Draycote Water weekly report week ending 28th October 2018
Telephone Number 01788 812018
A much colder week with it really starting to feel more like autumn with most the leaves now showing there autumn colour and shorter fishing days. The cooler week has started to see some of the better fish coming out to fry patterns and reports of big browns following flies right to the boat. The settled wind from the North all week has meant the bank anglers have enjoyed some great sport along the North shore with the Cornfield producing consistently all week. Overall a total of 233 anglers visited the fishery landed a total of 1,252 trout for a rod average of 5.4.
Monday started with a flat bright start after an early morning frost. When the wind did it pick up it came from the North West at around 12pmh. On the bank season ticket holder Ian Richardson enjoyed good sport in Toft landing 12 fish. Ian used a floating line with a small FAB on the point and 2 crunchers on the droppers. Derek Elms fished along the Cornfield again using a washing line with crunchers to land 8. Mr D Brooks and P Hedges fished in Biggin Bay to land 13 fish between the pair of them. Out on the boats Ed Douglas landed 9 with 3 fish coming to dries first thing on the morning before swapping to snakes on a di 3 when the sun got higher in the sky. Kevin Rees stuck to his usually dry fly tactics and was rewarded with 9 fish all on bob’s bits. The best score for the day was recorded by Rod Wilson who boated 18 fish on the rudder using a di 3 sinking line and tubes.
The wind stayed in the North West, Tuesday blowing at around 20mph, as a result it was a day for the bank anglers who all caught well. Fishing along the Cornfield Tony Broadway landed 21 fish using a washing line with a tequila FAB on the point and crunchers along the line on the droppers. David East used similar tactics along from Tony to land 18 fish. Peter Allen also fished the Cornfield to land 14. Norman Perkins fished off Lincroft point using a FAB or a black bugger to land 15 fish. Out on the boats Tony Plummer & Colin England landed 12 fish a piece fishing in Biggin Bay and Toft on a mixture of minkies and nymphs. Mr T Ham & R Jones fished snakes and shrimp patterns around the Farnborough Dam wall and Croft Shoal to land 18 fish to the boat.
A brighter day that Forecast Wednesday, although cloud did arrive later in the day. The wind remained consistent coming from the North West. Due to the bright conditions the bank anglers found it slightly trickier than the previous day although still posted some good returns. P Frith fished off the Cornfield using a mix of cormorants and damsels to land 8 fish. Father & Son team Jim & Richard Hall also fished the Cornfield landing 14 between them using a washing line technique. Kevin Rees fished at the old pipe in Biggin Bay landing 21 fish on a washing line with shrimp patterns. Out on the boats Eugene Hughes enjoyed a great days sport landing 35 fish. Eugene using a Di 5 sweep line with a mixture of minkies snakes and humongous. Eugene found the best area to be fishing down the Farnborough Dam wall and around H buoy to the spit.
A much cloudier day Thursday with the sun only breaking through for short periods throughout the day. With the return of the cloud the bank fished once again provided great sport. Jude Tuffs fished along the Cornfield to land 17 fish on a mixture of tactics from washing line to using various tadpoles and lures. Fishing along side Jude, Tony Broadway landed 15 fish using a washing line with a tequila FAB and crunchers. Out on the boats Ed Douglas & Jim Smith enjoyed good sport landing over 30 fish to the boat. The pair started out drifting over Croft shoal before moving towards Farnborough spit later that day. Their best tactics was to fish either a di 3 or di 5 sinking line with a mix of snakes or tubes and landed some cracking fish. Another boat also landing over 30 fish was Guiding & Tuition Manager Tom Bird & In House Guide Lee Henfrey. The pair fished around Farnborough spit using a mixture of tactics from tubes on a di 5 and snakes on the same line to boobies fished on a di 7. These tactics also accounted for some quality rainbows with 10 of the fish over 3lb with a couple over 4lb. Season ticker holder Dave Hancox landed 16 fish from further along the Farnborough Dam on olive snakes on an intermediate line. The boat of D Naylor & S Houlton fished around the Tower and Draycote Dam before moving down to the Farnborough Dam in the afternoon using a mixture of hoppers and sedges to land 25 fish to the boat.
Cloud most of the day Friday with the wind once again coming from the North West. In house Guide Lee Henfrey took out Nick Broad on a 4 hour guide looking to improve his general knowledge of the reservoir and fishing techniques. Nick enjoyed good sport improving his knowledge of sinking line fishing as well as learning to double haul to improve his distance.
Keeping it in the family Lee’s brother Graham went out with Steve Jordan fishing around Farnborough spit on snakes on sinking lines to land 10 between them. Trevor Heseltine & Mil Ranic landed 13 between them using washing nymphs in Toft. On the bank John Dews landed 7 fish on a washing line from the Cornfield. Colin Granger also fished on the Cornfield to land 6 again on a washing line.
A very cold day Saturday with the wind swinging to come from the North East mixed with some rain with sleet at times. On the bank Peter Elliot and Lee Patten fished along the Cornfield using a washing line with Nemo Crunchers on the droppers to land 26 and 15 each. Also on the bank Jim Hall landed 8 fish from Biggin Bay on shrimp patterns. Out on the boats rudder regulars Ifor Jones & Jim Dempsey enjoyed great sport on tubes on a di 3 to boat 22. Also, out on the day was Coppenhall Fly Fishers, who enjoyed great late season sport with the best catches coming from along the Farnborough Dam on snakes and tubes on sinking line. Almost all the anglers from the club had their 4 fish limit for the scales and returned several other fish. However, it was Mike Laycock who won the match helped by landed a lovely 5lb brown at the end of the spit on a snake.
Sunday saw an improvement with in the weather with a sunny day instead of the rain and sleet of the previous day, although there was still a chill in the air due to the Northerly wind. The bright conditions teamed with clear water made things slightly tricky from the bank. However, Richard Walker fishing along the Cornfield landed 7 fish, on minkies. On the boats Keith Harding & Mike Clarke landed 11 fish between them snake boobies and fry patterns on a di 3 fished down the Farnborough Dam wall and over Croft shoal. Ben Bayliss & Adam Larbalestier landed 11 fish a piece using pink snakes and black and gold humongous on a di 3 sinking line along the Draycote Dam then into Biggin Bay and along the Farnborough Dam. S Martin & J Collins enjoyed good sport once again on snakes landing 11 fish from the boats on the last four hour ticket.
2019 Season Permit: If you’re interested in the availability of a season permit at Draycote or our New All Water Membership allowing the flexibility to fish any of our waters contact the Draycote Lodge 01788812018 or email lodge@flyfishdraycote.co.uk
Weekly Boat draw
Congratulations to Russ Rabot from Southam winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 233 Number Trout Taken: 364 Number Trout Released: 888
Total Catch: 1,252 Weekly Rod Average: 5.4
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 16.45
Boat All Day: 07:30 until 16:45
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 13.30
Last 4 Hours from: 12:45 until 16:45 (Ticket sales available from 12:30)
Gutting Room Closes –17:30
All Anglers to be off site by: 18:30
Guiding & Tuition.
New for the 2018 season the Guiding & Tuition team will running a blog. The idea of this blog is to provide hints and tips from your guides to help keep you catching depending on the conditions, tackle reviews and write up of guiding sessions. To have a look at the blog please visit http://www.flyfishtuition.co.uk/latest-report/
Dates for the Diary
Fur & Feather
This seasons Fur & Feather match at Draycote will be held on Sunday 25th November 2018. Fished as a pairs competition with 12 fish to the boat.
1st Prize Christmas Hamper for winning pair
2nd Prize 2 Bottles of Wine Each
3rd Prize Box Chocolates
Largest Fish Bottle Spirits
The match will be fished to fishery rules, NO RUDDERS and will start at 09:30 and finish at 16:00. All those wishing to take part should call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book your boat.
Tight lines,
The Draycote Team
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