Draycote Water weekly report week ending Sunday 5th October 2014
Telephone Number 01788 812018
Autumn is clearly with us now & weather conditions this week have, as anticipated, tended to govern the nature & quality of the fishing. It has been an unsettled week with morning temperatures as I have driven to work varying from 4 to 14 degrees centigrade. On Sunday morning I found myself scrapping the first hard frost off the windscreen! It has also been a week of varying winds & also some sunny flat calms as well as the arrival of some very wet conditions.
Monday was flat calm most of the day making life really hard for the bank anglers. In the boat however, Paul Donegan & Les Shaw had got the measure of things on their final day of a three day holiday package. Paul took sixteen on floating fry patterns whilst Les stuck to dries and netted a dozen. Richard Pelly & Gary Turner shared an evening boat and collectively caught nine to fry patterns off the Hensborough bank. A good evening rise was also reported in Toft.
Tuesday was a tough day although there were some good brownies recorded. Yet again dries & daddies also scored for boat anglers Malcolm Rough, who netted 11 mainly on a red seal’s fur emerger pattern of his own tying, and Kevin Rees (again!), with 14 to his claret bits & fiery brown hopper. Wednesday saw anglers contending with a harder day still and the rod average dipped to 2.2. Nevertheless, season rod Tony Broadway had a good afternoon session on the bank. He took a 3lbs 8oz rainbow together with a 5lbs brown & he returned another brace of brownies.
Mr Eeles enjoyed good sport to daddies on Thursday commenting on “an excellent days sport off the inlet & in Rainbow Corner”. Loren Serrano also described his visit as “fantastic fishing – best session all year”. By Friday things were really picking back up once more, mainly for the boats. While more anglers are now targeting the fry feeders they are seeing, we still have many seeking to take advantage of the great dry fly action that has gladly continued. Mr T Evans netted 28 to the dries with boat partner J Bilinski following up with a creditable ten. Meanwhile on the bank, Ian Shobbrook put in a fine performance with browns & rainbows to 4lbs taken in Rainbow Corner on pulled fry patterns.
On Saturday Roger Henderson was pleased to finally make his long awaited return to the venue. He was rewarded with a 4lbs+ brownie off the Hensborough Bank on his second cast of the day! He said he was surprised to still see house martins working over the Draycote Water Dam at Rainbow Corner where he proceeded to make up his bag on buzzer tactics. He said that the rainbows he later gutted were full to the brim with small black buzzer. Kenny Sichi & friends from Scotland also fished on Saturday & netted nearly seventy trout between them. Crunchers fished washing line style on a midge tip accounted for a large proportion of their fish –especially between the Farborough Spit & Toft.
The hard Sunday morning frost followed a clear, cold night and it was some hours before ripple developed & cloud began to break up the sunshine. This prompted feeding & some good bags were taken. Mr Bonniger fished tubes down the Tower Bank & later in Toft to take 15 rainbows &a caught & released 5lbs+ brown. Lee Henfrey & Nigel Keeber also got in on the action after a slow start. They fished fry patterns on a Di7 & caught 22 between them. The afternoon cloud cover was also what season rod Tony Parker was looking for. Fishing with Andy Axon they searched hard &found rising fish in Rainbow Corner, near the Tower, the Aerators &finally down into Toft. They weighed 16 rainbows for 39lbs with another eight returned.
Finally, Howard Smith had the oddest catch of the week on Sunday. Fishing near the inlet he boated a Greys rod & reel! Ironically, the owner had only phoned in about an hour previously to describe how he had lost the gear over the side the day before. He had put the rod down to pour a coffee from his flask & a trout had hit his fly & pulled the rod over the gunnels & away. Be aware, this happens an awful lot & it is rare for the tackle to be recovered as it fortunately was on this occasion.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 339 Number Trout Taken: 527 Number Trout Released: 513
Total Catch: 1040 Weekly Rod Average: 3.1
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 18:45
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 18:45
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 13:15 PM 13:15 until 18:45
Last 4 Hours from: 14:45 until 18:45 (Ticket sales available from 14:30)
All Anglers to be off site by: 19:00
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.
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.
Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
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.
Congratulations to Mr Ron Beavan of Tenbury Wells who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.
Tight lines
Kevin
Dates for the Diary
2014 Closing Day falls on Sunday 30th November.
FUR & FEATHER
Sunday 23rd November 9.00am – 4.00pm fished to fishery rules, 8 fish limit, no entry fee.
Prize for Christmas Hamper 1st Christmas Wine 2rd and Christmas Wine 3rd & Bottle Whiskey largest fish everybody brings a raffle prize
Call the lodge to book your boat
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