Draycote Water weekly report week ending 11th June 2017
Telephone Number 01788 812018
A week plagued by strong winds, this culminating with the boats being cancelled Tuesday. Despite the strong winds and the restrictions, the fish where still willing to pull back for the anglers who faced the less than ideal condtions. Overall this week 354 anglers braved the wind and where rewarded with 924 fish for a rod average of 2.6.
The week started with a gusty windy day this teamed with showers made for unpleasant fishing conditions. Despite the conditions many of the anglers caught well, Mr Brooks fished the bank in Rainbow corner landed 15 hard fighting fish. Using a washing line set up with small buzzers on the droppers and fab on the point. Out on the boats using the strong winds to their advantage to cover the water quickly on the rudder, Rod Wilson and Jim Dempsey landed 18 apiece. The pair found the fish across various marks around the lake, with B buoy and the deep water holding good amounts of fish. The pair found most of their fish came to gold and silver tubes on a di 7-sinking line. Other good catches came from the Tosh Storrar party down from Scotland & Wales for 4 days. The lads caught fishing straight line buzzer or the washing line in Rainbow corner to land well into couple figures including some excellent fully find residents.
No boats could take to the water Tuesday, due to the average wind speeds being over 25mph. A few hardy souls did brave the bank, Peter Allen being amongst them. Peter landed 4 fish from Rainbow corner using small size 14 buzzers fished on a washing line. A few of the Storrar party also braved the tower bank and where rewarded for their efforts catching on straight line buzzers with a small tadpole type lure on the point.
Fortunately, the wind dropped Wednesday and the boats could go out. Gary Johnstone & C McMonagle enjoyed good sport with over 20 fish to the boat, the pair took these drifting out from Rainbow Corner towards A buoy and the deeper water, using a team of mini lures and blobs on a di 7 and di 5 sinking line. Mr J Baxter also enjoyed good sport landing 15 fish from near the outlet fishing buzzers and nymphs. Mr Pete Fisher fished in front of the Inlet on the Draycote Dam to land 12 fish, Pete’s tactics were black and green buzzers on a 25ft leader fished nearly static. Sean Jarvis & Rod Kurt also enjoyed good sport on buzzers landed 12 fish to the boat fishing the Hensbrough bank.
Thursday saw the wind drop slightly which allowed the boats to venture out of Rainbow corner for the first time properly this week. From the bank Season ticket holder Dennis Jones landed 7 fish from the overflow using small size 14 black buzzers and a small black booby on the point. Another season ticket holder getting into the fish but this time from the boat was Robert Lind and his father. The pair fished in Biggin Bay to land 10 fish to the boat using minkies and other lures fished on 3 inch per second sinking line. Mr R Walker & N Barber landed 18 fish to the boat fishing buzzers at Lincroft point on a floating line. Jim Baxter and A Brunt fished around the outlet on straight line buzzers and nymphs to land over 30 fish to the boat. Tosh Storrar also used nymphs and buzzers from the boat fishing various marks around the land to land a fantastic 37 fish, with several overwintered fish in the mix as well.
A tricky day with the wind Friday, father and son team Jim and Richard Hall caught well of the bank fishing the old pipe in Biggin. They found the fish willing to take washing lined nymphs and dries, the pair commented about the amount of takes with the fish just falling off in play. Eddie Mitchell and his brother fishing the washing line to land 16 fish to the boat, fishing in Biggin Bay and down in Toft. Mr S Venti & Mr N Jones fished near the inlet on buzzers either fished on the washing line or straight lined to land 18 fish. Out on the boat Kevin Rees and John Dickens fished crippled midge patterns all day, and boated 9 fish they found the fish in Biggin bay and Duns. Friday also saw several teams practicing for the AMFC match the following day, and while they kept their cards close to the chest about specific areas. They did let us know that they caught very well fishing the washing line down the Cornfield and going through Toft.
Saturday saw the group 3 round 2 match of the Associate of Major Fishing Clubs (AMFC), with 5 six man teams taking part. The Solider Palmer B team won the match with several limits and good catches from the rest of the team. The Army tactic of choice was to fish the a 12ft midge tip teamed with a FAB on the point and nymphs up the line. They found the fish drifting from the sailing buoys in Toft onto the cornfield, and then lower down going across from the swans next. The other teams used similar tactics and areas. Although Joan Russel found the fish up near C Buoy drifting towards the bank using a slow intermediate with a pink and white blob, taking all her fish. Outside of the match in house guide Tom Bird, took the father and Son due of the McKays out for a 4-hour session. The pair enjoyed great sport calling it a “red letter day”. Tom set them both up on a team of three buzzers fished on a floating line, with the fish all coming from the willow trees in Toft. In the 4 hours, they landed 16 with Tom, then went back out using the same tactics and landed a further 13 apiece. Gary Johnston and his boat partner enjoyed good sport fishing to the left-hand side of the overflow using buzzers under the bung to land over 30 fish to the boat. Mr Houlton & Mr Naylor used dry flies around the Inlet and the top dam wall to land 28 fish with hoppers and daddies being their best patters. Mr Watson & Mr Pryde also fished those areas on dries to land 18 fish to the boat.
The wind again increased on Sunday making Toft very lumpy indeed, the gusty wind made presentation difficult, and the breeze would move the boat and the nymphs, with very little control. Vince Aronica enjoyed good sport on a variety of methods from dries to sinking lines and snakes, Vince found the fish in Rainbow corner and along to the overflow. Nick Holdsworth fished from the boat on sinking lines and lures near the lower to land 9 lovely fish. Jim Smith caught well, with 13 fish along the Draycote Dam wall and near the inlet using dries. Jim’s best patterns where big reds, ginger hopper and red Harry Potter’s. Trevor Moore fished near the inlet using a team of buzzers fished on a long leader on a floating line to land 8 fish.
The weekend also hosted 2 Jim Williams beginner tuitions days, with 9 people learning to cast and fly fish over the weekend. It was a great success with all the participants landing their first trout over the two days. Not only did they land fish they landed good fish taking advantage of some overwintered fry feeding fish that have moved onto the harbour. See out Facebook page www.facebook.com/flyfishstore for the pictures of the weekend. For more information on upcoming tuition days call the lodge on 01788 812018 or visit the website www.flyfishtuition.co.uk .
Looking forward to this next week to the strong winds are to drop Monday night giving way to what look near perfect conditions Tuesday & Wednesday with light winds and cloud cover for the majority of the day. This will allow anglers access to all areas of the lake again and hopefully get the lovely overwinter fish from the middle on dries again.
Weekly Boat draw:
Congratulations to Richard Reeve of Rugby who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 354 Number Trout Taken: 256 Number Trout Released: 668 Total Catch: 924 Weekly Rod Average: 2.6
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until : 21:45
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 21:45
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 15:00 PM 15:00 until 21:45
Last 4 Hours from: 17:45 until 21:45 (Ticket sales available from 17:30)
Gutting Room Closes: 21:15
All Anglers to be off site by: 22:00
Fishery News
Tuition Days- Beginners Courses
Saturday 8th July Hosted by Kevin Hart and Tom Bird. Currently four places available
Saturday 14th October Hosted by Kevin Hart and Tom Bird. Currently five places available
Call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book or for further information
Trout Masters
Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck
Dates for your diary:-
Competition Contact
Scierra Pairs Match – 25th June – Visit website.
Alex Booth Memorial – 29th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825
Angling World Holiday Heat 5th and 6th August – Visit website
TEFF Fundraiser. Dry Fly Championship 16th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117
Angling World Holiday Final – 23rd and 24th September
Troutmasters Final – 9th October. – See Fishery staff.
Boat Cleanliness:
Our hard pressed team strive to maintain the boats to a high standard of cleanliness. Anglers are kindly requested to respect their endeavours by keeping their vessels shipshape & litter free. Particular attention should be paid to avoiding the unnecessary practise of pulling muddy anchors on board. These should be shaken clean before being lifted into the boat. Your assistance in this regard will be most appreciated.
Guiding & Tuition:
Why not take your own fishing further with a day out on the water with England Internationals and fishery staff Lee Henfrey or Tom Bird. Whether you wish to get to know the water better or hone a particular skill, our guides can help to improve your catch rates. Contact the visit the website www.flyfishguiding.co.uk for more information or book a slot call the lodge on 01788 812018.
Keep up to date with the latest catches and fishing posts from our in-house fishery ranger and guide Tom Bird, by following him on Facebook. Tom has been catching some great fish this season and posting pictures of the fish as well as a light write up on how he has been catching them.
Tight lines,
The Draycote Team
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