Draycote Water weekly report week ending 9th April 2017
Telephone Number 01788 812018
Report
The vagaries of the British spring weather…….. after a period of very difficult conditions this has been a great week weather-wise at Draycote with light winds and sun being around for most the period. Although at times these conditions might have made fishing slightly tricky, for majority of the week good fishing was experienced by most. This showed in the weekly rod average with 355 anglers catching a total of 2,203, giving a rod average of 6.2 for the week.
Monday kicked off with a bright sunny flat calm but the wind soon picked up to create a breezy day blowing from the South West. Making the most of the good wind and sunny conditions was Rod Wilson out on a boat utilising the rudder. Rod enjoyed great sport boating 22 fish with his 4 fish limit weighting 14lb. Rod found the fish from P buoy to E and around the deep water at B, his best flies being gold and silver tube and pink snake. Another angler enjoying good sport out on the boats was Mr Tim Grois. He enjoyed good sport landing 13 on buzzers fishing just off the Hensbrough bank. Season ticket holder Ed Douglas also had a good day choosing to battle the strong breeze at Lincroft Point. He landed 17rainbows using buzzers teamed up with a FAB on the point. Also doing well on the bank was Ray Cramp who landed 8 fish in a short afternoon season down in Toft shallows using lures. Ray’s 8 fish limit weighed in at 26lb 4oz. Fishing alongside him in Toft was season ticket holder Kevin Rees who also landed 8 fish on black buzzers.
Tuesday saw a similar day weather-wise with the wind coming a little more from the west than the previous day. Large hatches of buzzers could be seen on the north shore with the warmer conditions. As a result, most the bank anglers headed out for Biggin Bay, Duns and Lincroft Point. Tony Broadway fished the bank using buzzers and a FAB to land 11 fish. Fishing down the bank from Tony, Jude Tuffs enjoyed good sport of similar tactics to land nine. Gordon Slack also enjoyed fine sport on buzzer landing 10 fish in total. Out on the boats Sean Hanlon had a great session & landed 29. Sean took his first 6 drifting towards Farnborough Spit on dries, before the wind picked up and pushed the fish down. This then saw him drop to a Di 7 sinking line with a team of blobs to take another 23 fish. Sean found the fish down the Farnborough Dam and in the deeper water in Toft. Another boat who found the fish deeper down in the water column, and willing to take blobs, was that of Peter Elliott and Lee Patten who had 24 to the boat, catching down the Hensbrough Bank, Biggin Bay and Toft.
Another sunny warm day on Wednesday, however there was still a slight cool wind which took the edge of the temperatures slightly. Bob Eaton had fun on the bank landing 17 fish from Duns Bay using buzzers and FABS on a floating line. Mr J Hall also had a good days sport on the bank landing 12 fish on a blue flash damsel fished on a floating line. Out on the boats Mr Timms and Mr Foster fished Biggin Bay with nymphs and lures for 39 to the boat. Eugene Hughes went afloat to land over 40 fish on a Di 7 line with humungus and snakes. His best areas proved to be S buoy and Croft Shoal, C buoy and over X buoy.
Thursday started off flat calm with bright sun. The wind did arrive, but only enough to give a light ripple on the water all day from the west. Season ticket holder Tony Broadway fished Lincroft Point landing 25 rainbows using size 14 black buzzers with a FAB on the point, with a good mix coming from both the FAB and the buzzer. Fishing along the bank from Tony was Brian Warwick who enjoyed a good day’s sport landing 14 on buzzers. On the bank, but this time in Duns Bay, season ticket holders Eddie Mitchell and Dave Kennell had fantastic sport with 41 & 26 fish respectively using buzzers and FAB fished on a floating line. Dave also landed a fantastic 5lb fish on his second cast! Out on the boats Mike Gillett was in action boating 16 fish from various areas on the lake from Biggin Bay down through to Toft.
A near perfect fishing day greeted anglers first thing Friday with light ripple and overcast skies during the morning. The sun made an appearance from about 2pm onwards. On the bank Mr Bettles had 24 fish using buzzers and white and green lures. Catching well was Paul Beasley who landed 34 fish using lures. Also out on the water were Notts Police having a club bank match. Their nine anglers netted a total of 115 fish for a rod average for 12.77 leading Simon Peck to later comment “What a cracking day. I have always said Draycote is the best Midlands reservoir & it’s really proving it!” Mr Farnsworth boated 15 all on buzzers fishing in Biggin Bay and Toft. Mr P Newman and Mr E Rymer landed over 40 to the boat all on size 16 black buzzers taken from down in Toft and Biggin Bay. Pete Elliott & Lee Patten took to the water once more this week and yet again recorded good catches from Duns, Biggin, and Hensbrough fishing buzzers and FABS on a washing line. Finally out on the water, our very own Fishery Ranger Tom Bird concentrated fishing for moving fish in the middle of the lake on dries and landed 27 fish with 26 of them being overwintered – the biggest around the 5lb mark. Tom found the fish drifting from X buoy to H buoy or K and OL buoy.
A very warm spring day on Saturday with a light ripple and clear skies all day really got the buzzers hatching and clouds could be seen all around the North shore. As a result, the bank anglers enjoyed good sport catching on various buzzers and FABS. Mr Mike Weaver landed 19 fish on black and orange cheeked buzzers with a damsel on the point. Clive Wilkins experienced a real red letter day on buzzer boating 37 fish on black buzzers. Out on the boats Mr I Ross and Mr A Ross landed 17 fish fishing buzzers and nymphs from various mark around the reservoir with Biggin Bay and Lincroft point being a hotspot. Mr N Dunn & Mr C Dunn boated 28 fish again using buzzers and nymphs fished either on the washing line on a floater or straight lined on a midge tip. Jim Brennan and Chris Discombe also into the sport out on the boats landing 27 fish using buzzers and damsels fished on a floating line.
A very warm sunny day Sunday with the temperatures into the 20°C, this teamed with a gusty south westerly made the bank fishing a little difficult as the previous days hotspots had the wind blowing into the anglers faces. This made presentation difficult. Thornton Fly Fishers took to the bank for an annual match with 3 of their 12 anglers bringing 8 fish limits to the scales. With the anglers catching on the north shore with buzzers a FAB fished on a washing line or lures fished on a intermediates. Dave Leavesley ended the day with 12 fish taking them all from 1-4pm at the Swans Nest & Toft, on static buzzers. Season ticket holder Eddie Mitchell fished the bank for a couple of hours in the afternoon to land 10 fish all from Biggin Bay on buzzers and FAB. Out on the boats Paul Davidson and Tony Baldwin landed over 40 fish to the boat using straight line nymph tactics fished on floaters and midge tips from various marks on the water. Jim Smith also enjoyed a good days sport fishing a washing line on a midge tip with Lincroft Point being his hotspot. Andy Lane fished down in Toft using black lures on a di 3 line & landed 30 for the day.
Given the huge chironomid hatches that are now taking place, it looks like next week’s sport will continue along the lines of black buzzer, black buzzer or black buzzer…….
Congratulations to Mr Colin Campbell of Moreton-in-the-Marsh who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 355 Number Trout Taken: 669 Number Trout Released: 1534
Total Catch: 2203 Weekly Rod Average: 6.2
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 20:00
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 20:00
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 14:00 PM 14:00 until 20:00
Last 4 Hours from: 16:00 until 20:00 (Ticket sales available from 15:45)
Gutting Room Closes – 19:30
All Anglers to be off site by: 20:15
Fishery News
Sage & Rio Day
Saturday 13th May 2017 Meet Simon Gawsworth & Jim Fearn 10:00 to 16:00 hrs Our Draycote guides will also be taking to the water along with representatives from Sage & Rio Products. We offer you the opportunity to book a complimentary fly fishing session afloat or on the pontoon with a member of the team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice. Limited slots remaining. To reserve your free place, please call the lodge on 01788 812018.
Tuition Days- Beginners Courses
Saturday 6th May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird Course now full
Sunday 21st May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird Currently three spaces available
Saturday 10th June Hosted by Jim Williams of Vision Tackle. Currently five spaces available
Places still available for both days. 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
England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268
England Eliminator – 27th and 28th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117
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.
Catch Returns
In order to maintain the accuracy of our records could all anglers please ensure that they fill in the catch return sheet before departure. If not in the lodge it will be found on the counter in the gutting room next door.
Anchoring
Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.
Car Passes
Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
Rudder Hire
Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.
Tight lines
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