Draycote Water weekly report week ending 16^th April 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

Some tremendous sport experienced by many this week, peaking  mid-week with a bonanza of a day on Thursday when a staggering 777 trout were recorded for the day! For the week as a whole, a total of 347 anglers visited the venue & caught 2563 trout for a rod average of 7.4.

Monday saw a great start to the week with a rod average of 12 fish. Dave East had his best  session to date, christening his new Vision ONKI rod with 10 rainbows to buzzers both washing lined & fished under an indicator on Lin Croft. Newcomer to the venue, Mike Sinclair, is anxious to get amongst the “Troutmasters” badges! He also caught his best catch so far netting a total of 31 lure caught rainbows fishing an intermediate line from the bank on the lodge side of Toft. Meanwhile the boat of Alan Greenhalgh & Dave Heseltine saw consistent action to their black buzzers in Toft and they landed 16 & 23 respectively. Also enjoying the action in Toft was the boat pairing of Ken Whitehouse & Paul Burnell. They chose to pull lures on an intermediate line & netted 40 between them. Ray Cramp had a long day on the bank over in Biggin, making the most of non-stop feeding fish.  He ended his session with a 36 fish tally, captured on a mix of lure & nymph tactics on a floating line.

Tuesday saw Tony Broadway hard at it on the bank fishing his black buzzers down to size 14s. He netted 22 rainbows. Fellow season rod Mike Garner also bank fished down in Toft landing 19 on Diawl Bachs. A couple of Mike’s fish topped the 5lbs mark. Peter Wyles & John Symonds took to the boat using a  combination of black buzzer & Montana nymph & netted 11 apiece, whilst Andy Lane  pulled blobs & damsels for a total of 28.

On Wednesday anglers were greeted by strong westerlies on a day when many had come to attend the official launch of the Draycote Wheely Boat. During 2016 a fundraising effort, spearheaded by one of our most valued members, assisted by a group of Draycote regulars & members and with the support of the fishery, led to the commissioning of a “Coulam Wheely Boat” ( see The Wheelyboat Trust at:- www.wheelyboat.org ) . As a fishery, we wish to thank all anglers who participated in fundraising events to successfully achieve our goal with special thanks for a valued donation from the Janet Nash Charitable Settlement.The vessel has now been built & sits on the water as a proud addition to the fleet following it’s official launch last Wednesday. It is a wheelchair accessible craft which will enable our mobility impaired anglers to enjoy the freedom of getting afloat.

The blustery conditions knocked the rod average back slightly. However, significant action was still being experienced out on the water by Sean Hanlon in particular. He got into deeper lying fish off the Farborough Dam & down into Toft. Using blobs on a sink rate 7 line he ended his session with a tally of 26 to the boat. Roger Kerrison also boat fished to net 16. Eyebrook staff member David Davis paid us a visit on his day off & presented a team of buzzers both straight lined & as a washing line for a total of 14 from the boat. Wednesday also saw our stocking of beautiful blues which, by early Thursday, were delighting anglers in Rainbow Corner, Biggin Bay & Toft!! These fish are proving to be extremely aggressive and most powerful in play.

Tony Broadway was back in action on the bank on Thursday and his 20 fish total included five blues. Richard Damon also took one as part of his 10 fish boat catch which he weighed in at 5lbs 4ozs. Howard & Marion Rutter were also afloat fishing teams of buzzer to get well into double figures with “Marion having her best ever day at Draycote”. Matt Harris similarly enjoyed a frantic boat session landing huge  numbers of fish on “everything except dries!!”  With three fish over five pounds to his net he described the stock fish as the best he had ever seen!  The 777 catch total for the day equated to a rod average of 10.02

Friday saw us back to increased WSW & SW winds, gusting up to 24mph with decreased temperatures & a significant wind chill factor. This led to boat & bank anglers having to work harder for their fish. Nevertheless, regulars Gordon Slack & Alan Bettles managed 8 each on the bank. Gordon fished Lin Croft & Dunn’s Bay with a washing lined buzzer setup. Meanwhile, Mr Lambert caught 7 off the bank at Lin Croft on snakes & described his first encounter with a 3lbs blue as “Top battle!”. Mr C J Day also fished Lin Croft with buzzer & damsel & netted one blue amongst his 11 fish tally whose fight he described as “magnificent!” The blues continued to impress down in Toft too where Mike Sutton, fishing from the bank with a washing line, enjoyed an exhilarating “superb fight” with a blue of 6lbs. The fish was net weighed before being carefully released.

Saturday dawned with bright sunshine and blustery conditions. This made for difficult fishing, particularly as the wind changed direction several times throughout the day. The Paisley Patterns visiting us from Scotland on a 3 day package found it a bit harder through Saturday although they did boat 62 fish between them. All in all, they did comment that it was a great trip. Mr Dave and Mr Mike Mee, again visiting us on a 3 day package, had 35 fish to the boat between them on small buzzers. Season permit holder Dennis Tidmarsh caught 8 fish from the bank. Mr Martin Hancox caught 6 fish from the bank in an afternoon session. The boat pairing of Mr M Robinson and Mr L Haslam Jones did really well on DI 7’s and boobies, netting 21 fish between them. The Ospreys Team from South Wales caught a total of 75 fish between 20 rods on various methods.

To say Sundays weather forecast was inaccurate would be a bit of an understatement. The wind blew a steady westerly with only one or two light showers throughout the day. It was Toft shallows, Grays Barn, the Cornfield, Lin Croft point and Biggin bay which gave the best sport both for bank and boat anglers. Mr A Stanbridge and Mr J Sheridan shared a boat for the day and caught 19 fish between them on buzzers down in Toft. The boat pairing of Mike and Dave Mee once again did really well with 31 fish to the boat. Season permit holder Mr Paul Walley had a good day with 10 fish from the bank. Mr D and Mr N Starsmore had a total of 12 fish to the boat on buzzers, crunchers and diawl bachs.

Weekly Boat draw

Congratulations to Mr Jim Dempsey of Bedworth who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  347    Number Trout Taken: 604     Number Trout Released:   1959

Total Catch:       2563        Weekly Rod Average:  7.4

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until : 20:15

Boat All Day: 08:30  until  20:15

Boat Part Day: AM  08:30  until  14:00   PM  14:00   until  20:15

Last 4 Hours from:  16:15       until     20:15      (Ticket sales available from 16:00)

Gutting Room Closes – 19:45

All Anglers to be off site by: 20:45

Fishery News

Sage & Rio Day

Saturday 13^th May 2017 Meet Simon Gawsworth & Jim Fearn 10:00 to 16:00 hrs Our Draycote guides will also be taking to the water along with representatives from Sage & Rio Products. We offer you the opportunity to book a complimentary fly fishing session afloat or on the pontoon with a member of the team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice. Limited slots remaining. To reserve your free place, please call the lodge on 01788 812018.

Tuition Days- Beginners Courses

Saturday 6^th May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird    Course now full

Sunday 21^st May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird      Currently three spaces available

Saturday 10^th June  Hosted by Jim Williams of Vision Tackle.  Currently five spaces available

Sunday 11^th June  Hosted by Jim Williams of Vision Tackle.  Currently four spaces available

Call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book or for further information

Trout Masters

Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck!

Dates for your diary:-

Competition                                                                         Contact

England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30^th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268

England Eliminator – 27^th and 28^th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Scierra Pairs Match – 25^th June – Visit website.

Alex Booth Memorial – 29^th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825

Angling World Holiday Heat 5^th and 6^th August – Visit website

TEFF Fundraiser.  Dry Fly Championship 16^th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Angling World Holiday Final – 23^rd and 24^th September

Troutmasters Final – 9^th October. – See Fishery staff.

Boat Cleanliness:

Our hard pressed team strive to maintain the boats to a high standard of cleanliness. Anglers are kindly requested to respect their endeavours by keeping their vessels shipshape & litter free. Particular attention should be paid to avoiding the unnecessary practise of pulling muddy anchors on board. These should be shaken clean before being lifted into the boat. Your assistance in this regard will be most appreciated.

Catch Returns

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.

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

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Draycote Water weekly report week ending 9^th April 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

The vagaries of the British spring weather…….. after a period of very difficult conditions this has been a  great week weather-wise at Draycote with light winds and sun being around for most the period. Although at times these conditions might have made fishing slightly tricky, for majority of the week good fishing was experienced by most. This showed in the weekly rod average with 355 anglers catching a total of 2,203, giving a rod average of 6.2 for the week.

Monday kicked off with a bright sunny flat calm but the wind soon picked up to create a breezy day blowing from the South West. Making the most of the good wind and sunny conditions was Rod Wilson out on a boat utilising the rudder. Rod enjoyed great sport boating 22 fish with his 4 fish limit weighting 14lb. Rod found the fish from P buoy to E and around the deep water at B, his best flies being gold and silver tube and pink snake. Another angler enjoying good sport out on the boats was Mr Tim Grois. He enjoyed good sport landing 13 on buzzers fishing just off the Hensbrough bank. Season ticket holder Ed Douglas also had a good day choosing to battle the strong breeze at Lincroft Point. He landed 17rainbows using buzzers teamed up with a FAB on the point. Also doing well on the bank was Ray Cramp who landed 8 fish in a short afternoon season down in Toft shallows using lures. Ray’s 8 fish limit weighed in at 26lb 4oz. Fishing alongside him in Toft was season ticket holder Kevin Rees who also landed 8 fish on black buzzers.

Tuesday saw a similar day weather-wise with the wind coming a little more from the west than the previous day. Large hatches of buzzers could be seen on the north shore with the warmer conditions. As a result, most the bank anglers headed out for Biggin Bay, Duns and Lincroft Point.  Tony Broadway fished the bank using buzzers and a FAB to land 11 fish. Fishing down the bank from Tony, Jude Tuffs enjoyed good sport of similar tactics to land nine. Gordon Slack also enjoyed fine sport on buzzer landing 10 fish in total. Out on the boats Sean Hanlon had a great session & landed 29. Sean took his first 6 drifting towards Farnborough Spit on dries, before the wind picked up and pushed the fish down. This then saw him drop to a Di 7 sinking line with a team of blobs to take another 23 fish. Sean found the fish down the Farnborough Dam and in the deeper water in Toft. Another boat who found the fish deeper down in the water column, and willing to take blobs, was that of Peter Elliott and Lee Patten who had 24 to the boat, catching down the Hensbrough Bank, Biggin Bay and Toft.

Another sunny warm day on Wednesday, however there was still a slight cool wind which took the edge of the temperatures slightly. Bob Eaton had fun on the bank landing 17 fish from Duns Bay using buzzers and FABS on a floating line. Mr J Hall also had a good days sport on the bank landing 12 fish on a blue flash damsel fished on a floating line. Out on the boats Mr Timms and Mr Foster fished Biggin Bay with nymphs and lures for 39 to the boat. Eugene Hughes went afloat to land over 40 fish on a Di 7 line with humungus and snakes. His best areas proved to be S buoy and Croft Shoal, C buoy and over X buoy.

Thursday started off flat calm with bright sun. The wind did arrive, but only enough to give a light ripple on the water all day from the west. Season ticket holder Tony Broadway fished Lincroft Point landing 25 rainbows using size 14 black buzzers with a FAB on the point, with a good mix coming from both the FAB and the buzzer. Fishing along the bank from Tony was Brian Warwick who enjoyed a good day’s sport landing 14 on buzzers. On the bank, but this time in Duns Bay, season ticket holders Eddie Mitchell and Dave Kennell had fantastic sport with 41 & 26 fish respectively using buzzers and FAB fished on a floating line. Dave also landed a fantastic 5lb fish on his second cast! Out on the boats Mike Gillett was in action boating 16 fish from various areas on the lake from Biggin Bay down through to Toft.

A near perfect fishing day greeted anglers first thing Friday with light ripple and overcast skies during the morning. The sun made an appearance from about 2pm onwards. On the bank Mr Bettles had 24 fish using buzzers and white and green lures. Catching well was Paul Beasley who landed 34 fish using lures. Also out on the water were Notts Police having a club bank match. Their nine anglers netted a total of 115 fish for a rod average for 12.77 leading Simon Peck to later comment “What a cracking day. I have always said Draycote is the best Midlands reservoir & it’s really proving it!”  Mr Farnsworth boated 15 all on buzzers fishing in Biggin Bay and Toft. Mr P Newman and Mr E Rymer landed over 40 to the boat all on size 16 black buzzers taken from down in Toft and Biggin Bay. Pete Elliott & Lee Patten took to the water once more this week and yet again recorded good catches from Duns, Biggin, and Hensbrough fishing buzzers and FABS on a washing line. Finally out on the water, our very own Fishery Ranger Tom Bird concentrated fishing for moving fish in the middle of the lake on dries and landed 27 fish with 26 of them being overwintered – the biggest around the 5lb mark. Tom found the fish drifting from X buoy to H buoy or K and OL buoy.

A very warm spring day on Saturday with a light ripple and clear skies all day really got the buzzers hatching and clouds could be seen all around the North shore. As a result, the bank anglers enjoyed good sport catching on various buzzers and FABS. Mr Mike Weaver landed 19 fish on black and orange cheeked buzzers with a damsel on the point. Clive Wilkins experienced a real red letter day on buzzer boating 37 fish on black buzzers. Out on the boats Mr I Ross and Mr A Ross landed 17 fish fishing buzzers and nymphs from various mark around the reservoir with Biggin Bay and Lincroft point being a hotspot. Mr N Dunn & Mr C Dunn boated 28 fish again using buzzers and nymphs fished either on the washing line on a floater or straight lined on a midge tip. Jim Brennan and Chris Discombe also into the sport out on the boats landing 27 fish using buzzers and damsels fished on a floating line.

A very warm sunny day Sunday with the temperatures into the 20°C, this teamed with a gusty south westerly made the bank fishing a little difficult as the previous days hotspots had the wind blowing into the anglers faces. This made presentation difficult. Thornton Fly Fishers took to the bank for an annual match with 3 of their 12 anglers bringing 8 fish limits to the scales. With the anglers catching on the north shore with buzzers a FAB fished on a washing line or lures fished on a intermediates. Dave Leavesley ended the day with 12 fish taking them all from 1-4pm at the Swans Nest & Toft, on static buzzers. Season ticket holder Eddie Mitchell fished the bank for a couple of hours in the afternoon to land 10 fish all from Biggin Bay on buzzers and FAB. Out on the boats Paul Davidson and Tony Baldwin landed over 40 fish to the boat using straight line nymph tactics fished on floaters and midge tips from various marks on the water. Jim Smith also enjoyed a good days sport fishing a washing line on a midge tip with Lincroft Point being his hotspot. Andy Lane fished down in Toft using black lures on a di 3 line & landed 30 for the day.

Given the huge chironomid hatches that are now taking place, it looks like next week’s sport will continue along the lines of black buzzer, black buzzer or black buzzer…….

Congratulations to Mr Colin Campbell of Moreton-in-the-Marsh who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  355    Number Trout Taken:  669    Number Trout Released:   1534

Total Catch:    2203           Weekly Rod Average:  6.2

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 20:00

Boat All Day: 08:30  until  20:00

Boat Part Day: AM  08:30  until  14:00   PM  14:00   until  20:00

Last 4 Hours from:  16:00       until     20:00      (Ticket sales available from 15:45)

Gutting Room Closes – 19:30

All Anglers to be off site by: 20:15

Fishery News

Sage & Rio Day

Saturday 13^th May 2017 Meet Simon Gawsworth & Jim Fearn 10:00 to 16:00 hrs Our Draycote guides will also be taking to the water along with representatives from Sage & Rio Products. We offer you the opportunity to book a complimentary fly fishing session afloat or on the pontoon with a member of the team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice. Limited slots remaining. To reserve your free place, please call the lodge on 01788 812018.

Tuition Days- Beginners Courses

Saturday 6^th May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird    Course now full

Sunday 21^st May Hosted by Kevin Hart & Tom Bird      Currently three spaces available

Saturday 10^th June  Hosted by Jim Williams of Vision Tackle.  Currently five spaces available

Places still available for both days. Call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book or for further information

Trout Masters

Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck.

Dates for your diary:-

Competition                                                                         Contact

England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30^th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268

England Eliminator – 27^th and 28^th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Scierra Pairs Match – 25^th June – Visit website.

Alex Booth Memorial – 29^th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825

Angling World Holiday Heat 5^th and 6^th August – Visit website

TEFF Fundraiser.  Dry Fly Championship 16^th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Angling World Holiday Final – 23^rd and 24^th September

Troutmasters Final – 9^th October. – See Fishery staff.

Catch Returns

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.

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore  twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly report week ending 2nd April 2017
Telephone Number 01788 812018
Report
Draycote has experienced a week of extremely windy, often bright, conditions which on the whole made things harder for boat & bank angler alike. Whilst the overall rod average saw a significant drop on the week before, it proved to be something of a contrary period with many anglers struggling for a take whilst others returned with good results. Winds have been strong & south to southwest predominantly which frequently made conditions on the North Shore marks uncomfortable for the boat anglers & all but impossible for the bank guys who were also forced to contend with muddied up margins from the waves.
Nevertheless, regulars Ed Douglas & Kevin Rees fished buzzers on the bank on Monday, mainly in Toft, taking 15 & 16 rainbows respectively. Ron Beavan & Ted Mills shared a boat & also chose buzzer tactics. They returned a total of 17 rainbows. Rod Wilson fished tubes on the rudder & found fish deep down. He weighed an eight rainbow bag for a total of 23lbs with the best at 4lbs 8oz. The best fish of the week came on Monday to the rod of Trevor Heseltine from a boat – a fine brown of 7lbs 10oz.
Tuesday’s success story on the bank was the combined efforts of Tony Broadway, Jude Tuffs, Colin Grainger & Ed Douglas fishing mainly nymphs for a joint total of 41 fish. Windy conditions did however spoil sport with muddied up margins. Although very gusty, Colin England & partner Tony Plummer brought ten each to the net in the boat. Wednesday was a hard day- sunny & again gusty but saw some good results on the Hensborough Bank & down the Farborough dam wall to washing line tactics. The boat pairing of Mr Hubbard & Draper netted 15 fish whilst, up from London, Eugene Hughes worked his usual magic on sink rate 7&8 lines to bring 30+ fish to the net from all over the venue. During a bank tuition session Tim Davies came up with a beautiful 5lbs+ brownie which took a red buzzer & was safely returned to the water.
Thursday was described as “challenging” by Mike Oliver on the bank but his efforts with a pheasant tail nymph & buzzer combination at the Swan’s Nest saw him bring 20 to the net! Matt Harris took to the boat and landed 10 by the end of his session. Mr C Day did well on Friday on the bank in Dunns & Toft to take a 9 fish bag whilst Graham Homer boat fished nymphs for a ten trout total. Also afloat were Roger Kerrison & Steve Cullen who netted 26 between them on a variety of methods.
The weekend saw no let-up in the winds which left the bank anglers having to work really hard with fish thin on the ground. Boat anglers generally had a tough time too but congratulations to Martyn Price who caught & released a 6lbs brown off the Flat Stones on a home tied lure. He & boat partner Dave Hancox brought 11 to the net. Meanwhile, Peter Elliott shared a boat day with Paul Davison & they recorded a total of 22 caught & released. Peter said that most of his fish were to buzzer fished under a bung in the vicinity of the overflow with most hitting at a depth of about six feet down. Melvin Severn did well on the rudder in the big wind leaving early with a fine eight fish limit. John McLellan was also on fine form too with a boat caught 14 fish total to a combination of black & green lure & Montana Nymph. He commented that he had caught nothing at all until after 13:00. Anglers found conditions tough on Sunday too however, mention must go to Mr K Harding who fished FABS & small black buzzers on a floating line & netted a total of 23 rainbows. Mr Williams & boat partner Mr Hawkins also showed the way with 16 & 14 respectively to their boat fished diawl bach &buzzer combinations.
The new week has also started cold with frozen windscreens first thing this morning. We sometimes forget just how early in the season it is? However, the black buzzer hatch continues to build & with forecasts of a warmer week we optimistically anticipate better sport to come.
Congratulations to Mr Alex Cameron of Burbage who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 297 Number Trout Taken: 327 Number Trout Released: 780
Total Catch: 1107 Weekly Rod Average: 3.72
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until 19:30
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 19:30
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 14:00 PM 14:00 until 19:30
Last 4 Hours from: 15:30 until 19:30 (Ticket sales available from 15:15)
Gutting Room Closes – 19.00
All Anglers to be off site by: 19:45
Fishery News
Tuition Days- Beginners Courses
Saturday 8th April & Sunday 9th April – Hosted by Jim Williams of Vision tackle
Places still available for both days. Call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book or for further information
Trout Masters
Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck.
Dates for your diary:-
Competition Contact
England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268
England Eliminator – 27th and 28th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117
Scierra Pairs Match – 25th June – Visit website.
Alex Booth Memorial – 29th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825
Angling World Holiday Heat 5th and 6th August – Visit website
TEFF Fundraiser. Dry Fly Championship 16th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117
Angling World Holiday Final – 23rd and 24th September
Troutmasters Final – 9th October. – See Fishery staff.
Catch Returns
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. (Please note: A total of 17 anglers failed to book out on Sunday alone…)
Anchoring
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.
Car Passes
Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
Rudder Hire
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.
Tight lines
Follow Us on
facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly report week ending 26th  March 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

Draycote has once again been in good form this past week. Despite some cold blustery days anglers have ventured out onto the water, well wrapped up I might add, to return some great catches from all over the reservoir. The bank and boats are fishing equally as well, with the backbone of the catch falling mainly to buzzers, either on a washing line or fished straight through. Lots of fish are also being taken on lures, particularly those of the black and green variety, whilst a small number of patient souls are steadfastly fishing dries with some success. On cloudy overcast days the fish can be seen feeding very close to the bank in Toft, giving anglers cause to stand well back and make short casts along the shoreline. Indeed some anglers have waded out into the water only to find the fish rising behind them.

The most popular area on the water has without a doubt been Toft shallows, with anglers working the near shore from the Swans nest, casting into the breeze. On Friday some of the regulars who were catching sporadically in the Cornfield with a comfortable breeze on their backs, said they were watching across the water at anglers having “A pluck a Chuck” by the Swans nest, and moved around to get in on the sport.

On Monday season permit holder Mr John Dickens had 12 fish from the bank on a mixture of buzzers, FAB’S and cormorants. Mr Ed Douglas, also fishing from the bank had 14 fish. Mr Bob Thompson had 6 fish from the bank on buzzers.

On Tuesday Mr Alan Bettles had 20 fish in Dunns bay on a white and green lure. New season permit holder Mr Rob Keeber caught 12 fish. Mr R Maxwell and Mr I Coxon had  17 fish to the boat. Mr Les Watson and Mr John Pearson enjoyed an evening session on the bank, netting 8 fish between them. A photo was taken of John holding a large one.

On Wednesday Mr J Gregory and Mr M Joy had 29 fish to the boat. Draycote members Mr Brian Warwick and Mr John Dews had 11 fish each fishing buzzers down in Toft. Mr Rob Bettinson, Mr Peter Fox and Mr John Woodcock braved the cold for an evening session on the bank, netting 15 fish between them.

Thursday saw the brighter, warmer weather bring a few more rods to the water and despite the sunny conditions, the rod average remained high. The usual suspects saw fit to grace us with their presence and were bending into some hard fighting fish all around the reservoir. Paul Beasley and Colin Grainger had 9 apiece. Ms Jude Tuffs caught 14 fish from the bank. Tony Broadway had 27 on buzzers from the bank. Mr Ed Douglas had 13 fish and the ever so young looking Mr Brian Warwick caught a total of 35 fish on buzzers, also from the bank. Scottish anglers Mr D Quigley and Mr J McGuigan, visiting on one of our 3 day packages, caught over 40 fish from a drifting boat.  Mr Gomez and Mr Armstrong caught 25 fish between them from a boat. Mr Dave Hesseltine  and Mr Mark Evans had 26 fish to the boat fishing black buzzers in Toft and in Biggin Bay. Season Permit holders Mr Dave Kennel and Mr Eddie Mitchell caught 32 fish between them from the bank. Also on the bank was Mr Ian Western and Mr Dave Adkins, who caught 12 and 14 fish respectively.

On Friday Mr Graham Homer and boat partner Mr Barry Butler caught well from a boat netting over 40 fish between them. Mr Dave Quigley and Mr J McGuigan on their second day of their visit again netted over 40 fish on a variety of tactics.  Mr David Bradley caught 32 fish on buzzers whilst bank fishing down in Toft. Mr M Moore had 27 fish to the boat whilst buzzer fishing in Biggin Bay, remarking on “A fantastic day”. Draycote regular Mr Mike Oliver commented on what a great day out he had, netting 31 fish from the bank on buzzers. Season permit holder Mr Peter Elliott caught over 40 fish from the bank in Toft on buzzers. Mr Paul Davidson and Mr Tony Baldwin had 40+ fish to the boat each.

Saturday dawned with the arrival of the England youth team, here for the weekend for a spot of training with both mentors as well as a day out with the England senior squad. They were all catching plenty of fish around the reservoir over both days using a variety of methods from DI7s to floating lines and nymphs. Other notables of the day where husband and wife team Ruth and Tony Kirk who between them netted over 17 fish from the bank in the Corn field on buzzers, montanas and  fry patterns. Mr J Osborne and Mr W Bilsborough caught 30+ fish from the boat on damsels and diawl bach’s. Boat partners Mr Chris Discombe and Mr Jim Brennan caught 25 fish on red and black buzzers.

Sunday was yet another bright and breezy day which for the first time this season was a bit more difficult from the bank. The bright conditions saw the fish move out into deeper water with anglers reporting having to wade and cast a long way in order to reach them. Mr John Mills did well to net 17 fish in Toft on buzzers. Season permit holders Mr Ian Western and Mr Dennis Tidmarsh worked hard for their 19 fish caught from the bank. Mr Dave and Mr Liam Scott had 17 fish to the boat. Mr D Simmonds and Mr B Chambers had 12 fish to the boat on snakes and boobies. Mr T Speak and Mr E Smith caught 26 fish from a boat on buzzers and blobs.

Congratulations to Mr Brian Moore of Coventry    who is the winner of this weeks free boat draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  253     Number Trout Taken:  260     Number Trout Released:   1514

Total Catch:    1774              Weekly Rod Average:  7.0

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 18:45

Boat All Day: 07:30       until  18:45

Boat Part Day:  AM  08:30    until  13:45   PM  13:45    until  18:45

Last 4 Hours from:  14:45       until     18:45      (Ticket sales available from  14:30)

Gutting Room Closes – 18:15

All Anglers to be off site by: 19:15

Fishery News

We are pleased to welcome Lee Henfrey to the Draycote team, Lee will be working here at Draycote and at our other waters.

Lee is well known on the competition scene with a number of England caps to his name. He is also a member of the RIO Masters fly fishing team. Lee is a very experienced angler who’s knowledge of reservoir fishing will make him an invaluable member of  Fishery Management UK Ltd. He is looking forward to working here at Draycote and sharing his knowledge with visiting anglers in the coming season. In addition Lee will also be available for guiding throughout the season.

Trout Masters

Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck.

Dates for your diary

                                    Competition                                                                         Contact

England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30^th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268

England Eliminator – 27^th and 28^th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Scierra Pairs Match – 25^th June – Visit website.

Alex Booth Memorial – 29^th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825

Angling World Holiday Heat 5^th and 6^th August – Visit website

TEFF Fundraiser.  Dry Fly Championship 16^th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Angling World Holiday Final – 23^rd and 24^th September

Troutmasters Final – 9^th October. – See Fishery staff.

Catch Returns

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

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

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Draycote Water weekly report week ending 19th March 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

The weather once again has played a big part in the fishing here at Draycote this week. The warmer conditions at the start of the week combined with light breezes allowed anglers to fish every part of the water, resulting in some excellent catch returns. Boat and Bank anglers have been exploring every part of the reservoir with the hottest spots being the Tower Bank, Dunns Bay, Biggin Bay, Toft Shallows and the overflow on the Hensborough Bank. Some boat anglers have been big fish hunting up on the Draycote Dam, and whilst a lot of patience is required, overwintered fish of up to 8lb have been caught using heavy sinking lines and Humungus Boobies.  The weather from Thursday onwards was a bit erratic at times and so put paid to some of the better fishing spots however, those who did brave the conditions were rewarded for their efforts. The rod average this week came in at 8.3.

On Monday season ticket holder Ed Douglas fished the bank in Duns Bay to land 16 fighting fit rainbows. Ed fished a floating line with 2 buzzers a FAB on the point. Out on the boats Rod Wilson enjoyed good sport utilising the rudder to land 17 fish. Mr D Hastie and Mr K Simms had 20 &16 fish to the boat fishing in Toft with Buzzers. Mr J Wood had a fantastic day on the boat landing 37 fish, using a fast intermediate line with Diawl bachs and a booby fished on the washing line. Mr Osbourne and Mr Macham enjoyed great sport on the last 4 hour ticket to land 37 trout between then using Buzzer down in Toft. Also out on the water was Draycote Fishery ranger Tom Bird who targeted the large overwinter fish using a Di 7 line and boobies, fishing the drop off near the flat stones. Tom was rewarded for his persistence with a number of great overwintered fish, see our Facebook page for pictures (www.facebook.com/flyfishstore.

Tuesday saw a slight increase in the wind speeds, the Draycote regulars were out in force on the bank fishing in Duns Bay, they commented that the fishing wasn’t as easy as it had been the previous week but they were still managing to catch into double figures. Tony Broadway landed 14 fish using two size 12 buzzers and a FAB on the point. Ms Jude Tuffs fishing alongside Tony, landed 10 fish using buzzers under the bung. Ed Douglas was again out on the water this time fishing in Biggin Bay near the old pipe and landed 2 more than the day before, meaning in two days he had landed 34 fish. Mike Oliver enjoyed some of the best sport from the bank using pheasant tail nymphs and black buzzers fished on a floater. Out on the boats Mr G Jones landed 31 fish. Eugene Hughes took the train up from London for the first time this season and was rewarded with great sport landing well over 40 fish using a Di 7 sinking line and snake boobies. Season ticket holder Tony Parker and Mr Hooper enjoyed great sport landing over 40 fish to the boat using buzzers and nymphs in toft and in Biggin Bay.

The anglers where yet again greeted with fantastic fishing conditions on Wednesday with light winds and overcast warm conditions. This meant good buzzer hatches where seen out on the water and as a result the anglers were really able to cash in on a rod average of 10.03, with the majority of the returns being posted coming to buzzers. On the bank Mr Williams landed 16 fish in a short morning session fishing in Toft. Out on the boats Rodger Kerrison and Dave Robins landed 48 fish to the boat using a floating line and a team of buzzers. Richard Ellis and John Hurst also used buzzer in toft to record a catch of 69 fish to the boat. Ian Gaskell and son Liam where another boat enjoying good sport landing 23 and 28 fish each with Ian using buzzers fished under the Bung and Liam opting for straight lined buzzer on a floater.

Thursday saw the wind speeds increase and blow as a westerly. The hotspot in Toft coloured up quickly and presentation became difficult. As a result the better fishing spots seemed to be in Biggin Bay, Rainbow corner and Duns. Andy Birkett and Brent Vinall fished the final day of their three day package here at Draycote and enjoyed great sport in Biggin Bay fishing buzzer on a floater and a Midge Tip.Over the three days the pair landed 138 fish, this made the long drive from the West Country well worth it and the pair have vowed to return for hopefully more of the same later in the year. Out on the bank season ticket holder Rob Keeber enjoyed good sport again fishing in Biggin to land 16 fish with a brace going over 3lb.

Another windy day on Friday again made the presentation difficult from Toft, which meant the fishing from the bank was again restricted mainly to Biggin Bay. However this did not mean a drop in the number of fish caught. Season Ticket holder Peter Elliot landed 35 fish fishing in Duns bay, Peter used a floating line with a FAB and buzzer to land his fish. Fishing just up the bank from Peter was Lee Patten who landed 15 fish utilising the same tactics. John Dews also enjoyed good sport from Duns on the FAB & buzzer to land 14 fish. Gordon Slack fished in Rainbow corner and the Hensborough bank to landed 12 fish all on black and green lures. On the boats Jamie Scott landed 17 fish drifting down the Cornfield, Biggin Bay and the Hensborough bank using blobs, boobies and buzzers.

The wind dropped slightly for Saturday meaning that the boat anglers as well as a few bank anglers where able to get fishing in Toft. Jim Dempsey and Ifor Jones fished on the rudder on sinking lines and lures to land 30 fish to the boat starting off in the morning down in Toft. When the wind picked up in the afternoon the pair opted for Biggin Bay. Mr T Marriott & Mr J Marriott fished in Toft using intermediate lines with black and green lures to land 22 and 20 fish the boat. Rob Hepburn fished in Biggin Bay using a clear intermediate and a cats whisker with a roly poly retrieve to land 20 fish. Fishery Ranger Tom Bird and Jim Smith enjoyed good sport in Biggin Bay fishing buzzers on midge tip lines to land over 40 fish to the boat, with Jim opting for a small FAB on the point while Tom straight lined. Out on the bank was David Hoppe who fished the old pipe in Biggin Bay to land over 25 fish using buzzer and a small damsel on the point.

Sunday saw a difficult day for the anglers with strong winds. This meant that Toft Shallows had to be closed for safety reasons. Rodger Kerrison and Steve Cullen fished in Biggin bay using buzzers and also boobies on fast sinking lines to land 19 fish the boat. Another boat catching in the difficult conditions was Mr Harding & Mr Clarke who had 13 fish to the boat using buzzers and Diawl bachs fished on a floater.

Sunday was also the first Tuition Day of the season. The day was run by fishery staff members Kevin Hart and Tom Bird. Five beginners took part in the course, learning all about the different lines and tactics, and how to cast. Despite the adverse weather  conditions it didn’t take long for Kevin and Tom to get all the students into to some hard fighting rainbows and all went away well and truly hooked.

Weekly Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Lee Patten of Tenbury Wells who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  280          Number Trout Taken:  533     Number Trout Released:   1796

Total Catch:    2329              Weekly Rod Average:  8.3

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 18:00

Boat All Day: 07:30       until  18:00

Boat Part Day:  AM  08:30    until  13:45   PM  13:45    until  18:00

Last 4 Hours from:  14:00       until     18:00      (Ticket sales available from  13:45)

Gutting Room Closes – 17:30

All Anglers to be off site by: 18:30

Fishery News

We are pleased to welcome Lee Henfrey to the Draycote team, Lee will be working here at Draycote and at our other waters.

Lee is well known on the competition scene with a number of England caps to his name. He is also a member of the RIO Masters fly fishing team. Lee is a very experienced angler who’s knowledge of reservoir fishing will make him an invaluable member of  Fishery Management UK Ltd. He is looking forward to working here at Draycote and sharing his knowledge with visiting anglers in the coming season. In addition Lee will also be available for guiding throughout the season.

Trout Masters

Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck.

Dates for your diary

                                    Competition                                                                         Contact

England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30^th April – Ms Hilary Thompson – 01664 474268

England Eliminator – 27^th and 28^th May – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Scierra Pairs Match – 25^th June – Visit website.

Alex Booth Memorial – 29^th June – Roy Lewin – 07762 746825

Angling World Holiday Heat 5^th and 6^th August – Visit website

TEFF Fundraiser.  Dry Fly Championship 16^th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117

Angling World Holiday Final – 23^rd and 24^th September

Troutmasters Final – 9^th October. – See Fishery staff.

Catch Returns

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

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

Follow Us on

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Draycote Water weekly report week ending 12th  March 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

Yet another great week here at Draycote with both boat and bank anglers returning good catches from all across the reservoir. The weather has been kind to us considering the time of year, indeed on one or two afternoons the bank anglers could be seen fishing in shirt sleeves along the north shore, sheltered by the high ground and trees behind them. The only area that is not producing solid returns on a regular basis is Rainbow corner. But this is only due to the coloured water currently being pumped into the reservoir. The trout are well spread around the margins, allowing the anglers to keep on the move and perhaps try areas of the water that they are not familiar with. The best areas have been Dunns Bay and Biggin Bay, Lin Croft Point, the Cornfield, Grays Barn and Toft shallows, from the Swans nest down to the big willow tree by the nature reserve. This weeks rod average was 11.0

On Monday Mr Ian Shobbrook caught a total of 21 fish from the bank in Biggin Bay on size 14 Diawl Bachs. Mr G Tomkinson, also fishing from the bank had 20 fish. Season permit holder Mr John Dickens caught 8 good fish using Buzzers and a FAB on the point. It was good to see Mr John Pearson back on the water with fishing partner Mr Les Watson. They caught 11 good fish from the bank during an evening session and remarked on the quality of the stock.

Tuesday dawned with the arrival of the usual suspects of Tony Broadway, Gordon Slack, John Dews, Jude Tuffs and Brian Warwick. All excellent anglers who returned good numbers from the bank at the end of the day, using mainly small skinny black buzzers. Season Permit holder Mr Peter Elliott returned over 35 fish, caught using buzzers and a FAB on the point. Draycote regular Mr Tony Ward caught 14 + fish from the bank in Toft shallows using Diawl Bachs and Buzzers. Amongst these fish was an overwintered 6lb Rainbow which was safely returned to the water. Visiting for the day were Thornton Reservoir members Lord Richard Dayman and Mr Noman Perkins. They both chose to fish from the bank and netted 26+ fish between them. Mr T Cosford caught 23 fish from the bank. Draycote regular Mr Richard Lindsay had over 30 fish to the boat, while Mr L Tones and Mr M Harby caught 30 fish between them from a drifting boat using black and green lures off Lincroft point and in Biggin Bay.

Again on Wednesday good numbers of fish were caught with many anglers going well into double figures. Mr L White caught over 40 fish from the Cornfield using black buzzers. Mr A Marchant caught 15 fish, again from the bank. Season Permit holders  Mr Kevin Rees and Mr Steve Robinson caught 22 and 14 fish respectively, from various points around the reservoir using buzzers. Draycote regulars Mr Les Watson and Mr Ken Rawlings had 25 fish between them during an evening session from the bank.

Thursday turned out to be a good day for fishing despite the weather forecasts, and again anglers seemed to be bending into fish everywhere we looked. Paul Beasley had 12 fish in a morning session on a blue flash damsel. Tony Broadway had over 30 fish on small black buzzers. Mr S Foulds caught 20 fish from the bank  using a FAB and buzzers. Lord Richard Dayman and Mr Graham Herbert visiting from Thornton reservoir had at least 40 fish each from the bank. Mr Jason Sly had 14 fish from the bank. Season Permit holder Mr Dave Adkins had 18 fish from the boat using black and green lures fished on a DI3.  Season Permit holders Mr Richard Walker and Mr Roger Kerrison caught 14 and 16 respectively from a boat. Season Permit holder Mr Graham Homer caught 11 fish during an afternoon session from a drifting boat.

After a soggy start, Friday saw the rod average top out at 14.9, with seasoned regulars and new visitors to the reservoir catching fish on a regular basis throughout the day. Season Permit holders Peter Elliott, Gordon Slack, Tony Broadway, John Dews, Ian Richardson, John Hall, Richard Hall, Steve Gibson, Dave Kennell and Eddie Mitchell all returned good numbers from the bank. The main feature from their comments seemed to be that they were all using buzzers and/or Diawl Bachs and Crunchers, teamed with a FAB on the point, which took it’s fair share of the catch. Mr John Pearson turned up for an afternoon session and caught a total of 10 fish, remarking on how good a condition they were in. Mr John Hurst did really well, catching 40+ fish from a drifting boat from all points of the reservoir using a wide variety of patterns such as buzzers, blood worm, Diawl Bachs and black and green lures.

Saturday saw the rod average drop off to a measly 13.2, with good returns coming in from the near side of Toft and all along the northern shore line. Mr R Roper caught 22 fish on buzzers from the bank, remarking on how high in the water the fish where. Mr J Burton, again fishing from the bank, caught over 40 fish on black and green lures, using an intermediate line in the morning, and a floating line in the afternoon. Boat angler Mr G Deterding had 30 fish to the boat using a black gold head cormorant. Season Permit holder Mr Mike Garner had 15+ fish from the bank using Pitsford Peas, Crunchers, Diawl Bachs and Montanas. Mike spent most of his time fishing by the overflow up on the Hensborough Bank. The father and son pairing of Mr John and Mr Sean Hanlon, had nearly 40 fish to the boat on tubes, remarking on the size and quality of the stock. Mr Rob Hepburn caught 19 fish from a boat on a white snake. Mr S Robins and Mr A Sheehan caught over 40 fish from the boat using Diawl bachs and buzzers. Draycote regulars Stan Hillman and Mick Cronin caught 25 fish from the bank. Another regular, Mr Tom Morris caught 20+ from the bank on a white and green lure. Mr L Serrano also did extremely well from the bank, catching 30+ fish, again on a white and green lure.

Sunday started with a light southerly breeze and looked like it would be ideal fishing conditions for the day. Again anglers where catching in all areas around the reservoir with the hottest spot of the day being the bottom of Toft shallows near the big willow tree. Mr Keiron Barnes caught 17 fish from the bank on buzzers. Mr D Hancox had 18 from the bank on damsels. Draycote regular Mr Andy Ball had “his best day ever” from the bank with a total of 54 fish . Mr John Mills caught 19 fish whilst bank fishing in Toft, all on buzzers. Mr K Harding and Mr M Clarke caught 50 fish between them from a boat on buzzers and diawl bachs. Mr J Ide had 40+ fish to the boat from various points around the reservoir. Mr Rob Hepburn made it a family outing with his wife and son, recording 11 fish to the boat. Mr Nigel Keeber brought 13 fish to the boat, whilst fishing alongside new staff member Lee Henfrey.

Weekly Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr John Pearson of Coventry, who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods: 320           Number Trout Taken:  707      Number Trout Released:   2827

Total Catch:   3534               Weekly Rod Average:  11.0

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 17:45

Boat All Day:    8:30    until 17:45

Boat Part Day:  8:30 until 13:30                 13:30 until 17:45

Last 4 Hours from:   13:45 until 17:45      (Ticket sales available from 13:30)

All Anglers to be off site by: 18:15

No Gutting of fish after 17:15

Fishery News

We are pleased to welcome Lee Henfrey to the Draycote team, Lee will be working here at Draycote and at our other waters.

Lee is well known on the competition scene with a number of England caps to his name. He is also a member of the RIO Masters fly fishing team. Lee is a very experienced angler who’s knowledge of reservoir fishing will make him an invaluable member of  Fishery Management UK Ltd. He is looking forward to working here at Draycote and sharing his knowledge with visiting anglers in the coming season. In addition Lee will also be available for guiding throughout the season.

Trout Masters

Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck.

Dates for your diary

England Ladies Mixed Pairs Match – Sunday 30^th April

England Eliminator – 27^th and 28^th May

Scierra Pairs Match – 25^th June

Alex Booth Memorial – 29^th June

Angling World Holiday Heat 5^th and 6^th August

TEFF Fundraiser.  Dry Fly Championship 16^th September

Angling World Holiday Final – 23^rd and 24^th September

Troutmasters Final – 9^th October.

Catch Returns

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

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore  twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly report week ending 5th  March 2017

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

What an excellent start to the 2017 season here at Draycote water. Despite some inhospitable conditions, (and inaccurate weather forecasts) there have been some outstanding catches for both bank and boat anglers from all four corners of the reservoir.

The cold blustery weather has made presentation difficult over the first few days. Thursday started off with very strong winds from the west, however both bank and boat anglers found that Dunns, Biggin and the Tower bank produced good results. Friday saw a drop in wind speed, with showers throughout the day. The drop in the wind did mean that the anglers where able to venture into Toft and fish effectively for the first time this season. Some very impressive catches where recorded, particularly from the bank, with the rod average for Friday coming out at staggering 16.0. Saturday saw the best conditions of the first 4 days with a nice ripple, clear skies and temperatures just into double figures. This resulted in good catches from all areas of the lake. The rod average dropped on Sunday to a meagre 6.2, mainly due to the tricky conditions that the anglers faced, with strong winds coming from the west and heavy rain for most of the morning. As a result it was difficult to present flies effectively in some of the normal hotspots, however a good deal of anglers found a way to crack the code.

Despite the rough conditions on Thursday regulars Peter Elliot, Lee Patten and Ian Richardson caught well with catches of 38, 40 and 37. The tactics of the bank being to fish an intermediate with a gold head lure in the morning. Peter and Lee then found the fish had come up slightly in the water in the afternoon catching on cormorants on a floater. Peter also landed a cracking 4lb overwintered fish which can be found on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/flyfishstore)  Season Permit holder Roly Hill also did very well from the bank, having 6 good fish in a short 2 hour session. Mike Oliver also caught well from the bank landing 20 fish falling to pheasant tail nymphs. Mr A Ball enjoyed good sport in a short morning session landing 10 fish including a 6lb Rainbow, and commented how fin perfect it was. Ben Bayliss and Adam Larbalestier enjoyed good sport from the boat drifting over various areas of the lake using snakes to land 60 fish to the boat.

Heavy rain greeted the anglers first thing in the morning on Friday which was the first day on Draycote for some of our regulars. With the drop in wind and a straight southerly the majority of the anglers headed for Toft which had been unfishable for much of the previous day. As expected they were straight into the fish with, Tony Broadway, Jude Tuffs, C.J Day and Brian Warwick recorded catches of 30+ fish. They all found the fish keen to pull back on buzzers teamed with a black and green lure on the point. Chris Hart and Gordon Slack also recorded catches of 20+ falling to cat’s whiskers and buzzers.  Out on the boats the McGregor party headed down from Scotland to make the first of many trips for the year. The 5 of them caught an impressive 99 fish on snakes and various lures on sinking lines, from Biggin Bay, Duns, Cornfield and Toft. New season ticket holder Rob Keeber landed a very impressive 52 fish using Buzzers in toft including a rainbow of 3lb 12oz. Another boat pairing catching well using sinking lines and boobies was Tony Parker and Geralt Hughes landed 40 plus.

Saturday saw a great fishing day with a steady breeze and overcast skies. On the bank Tony and Ruth Kirk landed 25 between them fishing in Toft on lures. The McGregor’s once again returned for the second day of their 3 day package but this time landed 103 fish again on the same tactics of snakes and lures. Out on the boats Mr Harding and Mr Clarke landed a very impressive 82 fish on blobs on sinking lines, from toft the cornfield and Biggin Bay. Ian Ritchie and Bruce Callender landed 64 fish on blobs, boobies and cormorants on Di 5 sinking lines. Another impressive catch from the boats came from Gareth Jones and Mathew Griffiths who landed over 60+ fish to the boat on Di 7 sinking lines with green peas, cormorants and blobs. Another great catch came from Mark Hunt out with his wife who landed 27 fish from Duns, Biggin and the Cornfield using diawl bachs and dancers on a intermediate including 2 overwintered fish.

A very unpleasant day Sunday with heavy rain and strong winds, coming from the west, the morning started with the wind being manageable with catches coming from all areas of the lake however soon the wind swung and make toft unfishable and in unpleasant  in other areas. Karl Hardman found Biggin Bay to be a hotspot from the bank in the rough weather landing 25 fish using a floating line with a black and green lure. Out on the boats Ricky Hyde landed 18 using a black lure over in Biggin Bay. Bobby Quinn and Eileen Gallagher enjoyed good sport in the boat fishing in Biggin and Rainbow Corner to land 27 fish. Mr Harding & Mr Clarke returned to land 37 fish to the boat on Di 3 lines and blobs. On the bank season ticket holder Mike Garner used a pitsford pea, Montana and Daiwl Bachs to land 15 fish. Out on the boats Fishery Ranger Tom Bird and Jim Smith enjoyed great sport from various marks on the reservoir to land nearly 50 fish to the boat using fast sinking lines and boobies including some cracking over wintered fish of around 5/4lb.

The figures for the first 4 days show 298 anglers catching a total of 2935 fish giving a rod average of 9.8, with the weather set a bit fairer for the coming week and even more fish going on we expect the fantastic fishing to continue for the coming weeks. Tight Lines for the season let’s hope it’s a great one.

Weekly Boat Draw

Congratulations to Ms Jude Tuffs of Market Harborough who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:    298        Number Trout Taken: 547       Number Trout Released:   2388

Total Catch:   2935               Weekly Rod Average:  9.8

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 17:30

Boat All Day:    8:30    until 17:30

Boat Part Day: AM 8:30 until 13:30 PM 13:30      until 17:30

Last 4 Hours from:   13:30      until    17:30      (Ticket sales available from 13:15)

All Anglers to be off site by: 18:00

No Gutting of fish after 17:00

Fishery News

We are pleased to announce that we have welcome Lee Henfrey to the Draycote team, Lee will be working here at Draycote and at our other waters.

Lee is well known angler on the competition scene with a number of England caps fishing as well as fishing in the RIO team.

Lee is very experience angler and his knowledge of reservoir fishing will make him a valuable member of the team and his looking forward to sharing his knowledge with visiting anglers, this coming season. In addition Lee will also be available for guiding through the season.

Catch Returns

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

Anchoring

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.

Car Passes

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.

Rudder Hire

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 Ms Jude Tuffs  of Market Harborough who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Tight lines

Follow Us on

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Draycote Water:

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Draycote opens on 2^nd March

We are extremely busy during the opening week, limited availability for Boat bookings & bank angler’s car passes we recommend you contact the lodge,01788 812018

Car Park, Lodge and bank fishing open 7.30am

Full Day Boats 8.30am – 5.30pm

Part Day Boats 8.30am – 1.00pm /  1.00pm – 5.30pm

All anglers off site by 6.00pm

Demo Tackle

New SAGE X rods in stock including a SAGE X 10ft 7wt Demo rod for you to take out and try. We now have a considerable amount of Sage & RIO demo tackle available to try at Draycote. The following link will take you to the website where you can check out the available items: We have added a 10ft 7wt SAGE ACCEL to our demo rods. Contact the Lodge for details of special offers.

http://www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/demo-tackle-3/

Forthcoming events:

Beginners Tuition Day, dates on our tuition website www.flyfishtuition.co.uk

SAGE / RIO Day May 13^th with Simon Gawesworth of RIO and Jim Fearn of SAGE on hand to answer your questions, book a one to one session with Simon or Jim, also an unique opportunity to take a SAGE rod matched to a RIO fly line of your choice for a FREE 1hour30min guided fishing session, booking your slot is essential.

Please call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book your place.

Disabled Parking Bays

Anglers need to ensure that whilst obtaining a fishing permit, they do not park in the disabled parking bays adjacent to the main car park, unless they are the holder of a duly displayed “blue badge”.

Gutting Room

Please be aware that the Gutting Room refurbishment has now been completed. We ask that you respect the facility and leave it in the same way in which you would wish to find it. Please also note that no fish are to be gutted after 17:00

Anchoring

Boat anglers are politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon, aerators or the Tower. 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.

Rudder Hire

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.

Tight lines

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Draycote opens 2nd March 2017

This coming weeks sees our pre-season stocking of 6500 rainbows introduced.

Dates for your Diary: Sunday 19th March 2017

Beginners Tuition Day £65.00 includes fishing tackle & fishing permit, contact the lodge or visit our tuition website www.flyfishtuition.co.uk

Saturday May 13th we will be holding our popular SAGE / RIO day with Simon Gawesworth RIO fly lines & Jim Fearn SAGE rods & Guide Fly fishing at the lodge answering your question & offering their advice on SAGE & RIO products.

Visit our website for details http://www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/demo-tackle-3/

Pre booking your guided & casting demo slot is essential call the Draycote lodge or email lodge@flyfishdraycote.co.uk

Draycote Opens 2nd March

Lodge 01788 812018

Opening day is FULLY BOOKED

Dates for your Diary: Sunday 19th March 2017

Beginners Tuition Day £65.00 includes fishing tackle & fishing permit, contact the lodge or visit our tuition website www.flyfishtuition.co.uk

Saturday May 13th we will be holding our popular SAGE / RIO day with Simon Gawesworth RIO fly lines & Jim Fearn SAGE rods & Guide Fly fishing at the lodge answering your question & offering their advice on SAGE & RIO products.

This day is unique as you can book a FREE 1hr30min guided fishing session from a boat using a SAGE rod of your choice matched to a RIO fly line.

We will also have casting demonstrations on the pontoon when Simon & Jim will take small groups of 4 people on the pontoon.

This day is not limited to reservoir tackle if you have any questions relating to Salmon casting, saltwater we can accommodate you. Its essential that you contact the lodge & we can ensure we have the correct tackle onsite & book you a slot to speak with either Simon or Jim

Pre booking your guided & casting demo slot is essential call the Draycote lodge or email lodge@flyfishdraycote.co.uk