Draycote Report W/E 14th November 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 14^th November      Rod Average 3.5   Water Temperature  9.5°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.

A lovely start to the week, with light winds to start, although, they did increase during the day and mild temperatures. On the bank Mr Warren landed a nice brace from Rainbow Corner using orange daddies. Ged O’Donoghue landed 3 fish in a 4 hour bank session commenting it was the “perfect day”. On the boats Ian Richardson & Bob Smith landed 11 fish using a minkie booby on the point with Muskins & Nemo Crunchers on the droppers. Trevor Moore fished with James Maplethorpe landed 17 fish and lost as many fishing near Rainbow Corner & The Hensborough Bank using small white boobies and crunchers. Kevin Hart fished from a boat to land 10 fish, with Kevin finding the fish out in the Middle and down the Farborough Bank with a minkie booby and popper fry being his best patterns.

On the bank Tuesday Stan Hillman used Popper Fry down in Toft to land 4 fish. Just up the bank from Stan, Colin Day landed 3 fish. Colin fished at the Swan’s nest with a small white lure and hares’ ears. On the boats Ian Morris landed 4 fish fishing around J Buoy drifting down the Farnborough Dam wall. Malcolm Bryan enjoyed some “great sport” landing 6 fish on a minkie booby with all his fish taking the fly off the top.

A drizzly start to the day with light winds that swung as the day progressed, into the North, and went flat at times. On the bank Kevin Rees landed 8 fish using a washing line with small size 14 crunchers. Also on the bank John Dicken landed 4 fish again using a washing line, with Diawl Bachs on the droppers. All water season ticket holder Michael Ravenscroft chose to go down the line of fry imitations on the bank, taking his 4 using olive Minkies. On the boats Mick Nicholls fished around Farborough Spit landing 7 fish. David Moore & Chris Mcleod found washing lining to be their best tactic landing fish around X Buoy and along the Farborough Dam. The boat partnership of fishery guide Lee Henfrey & Kevin Hart once again enjoyed a great day’s sport. Landing 37 fish to the boat, Lee using a RIO Hover line with small, weighted snakes. While Kevin used RIO Fathom sink 3, again on snakes. They caught everywhere the stopped on the lake, X Buoy, Farborough Spit, P Buoy and then drifts across the middle.

A dry and fairly calm day at Draycote on Thursday saw both boat and bank anglers alike post some good returns. All water season permit holder Norman Perkins took to the bank and netted 10 good fish on minkie boobies and buzzers down in Toft Shallows. Bank fishing regulars Mick Cronin and Stan Hillman had a good day on the bank netting 7 and 5 fish respectively. Mr Alan Bettles, also fishing from the bank netted 5 fish, all on white minkies. Out on the boats Ed Douglas had 15 fish using fry patterns fished just below the surface. Dave Adkins and Richard Hanlon had 7 fish to the boat between them using snakes and diawl bachs on an intermediate line in Toft Shallows.

Friday dawned with a south westerly wind which strengthened about  ten o’clock, moving all but the sturdiest anglers up to the leeward end of the reservoir. Bank fishing was an uncomfortable affair, with only a few fish caught here and there. However Ashley Morris did manage 4 to the net on cats whiskers. Young Stephen Dewhurst also caught 4 fish from the bank but kept the information on his tactics a closely guarded secret. Out on the boats Dennis Tidmarsh netted half a dozen on white snakes fished through the top few feet of the water. Tim and Paul Polito netted a dozen fish between them using minkie boobies and nymphs on a floating line. Tom Bird and Lee Henfrey had over 20 fish to the boat mainly using DI3’s and lure patterns. Tom and Lee kept on the move and even visited Toft Shallows for a time, but they both remarked that the best of the fishing was out in front of the fishing lodge and down the Farborough Dam.

Saturday was mostly overcast with a south westerly breeze which swung further into the west as the day progressed.  A good days fishing overall methinks. Season permit holder Paul Walker took to the bank to net a total of 7 fish overall on crunchers and minkies. Young Mike Garner, who had a brace from the bank, fished fry patterns in Biggin Bay. Mr A Topping caught half a dozen whilst bank fishing, using the washing line method with diawl bachs and a minkie booby. Mr Ben Bayliss and Mr Brian Sheilds ventured out in a boat to net 15 fish between them with most of the fish taking a white booby. Chris Pallot and Carl Holland had half a dozen fish to the boat during a morning session using white humungus fished on a DI3. Chris and Carl caught their fish in the area around P buoy and up on the Draycote Dam. One of our newcomers Gavin Lau, took to the boat for a morning session and netted a beautiful 4 lb rainbow. Gaving fished an olive snake on a sinking line up in the area around Rainbow Corner.

With the wind swinging into a cold northerly overnight, the fishing seemed to have slowed a bit through the first part of the day on Sunday. The rod average still came out a  respectable 3.8, but we did see some anglers scratching their heads early on. Regular bank angler Jon Crowley caught 5 fish by lunch time from Lincroft Point, all on a blue flash damsel.  Mr Andy Duncan took to the bank for a last 4 hour session to net one fish from Biggin Bay on a white humungus. While Draycote member Mark JJ landed 6 fish. Out on the boats Jim Smith and Ed Douglas had 15 fish between them on various patterns from along the Farborough Dam wall, Biggin Bay and the Hensborough  Bank, in fact the pair caught at every place they tried. Keith Harding used popper fry to land 7 fish. Dan Mcelligott enjoyed a good day landing 5 fish on a DI 3 and a floating line with olive snakes, including landing 2 fish touching 4lb. Draycote member Martyn Hancox fished the last 4 hours and landed 8 fish from Rainbow Corner to A Buoy.

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

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

The 2021 season at the Eyebrook has drawn to a close. We enjoyed an excellent season with the fishery returning a rod average 4.4

If you would be interested in receiving our membership details for the 2022 season email eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

The 2022 season will open on Friday 4^th March

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 14^th November.  Rod Av: 4.2   Water Temperature: 10c+

An excellent weeks fishing with a rod average 4.2, this mild November weather is certainly helping the fishing at Thornton, hopefully this good weather continues as our records indicate a stock of 5,800 trout in the reservoir. Good sport has continued into the following week with Monday 15^th November averaging 5.

Monday 8^th November. Better start to the week with a Rod average of 3. Majority of the trout are still being caught on sink 5 or 7 lines with fry patterns, booby & snakes. Mr & Mrs Warren fished an orange booby static catching 6 trout during a short 4 hour morning session. S Windram decided to try a home tied purple lure which proved to be the right fly boating 4 fish during the last hour. A few fish are to be had along the weed beds fishing with a floating fry pattern.

Tuesday sink 5 & 7 lines with booby and minkie patterns worked to return a 3.1 rod average. All water members Jack Hives caught 7 on an orange booby snake, Arthur Olding caught 6 on a booby with Mark Hunt fishing a minkie pattern to catch his 6 trout. Thornton members R Price fished a white minkie booby for his 3 trout with B Holland fishing a red fab to catch his 3. Trout are still being caught over the deeper water although the Thornton arm and Markfield arm are starting to produce.

Wednesday was a quiet day for rods with only 3 members out, but they averaged 4 for the day. Greg Weatherdon caught 8 for his visit using a fast sinking line with sparkler booby and cats whisker booby in front of the wood. P Hunt & J Thompson caught 5 for their mornings visit

Thursday was a busier day with 10 boat on the water returning a rod average 3.9 Anglers caught fish from both the arms and out across the main basin. John Hall fished a morning session catching his 4 fish limit, with Richard Maycock fishing  humungus booby to catch his 4 fish limit. P Crisford caught 5 for his visit with Thornton member B Deeley catching 10 on a sink 7 3ft leader and a pink booby, with P Hunt catching his 8 on an orange booby. All Water member Sam Fielder caught 4 also on a booby. A few trout were moving during the last couple hours but they proved elusive.

Friday and a rod average 5.4 helped by Chris Sayer catch of 10 trout, Mick Cross 6 trout, J Bebbington 6 trout & D Slessor catch of 5. Successful method was Sink 7 & Sink 5 lines with variety booby patterns fished on a short 3 – 4ft leader or snake – humungus – cats whiskers fished on a longer 12ft leader.

Saturday and unheard of for us, a rod average 8.2 for a November day. Brian & Alison caught 13 on fast sinkers & booby patterns. Not everything was caught on a fast sink line Martin Clay caught his 8 on a Sink 3 with Mark Hunt fishing an intermediate with two small minkie to catch his 15 trout. Markfield arm, pontoon to the main car park, weed beds in front of the wood were the areas that fished best. Our water clarity is gin clear.

Our good sport continued to the end of the week with Sunday averaging 3.8 Intermediate with 12 – 14ft leaders and two unweighted minkie’s or sink 5 / 7 lines with boobies, snakes, cats whiskers. Rodger Guise & A Gunby caught 15 for their mornings visit with father & son Mark Stone, Anthony Stone catching 7 for their mornings visit. All water member M Ravenscroft fished DI3 & olive snakes to catch his 7 trout.

Trout are spread across the reservoir with more trout starting to move into the arms.