gold and silver tubes and Dawson Olive. The best boat areas in the last week have been Hill Farm, Pig Bay, Pylon Point, G Buoy, Willows and Sludge Bank.
Message to all anglers
Brown trout are out of season until 1 April, any caught should be returned to the water alive. There are fishing restrictions on the western end of the reservoir. Please be aware of the bio security measures on the reservoir.
Best Rainbow 4lb 3oz taken by Chris Thrasidoulou of London.
Best boat areas G Buoy, Pig Bay, Hill Farm, Pylon Point, Sludge Bank, Willows.
Best bank areas North Dam, G Buoy, Deep Water Point, Willows, Pig Bay, Hill Farm.
Mid Week Boat Winner Gary Barstow of Silverstone.
Best methods See report.
Fish stocked 2,000.
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 4,11,16 & 26 April; 3,17,24 & 28 May and other dates throughout the season.
Anglian Water Rudder Match 11 April
Bob Church Open (Frank Cutler Memorial Trophy) 18 April.
AMFC 25 April.
Invicta Floating Line 9 May
Lexus Team Heat 18 May
EYFA Youth National 24 May.
Tuesday Night Boat League commences in May
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Ravensthorpe Reservoir is providing fantastic sport for both boat and bank anglers. Prospects look excellent with a really good hatch of buzzers in recent days. The best fish of the week was an 11lb 11oz Rainbow taken by local angler Mark Draper. Mark was sharing a boat with Isaac Draper and the pair took 20 or more fish on buzzers and floating line.
David Brady of Orlingbury, Kettering, took 46 fish to the boat, all on a red holographic buzzer and a floating line. Charlie Watts of Yelvertoft, Northampton had a great session on the bank taking over 10 fish, the best of these went to 5lb 5oz.
Edward Perrse, of London, was visiting Ravensthorpe last Thursday and says “Thank you to the team at Ravensthorpe who pointed me in the right direction and gave me a very happy morning’s fishing on my birthday…My best fish was around 8lb, one of twenty – a golden morning”.
Best methods for boat anglers have been black fritz, lure and orange blob.
Best Rainbow Mark Draper 11lb 11oz.
Best boat areas Left of Island, Coton Car Park, Causeway.
Best bank areas Platforms 1-12.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner M Davison of Cold Higham.
Fish stocked 320.
Pitsford Water
Fish week 472 (season 823) Returns 85 (177) Rod average 5.4 (4.6)
Anglers have had some great sport this week recording a rod average of 5.4. Many of the 85 catch returns submitted recorded anglers releasing fish to fight another day.
Boat anglers have enjoyed the best of the sport with the vast majority of the fish feeding on huge daphnia blooms in the deeper water. There have been several reports of 20-30 fish per angler, fishing Di3 or Di5 lines with blobs and boobies.
When the wind allows bank anglers have had the same sport but often the fish have been holding out just out of range.
The best boat areas are anywhere 70 yards from the bank and drifting till you find the daphnia feeders. Try Sailing Club bank, Cliffs and Narrows. Bank anglers have found Gorse, Cliffs and Bog Bay best.
Patterns to try are Pitsford Pea, orange blobs or boobies and bloodworm patterns.
Best boat areas Sailing Club Bank, Brixworth Bay, Bog Bay,
Stone Barn Bay.
Best bank areas Northfields Shore, Stone Barn Point, Gravels, Rigby’s Point, Sailing Club Bank, Duffers Reach.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Allan Worley of Moulton, Northampton.
Forthcoming events
Second Saturday of each month Pitsford will be offering fly tying tuition, casting coaching and general fishing advice.
Beginners courses 29 March; 5,12 & 24 April; 7,10,16 & 29 May and other dates throughout the season.
Anglian Water Rudder Match 23 May.
