Draycote Report W/E 31 October 2021

Weekly Fishing Report: Draycote, Eyebrook & Thornton 

Visit our Fisheries Websites: www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk   www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk  www.flyfishthornton.co.uk

Online Shop: www.flyfishstore.co.uk      Tuition & Guiding: www.flyfishtuition.co.uk

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Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

**New Email Address**: draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk

Week Ending Sunday 31st October Rod Average 4.2     Water Temperature 12 °C

Pre payment; We will be asking you to pay for your fishing with a debit or credit card at the time of booking. This will prevent unnecessary queuing at the lodge. Your permit & receipt will be at the booking In area. Staff working the pontoon will allocate you your boat. We recommend you use the hand sanitiser provide & wear a face covering if its busy.

The wind came from the Southwest on Monday with sunny intervals, as with the previous weeks the fishing was great with the rod average for the day finishing just below 6. Draycote season ticket holders Ian Richardson & Bob Smith enjoyed a good day’s sport landing 24 between them and commented on a “Brilliant Day” The pair fished along the Farborough Dam wall using a washing line set up with a Minkie booby on the point and then Nemo Crunchers on the droppers. Also using crunchers and boobies to great effect was James Maplethorpe & Trevor Moore who landed 18, also enjoying an “Excellent Day”. Fishery Guide Lee Henfrey fished with friend Gaz Roberts for a morning with the pair landing just over 20 fish. They used small weighted white snakes on RIO Hover lines once again along the Farborough Dam. 

The wind was a little stronger Tuesday once again in the same direction but this time with a little more South. On the bank the Swan’s Nest was the hotspot for the day, all water member Norman Perkins fished there using a washing line with Diawl Bachs to land 10 fish. Draycote member Tony Broadway landed 7 fish using size 14 Diawl Bachs on a washing line with a FAB on the point, including landing a 5lb 8oz Rainbow. Fellow member Pete Allen also landed 7 fish but didn’t comment on his fly choice. On the boats Lee Patten & Peter Elliot landed 17 between them drifting from the sailing club pontoon out to J Buoy on washing line and then snakes. Ian Morris drifting in a similar area used Muddlers to land 8 fish and also found fish around T Buoy. M Francis fished around the Hensborough Bank using a green and white lure to land 9 fish. 

Another windy day Wednesday, once again coming from the South, with overcast skies all day. On the bank Draycote member Brian Allwood landed 2 in a short session including a lovely 4lb rainbow from the Swan’s nest. Mick Cronin landed 8 fish also from the bank using a small white minkie and a floating fry pattern, while Stan Hillman used similar tactics to land 5. On the boats Draycote members Ian Richardson & Bob Smith landed 24 fish yet another “excellent day”. They drifted the Farborough Dam wall to the Spit and around J- T Buoy using Minkie boobies with Nemo Crunchers and also black and greens. Mr Woodroffe fished the first day of his 2 day break landing 12 fish and had “exciting sport all day” with a number of pulls and follows. Mr Woodroffe fished up near M Buoy and the Hensborough bank, using a Minkie booby fished on an intermediate just under the surface. Graham England 11 fish in a morning session using a washing line and then minkies. Fishery Guide Lee Henfrey fished with former manager Kevin Hart with the pair enjoying numbers a cricketer would be proud of. The best method was to use a RIO Hover and then 2 small, weighted snakes with a roly-poly retrieve. 

It was cloudy and breezy on Thursday and these conditions continued throughout the day. On the bank Jim Hall had one fish on a black lure which he estimated to be about 4 lbs, and Mike Ravenscroft netted 3 fish on olive snakes and popper fry patterns. The boat fishing seemed to mainly be happening out in front of the lodge where most anglers could be seen working lure patterns on intermediate or sinking lines. Ed Greenwood and Bryan Brown had a bakers dozen from the boat on various lures, whilst Chris Barby managed 12 on a washing line and nymphs. Dave Smith and Lee Henfrey were using Rio’s Hover line and tubes drifting off the front of the pontoon and working the flies quickly through the top of the water. Both anglers mentioned that they were catching good quality silvered up fish  all the way down the Farborough Dam and had netted over 40 from their boat. 

With a hard southerly blowing well over 25 mph, and some very heavy rain through the morning, boats were cancelled on Friday at Draycote Water. Six bank anglers however did take to the water, netting some good fish between them in what can only be described as very unpleasant conditions. Season permit holder Peter Allen caught 5 fish in Toft Shallows and Rainbow Corner using a variety of patterns. Mike Garner had three fish to the net, again in Toft on various fry patterns. 

A very wet start to the day on Saturday, thankfully this dried up by mid-morning with the wind around 18mph, with the occasional stronger gust. On the bank Slav & Jony landed 9 fish on olive snakes, fished at the Tower bank. Mr Matuska also used various lure patterns to land 8 fish again from the bank on a last four hour permit. On the boats Adam Larbalister & Ben Bayliss landed 15 between them on snakes and tubes fished along the Farborough Dam wall. Andrew Taylor and Steve Ellenbeck landed 25 fish to the boat using Midge Tips or floaters with a FAB on the point. We also had a number of boats practicing for the 6X4 competition the next day with them all catching well, but kept their cards close to their chest on how. 

Sunday brought some very strong winds from the south & southwest with changeable weather conditions making fishing from the boat & bank challenging. Draycote hosted the our final round of 6 x 4 competition which saw 48 anglers taking to water catching a total of 175 fish between them, giving a rod average of 3.7 which is very good given the conditions. Top rod on the day was Tim Joyce who caught his 8 fish drifting between J & T buoy; out in front of the lodge, using a Midge Tip with 2 Foam Arsed Blobs (FABs), one on the point & the other on the top dropper with 2 nymphs in between. On the bank, there was fish caught both up in Rainbow Corner & down at the Swans Nest with fry patterns proving successful; Minky Booby & White Snakes. Additionally, we hosted the final tuition day of the season with 4 enthusiastic, budding anglers in attendance. It was an excellent day with all participants enjoying the challenges of learning to fly fish & their endeavours were rewarded with a few autumnal Rainbow Trout coming to the net, including a cracking fish that tipped the scales at 5lb 3oz. For further information on forthcoming tuition days & future booking availabilities for the 2022 season please follow the link www.flyfishtuition.co.uk.  

Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

“New Email address”  thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk 

Stocking Policy As we enter the period of the year higher water temperatures we alter the average size of trout we stock our stocking policy for Thornton is explained on our website Stocking Policy | Fly Fish Thornton – Leicestershire Fly Fishery 

Pre payment; We will be asking you to pay for your fishing with a debit or credit card at the time of booking. This will prevent unnecessary queuing at the lodge. Your permit & receipt will be at the booking In area. Staff working the pontoon will allocate you your boat. We recommend you use the hand sanitiser provided & wear a face covering if it`s busy.

Week ending 31st October.  Rod Av: 2.4   Water Temperature: 13c

Monday following a rod average of 4 for the two previous days we were expecting to have a good start to the week. It was in fact the opposite with the best catch on the day 4 fish taken by Thornton member P Hunt on a booby. K Dobson fished pheasant tail nymph & buzzer to catch his 3 trout with most other rods catching just 1 or 2.

Tuesday and were back up to a daily rod average of 4.3, it seems a bit more cloud and a breeze are currently the best conditions. A sink 5 or 7 is best with a standard #10 or #8 cats whisker or cats whisker booby is working best. Thornton member P Martindale caught 17 for his visit, P Wrigley caught 7 with K Cowen catching 4 taking his seasons tally to 120 trout and a personnel rod average 4. Its worth fishing a popper minkie pattern on a floater over the weedbeds in front of the wood, anglers report their starting to get follows and takes on this method.

Wednesday & Thursday & were back to more challenging conditions. No boats out on Friday due to the strong winds

Saturday wet & breezy at time but that didn’t stop B Sibley & M Clay from catching 17 trout on sink 5 & 7 lines with cats whisker booby, with Andy Hallas & boat partner fishing the last 4 hour session catching 5 on sink 5 & 7 lines with booby & snakes

Sunday heavy rain and strong winds kept the boats on the pontoon

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

“New Email address”  eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk 

Pre payment; We will be asking you to pay for your fishing with a debit or credit card at the time of booking. This will prevent unnecessary queuing at the lodge. Your permit & receipt will be at the booking In area. Staff working the pontoon will allocate you your boat. We recommend you use the hand sanitiser provided & wear a face covering if it`s busy.

The Eyebrook 2021 season has drawn to a close.

We have enjoyed an excellent season finishing the year with a fishery rod average 4.4 which proves our stocking policy worked. You can view our stocking policy at http://www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/ 

Eyebrook will open for the 2022 season on Friday 4th March 2022

Our 2022 diary is open for individuals, clubs & competitions to book their visits for 2022

Thanks to Jim, Jason, Derek, Martin, Steve, Andy D & Andy M for ensuring the fishery followed our covid guidelines & you our customers enjoyed your visit

We will post weekly our shop opening hours