Draycote Water weekly report week ending 5th May 2019
This weeks special offer, following on from last week relates to buzzers. The guiding & tuition team have put together their 5 best patterns. For information see the bottom of the report.
Quite calm weather up until Saturday resulted in some warm comfortable fishing here at Draycote, with fish showing on top for most of the week. A lot of the fish were caught on a floating line with nymphs, with one or two anglers having some success on the dries. There has been a good spread of fish throughout the reservoir and in particular the markers in open water such as A, B, and Y buoy. Drifts into the top end of Toft shallows past T, S and F buoy have also proved successful. The bank anglers generally have not had it easy with the fish holding at distances from the bank through the middle of the day that have proved unreachable. With a current water temperature of 11 degrees we would expect the fish to feed in along the shore throughout the day. However the mostly bright conditions seemed to push them off the immediate shoreline by about 9:00am, with them not returning until early evening.
Monday was a very warm day with air temperatures getting up to 19 degrees before 11am. A very light easterly made for some excellent drifts out from toft shallows past G buoy, F buoy and then on to Croft Shoal.” Buzzers on the bung” worked well for some anglers from the bank with Ian Richardson netting 3 on that method alone. Richard Walker caught a brace from the bank at Lincroft point using nymph patterns. Rod Wilson fished deep on sinking lines and a silver tube to net 10 fish from the boat, one of which was a 6lbs1oz rainbow. Draycote season permit holder Kevin Rees netted 9 fish from the boat on dries such as bobs bits.
Yet another bright start to a very calm day on the water on Tuesday, with some great buzzer hatches happening throughout the day. Yet again bank anglers caught fish, but nowhere near the numbers being taken by boats in open water. Bob Smith caught 6 fish from the bank while Brian Warwick and Tony Broadway had 3 each. Out on the boats Ed Douglas was having a great day netting 18 fish, 15 of which came to his own dry fly patterns. Colin England and Tony Plummer had 26 fish to the boat between them, all on buzzers. Gareth Bulman and Phil Wood took the Wheelie boat out, netting 22 fish between them on buzzers and crunchers.
It was a little bit windy through the latter part of the day on Wednesday with some gusts exceeding 20pmh. All water season permit holder Jamie Scott had a busy boat day netting 15. Dave Smith managed a dozen, some of which he took on dries. Ed Douglas also faired well, netting 15 fish from a drifting boat, with 6 of them coming to the dries, the remainder on nymphs. Eddie Mitchell and Dave Kennell described the day as “superb”, having netted17 fish, all over 2lbs and “pulling your arm off”. Gareth Bulman and Phil Wood were out in the wheelie boat again They netted 13 rainbows from various points around the reservoir including the Tower Bank and Toft shallows. Alex Campbell netted 4 in a morning session, drifting past T buoy using UV crunchers on a floating line. Two of the fish were well over 3 lbs and “put up one hell of a fight”.
Thursday was described as “a lovely day out on the bank” by Ian Richardson, who took 6 fish on buzzers presented under a bung in Duns Bay. Roger Davies caught 6 from the bank on buzzers and damsels. Out on the boats Gordon Bramwell netted 18 fish whilst straight-lining buzzers on a floating line. Richard Walker and Nigel Barber landed 16 on lures having located at depth. On the final day of their three day break in the wheelie boat, Gareth Bulman and Phil Wood brought a dozen fish to net on a variety of patterns.
Not the warmest day on Friday with air temperatures only pushing up to about 11 degrees. With a cold, changeable wind, the chill factor was significant with some anglers coming off early describing conditions as like a November day. Brian Warwick did catch 5 from the bank as did Richard Farnsworth. Mr M Smith did well with an 8 fish total from the bank in an afternoon session. Bill Ramage & Alan Bernard enjoyed a two day mini break and a combination of Cat’s Whiskers, FABs & Crunchers accounted for a tally of 28 to the boat. John Williams partnered with Rob Hutchinson with them netting 10 each but commenting on how they had to use fast sinking lines to locate feeding fish in the cold weather.
Saturday dawned cold and windy with a strong north westerly blowing in towards the lodge. Most anglers started with confidence on the outer markers in open water but as the wind speed picked up, steadily migrated to the shelter of the leeward shore. One of the few boats which stayed out in open water was that of Ivor Jones and Jim Dempsey. They experienced great sport having employed rudder tactics and DI7s to net 36 fish between them. One of the fish they returned weighed 4lb 8oz. Glen Moody and Phil fished as part of the Coppenhall group & boated 26 fish from open water on traditional tactics in some very difficult conditions, an extraordinary feat in anyone’s book. Special congratulation too for Dayle McCormick who landed three rainbows from a boat on what was his first ever fishing trip!
A lighter NNW wind for the morning on Sunday, moving into the west slightly during the afternoon. Air temperatures were up on Saturday’s but did only just get into double figures. Martyn Moore excelled with olive buzzers boat fishing off Croft Shoal in the morning & then along the Toft end of the Farborough Dam. His session ended with a total of 20 to the boat. Darren & Luke Dodd also fished green buzzers, together with a cruncher & hopper combination to boat 7 & 8 respectively. Season ticket holder Alan Grant did very well bank fishing along the Tower Bank. He stuck to damsel patterns and enjoyed fine sport throughout ending with an 11 fish total. A busy bank holiday weekend day to end the week with 70 anglers on the water recording a total catch of 292 – a rod average of 4.11
Disabled Anglers
Draycote has a wheelie boat for hire, which includes a ramp and hydraulic lift for wheelchair access. To book the wheelie boat call the lodge on 01788 812018.
COMPETITIONS During June
6th June 2019 Ladies International (boatmen / boatwomen required contact the lodge 01788812018)
15th & 16th June 2019 Angling Trust Loch Style Championship
www.anglingtrustevents.net/e/222/loch-style-team-championship-2019
27th June 2019 – Alex Booth Fly Fishers Charity Match contact Roy Lewin via 07762 746825
Fishery Tackle Shop & Online Shop
Draycote has a tackle shop at the fishery stocking SAGE, RIO, VISION, REDINGTON, WYCHWOOD, GREYS, SNOWBEE, FULLING MILL, FARIO, LOON, FISHPOND and STREAMWORKS products with demo SAGE, Vision & Redington rods & RIO fly lines for you to take out and try.
We also have an online shop. For all you anglers who might not be aware www.flyfishstore.co.uk is the online store for Draycote and the whole of Fishery Management (UK) Ltd. During the 2019 season we will be looking at doing weekly specials offers on the website. The weeks special offer is the Guiding & Tuition teams’ best buzzers and how to fish them in the latest blog at www.flyfishtuition.co.uk by Tom Bird. To see the special offer please visit www.flyfishstore.co.uk/offers
Weekly Boat draw
Congratulations to Mr Peter Watson from Windsor the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 374 Number Trout Taken: 350 Number Trout Released: 1052
Total Catch: 1402 Rod Average: 3.74
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 21:00
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 21:00
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 15:00 PM 15:00 until 21:00
Last 4 Hours from: 17:00 until 21:00 (Ticket sales available from 16:45)
Gutting Room Closes – 20:30
All Anglers to be off site by: 21:30
Tight lines,
The Draycote Team
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