Draycote Report W/E 23rd October 2022

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

Email:  draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk

Can we remind members & day rods of our pre payment policy for 2022. Details are on our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/

2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Draycote is explained on our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

2023 Membership Options visit our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/

Week Ending:  23^rd October 2022              Rod Av: 5.3     Water Temperature:  13°C

The works on the new overflow at the Hensborough Bank are due to start this Monday 24^th October. While the works are being completed there will be no access through to Rainbow Corner from the Sailing Club side.  We ask that all anglers enter and exit via the Farborough Dam barrier.

A wet windy start to the week but thankfully the rain did stop just before the anglers started to get out on the water. On the bank Draycote member John Dickens landed 5. John fished the Swans nest in the morning to land 3 fish before heading up to the Tower Bank in the afternoon. Catching the fish on a black and gold humungus on the point and Diawl Bachs on the droppers. With the best of John’s fish tipping the scales at 4lb 8oz. On the bank Draycote members Bob Smith & Ian Richardson enjoyed a “good day” even in the windy conditions. With the duo landing 15 fish to the boat. With the best patterns being Minkie Boobies, Popper Fry and Snakes. Taking fish from Farborough Spit, P Buoy and the Hensborough Bank. Mr Lawrence fished in similar area from a boat to land 10 fish but didn’t comment which flies caught him the fish.

A cool start to Tuesday with the temperature only reaching 3°C when the staff arrived onsite just before 7am. However, once the sun got up higher it was a lovely autumn day with light winds coming from the East. Despite the bright conditions the bank fished well with a number of anglers catching. Tony Broadway used a Grey Minkie to land 5 fish taking 3 from the Tower Bank, one from the Swans nest and then 1 off the Cornfield. With his best fish a cracking rainbow of 4lb 8oz taken from the Cornfield. Mick Cronin landed 9 fish from the Tower Bank on suspender minkies with the best being a rainbow of 4lb 2oz. On the boats Gary Russell landed 7 fish from N Buoy using a olive snakes fished on an intermediate. All water members Ian Leech & Kevin Counihan landed 17 fish using snakes with P Buoy being their best area. Paul Walker fishing with John Falconbridge landed 29 fish with four of them being over 4lb. The pair used midge tip lines with mini snakes to land their fish. Alan Masters fished over Middle shoal near P Buoy using a midge tip with an olive snake and a white minkie to land a dozen. With some cracking fish amongst them of 4lb 3oz and 3lb 10oz and commented “fish in cracking condition”

A blustery overcast day Wednesday with the wind coming from the East. However, the blustery conditions did not put the fish off with the rod average finishing for the day at 8.1 fish per angler. On the bank all water member Norman Perkins enjoyed a great day landing a baker’s dozen. Landing his fish from the Cornfield and the Swan’s nest using either a weighted snake or a booby snake on the point and then buzzers on the droppers. On the boats Draycote member Jon Crowley fished for a half day landing 7 fish. Using black and green snakes drifting from B Buoy down to the Draycote Dam and Rainbow Corner. John Poote & John Golding landed 12 fish to the boat using popper fry and minkies. The pair finding the fish around S Buoy, Farborough Spit and P Buoy. The best catch of the day went to the boat of Ian Richardson & Bob Smith who landed 38 fish to the boat. Their tactics was a 3ft RIO Midge Tip with a small, weighted snake on the point and cormorants on the droppers. Their best drifts were around Farborough Spit and then off the Farborough Dam wall towards J & T Buoy.

Thankfully we missed the very heavy rain Thursday morning that Eyebrook & Thornton received, however we did receive the rains about 11am-1pm which cleared in the afternoon leaving some sun. Once again the lake fished well for the anglers enduring the rain with a 6.0 fish per angler rod average. Draycote member Peter Elliot & Lee Patten enjoyed a fantastic days sport landing 27 fish to the boat. Taking 4 fish each with the fish weighting 6lb 2oz, 5lb 4oz, 3lb 11oz, 4lb 1oz, 4lb 2oz, 5lb 1oz, 3lb 7oz & 4lb. Some fantastic weights all taken on snakes fished on fast intermediates. Rod Wilson & Jim Dempsey used the rudder to great effects landing 20 fish, again including some cracking fish of up to 5lb taken on intermediates and snakes drifting down the Farborough Dam wall and off S Buoy and Croft shoal. John Dickens landed 19 fish taking the majority pulling but also managed to land fish on dries. Draycote member Mike Ravenscroft landed 6 fish in a last four hour boat session commenting on “fantastic fish up to 4lb, all grown on”. Kevin Hart fished with Andy Birkett with the pair boating over 20 fish using snakes and fry patterns. Andy and Kevin said that they encountered fish everywhere they drifted the boat.

Friday was a very wet and windy day here at Draycote, and by the looks of things, everywhere else in the country as well. Those who braved the conditions were in for a great day with good returns coming from a wide variety of areas on the reservoir. Andy Birkett and Kevin Hart took to the water once again using lures to bring over 20 fish to the boat. Fishery staff member Michael Hanlon and his boat partner Will Hunt had a grand total of 27 fish to the boat using flies such as snakes and cormorants around T buoy and Croft Shoal. Mr Tony Marchant landed 7 fish on minkies fishing around Lincroft Point and commented on a “Great Day Out”.

Saturday started bright and sunny with some cloud cover moving in through the afternoon. Good returns are coming from both the boat and the bank at the moment, and there is a good spread of fish throughout the reservoir. Ruth and Tony Kirk caught 7 fishing from the Hensborough Bank using fry patterns. Season permit holder Paul Walley used popper fry patterns and minkies to net 5 fish from the bank at the Swans Nest. Stan Hillman used lures from the bank to net a total of 7 fish from the Tower Bank. Out on the boats Dave Kennell caught over 20 fish using white minkies on a slow glass line. Draycote first timer Mr J Lowe netted 9 fish and lost 4 whilst fishing along the Farborough Dam. Alec Urquhart and Eddie Mitchell had 20 fish to the boat between them. The Pair fished around B buoy and P buoy using minkies in both olive and white, with Eddie returning a brown estimated at about 5lbs. Andy Birkett ventured out for the last day of his 3 day break and caught a total of 24 fish. Andy used humungus boobies fished on a DI3 off Lincroft Point.

Well the rain Sunday morning had the fishery staff thinking they might need to start building an Arc, as there was heavy rain for most of the morning. As a result there was only a few hardy souls who took the water. Although, the rain did easy off later in the day leaving some sun in the afternoon. On the boats Simon Roberts enjoyed a good day landing 9 fish on fry patterns. Draycote member Martyn Hancox fished for the last four hours landing 4 fish from the boats again on fry patterns. Andy Miller hosted a very successful bank beginner tuition day, with the 4 participants landing 5 fish between. To see pictures from the day visit www.facebook.com/flyfishstore with the 2023 dates just released today.

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

Email: eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Eyebrook is explained on our website

www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

2023 Membership options visit our website www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/

Week Ending: Sunday 23 October 2022       Rod Av: 2.6            Water Temperature: 13°

It was a clear, bright start to week with a gentle southerly that built throughout the day to gusty, strong southerly by mid-afternoon. The fish remain high up in the column & were caught on Dries & on the Washing Line. The Main Basin is still producing good numbers of fish with Dogwood Bay being particularly productive on the day. The fish could be seen feeding on Fry throughout the day in & around the weedbeds from the lodge down to the Hawthorns. All Water Member John Duncan had a very productive day, landing 16 from this area. Tony Tibbert & Stuart Billesdon also had a productive day, landing 12 to the boat, most of which came to the Dries.

Tuesday brought with it bright, clear skies & a flat calm for the entirety of the day. This made the fishing very challenging as there was not a lot of water being covered by drifting boats searching for the pods of fish in the Main Basin. Fish could be seen moving across the Basin but getting to within casting range of those fish was proving to be easier said than done. There was fish caught however, All Water Member Peter Harris, fished a White Snake on an Intermediate Line 100m off the Dam Wall & landed 5 fish & Kate Royce landed 7 fish from the Main Basin, which is a great effort given the conditions.

There was a more substantial breeze on Wednesday that started as a northerly but swung round to an easterly as the day progressed. This made locating the fish in the Main Basin somewhat easier than the previous day. Fish were still caught high up in the water column with Dries, on the Washing Line & Intermediates seeming to be the more productive methods. Season Ticket holder Neil Shilton had a very successful day in his float tube. Throughout the day he was able to land 18 fish on White Minkies from various locations around the Main Basin. His most productive area was just outside the Buoy Line of the Harbour where he was able to intercept fry feeding fish moving to & from the Harbour area. He had some cracking fish with many over 3lbs. Another Season Ticket Holder, Keith Johnson caught well from the Bank, up by the seat on the windward shore fishing terrestrial patterns. Keith managed to land 4 fish in a short session. Elsewhere, the boat anglers in the Main Basin reported a lot of interest with many fish swirling at their flies but not taking them. When this happens in the future it is worth scaling down your setup by fishing the same patterns but smaller & by using a finer diameter tippet. By doing this you should see the fish feeding more confidently & turn them swirls into takes.

The weather on Thursday was extremely damp to say the least. The early thunder & lightning had passed through by 0800hrs, the heavy rainfall however, lasted until mid-afternoon. There was still fish caught during the heavy rain, Neil Hodgson & his boat partner braved the elements & were rewarded with 10 fish to the boat, taken from the corner of the Dam, up by Harrisons. Later in the day, once the heavy rain had stopped, All Water Member Mark Hunt ventured out for a short session & managed to land 6 fish, all on dries: small CDC’s.  Mark was conducting long drifts across the Main Basin & not only caught after targeting moving fish, but he also had fish coming up blind to his flies.

It was a damp still morning on Friday with a very light northerly breeze. As the day progressed, the rain intensified & was persistent until finally abating by late afternoon.  Those that did brave the elements were rewarded with some excellent fishing. During the rain Chris Moses landed 10 fish on a white snake from the basin & All Water Member John Kirk landed 6 fish on Hoppers & Crunchers. After the rain, the Dries really did come into their own. All Water Members Mark Hunt & Roger Kerrison both caught very well on the Dries, landing 9 & 7 fish respectively. Mark used a single CDC whereas Roger found Foam Daddies & the Midas to be his most successful patterns.

It was a better day Saturday weatherwise & the reservoir continued to fish well with plenty of fish still feeding in the upper layers. Those fishing on the surface with Dries caught well, as did those fishing subsurface using fry patterns. Tim & Paul Polito had 12 between them on the Dries & also reported plenty of swirls & bits of interest. Mark Glister however, had 8 fish on a white Humungus just under the surface. Another angler to do well on the Fry Feeders was Season Ticket holder Neil Shilton. Neil caught 14 fish from his Float Tube using a Minkie on a Di 3. The Main Basin, on a whole, remains the most productive area & localised hotspots within Basin, seem to fluctuate on a daily basis as large pods on fish continue to maraud around the Main Basin.

Sunday saw us host the Eyebrook 2022 Fur & Feather. The day started with rain that, at best, could only be described as torrential. The heavy rainfall persisted until early afternoon when the weather finally broke & the skies began to clear resulting in a sunny & bright afternoon. The Fur & Feather is a pairs competition that was fished to a 12 fish limit under fishery rules. This year saw 42 anglers take to the water in very challenging & wet conditions & by late morning, it had already broken the resolve of some. The anglers that remained found the fish in a very temperamental mood, unlike the previous days. Given the extreme variations in the weather & the subsequent fluctuation in the Barometric pressure this was to some degree, unexpected. A special congratulations goes to Sam & Rob Edmonds who were the winning pair on the day with 10 fish, which given the conditions is a great effort. Roy Lewin & his boat partner Mike Smith were second, beating Bob Margery & Steve Lawrence into third by 15oz. Well done & thank you to all those that entered.

Eyebrook Season Extension. We are very pleased to announce that Eyebrook will remain open beyond the previous end of season date of 31 Oct 2022. The revised end of season date is now Sunday 20 Nov 2022. During this period we will be running a reduced fleet of 10 Boats + 1 Wheelie Boat & bank fishing will be limited from the Lodge, along the Dam, through Harrison’s Corner & up to Robbo’s Cabin. This in an extremely exciting opportunity given that the Reservoir has never been boat fished in November before. So please call the Lodge on 01536 770264 to

Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

Email: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk

2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Eyebrook is explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

2023 Membership details Visit   www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/ for details of our 2023 membership options

Week Ending:  16^th October   Rod Av: 3.1      Water Temperature: 12c -13C

Monday, with the forecast for strong winds most anglers booked later on in the week. How wrong could the forecast be, the strong winds never came with only one angler Bob Menhams fishing up to 12.30pm. Bob caught 3 fishing 60yds off the corner of the wood.

Tuesday, a good forecast saw all of the boats out with anglers fishing various areas of the reservoir with floating lines down to DI7 with diawl bach to fry patterns. Keith Cowen caught 6 on cats whisker snake booby. Roy Allen bought his 11yr old daughter fishing for the first time catching 5 on a black booby, Dave Mee caught 6.

Wednesday a quieter day with a freshening breeze. P Moore caught 5 for his mornings visit with John & Ian Thomson catching 5 also.

Thursday damp, foggy morning with little wind. Richard Dayman fished a DI3 to catch his 14 trout fishing the main basin. Ian Leach found fish moving at times down the Markfield arm by the tern rafts but these fish were difficult to tempt with Ian & his boat partner catching 3

Saturday was a perfect autumn day, warm, light winds & great day to be out on the water. And an excellent day with a rod average of 4+ for the day. Keith Cowen caught 10 for his visit on a black sparkler, Jan Webber caught 12 on a DI7 and booby patterns. Mark Hunt caught 15 with 9 on a DI3 and minkie but in the late afternoon with a few fish moving fished a floater and cdc to catch 6. David Woodall fished green and brown buzzers all day catching 5 for his visit.

Sunday and an inch of rain fell with only two anglers venturing out in the afternoon once conditions improved, it wasn’t easy with Karen Thompson managing to catch 1 trout

We are desperate for the rain therefore shouldn’t complain too much when it comes, its ridiculously mild for late October with the water temperature between 12c & 13c. Good rod average of 3.1 for the week with fish taken on floating lines & dries to fast sinkers & booby although the anglers who fished on a floater down to a DI3 enjoyed best success