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
Fishery YouTube Channel: YouTube Flyfishstore
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| Fisheries Opening Hours & Boat Session | |
| Lodge & Bank Open: | 7.30am – 4.00pm |
| Full Day Boat: | 8.30am – 4.00pm |
| Morning Boat: | 8.30am – 1.30pm |
| Last 4 Hr: | 12.00pm – 4.00pm |
| All Anglers Off Site: | 4.15pm |
Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018
Email: draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk
2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Draycote is explained on our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/
2024 Membership Options visit our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings Details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Exclusion Zone Due to the work being carried out on the Hensborough Bank there is an exclusion zone in place, clearly marked with yellow buoys. Under no circumstances are anglers to enter this area as there are divers in the water.
Week Ending: Sunday 19th November 2023 Rod Av: 3.0 Water Temperature: 9°C
A windy start to the week resulted in the boats being cancelled and the weather so foul that no bank anglers wanted to head out either.
A much improved day Tuesday with the wind coming from the Southwest and the rain that was forecast thankfully held off for most of the day. On the bank all water member Norman Perkins landed 4 fish from the Swan’s Nest using a washing line. With a minkie booby on the point and crunchers on the droppers, with the fish taking a mix of both. Fellow member Pete Allen landed 4 fish from Dunn’s Bay also using crunchers. Fishery ranger and guide Lee Henfrey fished with Kevin Hart with the pair landing over 25 fish. Using fast intermediates with snakes and various fry patterns. Fishing from J & T Buoy drifting into the Farborough Dam wall taking fish from 100 yards off all the way to right onto the Dam Wall. Draycote member John Falconbridge fished from a boat for the las four hours landing 6 fish from in Toft also on fry patterns.
An overcast and windy start to the day on Wednesday with a bit of a nip in the air. Not the most comfortable of conditions to be out on the water, however those who did venture out made some good returns. Season permit holder Mark Smith had a brace off the bank using fry patterns at the Swans Nest. Young Dennis Tidmarsh also caught a brace from the bank using lures. Dennis plied his trade off the Swans Nest as well as the Cornfield and Lincroft Point. Out on the boats Lee Patten and Peter Elliott caught a total of 10 fish between them. Lee and Peter fished along the Farborough Dam wall, as well as Toft Shallows and Biggin Bay. Draycote regular Mr Brian Moore used a DI5 sinking line with snakes to boat 5 fish during a morning session. Brian tried various areas around the reservoir before settling on the Draycote Dam.
Although a little chilly, it was a lovely morning on Thursday with a soft breeze and high based cloud. The Farborough Dam was very busy early on with anglers and rods could be seen bending from just outside the harbour. Indeed the area just in front of the pontoon and down the wall seemed to be about the hottest spot on the reservoir, as we watched anglers bending into some good fish throughout the day. The bank fishing was a bit quiet with only 1’s and 2’s caught here and there, sparse pickings perhaps because of the bright conditions. Out on the boats however anything from an intermediate line to a DI5 with lures was producing some great returns. Draycote stalwart Ed Douglas had a dozen to the boat on a fast glass line with snakes, boobies and shrimp patterns fished along the edge of the Western Wall. Ian Richardson and Bob Smith had 19 fish to the boat and commented on a cracking day. They were using small snakes fished on a DI3 line along the Farborough Dam and around M buoy near the Hensborough Bank. West Midlands Police were out on the water today with 10 anglers. Obviously good communication was key to their day as between them they caught a total of 30 fish, giving them a rod average of 3 for the group.
Another cold bright start here at Draycote on Friday morning with the forecast being quite calm for the day. The bank fishing gave us some better returns on Friday, and the calmer conditions meant that the anglers could use almost all of the areas around the reservoir. Tony Broadway caught 7 fish from the bank from various areas along the northern shoreline using popper minkies fished off a buzzer tip line. Season permit holder Richard Walker caught 3 fish from the Tower Bank using minkies fished on an intermediate line, with the best of his fish weighing in at 6lbs. Many other bank anglers had a brace to the net including, Pete Allen, Mick Cronin, Stan Hillman and Mr G Armitage. The vast majority of these fish were caught on either a tip or an intermediate line with lure patterns. Anglers also faired pretty well off the boats on Friday with Thornton member Mr Chris Sayer boating 9 fish using a midge tip with nymphs and blobs. Season permit holder Paul Havard netted 8 fish from a drifting boat using a DI3 with black and gold humungus, and remarked on some cracking fish. Bob Barfoot caught 5 fish along the Hensborough Bank and around N buoy using a combination of sinking lines with snakes and cormorants. Ian Reeve worked his way around the reservoir before settling in Rainbow Corner, where he caught 3 fish on snakes using an intermediate line.
A very, very wet start to Saturday morning with a south westerly wind blowing across Draycote Water. The weather for most of the day was a lot kinder than initially forecast, with the wind not picking up properly until about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Seasoned regular Jon Crowley took to the bank to net 7 fish. Jon spent his morning down at the Swans Nest using a floating line with hares ears and popper hoppers. Mike Garner fished from the bank along the northern shore line to net a brace on kate mclarens and hares ears. Out on the boats Kasidit Leoviriyakit had half a dozen fish to the boat around T and J buoy. Kas used a DI5 line as well as a DI7 line with humungus boobies to net his fish. Draycote regular Alex Campbell caught 3 fish during an afternoon session using a DI5 line and a small perch fry pattern. Season permit holders Sam and Rob Edmunds had 16 fish to the boat between them. Sam and Rob used sinking lines and boobies to catch their fish over Croft Shoal and the front of the pontoons.
Yet another wet and windy start on Sunday morning with a strong south westerly blowing across the reservoir. With the weather being so windy and wet, it kept a number of anglers off the water. However, those that did venture out enjoyed some good sport. On the bank Draycote member John Dickens landed 3 fish using a blue flash damsel and a FAB fishing at the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay. On the boats, fishery ranger Michael Hanlon landed 6 fish using a black and green snake. Fishing at S Buoy and Croft shoal using a Di 3 sinking line. All water member Frazer Duffy Snr & Jnr enjoyed a great day landing 27 fish to their boat. Using a Di 3 sinking line and snake. Drifting from J Buoy in to the Farborough Dam Wall and then drifting around S Buoy and Lincroft Shoal.
Upcoming Events.
26th November- Fur & Feather
Draycote’s closing date
The closing date for Draycote for this season will be Thursday 30th November 2023.
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48 to 72 hour forecast.
XC Weather – Forecast for CV23 8AB | XCWeather use this link for Draycote
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Draycote Water
Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report
Lodge – 01536 770264 & Fishery Mobile 07834581424
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/
2024 Membership options visit our website www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings Details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Week Ending: 19th November Rod Av: 0.05 Water Temperature: 09°c
It has been yet another extremely quiet week here at Eyebrook, with the poor water clarity continuing to have a detrimental impact on the fishing. Very few anglers ventured out with very few fish caught. Those that did catch caught from the bank as the sediment began to drop through the water column. A few Pike anglers went out this week & fared slightly better than the trout anglers with a few fish caught, nothing of no real size though.
Eyebrook Fly Fishers held their club Fur & Feather on Sunday, where Dave Etty took the honours fishing Nymphs in Mucky Bay from the bank, well done Dave. By the time this report goes out, it will be the last day of our 2023 Season, so next week’s report will be a Season Review.
2023 Winter Restrictions.
From the 01 November, we will be operating a reduced number of boats, 10, so pre-booking will be important. Also, the bank fishing will see some winter restrictions, with Banking Fishing limited from the Chestnut, down the Leicester Bank, to the Lodge & along the Dam, around to Robbo’s Cabin. These winter bank restrictions have been increased since last year.
2023 Eyebrook Closing Date.
The last day of fishing on Eyebrook is Monday 20th November.
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48-to-72-hour forecast.
XC Weather – https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/LE16_8RP use this link for Eyebrook.
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Eyebrook Reservoir.
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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807
Email: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk
2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Thornton are explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings For details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Week Ending: 19th November Rod Av: 0.5 Water Temperature: 9°c
Once again more rain caused the fishing to remain a challenge as the water level rose. On Saturday member Jan Webber landed 3 fish. Fishing 50 yards off the wood bank using a white and green booby fished on a sinking line.
Looking ahead this week looks a lot drier and turning cooler towards the weekend, these cold nights will help to drop the levels of water coming in to the reservoir. Resulting in the sediment dropping and we hope this will see a vast improvement in the fishing.
If you wish to book a boat Thursday, Friday or the weekend. On the days the lodge is not open if you call the lodge on 01536 770264 and then leave a voicemail we will pick up the message and book you a boat.
Thornton 2023 last day of the fishing season Thursday 30th November
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48 to 72 hour forecast.
XC Weather – https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/LE67_1AR use this link for Thornton.
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Thornton Reservoir