A bright day Tuesday with the wind coming from the Northeast and was quite gusty at times. With the wind in the North it was an ideal day for the bank anglers to get out. This proved to be the place to be as the bank anglers enjoyed the lion share of the sport. Tony Broadway fished at Lincroft using popper minkies landing 4 fish. Then moving to the Willow Tree in Toft once the wind picked up taking another fish on a washing lined buzzer. Norman Perkins fished at the Cornfield using a FAB on the point, a black buzzer and then a natural cruncher landing 7 fish. Fishing at Lincroft Point, Gary Russel landed 6 fish from the bank with them all falling to an orange blob fished on the top dropper. Draycote member Dennis Tidmarsh fished at the Cornfield and the Willow Tree in Toft. Using a humungus fished on a sink tip line to land 9 fish. The fishing on the boats was a little trickier. John Jones drifted from the Farborough Dam landing 5 fish on small snakes fished on a fast glass. The best boat catch came to Kevin Hart who landed 9 fish, from Croft Shoal and the Farborough Dam. Using a floating line and a popper minkie or a Di 3 sinking line and boobies.

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

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/

2023 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 15th October 2023  Rod Av:  3.2  Water Temperature: 15°C

A bright day to the start the week Monday, with light weeks in the morning which dropped away completely around lunch. Tricky conditions for the Troutmasters, with 20 anglers taking to the bank hoping to be crowned champion. The session was fished bank only this year with 2 zones being chosen for the anglers to fish. Zone A, was Toft and Zone B Lincroft Point around to the Valve Tower. In the morning it was Zone A that fished best with fish being caught on a washing line set up with crunchers. Including a cracking 4lb 7oz Rainbow. In the afternoon it was the deeper water in Zone B that fished better, with Lincroft point and also the Valve Tower bank fishing well. Overall the winner of the match was Phil Green who landed 5 fish across his two sessions. The boats faired a little better than the bank with some good catches. Peter Evans landed 8 fish, using a washing line. Fished on either a 12ft slow tip or an intermediate with an Orange FAB on the point. With Peter’s best areas being around D Buoy or Y Buoy. Draycote member Graham Homer also used a washing line to great effect landing 9 fish with crunchers on the droppers being his best fly.

A calm start to the day, with low cloud with the sun breaking through around mid-morning and the wind picking up. However, the cloud rolled back in around lunch. Lee Patten & Peter Elliot fished on the boats landing 32 to the boat. With Peter opting to use dries taking 12, while Lee used a washing line to land 20 fish. Landing their fish around Rainbow Corner to A Buoy and then fishing around D Buoy. Tony Broadway fishing with Jim Hall landed 15 fish to their boat. With a bit of mix of methods, Tony used dries and then crunchers fished on a neutral density line. While Jim used snakes to great effect to land 6. Tony Broadway used dries to land 18 fish, with Midas and hoppers being his mist productive flies. Ian Bradfield fished with Paul Davision with the pair landing 26 fish to their boat. Landing them from J Buoy along the Farborough Dam wall and then around A Buoy and Rainbow Corner.

Strong blustery winds greeted us as we opened up on Wednesday morning, with the promise of showers throughout the day. Despite the conditions, those anglers that did venture out made some good returns. The bank here at Draycote is fishing quite well at the moment with the best of the fishing coming from the Swans Nest, Lincroft Point, The Old Pipe in Biggin Bay and the Tower Bank. Mr S Taylor caught a brace from the bank during a last 4 hour session, whilst Mr A Campbell had 4 fish off the bank in Toft Shallows. The best method was a floating line with cormorants and crunchers. Out on the boats Mr J Jacobs and Mr S Lloyd caught a dozen fish between them whilst fishing near B buoy. Mr Mike Nolan, Mr D Stott and Mr G Laking all had a brace each from the boats, but played their cards very close to their chest.

With a light north easterly breeze and good cloud cover, it was a great day to be out on Draycote Water on Thursday. The rod average for the day was 4.8, which is no surprise really, as fish can be seen in the top of the water column, right across the reservoir. Bank anglers are taking advantage of a great back end to the season with some good returns on a wide variety of methods and fly patterns. Draycote regular Ivor Bullock caught 4 fish from the bank using crunchers and floating fry from Lincroft          Point. Mick Cronin had a brace from the bank on lures from the Tower Bank. Stan Hillman caught half a dozen fish from the Tower Bank on a white minkie and remarked on the quality of the fish. Graham and Roger Davis took to the bank for a days fishing to net 8 fish between them. The pair used minkie boobies and fished from various points along the northern shoreline. Out on the boats the anglers were also having some great sport with Mr T fox and Mr M Hermitage netting over 30 fish between them on dries. Ian Richardson and Bob Smith had well over 20 fish to the boat between them using boobies and appetizers fished on intermediate lines. Ian and Bob fished along the Tower Bank as well As in Rainbow Corner.

Heavy overnight rain and strong winds made for an interesting start to Friday morning. A few brave souls ventured out onto the water but held to the leeward side of the reservoir. Strong winds dominated the day and limited the fishing, but perseverance paid off for all concerned. Season permit holder Ian Western caught a brace from the bank using lure patterns near the Valve Tower. Mr K Barnett and Mr R Bagnall had 8 fish between them using a mixture of lure patterns and nymphs in the top few feet of the water. Craig Middleton and Mike Smith took to the water to net 5 fish between them from a drifting boat on what they described as a very challenging day.

Light breezes with sporadic cloud cover on Saturday morning made for reasonable conditions out on Draycote Water. To be fair the fishing wasn’t easy on Saturday and this showed up in the rod average which had dropped to 3.4. Slow through the early part of the day, anglers were picking fish up on tequila blobs and humungus fished on intermediate lines. Season permit holder Paul Walley fished at various locations around the bank and netted 5 fish on cormorants and white snakes. Mr Steve Proffitt caught 4 fish from the bank at Lincroft Point using humungus as well as dries such as bob’s bits. Out on the boats young Jon Crowley used blobs on a fast glass to net 7 fish near M buoy. Mark Goodge and Sean Higgins had 11 fish to the boat using snakes on sinking lines from various areas of the reservoir. Tim Burn and Paul Mitchell caught 14 fish from a drifting boat in the top few feet of the water column using a washing line with crunchers as well as dries. Draycote regular Mr J McVay caught 5 fish on nemo crunchers and diawl bachs  from Rainbow Corner and Biggin Bay.

The first ground frost of the year Sunday morning with bright skies and Northwest winds. Not the easiest of conditions for the anglers taking to the water. On the bank the Draycote Fly Fishing Association (DFFA) hosted their Autumn bank pairs. Despite the difficult conditions there were a number of good catches from the bank for the DFFA. Paul Walley fished at either Lincroft point or in Dunns Bay to land 4 fish on black hoppers. Brian Allwood fished at Lincroft point using a snake to land 3 fish with a cracking 3lb Rainbow included in his bag. On the boats Tim & Dave Moody enjoyed a good day landing 17 fish between them using fry patterns and small snakes fished on intermediates and Di 3 sinking lines. Household all water members Neil & Sue Potts used a washing line set up with a FAB on the point and nymphs on the droppers in Rainbow Corner to land 14 fish. With the second half of the day once it had warmed fishing more productive. Another boat also landing 14 was that of Adam Labalistier and Ben Bayliss who used Di 3 sinking lines and fast intermediates with tubes and snakes. All water members Frazer Duffy Jnr & Snr landed 21 fish to their boat. Fishing smaller flies with a booby on the point and cormorants on the droppers. Landing their fish in Rainbow Corner, The Valve Tower and the Farborough Dam Wall. Fishery Manager Tom Bird fished with Jim Smith with the pair landing just short of 30 fish to the boat. With Tom using a Di 3 sweep sinking line with 2 small Snakes in olive and black. While Jim Smith used a Di 3 forty plus with 2 snake boobies. With the pair catching at Farborough Spit, S Buoy, J Buoy and the School Slips.

Upcoming Events.

21^st & 22^nd Army Championships 15 Boats.

26th November- Fur & Feather

Draycote’s closing date

The closing date for Draycote for this season will be Thursday 30^th 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/

2023 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: 15^th October   Rod Av:  2.0      Water Temperature: 14°c

The week started with a gentle south westerly breeze that brought some cloud cover early on. As the day progressed, the wind dropped & the cloud disappeared which left the reservoir in a flat calm for much of the day. The bright, still conditions made the bank fishing somewhat challenging as the fish remained at distance in the deeper water. They may have been out of reach from the banks, but they were not out of reach from the boats. Subsequently, the reservoir fished well from the boats, with fish caught from the open water above the Island, 40-50m off the reeds at the Seat, In front of Robbo’s & off the netted bank & also round the tower in the Basin. Eyebrook Member Dean Shilton, fished Snakes from his Float Tube to take 9 fish above the Island, including a cracking Rainbow just short of 5lb at 4lb 15oz. All Water Member Andy Lilley had a very productive morning session landing 12 fish on Floating Lines & also a Midge Tip. Andy’s most productive fly was a Foam Daddy. Eyebrook Regular, Brian White caught very well in the Main Basin, fishing a Floating Line & Lures he landed 17 fish, which given the conditions was an excellent return. As you can see, despite the conditions, the fish remained high in the water column near the surface & most were caught subsurface.

Tuesday began as Monday had finished, looking like a mill pond in a flat calm. By mid-morning though a ripple had formed brought on by a building south westerly breeze which also brought a light covering of cloud. The wind at strengthened as the day wore on & on occasions it was very blustery which made for challenging conditions. This reflected in how the reservoir performed, with some finding it more challenging than others, which resulted in a varying catch return. From the bank, Kit Doleman caught 5 fish from the Chestnut to the Cowshed on a Washing Line with a Foam daddy on the point. Kit reported that there were no fish moving, but the Foam Daddy was still able to draw them up. That’s a great return from the bank Kit, well done.  Another to catch 5 was Eyebrook Member Tora Liggins. Tora took to the boat & landed her fish from 50m off the Netted Bank & also caught on a Foam Daddy. Regular Eyebrook visitor & All Water Member Ed Douglas had an exceptional day. Persevering with the Dries, trusting they would work, Ed landed well over double figures, most of which came from long drifts across the area of the Main Basin. Great angling Ed, well done.

It was a damp & blustery start to Wednesday with a strong south westerly pushing round to strong westerly as the day progressed. With the wind, came overcast skies & the occasional shower. The dense cloud meant that the fish would be up in the upper layers, feeding confidently & as it proved, happy to feed off the surface. Those that fished dries proved to be more successful than those that didn’t. Today we hosted the England Disabled Fly Fishers annual Fur & Feather which saw 17 anglers take to the water & between them they caught 64 fish which gave an excellent rod average of 3.8. Congratulations goes to Stephen Fairgrieve who was the winner on the day, well done. The most productive area was the Main Basin & the most productive method being the Dries with the Midas, Foam Daddies, Popper Hoppers all featuring high on the catch returns.

After the previous evenings heavy rainfall & the 180° change in wind direction, the fishing was always going to be somewhat challenging. In addition, as the day progressed, the air pressure began to plummet ahead of impending weather front that was due to come in overnight. Consequently, the reservoir fished slightly better in the morning than it did in the afternoon. The boat anglers generally found it very challenging, with a few fish caught relatively high up in the water column on Foam Daddies, nymphs & lures. The bank anglers found it more productive with Eyebrook Member Roy Swinfield catching 4 fish, 2 from the Chestnut & another 2 from the Island. All Water Member Jim Greasley fished further up the reservoir at the Cowshed & had landed 8 fish. Jim targeted the feeding fish around the weedbeds & his bag included a couple of fish over 3lb which is typical of the fish to be found around that area of the reservoir.

Friday was a day of strong winds & heavy rain. The wind, initially from the Southwest, moved round to a North Westerly as the day progressed & brought with it some persistent, heavy showers. Subsequently, there were very few boats out. Those that did venture out caught in the Main Basin on a variety of methods, Foam Daddies on a Floater or Pulling Lures on a sinking line. Both proved to be productive, although the strong wind meant that Pulling Lures was the easier to control.

It was a cold, clear start to Saturday with the air temperature into single figures. After an initial calm start, the wind developed into a moderate North Westerly with the “north” factor in the wind, ensuring that the air temperature remained cool. Initially, fish were caught off the surface on Foam Daddies before the autumnal sun got high in the sky but as the day progressed, fish were getting caught a few feet deeper in the water column. Eyebrook Member Bob Margery had a productive morning session landing 7 fish, 3 of which came to Foam Daddies early on & the rest to a white Snake on an Intermediate. Bob caught all his fish out from the Chestnut. The marginal areas seemed to be the more productive with a few fish coming from Dogwood Bay & the bank anglers have found that the stretch between the Chestnut & the Cowshed is still fishing well. Another Eyebrook member Keith Johnson caught 4 fish from this area earlier in the day. For the boats, the Main Basin is still holding fish, but the most productive method seems to be pulling snakes on either a Di3 or Di5, covering plenty of water from a drifting boat.

There was another early morning cold snap on Sunday, with the air temperature down as low as 2°C & the skies clear & bright. The Eye Brook was also showing some coloured water, a result of the recent heavy rainfall & was now beginning to colour some of the northern parts of Reservoir. The day started with a gentle northerly breeze that developed into a strong to moderate westerly & the skies remained bright & clear all day which made for challenging fishing conditions. There were some discussions to whether the cold start would invite some of Eyebrook’s larger resident fish to feed. We did not have to wait for long for the answer with Eyebrook Members & brothers Neil & Dean Shilton, both out in Float Tubes, landed some cracking overwintered fish. Dean had a Rainbow of 5lb 14oz & Neil had a Brown of 9lb. Both fish took fry patterns, were weighed & returned strongly. Elsewhere, All Water Member John Reynolds took 6 fish off the bank, fishing from the Cowshed to the Tern Rafts & the Limit of Fishing, on fry & shrimp patterns. Sunday saw us host the All-Abilities Friendly Fly Fishers, which saw 25 anglers take to the water in very challenging conditions. Those that caught better than others were fishing Fry imitations, be that Sparklers, Snakes or Cats Whiskers.

The forecast for the forthcoming week looks settled with an easterly breeze for the most part which will see the water temperature continue to drop & the Fry Feeding carry on.

Upcoming Events.

21^st October – Greylags – 10 Boats.

29^th October – Eyebrook Fur & Feather – All Boats.

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 20^th 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.

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: 15^th October Rod Av: 0.6  Water Temperature:15c

Monday to Thursday we were starting to see more fish on the surface at times with anglers catching a few trout from different areas, in front of the wood, Markfield arm. Varied patterns and lines from sink tips to fast sinkers with small patterns, blobs, booby, fry fished as slow as possible best method. Anglers with fish finders report a number of fish across the main basin at 18ft although their seeing more fish moving into the shallows.

Friday, we had heavy rainfall which put the level of the reservoir up by 6inch, water clarity reduced, although I do think as the level drops & clarity improves over the next few days the fresh water, I think can only help us to get this autumn fishing better.

Sunday morning first frost of the autumn which can again only help with improving the clarity.

As I always recommend call the lodge for latest report

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

Light breezes with sporadic cloud cover on Saturday morning made for reasonable conditions out on Draycote Water. To be fair the fishing wasn’t easy on Saturday and this showed up in the rod average which had dropped to 3.8. Slow through the early part of the day, anglers were picking fish up on tequila blobs and humungus fished on intermediate lines. Season permit holder Paul Walley fished at various locations around the bank and netted 5 fish on cormorants and white snakes. Mr Steve Proffitt caught 4 fish from the bank at Lincroft Point using humungus as well as dries such as bob’s bits. Out on the boats young Jon Crowley used blobs on a fast glass to net 7 fish near M buoy. Mark Goodge and Sean Higgins had 11 fish to the boat using snakes on sinking lines from various areas of the reservoir. Tim Burn and Paul Mitchell caught 14 fish from a drifting boat in the top few feet of the water column using a washing line with crunchers as well as dries. Draycote regular Mr J McVay caught 5 fish on nemo crunchers and diawl bachs  from Rainbow Corner and Biggin Bay.

Heavy overnight rain and strong winds made for an interesting start to Friday morning. A few brave souls ventured out onto the water but held to the leeward side of the reservoir. Strong winds dominated the day and limited the fishing, but perseverance paid off for all concerned. Season permit holder Ian Western caught a brace from the bank using lure patterns near the Valve Tower. Mr K Barnett and Mr R Bagnall had 8 fish between them using a mixture of lure patterns and nymphs in the top few feet of the water. Craig Middleton and Mike Smith took to the water to net 5 fish between them from a drifting boat on what they described as a very challenging day.

With a light north easterly breeze and good cloud cover, it was a great day to be out on Draycote Water on Thursday. The rod average for the day was 4.8, which is no surprise really, as fish can be seen in the top of the water column, right across the reservoir. Bank anglers are taking advantage of a great back end to the season with some good returns on a wide variety of methods and fly patterns. Draycote regular Ivor Bullock caught 4 fish from the bank using crunchers and floating fry from Lincroft Point. Mick Cronin had a brace from the bank on lures up near the Valve Tower. Stan Hillman caught half a dozen fish from the Tower Bank on a white minkie and remarked on the quality of the fish. Graham and Roger Davis took to the bank for the day to net 8 fish between them. The pair used minkie boobies and fished from various points along the northern shoreline. Out on the boats the anglers were also having some great sport with Mr T fox and Mr M Hermitage netting over 30 fish between them on dries. Ian Richardson and Bob Smith had well over 20 fish to the boat between them using boobies and appetizers fished on intermediate lines. Ian and Bob fished along the Tower Bank as well As in Rainbow Corner.

Strong blustery winds greeted us as we opened up on Wednesday morning, with the promise of showers throughout the day. Despite the conditions, those anglers that did venture out made some good returns. The bank here at Draycote is fishing quite well at the moment with the best of the fishing coming from the Swans Nest, Lincroft Point, The Old Pipe in Biggin Bay and the Tower Bank. Mr S Taylor caught a brace from the bank during a last 4 hour session, whilst Mr A Campbell had 4 fish off the bank in Toft Shallows. The best method was a floating line with cormorants and crunchers. Out on the boats Mr J Jacobs and Mr S Lloyd caught a dozen fish between them whilst fishing near B buoy. Mr Mike Nolan, Mr D Stott and Mr G Laking all had a brace each from the boats, but played their cards very close to their chest.

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

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/

2023 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 8th October 2023  Rod Av: 5.3  Water Temperature: 15-16°C

Monday started lovely and calm with good cloud cover and a spot of rain promised in the afternoon. The calm conditions remained for most of the day. On the bank all water member Norman Perkins landed 4 fish using a washing lining with buzzers on the droppers and a FAB on the point. Draycote member James Kelly landed 3 using Diawl Bachs on the droppers and a minkie on the point. Out on the boats Draycote member Ian Reeve fishing with Steve Hibberd landed 19 to their boat. With Ian using a daddy on the point and crunchers on the droppers. While Steve Opted to used a blue flash damsel, landing their fish at N Buoy. Jim Marriot enjoyed a good day landing 7 fish including 2 cracking rainbows of 6lb & 4lb. Mr K Buckley fished with J Jones with the pair landing 14 fish to their boat on hoppers. Fishing for the second day of a 2 day break. Derek Moore & Felicity Appleton landed a dozen fish between them on a mix of dries or a washing line.

An overcast start to the day but the sun soon made an appearance with southwest winds. On the bank Draycote member Alan Grant enjoyed a good day landing 8 fish from the Tower Bank. Using a slow sinking intermediate and minkies. Also fishing on the bank Mick Cronin landed 5 fish using fry patterns, from various spot around the bank. With Mick’s best fish being a cracking rainbow of 5lb 4oz. On the boats Bob Barfoot landed a dozen fish. Drifting from the Valve Tower down to Y Buoy, using various snakes and boobies on intermediate lines. Fishing in Rainbow Corner, Ian Richardson & Bob Smith enjoyed a great days sport landing 31 fish to their boat. Using intermediate lines and sparkler boobies proved to be their most productive method on the day. Fishing with hoppers in Rainbow Corner Nick Righton enjoyed a good half day boat landing 6 fish.

Wednesday wasn’t too bad a day weatherwise, but it did get a bit bumpy out on the boats through the afternoon. The bank here at Draycote is holding it’s own with Paul Walker netting 4 fish on Kate Mclarens. Alex Campbell had a brace off the bank during a morning session, fishing crunchers off the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay. Out on the boats young Ed Douglas had a dozen on dries as well as the washing line. Visiting angler Tim Grove also had a dozen to the boat using hoppers. Staff member and in house guide Lee Henfrey had over two dozen fish to the boat during a morning session. Lee used a fast glass line with two black hoppers in between two sparkler boobies and fished along the Farborough Dam. Mr J Herman and Mr D Bartram had 16 fish between them using white snakes fished on a fast glass line.

Thursday morning was overcast at Draycote Water, with a light south westerly breeze. Despite some early forecasts it turned out to be an almost perfect day with anglers catching fish almost everywhere, and the rod average holding at around 7. Season permit holder Alan Grant took to the bank to net 5 fish on small nymphs from various points along the northern shoreline. Colin Day took 6 fish from the bank. Colin fished in Biggin Bay near the Old Pipe using humungus and commented on the quality of the bank fishing this season. Young Norman Perkins plied his trade off the bank near the Swans Nest to net 10 fish on buzzers and blobs. Draycote regular Stan Hillman caught a dozen fish whilst out on the bank using floating fry near the Valve Tower, and commented on “Some Cracking Sport”. Out on the boats Ian Richardson and Bob Smith had nearly 30 fish to the boat between them. Ian and Bob used sparkler boobies and hoppers on intermediate lines and fished in areas such as Farborough Spit, Rainbow Corner and the Tower Bank. Mr M Schofield had 14 fish to the boat using a variety of flies such as cormorants, crunchers and hoppers. Kevin Rees caught 16 fish from a drifting boat, all on dries such as bob’s bits and the F fly. Season permit holder Peter Jeffries and his boat partner had a bakers dozen to the net, and every one of them fell to a dry fly.

A windy day Friday, with a number of anglers practicing for the AMFC Autumn match. As is normally the case with practice days exact information wasn’t given up very readily. However, having spoke to the anglers it was clear that the fishery was fishing well with a number of fish getting caught. There seemed to be a couple of key methods working. One was washing line with nymphs on the droppers with a FAB on the point using various midge tips. While the other was to pull boobies using an intermediate line with hoppers or cormorants in the middle. Area’s producing fish seemed to be either drifting down the Farnborough Dam Wall from J Buoy. Coming from Rainbow Corner towards A Buoy and also off the exclusion buoys at the Hensborough Bank drifting towards M Buoy. There was also fish getting caught around X Buoy and Y Buoy.

Less wind Saturday than the day before, although it did remain in the same direction from the Southwest. On the bank Phil Green fished ahead of the Troutmasters on Monday. Landing a dozen fish while fishing in the Troutmaster zones in Toft and Lincroft to the Valve Tower Bank. However, kept the exact methods of how to himself. John Pearn also practicing for Monday used a washing line with  crunchers and a FAB to land 5 fish. On the boats the Association of Major Fishing Clubs (AMFC) hosted their Autumn match with teams from all 3 groups competing to decide the final placings for the year. Overall all the anglers enjoyed great sport landing 515 fish for a rod average of 8.0 fish per angler. There was a variety of methods used on the day. However, the best catch came from Gary How who landed his 12 fish by 1.35pm. Using a 12ft slow tip with a size 12 FAB on the top dropper 2 pearly cormorants and another FAB on the point. With the best area being 100 yards around D Buoy. Lee Cartmail fishing with Gary also landed his 12 fish by 2pm doing the same method. Other anglers found success roly-polying sparkler boobies and cormorants around the Farborough Dam Wall. With another very successful area being Rainbow Corner towards A Buoy again either using sparkler boobies on intermediates or washing lining on various midge tips.

More challenging conditions Sunday with bright flat conditions for most of the morning. As a result the afternoon fished a lot better when the cloud arrived with a  ripple on the water. On the bank Phil Green fished once again practicing for the Troutmasters and landed 6 fish on various snakes and other lures. On the boats all water member Roger Kerrison landed 10 fish using a washing lining set up around Rainbow Corner to A Buoy. With boat partner Stan Studdick landing 15 fish giving them 25 to the boat. Sam Smith fished with Albert Coales with the pair using tubes fished on sinking lines to land over 40 fish to the boat. With some cracking overwintered fish amongst them, picking fish up from nearly every area on the lake they tried.

Upcoming Events.

9^th October- Troutmasters Bank Only (BANK CLOSED)

21^st & 22^nd Army Championships 15 Boats.

26th November- Fur & Feather

Draycote’s closing date

The closing date for Draycote for this season will be Thursday 30^th 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/

2023 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: 08^th October   Rod Av:  2.8      Water Temperature: 15°c

It was a relatively quiet start to the week, with only a few boats venturing out. The fish remained in the upper layers & were caught on a mixture of the Washing Line or Dries. The Main Basin remains very productive, as does the open water between the Chestnut & the Seat. All those that did venture out caught, with Eyebrook regular Jude Tuffs & All Water Member Ed Douglas catching particularly well. Jude fished the Washing Line, whereas Ed fished a mixture of the Washing Line & Dries, they both landed 9 apiece.

There was a damp start to Tuesday, with a light South Westerly breeze which developed into a moderate westerly by mid-morning & a strong, blustery westerly by lunchtime. With the wind, came bright, clear skies which made for very challenging conditions. Bright sunlight with strong wind is never easy. The weather can have a huge impact on how the Trout behave, both negatively & positively & unfortunately, with these conditions it was the former. Subsequently, very few fish were caught. One angler who did do well was Eyebrook Member Keith Johnson who toiled hard for his 5 fish off the bank. Keith found that during the brief spells the wind dropped the fish would move right into the shallows to feed. 5 fish on a day like today, is a great effort. Well done, Keith.

Wednesday brought with it a moderate westerly wind with plenty of cloud cover & by mid-afternoon, there were some isolated patches of sunshine. The fish remained relatively high up in the water column & were caught predominately on the washing line from the boats with the open water of the Main Basin & between the Island & Robbo’s Cabin proving to be quite productive. Those who fished colour on their washing lines, be that as a top dropper or on the point, fared better than those who didn’t. The banks continue to be consistent, with fish caught from the area of the Hawthorns & down as far as the Chestnut. What has been noticeable with the banks is that during the calmer periods, the fish are more than happy to move right into the shallows. When the wind is at its strongest, they will sit that little bit further out.

The conditions in the morning on Thursday were nye on perfect, a gentle south westerly wind with consistent cloud cover. As the day progressed, the weather deteriorated to a strong westerly with sunny intervals by the mid-afternoon. The fishing reflected the weather as the reservoir fished better in the morning than it did in the afternoon, which just goes to show how important the weather is, especially at this time of year. There were some good bags caught from both the boats & the banks, the banks are really starting to hit some consistent form. All Water Member Ian Jobe caught well up by the Chestnut, landing some cracking fish as he targeted the naturally feeding fish around the weedbeds. From the boats, the fish remained high up in the water column & were caught on a mixture of Dries &/or the Washing Line. The Foam daddy featured highly on the catch returns, as did FABs, Cormorants & Diawl Bachs.

Friday was a day of mixed fortunes, with anglers catching very well & others struggling. The banks continued to fish very well with Eyebrook Member, Keith Johnson venturing up towards the Chestnut & Cowshed areas of the reservoir. Keith landed 10 cracking Rainbows on an Olive Popper Minkie fished over the top of the weedbeds. On the boats, Neil Heath landed 11 fish on a variety of methods, from Foam Daddies on a Floating Line to Snakes on a Sweep Line. It once again shows the importance of changing methods to suit the conditions as the fish have no choice but to respond to meteorological changes.

Saturday was an uncharacteristically warm day for October with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees. This warmer air temperature led to an increase in surface activity & subsequently, there were a good number of fish caught on dries from various locations around the reservoir. Popper Hoppers, Foam Daddies & Popper Fry all featured highly on the catch returns as most boats catching relatively well. Those that didn’t catch on the Dries, caught on the washing line with a Foam Daddy on the point & Diawl Bachs on the Droppers.

There was a calm, clear & bright start to Sunday. The gentle southerly breeze eventually brought with it some cloud cover that was interspersed with periods of isolated sunny intervals. There were some great catch returns recorded with the fish feeding high up in the water column & off the surface. All Water Member Ed Douglas had a great day on the Dries & the Washing Line, changing methods to match the conditions, Ed landed 20 fish which is a great return. Foam Daddies & a Crippled Midge were his most effective Dries. Sunday also saw us host the Alex Booth Fly Fishers which saw 16 anglers take to the water. Between them they caught 54 fish, which gave them a very credible rod average of 3.3. Congratulations to Kev Slater who was top rod on day, pipping Riccardo Saccone by a matter of ounces. Elsewhere Neil Shilton out in his Float Tube had 10 fish down by the Willows, fishing tight into the reeds with fry patterns.

Upcoming Events.

11^th October – England Disabled Fly Fishers Fur & Feather – 15 Boats + 2 Wheely Boats.

15^th October – All Abilities Friendly Fly Fishers – 14 Boats + 2 Wheely Boats.

21^st October – Greylags – 10 Boats.

29^th October – Eyebrook Fur & Feather – All Boats.

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 20^th 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.

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/

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

Week Ending: 8^th October Rod Av: 0.6  Water Temperature:16c

Fishing at Thornton continues to be challenging due to the weather we experienced during September & the algae that helped to cause.

Our clarity continues to improve, currently around the shallows its 3ft with our water temperature now at 16c which is what we would expect for early October.

Some anglers with fish finders are reporting a good number of trout are still in the deeper water at depths of 19ft+.

We have seen this week especially during the morning fish starting to feed on the surface with some buzzer from small midge buzzer to the usual large buzzer. Anglers also report in front of the wood and stones fry moving.

Ironically despite the fish finders showing fish in the deeper water the best of the catches has come from the shallower water in front of the wood, shallows of the Markfield arm.

Our advice, contact the fishery for the latest up to date information.

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

Less wind Saturday than the day before, although it did remain in the same direction from the Southwest. On the bank Phil Green fished ahead of the Troutmasters on Monday. Landing a dozen fish while fishing in the Troutmaster zones in Toft and Lincroft to the Valve Tower Bank. However, kept the exact methods of how to himself. John Pearn also practicing for Monday used a washing line with  crunchers and a FAB to land 5 fish. On the boats the Association of Major Fishing Clubs (AMFC) hosted their Autumn match with teams from all 3 groups competing to decide the final placings for the year. Overall all the anglers enjoyed great sport landing 515 fish for a rod average of 8.0 fish per angler. There was a variety of methods used on the day. However, the best catch came from Gary How who landed his 12 fish by 1.35pm. Using a 12ft slow tip with a size 12 FAB on the top dropper 2 pearly cormorants and another FAB on the point. With the best area being 100 yards around D Buoy. Lee Cartmail fishing with Gary also landed his 12 fish by 2pm doing the same method. Other anglers found success roly-polying sparkler boobies and cormorants around the Farborough Dam Wall. With another very successful area being Rainbow Corner towards A Buoy again either using sparkler boobies on intermediates or washing lining on various midge tips.

Thursday morning was overcast at Draycote Water, with a light south westerly breeze. Despite some early forecasts it turned out to be an almost perfect day with anglers catching fish almost everywhere, and the rod average holding at around 7. Season permit holder Alan Grant took to the bank to net 5 fish on small nymphs from various points along the northern shoreline. Colin Day took 6 fish from the bank. Colin fished in Biggin Bay near the Old Pipe using humungus and commented on the quality of the bank fishing this season. Young Norman Perkins plied his trade off the bank near the Swans Nest to net 10 fish on buzzers and blobs. Draycote regular Stan Hillman caught a dozen fish whilst out on the bank using floating fry near the Valve Tower, and commented on “Some Cracking Sport”. Out on the boats Ian Richardson and Bob Smith had nearly 30 fish to the boat between them. Ian and Bob used sparkler boobies and hoppers on intermediate lines and fished in areas such as Farborough Spit, Rainbow Corner and the Tower Bank. Mr M Schofield had 14 fish to the boat using a variety of flies such as cormorants, crunchers and hoppers. Kevin Rees caught 16 fish from a drifting boat, all on dries such as bob’s bits and the F fly. Season permit holder Peter Jeffries and his boat partner had a bakers dozen to the net, and every one of them fell to a dry fly.

Wednesday wasn’t too bad a day weatherwise, but it did get a bit bumpy out on the boats through the afternoon. The bank here at Draycote is holding it’s own with Paul Walker netting 4 fish on Kate Mclarens. Alex Campbell had a brace off the bank during a morning session, fishing crunchers off the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay. Out on the boats young Ed Douglas had a dozen on dries as well as the washing line. Visiting angler Tim Grove also had a dozen to the boat using hoppers. Staff member and in house guide Lee Henfrey had over two dozen fish to the boat during a morning session. Lee used a fast glass line with two black hoppers in between two sparkler boobies and fished along the Farborough Dam. Mr J Herman and Mr D Bartram had 16 fish between them using white snakes fished on a fast glass line.