Latest News and Information from

Week ending 18 March 2018

• Great start to new season at Rutland with rod average of 5.36

• Good sized specimen fish at Grafham Water

www.anglianwaterparks.co.uk

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 467 (season 467) Returns 87 (87)Rod average 5.36 (5.36)
Excellent fishing at Rutland Water at the moment, especially from the bank, with lots of fish caught. Anglers are commenting on the excellent size and quality of the stock fish. Rutland has been in superb form, despite the freezing east wind.

It’s not just lures taking fish, with a lot of anglers using nymphs, buzzer, diawl bach, bloodworm patterns etc in conjunction with floating/midge tip lines off the shoreline. Fish are feeding on small buzzers, shrimp and bloodworm. Last Friday saw an amazing turn in the weather – albeit for one day – but a promise of things to come. Temperatures reached 13-14 degrees with good numbers of small black buzzer hatching off.

Good numbers of stock fish are being caught around the 2½ – 3lb mark.
Frank Sumnall of Stoke on Trent took eight fish with half of these being 3lb. Malcolm Janik has taken several limits from the bank with many of these Rainbows around 3lb.

Visiting anglers have made trips to Rutland. Barry Glover travelled from Netley Abbey, near Southampton, to fish Rutland for a week. Barry had his best day with six Rainbows last Wednesday.

Overwintered fish are showing in some bags with bright silver Rainbows, overwintered Browns are also turning up with fish up to 5lb being returned.

Boat fishing – the unfavourable weather has been very challenging with low temperatures and winds reaching up to 35-40mph.

Please remember to submit a catch return ever time you fish.
Bank anglers are reminded that all anglers fishing the bank must be in possession of a landing net at all times.

Don’t forget Senior anglers can take advantage of discounted boats on Tuesdays – £20 per boat; Single man £14.

Best Rainbow 4lb 3oz taken by M Earl of Newark.

Best boat areas Normanton, Sykes Lane,

Best bank areas Normanton, Whitwell, Sykes Lane, East Creek, fishing lodge harbour.

Best methods Bank – floating/midge tip lines with weighted lures, plus nymphs, buzzers, diawl bachs, bloodworm.
Boat – as for bank, include blobs and cormorants.

Mid week boat winner C Doutce of Letchworth.

Fish stocked 16,350.

Forthcoming events
Independence Day Trophy 1 April
AWAI Northern heat 16 April
EFFA (by invitation) 17 April
England Eliminator 29 April
Beginners courses 29 March; 4,14,21 & 27 April; 6,18 & 25 May and other dates throughout the season.
Boat handling courses 30 April; 15 & 31 May and other dates throughout the season.

Grafham Water
Fish 254 (season 361) Returns 80 (120) Rod average 3.17 (3.0)
The second week of the season has seen an improvement in the fishing, with bank and boat anglers performing well, landing some very good over-wintered fish. The week’s rod average stands at a respectable 3.17.

Some anglers have been landing some fantastic over-wintered rainbows and brownies, though one fish really stands out from the crowd! Mr Liam Johnson, fishing on the dam, managed to tempt a colossal Brown trout on an intermediate line and black and green lure. The fish was estimated at around the 11lb mark though it was most probably even larger than that! A huge well done from all at Grafham, a fish that really doesn’t come around too often, returned to fight another day. Others catching huge brown trout include our resident fly fishing guru and tuition expert Peter Hartley who landed a lovely brownie at over 5lb, well done to you Peter. Jim Flannigan also landed a huge brownie of 4lb 2oz, a cracking fish, well done. The picks of the over-wintered rainbow trout this week include Phil Barker’s 3lb 8oz fish and Paul Willis’s 4lb 2oz fish.

Boat fishing over the last week has been good, with many reporting seeing the fish up in the water and usually falling to lures, buzzer and shrimp. It’s important to bring a selection of lines with you due to the current weather conditions though at the moment the intermediate seems to be the line of choice.

The lure fishing is mixed with some fish taking more readily on fast retrieves whilst some prefer the drifting minky, keep this in mind on your next visit and adjust tactics to suit. Those fishing shrimp patterns will be happy to know that they have been stirred up by the strong winds, triggering a feeding response from some of our over-wintered fish, so dust off your hare’s ears on your next visit. The most productive areas are in and around the bays dotted along the north shore.

Some cracking bank fishing is on offer, much the same as the boats with a real mixed bag of tactics working throughout the day, though most are having more luck fishing white and green and black and green lures on intermediate lines. Currently the wind conditions are making things particularly difficult to fish anywhere other than the north shore, however the anglers out there are generally having at least a fish during the session. The reservoir is at 100% capacity meaning that the fish will be very close to the margins looking for food, its vastly important to cast your swim before you begin wading, ensuring you don’t spook them too far out early on.

Best Rainbow 4lb 2oz taken by Paul Willis.

Best Brown Estimated as at least 11lb.

Best boat areas North shore bays.

Best bank areas North shore, pylon, deep water point, Hill Farm, Pig Bay

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Phil Barker of Herts.

Fish stocked 1,750.

Forthcoming events
Anglian Water Rudder Match 7 April
Snowbee Floating Line 14 April
Beginners courses 23 & 28 March; 7,12,22 & 25 April;5,20 & 26 May and other dates throughout the season
Boat handling 1,14 & 28 May and other dates throughout the season.

Pitsford Water
Fish 141 (season 248) Returns 36(70) Rod average 3.9 (3.5)
Another challenging week for Pitsford with the weather continuing to cause problems. Anglers that have fished have been rewarded with some good sport and a rod average for the week of 3.9. With another stocking of 2,000 fish our total stocked for the season to date is 6,700. We are now seeing fish more spread out across the lake.

With the water still very cold the fish are down in the water but if you use the correct approach they are willing to take. The best method is either small lures fished on sunk lines or bloodworm patterns fished deep and static under an indicator. With conditions set to improve later this week it will not be long before the fish really turn on.

Mid week boat winner Mike Green of Northampton.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 25 & 31 March; 8 & 20 April; 3,16 & 19 May and other dates throughout the season.
Boat handling courses 2, 17 & 29 May and other dates throughout the season
Anglian Water Rudder Match 5 May

Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish 35 (season 275) Returns 13 (54)Rod average 2.6 (5.1)
It’s been a quiet week at Ravensthorpe. Boat anglers fishing mid week caught fish but when the weather took a turn for the worse very few ventured out. Although the weekend brought cold weather, snow and high winds prospects look better with higher temperatures forecast.

There’s not been much activity on the bank.

Methods mentioned this week included ‘small lures, black and green, cats whiskers’ with a method of ‘count to 20 and slow pull back’.

Best Rainbow 3lb 4oz taken by Mark Tebbun.

Best boat areas Near Catwalk.

Best bank areas platforms 13 and 14 (not much bank activity).

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner John Wise.