Draycote Water weekly report week ending 21st October 2018
Telephone Number 01788 812018
What a great week here at Draycote water. The weather, although a little chilly at times, has been a great improvement on last week. Bank anglers have enjoyed some excellent sport from a lot of different areas around the reservoir using hares ears, crunchers and diawl bachs on a floating line. Dries have also worked very well, but the dries have proved to have been a more successful method for the boat’s. As usual this time of year when the temperatures start to drop off, lures are becoming more popular, in particular small snakes in a natural brown or olive colour on either a midge tip or an intermediate line. This week 286 anglers have caught 1,601 fish giving us a weekly rod average of 5.6
We were greeted by a damp and blustery start to the week on Monday morning, with some quite heavy rain at times and a strong westerly. But with 17 anglers catching 143 fish between them, it was a very acceptable day. Both boat and bank fishing was outstanding with anglers catching on all sorts of patterns from all over the reservoir. Mr Ian Shobbrook caught 10 fish from the bank on diawl bachs. Season permit holder Ian Richardson had 12 fish from the bank in toft and the cornfield using crunchers on a floating line, one of which was a beautiful 6 pounder. The boat pairing of Brendan and Keiron Thomas boated 18 fish between them, including a rainbow of 6lbs, and again commented “brilliant”. Craig Cowan and Ian Dobbie chad 29 fish to the boat on pink snakes and blobs. Eugene Hughes used minkies and snakes on a DI3 and a DI5 around H buoy and the dam wall to boat over 30 fish. Kevin Rees used a small claret bobs bits to net 10 fish from a drifting boat.
Tuesday was a misty start with a light south westerly breeze. Again the rod average was right up there with it now becoming obvious that toft shallows was the place to be. Season permit holder Dave Adkins got himself well into double figures from the bank in toft using a green and orange lure. Mr M Moore netted 15 fish from a boat in toft on black crunchers. Neil Berry caught 7 fish from the bank in duns bay on a midge tip line, using diawl bachs and hares ears. John Dews had 11 from the bank with a washing line and a FAB on the point. Mr Gary Turners trio of anglers ventured out onto the bank for an evening session and managed 16 fish between them, reporting on a “great afternoon”.
On Wednesday the wind started in the west before swinging round to a more northerly direction. Again the fishing proved to be fantastic with rod average of 6.8 for the day. Geoff Tomkinson caught 18 fish from the bank in toft and off lincroft point using a white tadpole. Draycote regular John Hall caught 12 fish from the cornfield using a small black lure. Season permit holder Kevin Rees ventured out in a boat once again to net 30 fish on bobs bits, remarking on a “fantastic day”. Mr Newnams boat pairing netted 25 fish on dries and diawl bachs around S buoy. Mr Peter Biernaki had 8 fish from the bank on dries and nymphs.
A north wind on Thursday meant that most of the bank anglers would have a comfortable days fishing along the cornfield and in biggin bay. Tony Broadway caught 21 fish from the bank. Bob Smith caught 9 fish whilst bank fishing in the cornfield. Season permit holders Lee Patten and Peter Elliott had over 40 fish between them from the bank on various nymph patterns such as crunchers. Mr Peter Fisher caught 17 from the boat using small black and green spiders and dries. Season permit holder John Dickens had 17 fish to the boat on bobs bits. Draycote regulars Andy Birkett and Brent Vinall had in excess of 30 fish to the boat on dries and various nymphs. Dave Kennell and Eddie Mitchell remarked on the good quality of the fish, bringing over 20 to the boat between them. Alex Campbell netted 7 fish from a drifting boat in an afternoon session on size 12 and 14 crippled midge with a copper hopper on the point, remarking that he had missed and dropped a lot of fish over X and P buoy.
Friday dawned bright and flat calm with a light breeze picking up as the day went on. Once again the anglers turned in a good rod average for the day with the bank and boats fishing well in equal measure. The usual suspects were out in force on the bank, with Jude Tuffs, David East, Tony Ward, Colin Day, Tony Broadway and Gordon Slack all catching good numbers from the cornfield and biggin bay. The boat pairing Andy Birkett and Brent Vinall netted 25 fish between them on humungus, hares ears and shuttlecock buzzers. Draycote regulars Howard and Marion Rutter boated a good number of fish between them on diawl bachs and remarked on “a great day”.
A bright warm Autumnal day Saturday, which did cause the bank fishing to drop off slightly as the fish pushed off into the deeper water to feed. On the bank season ticket holder Mike Garner landed 7 fish from the Cornfield & Toft on a mixture of cormorants and diawl bachs. Husband & Wife team Tony and Ruth Kirk landed 8 fish between them from the Swan’s nest and along the tower bank. The pair fished hares’ ears and diawl bachs on a floating lines. On the boats Ian Reeve & Chris Aubrey landed 20 fish between them fishing around Farnborough spit and Croft shoal on various snakes on sinking lines. Rudder regulars Jim Dempsey & Ifor Jones enjoyed good sport landing 27 fish including come lovely silver 3lb lumps drifting down through Toft tight in down the Dam and into the Swans nest. Kas Leoviriyaki enjoyed a great half days sport landing 11 fish from Biggin Bay on Diawl bachs.
Once again the sunny conditions made the bank fishing a little tricky for the most part. However, season ticket holder Brian Allwood enjoyed great sport landing 14 fish on small nymphs fishing along the cornfield. although for the most part it was really a day from the boats. Ed Doulas & Jim Smith landed 19 fish to the boat, the pair started around Croft Shoal before moving to Farnborough spit. They fished two very different tactics with Ed opting for dries while Jim used snakes on a midge tip long. Mr Dudley & Mr Holdsworthy used a combination of small minkies and buzzers to land 30 fish to the bat including returning a 6lb brown. Paul Mitchell & Tim Burn enjoyed a great day’s sport using FAB’s & blobs on a di 3 sinking line to land 34 fish fishing around Toft, Biggin Bay and Croft shoal. In house guide Lee Henfrey enjoyed a day off looking to target big fish with boat partner Nigel Keeber. Fishing over the shallow water at Croft shoal with snakes on a di 3 the pair landed 12 fish including serval big rainbows and returned a 6lb brown, with follows of much larger fish. To book a session with Lee targeting our larger overgrown specimens call the lodge on 01788 812018.
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 Ian Reeve from Rugby the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 286 Number Trout Taken: 361 Number Trout Released: 1240
Total Catch: 1601 Weekly Rod Average: 5.6
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 18:00
Boat All Day: 07:30 until 18:00
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 14:00
Last 4 Hours from: 14:00 until 18:00 (Ticket sales available from 13:45)
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 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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