• 10lb 6oz Rainbow at Pitsford Water
David Brady of Orlingbury lands best fish of the week.
• Grafham Water hosts nail biting Midlands decider for Anglian Water Airflo International final
Congratulations to Soldier Palmers, Airflo Team Cormorants and Greenwell Persauders A who have all won a place in International final at Rutland Water
• Help for Heroes Pairs Match Rutland Water 13 August
A popular match and auction
To find out more please call 01780 686441
www.anglianwater.co.uk/leisure
Rutland Water
Fish week 426 (17,344) Returns 156(5,085) Rod average 2.73 (3.41)
The best fish of the week at Rutland Water fell to season ticket holder Kevin Paige. Kevin, from Stamford, netted a superb 5lb 10oz Rainbow whilst fishing off the dam wall. Kevin said this fish took his dry fly no more than 4-5 feet out.
Season ticket holder Brian Bonner recorded a 5lb 4oz Rainbow amongst many other fish whilst boat fishing last Thursday.
Rutland Water produced good numbers of fish last week with boat anglers faring the best in the variable wind conditions. Regular boat partners John Wotherspoon and Brian Flack recorded 15 fish weighing over 40lb last Friday whilst fishing the rudder.
Fish have been feeding heavily on daphnia again, not only in the main basin, but also the South Arm. Fly hatches have been varied with very small buzzers coming off along with a number of large ones with a smattering of olives and sedge also making an appearance. Not many fish have latched onto the big supply of fry yet.
6,500 Fish were stocked last week bringing the season’s total to 68,750. Settled weather and less variable wind conditions would improve things dramtically.
Competition news
Major Clubs Group 2 match
A very good match fished on Wednesday 13 July with a rod average of 3.9.
The best fish of the match was a stunning 5lb 6oz overwintered Rainbow taken by Danny Peet who was fishing for the Queen Mother Club. The best bag of fish was caught by former retail retail staff member Charles Bowers who is now serving in the Royal Navy. Charles also had a very creditable 8 fish for 19lb 12oz (before time bonus!). Charles fished off Browns Island and reached his limit in just 3½ hours. Eight limits were recorded by 30 anglers.
1st Royal Navy/Royal Marines
2nd Queen Mother
3rd Soldier Palmers A
4th Bristol
5th Fish Hawks
Tuesday Night Boat League – last week’s match was cancelled due to a severe weather warning.
Rutland Water continued
Over 50’s match Sunday 24 July
Leicestershire based Ashley Davies and Gordon Bramwell won the event with 14 fish weighing 30lb 7oz. There were some good quality fish caught in this match which was based on loch style but without fly restrictions. Most fish were caught on lures with slow sinking lines catching fish feeding on daphnia. The South Arm produced some excellent fish on Di5 tubes. Yellowstone and Old Hall were also good areas with Di3’s, blobs and sparklers working well.
1st Gordon Bramwell and Ashley Davies 14 fish for 30lb 7oz
2nd Ron Gent and Graham Pearson 10 fish for 27lb 15oz
3rd Mike Netherclift and Gordon Alleyne 7 fish for 21lb
4th Jim Watts and Stuart Hume 10 fish for 20lb
Midlands Counties Cup
Four teams fished this match with Foremark Fly Fishers winning the event with 32 fish at 52lb 5oz.
1st Foremark Flyfishers 32 fish for 52lb 5oz
2nd Kirby Fly Fishers 19 fish for 43lb 4oz
3rd Hucknall 18 fish for 36lb 8oz
4th Colwick Fly Fishers 15 fish for 35lb 15oz
Best Rainbow 5lb 10oz taken by Kevin Paige of Stamford.
Best boat areas Bottom of the South Arm, Yellowstones to Spud Bay, the main basin.
Best bank areas Normanton, Sykes Lane.
Best methods Bank – floating line with nymphs and dries.
Boat – Sinking lines with nymph/lure combinations.
Mid week boat winner M J Barrett of Sheffield.
Fish stocked 6,500
Forthcoming events:
Beginners courses 31 July; 6,17 & 21 August and other dates throughout the season.
Tuesday Night boat league
Rutland Water Fly Fishers Juniors Day 4 August
A boat competition for youngsters in two age groups – 12-14 and 15-17 years
Each boat will be accompanied by an experienced RWFF boatman.
Entry forms from John Wadham 01572 771092 or Malcolm March 01780 722466.
Anglian Water Help the Heroes pairs match 13 August.
At this time of year the fishery is very popular so please call the fishing lodge on 01780 686441 to check for boat availability before making your journey.
Please note on Monday and Wednesday from May until September boats to be returned by 8pm.
Grafham Water
Fish week 698 (15,971) Returns 230 (3,644) Rod average 3.03 (4.38)
The highlight of the week at Grafham Water was the Midland final of the Anglian Water Airflo International, see Competition News for full report.
Both boat and bank anglers have enjoyed a good week with the trout mainly feeding on either pin fry or shrimp. Bank anglers have enjoyed good sport by fishing mainly floating lines with GRHE, diawl bachs, pheasant tail nymphs, crunchers and shrimp patterns. The most productive areas have been G bank, Marlow Stones, Deep Water Point, Point of Gaynes and numbers 32-26 on the dam (just south of dam tower). The Seat area has fished at times this week but with the current brisk westerly winds it isn’t always fishable.
Boat anglers have also had an excellent week’s fishing – mainly around the same areas that are fishing successfully for bank anglers. The main methods for boat anglers have been floating Di 3 lines with tequila blobs, woofter boobies, black buzzer, crunchers, diawl bachs, vivas, pheasant tail nymphs and shrimp patterns.
Competition News
Anglian Water Airflo International Midland final
Grafham Water hosted the Midlands Final on 18 July with 9 teams contesting three places at the International final at Rutland Water in early October. Only a few ounces separated the top two teams, both caught 38 fish, but it was Soldier Palmers with a total bag of 88lb 8 3/8oz who just beat Airflo Team Cormorants into second place with 38 fish for 88lb 1¾oz. There was a brilliant ‘Top rod’ performance by Greenwell Persuaders ‘A’ team member Graham Willis who caught his eight fish by 11.55am to give him a time bonus of 6lb and fellow team member Paul Mitchell who secured a time bonus of 4½lb. The Greenwell team time bonus made a valuable contribution to ݢtheir 33 fish for 85lb 9 3/8oz and clinched the team a place in the International final with Team Frog Hair catching 37 fish for 83lb 3 7/8oz and just missing out on qualification for the final.
Rob Edmunds fishing for Rio Masters took the best fish on the day – a Rainbow of 5lb 2 3/8oz.
1st Soldier Palmers 38 fish for 88lb 8 3/8oz
2nd Airlfo Team Cormorants 38 fish for 88lb 1¾oz
3rd Greenwell Persauders ‘A’ 33 fish for 85lb 9 3/8oz
4th Team Frog Hair 37 fish for 83lb 3 7/8oz
5th Rio Masters 33 fish for 78lb 3 1/8oz
6th Pitsford Pirates 27 fish for 66lb 8½oz
7th Team Rio-Draycote Flyers 26 fish for 54lb 7½oz
8th Defenders 24 fish for 51lb 12 7/8oz
9th England Youth Anglia 21 fish for 41lb 10oz
Grafham Water continued
Best Rainbow 5lb 2 3/8oz taken by Rob Edmunds.
Best Brown 3lb 1oz taken by John Timothy.
Best boat areas Gaynes Cove, G,D and N buoys, Deep Water Point.
Best bank areas Seat, Gaynes Cove, 32-26 on the Dam, Point of Gaynes, G bank, Marlow, Stones and Deep Water Point.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner Tony Curtis of Peterborough.
Fish stocked 2,000
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses:27 & 31 July; 7,14 & 28 August and other dates throughout the season.
Juniors Day 4 August – National Fishing Month.
Highly respected fly fishing coach, Peter Hartley, has put together a programme for young anglers interested in learning to fish. Two identical sessions running from 10 am to 12.30 pm or 2pm to 4.30pm.
The programme will include tactics, casting some fishing and fly tying.
Floating line match 6 August – All boats booked.
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 116 (8,720) Returns 56 (1,846) Rod average 2.0(4.7)
Boat fishing continues to dominate the good sport at Ravensthorpe with many anglers taking fish in the upper levels of the reservoir. In overcast conditions dries such as hares ear or orange hopper have produced some good bags of fish. Emerger patterns are also well worth a try. In brighter conditions buzzers on a washing line with a popper hopper on the point can score and the fish will still take damsel nymphs deeper down.
Bank fishing is challenging with a build up of weed hampering anglers fishing from the platforms. The dam is really the only spot with prospects, the best area is close to the draw off tower. The best boat areas have been drifts across the main basin and across the boils. Dry flies in slack water close to the bubbles can bedeadly. Catwalk Corner is also producing plenty of fish to nymphs and dries. The rest of the reservoir is fishing sporadically with small bags being taken from the tall willows, Catwalk End and the Island.
Best Rainbow 4lb
Best boat areas Aerators, middle of reservoir, Catwalk Corner.
Best bank areas Dam, platforms 13 and 14.
Best methods See report.
Mid week boat winner A Stensones of West Haddon.
Fish stocked 500
Pitsford Water
Fish week 320 (11,314) Returns 137 (3,136) Rod average 2.33 (3.61)
David Brady was boat fishing alone when he had the tug of his life. He hooked a 10lb 6oz Rainbow that nearly pulled his arm off! David hooked his personal best Pitsford trout on a damsel near to the Sermans bank. David, a season ticket holder, from Orlingbury near Kettering was delighted with his catch.
Graham Hutchins of Kingsthorpe, Northampton, bank fished to take a Rainbow of over 12lb from the Flats on an evening bank fishing session. He said “it was flat calm and nothing was moving when this huge Rainbow took my large dry fly!” Graham didn’t have any scales but estimated it to be well over 12lb. Graham returned his fish quickly after his friend captured the picture on his phone.
Bank anglers are still enjoying good sport, which isn’t always the case at this time of year when fish are normally out in the middle out of reach of bank anglers. With the cool summer temperatures the water is still cool in the margins and food here is prolific. Boat anglers have been catching good numbers of fish on the drift up in the main bowl area, mainly on nymphs and dry flies.
Best Rainbow 10lb 6oz taken by David Brady of Orlingbury.
Best boat areas Narrows and main bowl of Pines.
Best bank areas Bog Bay to Cliffs.
Best methods Diawls and small dries from drifting boats. Diawls and GRHE static on the ‘bung’. Damsels for fish close in to the banks.
Mid week boat winner J Ward of Long Eaton.
Fish stocked 1,000
Forthcoming events
Beginners courses: 30 July; 3,13 & 27 August and other dates throughout the season.
