Draycote Water weekly report week ending 17th March 2019
Telephone Number 01788 812018
Book Your Spot on our RIO & Sage Day
On Sunday 14th April Draycote is hosting its popular RIO & Sage with Chris Anderson(SAGE) Jim Fearn (Sage) and Simon Gawesworth (RIO) in attendance. They will be able to talk you through the latest kit and be on hand to provide casting sessions. The guiding & tuition team will be running the 1 ½ hour guided sessions, taking you out on the water to test the kit. Helping the tuition team will be Brown Bowl winner and RIO & Sage sponsored angler David Hoppe. To book a session on the boats call the lodge on 01788 812018
Weekly Report
Another week plagued by a continuation of extreme winds which, unfortunately, forced boat cancellations once more. In fact, no boats were allowed out from Tuesday to Saturday due to the ferocity of the gales. Similarly, given the strength of the gale force westerlies, no bank anglers were prepared to venture out on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. In total only 36 anglers fished this week but they did catch 90 trout representing an overall rod average of 2.5.
A few boats did fish on Monday and averaged nine fish per vessel with Richard Dayman commenting on having had a great day with eight rainbows coming to his net. Sinking line tactics, particularly Di5 sweep with slow retrieve followed by flies hung at depth, have still been the order of the day in view of the early season low water temperatures. A handful of hardy bank anglers struggled to locate fish in the high winds on Monday as conditions appeared to have pushed them out & down. However, season ticket holder Brian Allwood did have a nice brace in his morning session. He was followed by Peter Biernacki who fished the last four hours in Biggin Bay finding fish on the feed a little later in the day. Fishing his own nymph patterns on an intermediate, Peter caught & released six rainbows.
With Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday written off by the adverse conditions it was not until Friday when anglers could next get onto the banks. Nine hardy souls ventured out. Most were rewarded with some fine action – mainly in Dunns & Biggin Bay. Top rod was clearly Dave Kennell who landed 22 rainbows with many over the 3lbs mark. Dave took the majority of his fish using a midge tip line in conjunction with a Black & Green tadpole pattern. The highlight of his session proved to be a 4lbs+ overwintered rainbow which he described as bar of silver with a big, full tail. Ian Gillies also did well with a 4 fish limit for the pot and a further 10 caught & released. His best offering was a Mop Fly which he teamed with a red buzzer. Paul Lloyd joined the action at the Dunns Bay end of Biggin for a couple of hours in the afternoon. He got into straight into action on a midge tip with a hot head yellow tailed lure landing five rainbows in quick succession. He then had a real strong take at distance to find himself doing battle with a superb specimen of a brown trout which was weighed at 6lbs 2oz before being safely returned to the water.
Continuing high winds kept the boats off the water again during Saturday and only two anglers decided to bank fish. Mike Garner stuck to his favoured Cormorants which accounted for two rainbows in the shelter of Rainbow Corner, before moving down to the Overflow where he netted & released a further three. Meanwhile, Luke Orton, a newcomer to the world of fly fishing, stayed in Rainbow Corner where he succeeded in landing his four fish limit using a gold head damsel presented on an intermediate.
Boat anglers were relieved to be back out on the water on Sunday when winds at long last, dropped back below our safety limits. Fish were found holding on the drop off in Biggin Bay and season rods Martyn Price & Dave Hancox really got amongst them. Fishing fast sinking lines with blobs & boobies they took fish after fish experiencing particular success on the hang at the end of a slow retrieve. They ended their stint with Martyn on 20 and Dave on 18. Messr’s Lee and Alistar Gavin also fared well in the improved conditions boating over 20 fish in Duns Bay on a variety of lures such as pitsford peas and cats whiskers.There was also some good sport had from the bank. Lee Patten and Peter Elliott commented on an excellent day after netting 15 apiece. Draycote regular Peter Bierwnaki netted 11 fish from various points around the reservoir on nymphs.
With last week’s stocking of 2000 rainbows, pictures www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore & a much better forecast we fully expect Draycote to bounce back this week
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. We still have a couple of the 2017 Redington Path Rods for sale at 50% off the RRP making them £64.99 from last week’s special offer. To mark the start of the good weather we have Shakespeare Sigma fly box reduced by 10% meaning they are from just £7.19 these fly boxes are perfect for getting all those new buzzer organised now the good weather has finally arrived please visit https://www.flyfishstore.co.uk/offers/ to see the latest deals for the week.
Weekly Boat draw
Congratulations to Mr Dave Hancox from Coventry, the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 36 Number Trout Taken: 10 Number Trout Released: 80
Total Catch: 90 Weekly Rod Average: 2.5
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 18:15
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 18:15
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 13:00 PM 13:00 until 18:15
Last 4 Hours from: 14:15 until 18:15 (Ticket sales available from 14.00)
Gutting Room Closes –17.45
All Anglers to be off site by: 18.45
Tight lines,
The Draycote Team
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