Pic: Simon Ashton with a 6lb 6oz brown trout from Rutland Water.
Rutland Water
Fish 508 (season 42,709) Returns 152(8,646) Rod average 3.34 (4.93)
Rutland Water is in excellent form.
Simon Ashton had a great day last Monday whilst fishing the North Arm. Simon says “It was very cloudy with a light westerly wind. I was using fry patterns and caught four good brown trout and two rainbows. The best brown weighed 6lb 6oz (my best this year). I then got two at the same time, one of 5lb 8oz and the other 3lb. Somehow I got them both in the net together!”
Joe Hardy of Soldier Palmers recorded a 6lb 5¾ brown from Old Hall flats on a fry pattern on Wednesday 18 October.
Jim Watts has compiled a list of Rutland’s specimen Browns this season. We’ve had a 9lb Brown recorded and two in double figures; 15 over 7lb; 88 over 5lb; 140 fish over 4lb and 283 fish over 3lb. As the Brown trout season draws to a close (31 October) we can reflect on an exceptional season for Browns.
Winter restrictions apply and brown trout are out of season from the 1 November, (so no fishing down the north or south arms). All browns caught from 1 November must be returned as quickly as possible and any that can’t be returned must be handed to fishery staff.
Competition news
Fry bashers
Day two of this match was fished at Rutland on Sunday 22 October. Strong westerly winds greeted anglers at Rutland following very windy conditions at Grafham for Day one.
Overall results
1st Cameron Neil
2nd Wayne Jones
3rd John Hardy
The best overall fish was a 5lb 10oz specimen Brown taken by Robbie Winram. Geoff Lawson recorded the best Rainbow at 4lb 3oz. The best bag of fish caught at Rutland went to Leanne Frost who recorded 8 fish for 16lb 11oz.
George Moore Memorial Trophy (Rudder) 28 October
1st Martin Hearth & Jim Watts 8lb 13oz
2nd Andy Ainscough & Dan Pitcher 6lb 15oz
3rd Ziggy Lesiakowski & Chris Binley 6lb 3oz
Best fish Jim Watts 5lb 14oz (Brown)
Best boat Martin Hearth and Jim Watts 16 fish for 35lb 10¼oz.
Rutland Water Continued
This match also concluded the Anglian Water 2017 rudder series
1st Roy Bartrum, Colan Bartrum & Chris Binley 36 points
2nd Simon Lehane & Yvonne Webb 29 points
3rd Mick Bennett & Ian Dolby 27 points
Great deals from 1 November. Day boat prices reduced to only £19. Half day 4 fish permits now valid all day.
Best Brown 5lb 12oz taken by Martin Hearth of Hambleton
Best methods Bank – fry patterns, nymphs (floating lines)
Boat – As for bank but include midge tips, various sinking lines with blobs, boobies, tubes and snakes.
Rutland Water continued
Best boat areas Most parts of the reservoir (please observe winter restrictions)..
Mid week boat winner M Holloway of Barnack.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing at Rutland Water – Pike, Zander and Perch only
Predator fishing on the fly to 31 January 2018
Lure and dead sea bait to 31 January 2018
Rutland Fur & Feather (bank) 3 December
Grafham Water
Fish 675 (season 21,088) Returns 118 (3,522) Rod average 5.72 (5.99)
It’s been a fantastic couple of week’s fishing at Grafham Water with both boat and bank anglers bagging up. The rod average for the season to date is 5.99.
Some superb fish have been coming out again with Mick Facey taking the best Brown at 6lb plus. There were several other good sized Browns around 5lb with a 5lb Brown for Mr Walker, Mr Brocklebank took a 5lb Brownie and a 5lb 8oz Brown went to Mr Taylor. The biggest Rainbow was around 5lb.
Boat angling is focussed on drifting in the bays or close to the banks with floating lines and shrimp patterns. However, the fry feeders over the last week have started to show readily with floating fry and minkies being top of the list. Anglers will find that lures such as the Pitsford pea, humungous, tubes and snakes will also work well particularly when pulled through quickly. The Seat has been producing a decent number of Brown trout this week with the odd Rainbow showing too, most succumbing to a lure.
Bank fishing is producing the highest bags with one lucky day ticket angler managing a colossal 40 fish. Most anglers are fishing shrimp patterns on floating lines, catching the majority of their fish very close in. Casting horizontal to the bank is producing much better bags than fishing out into the depths. The north shore has really improved over the past couple of weeks with anglers catching from Hill Farm round to the dam with those fishing lures also producing well too. It will be worth trying some of the shallower bays over the coming week as the trout start to hunt more readily, though all bank anglers must remember to keep mobile when the fishing starts to turn off.
Competition news
Fry bashers Day one fished at Grafham
Day one of this match was fished at Grafham on Saturday 21 October. Conditions were very challenging with strong winds and exceptional gusts. Day two in similar weather was fished at Rutland on Sunday 22 October.
Day One and Day Two Overall results
1st Cameron Neil
2nd Wayne Jones
3rd John Hardy
The best overall fish was a 5lb 10oz specimen Brown taken by Robbie Winram. Geoff Lawson recorded the best Rainbow at 4lb 3oz.
Please note that the winter restrictions will be in force from 31 October.
Just a reminder to season ticket holders – please ensure that your catch returns are submitted within the same week as you fished, otherwise the results do not contribute to the catch report.
Coming soon – A new competition – the Grafham Shrimp Masters.
A winter league to be fished from the bank across five dates with your three best results submitted. The six fish limit no catch and release match will be fished between 9am and 3pm with prizes for the best bag on the day and of course the top three and best fish of the league. Further information can be obtained from Grafham Fishing Lodge with no booking necessary.
Dates (all are Sundays) are as follows
12 November; 10 December, 17 December 2017
14 January, 28 January 2018
Great deals from 1 November. Day boat prices reduced to only £19. Half day 4 fish permits now valid all day.
Best Rainbow 5lb 5oz.
Best Brown 6lb plus taken by Mick Facey.
Best bank areas G Buoy, the Bowl, south Dam, Plummers and Gaynes, the Seat, the Willows, Marlow Arm, the Stumps, Deep Water Point, Hill Farm.
Best boat areas G Buoy, the Bowl, South Dam, Plummers and Gaynes, the Seat, Rectory Bay, Deep Water Point.
Mid week boat winner Mr Richards of Rampton
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing at Grafham Water
Predator fishing on the fly to 31 January 2018
Lure & dead sea bait to 31 January 2018
Grafham Shrimp Masters Bank League starts 12 November
Grafham Fur & Feather (bank) 26 November
Pitsford Water
Fish 142 (season 11178) Returns 37(2487) Rod average 3.8(4.5)
Pitsford Water continues to fish well and has again delivered this week with a monster Brown Trout.
Gavin Friell enjoyed an afternoon boat and celebrated his return from a back injury by taking a massive 12lb 2oz Brown. Gavin’s back was certainly tested when he hooked into this massive specimen while fishing a red holographic diawl bach in the Small Half. The fish was weighed and tipped the scales at 12lb 2oz before being returned. Gavin had a further four fish including another Brown of 5lb 9oz.
The rod average for the week is still a very healthy 3.8 with plenty of fish around the 3-4lb mark being caught. Many are now coming to fry patterns while bank anglers continue to catch on shrimp patterns.
The best bank areas are still the Gravels, Cliffs and Stilton Point while boats are catching off the Causeway, Narrows and Pines.
A reminder that the Small Half, Nature Reserve is out of bounds for any fishing from 30 October to 1 April 2018.
Pitsford’s Fur and Feather boat match is on 11 November and a few boats are still available please call the lodge on 01604 781350 to book.
Great deals from 1 November. Day boat prices reduced to only £19. Half day 4 fish permits now valid all day.
Best Brown 12lb 2oz taken by Gavin Friell.
Mid week boat winner John Batter of Huntingdon.
Forthcoming events
Predator fishing at Pitsford Water
Predator fishing on the fly to 31 January 2018
Lure fishing to 31 January 2018
Lure & dead sea bait to 31 January 2018
Pitsford Fur & Feather (boat) 11 November
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish 62 (season 10,062) Returns 19 (1,904) Rod average 3.2 (5.2)
Ravensthorpe was a bit challenging last week with most boat anglers taking one or two fish. Dave Naylor and his regular boat partner Steve Houghton had 17 fish to their boat, all on hoppers. Alan Duffin, who regularly fishes the Ravensthorpe bank took 8 fish off Mongers in two visits.
There’s still time to fish in the Anglian Water Fur & Feather match at Ravensthorpe on Sunday 5 November. Please call Ravensthorpe Lodge on 01604 770875 for more information.
Great deals from 1 November. Day boat prices reduced to only £19. Half day 1 fish permits now valid all day.
Best boat areas All over.
Best bank areas Mongers.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner John Fletcher of Desborough.
Predator fishing at Ravensthorpe
Predator fishing on the fly to 30 November 2017
Lure & dead sea bait 1 October 2017 to 30 November 2017
Forthcoming events
Ravensthorpe Fur & Feather (boat) 5 November
Followed by a meal at The Chequers. Please call the fishing lodge on 01604 770875 to book a place.
