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 1^st October 2023  Rod Av: 5.4  Water Temperature:  16°C

A bright start to the week with the wind coming from the South, which picked up as the day progressed and then swung a little more to the Southwest. Member Pete Allen fished on the bank landing 4 fish from Rainbow Corner using a hopper booby on the point and then crunchers on the droppers. On the boats Tony Broadway fished with former fishing partner Mike Davies with the pair landing a dozen fish in a morning session. Tony, opted for a neutral density line with a white snake. With Mike using a slow sinking line and a white booby. Kevin Hart enjoyed a good day landing a dozen fish using a slow intermediate and mini snakes. Landing a cracking fish over 4lb with the best drift being from the Hensborough Bank to Y Buoy. All water member Ged O’Donoghue landed 10 fish while fishing with fellow member Steve Orton in a boat all taken a Cinnamon Sedge pattern. Mr D Rees and M Woodward landed 15 fish during their day using snakes and humongous. Fishing down in Toft in a boat Bob Barfoot landed 7 fish on a variety of flies, with all of his fish c0ming from over the weed beds.

Tuesday was overcast and breezy to start with, but brightened up as the day progressed. Season permit holder Ken Key fished from the bank by the Swans Nest, bagging 3 fish on cormorants. Mr C J Day also netted 3 fish from the bank whilst fishing between Lincroft Point and the Valve Tower. Young Andy Lilley had a brace on FAB’s and diawl bachs fished off a midge tip line. John Dickens had half a dozen fish to the boat on dries such as the F fly. Mr M Francis drifted from the Aerators to D buoy in Duns Bay using a sunburst dabbler and a white dog knobbler to bring 12 fish to the net. Draycote regulars Andy Birkett and Brent Vinall had just under 30 fish between them to the boat using a washing line and crunchers in the morning and dries through the afternoon. James Alexander and his boat partner caught 7 fish using foam daddies near M buoy just up past the sailing club. John Falconbridge and Paul Walker used cormorants and crunchers to boat 18 fish between them from areas such as the Aerators and Duns Bay.

Wednesday morning started with a level of low slung cloud and southerly winds, which picked up resulting in a very wind day by lunch. As a result of the forecast only a few boat ventured out. One such boat was that of Fishery Manager Tom Bird & Fishery Ranger Lee Henfrey. The pair fished till lunch before the worst of the wind arrived, landing 13 fish. Lee took the majority of them. With the best tactic being a fast intermediate with a sparkler booby on the top dropper, cormorant in the middle then a minkie booby on the point. Using a roly-poly retrieve, with the pair landing fish at E Buoy into Biggin Bay, J Buoy and N Buoy. Andy Birkett & Brent Vinall fished for their second day of a 2 day break, boating 33 fish. They drifted from N Buoy across to Y Buoy and used dries or fry patterns pulled on an intermediate line.

Once again Thursday started with over cast conditions and a stiff breeze coming out of the south west. What a great  day it was to be out on Draycote Water. There were some excellent returns from all 4 points of the compass, mainly caught in the top few feet on anything from small snakes and floating fry patterns to crunchers on a washing line and dries for some. Mr Brian Joseh caught half a dozen fish from the bank at Lincroft Point and the Tower Bank. Season permit holder Phil Cross also ventured out onto the bank, netting 3 fish on this occasion. Out on the boats the pairing of Kevin Hart and young John Hoskins had 18 fish between them with long drifts off the Hensborough Bank out to Y and P buoy. The pair used intermediate lines with black bunny leaches and tequila blobs. Ina Richardson and Bob Smith also netted 18 fish between them on the drift using sparkler boobies and cormorants. Ian and Bob had their fish from the area around E buoy and Alberts Bottom as well as The Tower Bank. Bob Barfoot had some big fish to the boat, weighing in at 4, 5 and 6 lbs. Bob caught a total of 10 fish on cormorants along the Draycote Dam and also down in Toft Shallows. Mr Nick Righton and Mr Keith Eastbury had 17 fish to the boat between them. The pair used a mixture of wet flies with a foam daddy on the point on a floating line,  as well as cormorants and crunchers. Draycote stalwart Ed Douglas had 10 fish to the boat on foam daddies as well as nymphs on a washing line.#

Friday was initially overcast but changed into a clear blue sky very quickly with a south westerly wind. A more difficult day out on the water that never the less still produced some good returns from right across the reservoir. Draycote regular Mick Cronin caught 5 fish from the bank using fry patterns from various areas including the Tower Bank. DFF (Draycote Fly Fishers) member Paul Walley caught 3 fish from the bank using white and silver zonkers. Paul tried a number of areas before also settling on the Tower Bank. Season permit holder Andrew Tasker caught a brace from the bank but played his cards very close to his chest. Sean and Debbie Gilbert had 10 fish to the boat using small minkies, daddies and cormorants. Debbie and Sean fished along the Draycote Dam as well as the Hensborough Bank. Paul Havard had 5 fish to the boat . Paul used a midge tip line and caught all of his fish on a candy booby. Mr A Moore and Mr I Baynes netted a total of 10 fish between them. The pair fished along the Draycote Dam and used a green pea lure as well as ginger crunchers. Mr K Williams and Mr G Barclay also caught 10 fish between them using buzzers and lures and remarked that they caught fish everywhere they went on the reservoir.

Saturday was a bright start with the cloud arriving later in the day, with he winds from the South. On the bank Kasidit Leoviriyakit landed 11 fish including a fantastic 4lb rainbow. Kas, used either a washing line with crunchers and a FAB on the point or a cats whisker. Catching all over the lake although the Swan’s Nest was properly the most effective area. Season ticket holder Mike Garner also fished the bank landing 4 fish from Lincroft and the Swan’s nest using fry patterns. On the boats fishery ranger Mark Braun landed a dozen fish using snakes on Di3, Di5 and intermediate lines. Taking fish near J Buoy in the morning before heading up to the Draycote Dam. Father & Son duo David & Gary Turner landed 15 fish from a morning boat. Using a washing line with the nymphs on the dropper being the most productive, however a couple of their fish fell to dries. Fishing at Rainbow Corner towards A Buoy. Draycote member Jon Crowley landed 14 fish with an orange daddy on the top dropper and a buzzer on the dropper at M Buoy. Peter Elliot fished with Lee Patten landed 37 fishing around Rainbow Corner and the Draycote Dam on floating fry.

A warm muggy day here at Draycote Water on Sunday saw yet another rise in the rod average. Both boat and bank anglers are making good returns, especially those who keep on the move. Mr Andy Jordan had a good number of fish from the bank in Rainbow Corner using green holographic diawl bachs. Season permit holder Richard Walker had 7 fish to the boat on intermediate lines and snakes. Paul Walley ventured out in a boat to net 18 fish using humungus and big reds around A bouy. Mr M Rogers and Mr A Hart had a bakers dozen to the boat using a washing line with FAB’s, humungus boobies and diawl bachs. The All Abilities Fly Fishers took to the water on Sunday with  a total  of 19 rods. There were some great returns made by all participants and a total of 124 fish caught, giving them a rod average of  6.5.

Upcoming Events.

7^th October – AMFC Group Autumn Match – 32 Boats.

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

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/Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report 

Week Ending: 01^st October   Rod Av: 3.7       Water Temperature: 16°c

It was a bright, clear start to the week with a gentle southerly that developed into a moderate, gusty southerly by late morning, which remained for the rest of the day. The cloud cover was intermittent at best, with some extended period of sunshine. Despite the bright conditions, those targeting fish higher up in the water column, with Dries & the Washing Line on floating lines, fared better than those fishing sinking lines. As the water continues to cool, the fish are beginning to get caught up the shallower end of the reservoir, Mucky Bay, the Chestnut, Stoke Dry & the Willows. There were a few good returns recorded, which indicates that the fish are beginning to settle after the previous weather fronts. Eyebrook Member Keith Johnson landed 8, David Moore & Terry Bayes landed 15 & Bill Woods & Mr Munro had 10 between them. The most Main Basin remained a very productive area & Dries & the Washing Line, were the percentage methods.

The weather followed a similar pattern to the previous day, calm start, developing to a moderate, gusty winds with extended periods of sunshine. It was a challenging day with some mixed returns. All Water Member had 5 off the bank, including a couple of overwintered fish, targeting Fry feeding fish around the weedbeds. After Initially catching down by the Hawthorns, Mark also went on to catch along the Dam & Harrisons Corner. Fishing the 2^nd day of a Short Break, Bill Woods had another productive day. This time he was fishing with a Mr Mckay, with Mr Munro in a separate boat. They went on to land well over 20 fish between them, catching on a multitude of patterns including Foam Daddies & traditional Wets, from various locations around the reservoir. That’s great angling. For anyone interested in one of our short breaks, please use the following link https://www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/short-break-packages

As each day of the week has passed, the fishing has got better & better. Wednesday saw the previously forecast strong winds not materialise until late afternoon/early evening & for the those venturing out they were rewarded with good fishing as the reservoir fished well from the Float Tubes, boats & the bank. For the boat anglers, the Main Basin fished well as it has all week, with fish being caught high up in the water column on a variety of methods; Washing Lined Floating Lines/Midge Tip or Dries. On their Final day of a 3 Day Short Break, the Woods, Munro & McKay enjoyed another productive day landing nearly 30 fish between them on Foam & CDC Daddies. From the banks, Eyebrook member Roy Swinfield & Eyebrook regular Max Woolnough both had very productive mornings, landing well into double figures, fishing natural patterns, slow & tight in along the Dam Wall. Concentrating on the Main Basin, Pete Lehure enjoyed his session in his Float Tube, landing 12 fish, fishing the Washing Line.

Thursday saw the weather pay a significant part in how the reservoir fished. The conditions looked great but there was a strong wind in the morning that petered out in the afternoon. Not for the first time, the fish here at Eyebrook seemed very reluctant to stick their noses up into a good wave, despite the very favourable conditions. By afternoon, the wind had dropped, so to the waves & fish could be seen moving all over. Subsequently, the Washing Line & Straight-Lined Floaters were the most productive methods in the morning & Dries were in the afternoon. Mark Gee landed 10 fish using Straight-Lined tactics & All Water Member Mark Hunt had 16 fish on a single Grunter in the afternoon. Mark did not see a fish until 12.30hrs, just to echo the importance of the conditions. Elsewhere from the bank, Max Bazely had 6 in a short morning session from the Dam & fish from the bank were caught as far down as the willows. Eyebrook regular Max Woolnough, went out fly fishing for Pike & was duly rewarded with a couple of mid doubles which is indication the Pike are starting to move.

Friday was yet another day of 2 halves. The morning was very bright, whereas the afternoon was overcast. As the previous day, the reservoir fished well to the Washing Line in the morning & then the Dries in the afternoon. One to benefit from this was All Water Member Ed Douglas who caught well in the morning on the Washing Line & switched to Dries in the afternoon. Ed finished the day on 17 fish which was excellent. There were plenty of the boats getting into double figures on either method from various locations around the reservoir, with the open water between the Island & the Willows proving to be productive. From the Banks, Stuart Normanton landed 6 fish on a Cat’s Whisker, Diawl Bachs & Buzzers.

The conditions were great on Saturday with plenty of cloud cover & a gentle South westerly Breeze. On the boats fish were caught from various locations around the reservoir, from Mucky Bay to the Willows & down to Dam. Both the Dries & the Washing line, on a floater or a tip line, caught well with long drifts & having clear, open water in front of your boat proving to be key. Some good, consistent returns were recorded, Eyebrook Member Mick Farrell, landed 12 on the Washing Line with Diawl Bachs on the droppers. The bank anglers really got amongst some fish with both the Leicester Bank down to Sam’s Dyke & the Dam fishing well. More Eyebrook Members, Bob Margery & Steve Lawrence had a great morning session fishing the Dam with Intermediates & Floating Lines, landing well over 30 fish between them.

Sunday saw us host the latest AMFC Group 3 match, which saw 5 teams take to the water in very favourable conditions, a moderate south westerly breeze with plenty of cloud cover. The reservoir fished well, fishing to a rod average of 4.5 with fish being caught on Dries & on the Washing Line, from long drifts across the Main Basin. Well done to all participants & congratulations to the winning team, Bristol Reservoirs Fly Fishing Association, who, with a great team performance, catching an impressive 46 fish. Elsewhere, Eyebrook Member Dave Etty had a very productive day off the bank. Dave fished the Leicester Bank, targeting naturally feeding fish around the weedbeds using Olive Nymphs, Corixa patterns & CDC Emergers to land a high number of fish. The bank fishing is really starting to switch on with fish starting to get from various locations around the reservoir.

Upcoming Events.

08^th October – Alex Booth Fly Fishers – 13 Boats.

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 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 230807Week Ending: 1^st October Rod Av: 1.0  Water Temperature:16c – 17c

Our water temperature is dropping to where we would normally expect it to be for September. Water conditions are improving we have 2ft – 3ft clarity.

We are on some days starting to see some rising trout although the best of the catches continuous to be with sinking lines, booby & fry patterns with the shallower water in front of the willows, corner of the wood & off the bank down the Markfield arm has fished best.

Currently we have 5800+ trout in the fishery which should produce good sport during October & November as our water condition continuous to improve & our water temperature is between 12c & 16c.

Thornton 2023 last day of the fishing season Thursday 30th November

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

Friday was initially overcast but changed into a clear blue sky very quickly, with a south westerly wind. A more difficult day out on the water that never the less still produced some good returns from right across the reservoir. Draycote regular Mick Cronin caught 5 fish from the bank using fry patterns from various areas including the Tower Bank. DFF (Draycote Fly Fishers) member Paul Walley caught 3 fish from the bank using white and silver zonkers. Paul tried a number of  areas before also settling on the Tower Bank. Season permit holder Andrew Tasker caught a brace from the bank but played his cards very close to his chest. Sean and Debbie Gilbert had 10 fish to the boat using small minkies, daddies and cormorants. Debbie and Sean fished along the Draycote Dam as well as the Hensborough Bank. Paul Havard had 5 fish to the boat . Paul used a midge tip line and caught all of his fish on a candy booby. Mr A Moore and Mr I Baynes netted a total of 10 fish between them. The pair fished along the Draycote Dam and used a green pea lure as well as ginger crunchers. Mr K Williams and Mr G Barclay also caught 10 fish between them using buzzers and lures and remarked that they caught fish everywhere they went on the reservoir.

Once again Thursday started with over cast conditions and a stiff breeze coming out of the south west. What a great  day it was to be out on Draycote Water. There were some excellent returns from all 4 points of the compass, mainly caught in the top few feet of the water on anything from small snakes and floating fry patterns to crunchers on a washing line and dries for some. Mr B Joseph caught half a dozen fish from the bank at Lincroft Point and the Tower Bank. Season permit holder Phil Cross also ventured out onto the bank, netting 3 fish on this occasion. Out on the boats the pairing of Kevin Hart and young John Hoskins had 18 fish between them with long drifts off the Hensborough Bank out to Y and P buoy. The pair used intermediate lines with black bunny leaches and tequila blobs. Ian Richardson and Bob Smith also netted 18 fish between them on the drift using sparkler boobies and cormorants. Ian and Bob had their fish from the area around E buoy and Alberts Bottom as well as The Tower Bank. Bob Barfoot had some big fish to the boat, weighing in at 4, 5 and 6 lbs. Bob caught a total of 10 fish on cormorants along the Draycote Dam and also down in Toft Shallows. Mr Nick Righton and Mr Keith Eastbury had 17 fish to the boat between them. The pair used a mixture of wet flies with a foam daddy on the point on a floating line,  as well as cormorants and crunchers. Draycote stalwart Ed Douglas netted 10 fish from a drifting boat on foam daddies as well as nymphs on a washing line.

Tuesday was overcast and breezy to start with, but brightened up as the day progressed. Season permit holder Ken Key fished from the bank by the Swans Nest, bagging 3 fish on cormorants. Mr C J Day also netted 3 fish from the bank whilst fishing between Lincroft Point and the Valve Tower. Young Andy Lilley had a brace on FAB’s and diawl bachs fished off a midge tip line. John Dickens had half a dozen fish to the boat on dries such as the F fly. Mr M Francis drifted from the Aerators to D buoy in Duns Bay using a sunburst dabbler and a white dog knobbler to bring 12 fish to the net. Draycote regulars Andy Birkett and Brent Vinall had just under 30 fish between them to the boat using a washing line and crunchers in the morning and dries through the afternoon. James Alexander and his boat partner caught 7 fish using foam daddies near M buoy just up past the sailing club. John Falconbridge and Paul Walker used cormorants and crunchers to boat 18 fish between them from areas such as the Aerators and Duns Bay.

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 24^th September 2023  Rod Av: 3.78  Water Temperature:  16°C

Monday gave a good indication of what the weather would be like for the next couple of days, with strong gusty winds and some heavy showers at times. Those brave souls who ventured out against the elements did quite well, returning a rod average of 3.5 for the day. Mr G Quigley and Mr D McGuigan had 10 fish to the boat between them on CDC’s and cormorants. Young Andy Lilley used sinking lines and lures on the rudder to boat 4 fish, one of which weighed in at a touch over 4 lbs. Draycote stalwart Kevin Rees persisted with dry flies such as bob’s bits and the F fly to net 3 fish in very difficult conditions. Mr Kevin Hart plied his trade near the Inlet in Rainbow Corner to net a brace on floating fry patterns.

The first strong winds as we enter into Autumn arrived Tuesday resulting in the boats being cancelled. As a result of the strong winds we only had a couple of bank anglers out. All water member Ken Key enjoyed a good mornings sport, landing 4 fish. Taking them from the Swan’s nest and also Rainbow Corner on cormorants.

After the strong wind and heavy rain of Wednesday, which resulted in no anglers fishing. It was good to see a strong turn out Thursday enjoying the much improved weather. On the bank Draycote member Tony Broadway fished at the Swan’s nest landing 8 fish. Included in Tony’s 8 fish catch were some cracking rainbows of 5lb,4lb & 3lb which can be seen here www.facebook.com/flyfishstore Tony used a washing line set up with a FAB on the point and size 12 crunchers on the droppers with all of his fish taking the crunchers. Fishing alongside Tony, was Pete Allen who landed 3 fish. On the boats all water members Ged O’Donoghue & Steve Orton landed 20 fish to the boat. They fished in Biggin Bay near Alberts Bottom using washing lining tactics with hares ears on the droppers on Daiwl Bachs. With the majority of the fish coming on the hang, and commented they could have landed over 30 if they landed everything they hooked. Lee Tones fished on his own landing 11 fish moving all round the lake to land them, catching at P Buoy, Lincroft Point, Valve Tower, Boils and Rainbow Corner. Using either a midge tip or slow intermediate with a black and green booby and then cormorants. All water member Ed Douglas landed 10 fish 4 of them taking dries with the other 6 coming to washing lining. Draycote member Eddie Mitchell & Dave Kennel landed 15 fish to the boat. Using a midge tip line with 2 boobies on the point and the top dropper with 2 black daddies in the middle.

A foggy start to the day, which burnt off around 9.30 in the morning leaving a bright day, with some rain showers arriving on the afternoon. It was a great day for the bank anglers with great catches. Stan Hillman landed 7 fish from the bank fishing at the Tower Bank and the Old Pipe. Fellow bank angler Mick Cronin also fished the bank landing a dozen fish from the same areas. Colin Day fished in Biggin Bay near the Old Pipe in Biggin to land 9 fish using a midge tip line. With a booby on the point and then crunchers on the droppers. On the boats Draycote member Ray Rawlings landed 10 fish drifting from A Buoy to M Buoy using a RIO hover line. With a snake on the point and cormorants on the droppers. Alan Master & Ed Wilson fished in Toft landing 14 fish to their boat using a washing line with buzzers on the droppers and a booby on the point. Kevin Hart landed 14 fish while out in a boat using a midge tip line with a nemo cruncher on the top dropper, Diawl Bach in the middle then a sparkler booby on the point. Catching fish at Y Buoy, N Buoy, S Buoy, Swan’s Nest and also Biggin Bay.

There was certainly an Autumnal feel to Saturday, which warmed later in the day. On the bank Draycote member Paul Walker landed 4 fish fishing from Lincroft point on Diawl Bachs. Also landing 4 fish from Lincroft was Mike Garner who used fry patterns and a Kate McLaren. Fellow member Paul Walley fished the bank for the afternoon landing 5 fish on foam daddies fished at the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay and also the Swan’s Nest. On the boats fishery ranger Mark Braun landed 9 fish using a slow sinking intermediate with a black and green lure, cormorant and a blob. Taking his first fish at Y Buoy before moving to drift along from C to B buoy. Jon Crowley fished for the morning landing 13 fish on a Dawsons olive variant on an intermediate line. Drifting from M Buoy all the wat through to the Farnborough Dam Wall. All water member Roger Kerrison landed 10 fish while out on the boat all on daddies. Father and son team David & Gary Turner fished in a boat for the morning landing 16 fish to the boat. Drifting from A Buoy to M Buoy using a washing line set up with a FAB on the point and nymphs on the droppers using a midge tip. Stephen Peart fished in a boat landing 14 fish with his best method being a Di 3 sinking line with sparklers.

A drizzly start to Sunday, with gusty winds arriving around lunch, however, the inclement weather didn’t seem to put the fish off as the fishery produced a 4.2 fish rod average. On the boats Thomas Long enjoyed a great day landing 17 fish. Using a FAB on the point and then a red Diawl Bach and a black and red buzzer. With the strong wind Thomas opted to just back drift the flies and let the wind do the work. He landed his fish at E Buoy, M Buoy and then around in Toft. Dalwyn Leddington & Wander Santos enjoyed a good day fishing around Rainbow Corner and M Buoy landing 19 fish to the boat. Draycote member Mark Thistleton used snakes on an intermediate to land 14 fish drifting from X Buoy to S Buoy being his most productive area. James Alexander fished with father in law Sharpy with the pair landing 10 fish. All taken on Yellow Daddies fished at M Buoy.

Upcoming Events.

7^th October – AMFC Group Autumn Match – 32 Boats.

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

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: 24^th September   Rod Av: 2.2       Water Temperature: 16°c

There was a bright, clear start to the week with a gentle southerly that developed into a strong southerly by late morning, which then swung round to a Westerly. Very few anglers ventured out due to the previously forecast weather, but for those that did catch, caught along the weedbeds of the Hawthorns & through the Main Basin.

Tuesday & Wednesday saw all boats cancelled due to the expected windspeeds that exceeded our safety mean limit of 25mph. On Wednesday, local angler, Max Woolnough ventured out from the bank & was rewarded with 3 fish. Max caught along the Leicester Bank, from the Lodge to Sam’s Dyke, targeting feeding fish along the weed beds.

Thursday brought with it a lot calmer conditions. The recent strong winds & heavy had brought the water temperature back down to 16°c, which is lowest it has been for a long time. It is often the case that after weather front has passed through, there can be a period of adjustment when the fish take a while to settle down to the new conditions. This proved to be the case today with fish proving difficult to tempt. On the boats, Eyebrook member Stuart Bilsdon & his regular boat partner Tony Tibbett had a productive day landing 10 fish between them which was a great return on the day. Thursday, also saw us host the annual police pairs match, organised by the hard working, Steve Owen who ensures that the day always runs smoothly. Well done to all anglers taking part, between them they caught 53 fish, which was good under the circumstances. Congratulations to all the prize winners on the day, it was great to see you all again. Elsewhere, another Eyebrook Member, Dave Searson took to the bank & fished the weedbeds, down at the Hawthorns & landed 3 fish. Targeting fish in the shallow water of Stoke Dry, All Water Member Mark Hunt found a single CDC the most productive method & caught 4 well-earned fish.

Friday saw the cooler weather continue with the water temperature continuing to drop & the fish in a similar mood to the previous days. Finding fish isn’t the issue but tempting them is. With the fish occupying the upper layers of the water column, those that caught better, caught using a washing line on floaters down to intermediates. Fish were caught from various locations around the Reservoir, with Robbo’s Cabin, The Main Basin & the Willows all proving to be consistently productive. Foam Daddies, Sparkler Boobies, Cormorants, FABs & Diawl Bachs all featured on the catch returns as their seemed to be no standout, patterns.

Saturday started clear & bright with a gentle southerly wind that built as the day progressed & slowly swung round to a westerly. The reservoir fished better than in previous days as the fish began to acclimatise to the new conditions & feed. There appeared to be some fish sat at midwater, but these fish were difficult to catch at this depth, but they could be caught as they rose in the water column to feed. The bright sunlight put paid to any prolific surface action, so those fishing under the surface by the means of a washing lined tip line or intermediate, were more successful. The most productive fly patterns were Sparkler Boobies, Cormorants, Foam Daddies, FAB’s, Diawl Bach, Dabblers & Snakes. Whereas, the most productive areas were the North Side of the Dam, Willows, Robbo’s Cabin, the Hawthorns & off the Island. The bank also fished well with fished still getting caught down by Hawthorns with regular angler & Eyebrook member, Roy Swinfield landing 9 fish on a washing line presented just above the weedbeds.

It was a blustery & damp start to Sunday with a moderate Southerly bringing in some light showers. By mid-morning the rain had disappeared, the cloud remained & the once moderate wind was now strong & gusty.  Sunday saw us host the Midlands Counties Cup, with 32 anglers taking to the water from the Alex Booth, Foremark, Kirby & Colwick Fly Fishers. Between them, they caught 63 fish for a rod average of 1.9, which given the conditions was a great effort. Congratulations goes to the Colwick Fly Fishers who were the winners on day with an overall bag of 25 fish. With the wind limiting anglers to the Main Basin, fish were caught from various locations within that, with once again, the North side of the Dam proving to be productive. Long, open water drifts also produced some good bags of fish due to anglers fishing clear water in front of them & simply sat behind another boat.

Upcoming Events.

01^st October – AMFC Group 3 – 15 Boats.

08^th October – Alex Booth Fly Fishers – 13 Boats.

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 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: 24^th September Rod Av: 0.5  Water Temperature:17c – 18c

Fishing has certainly been challenging due to the weather & algae.  Quiet days at the fishery to start the week due to the weather with gale force winds on Tuesday & Wednesday. Thursday to Saturday better forecast with the algae continuing to reduce, currently we have 2ft clarity. By Sunday we had another windy day.

The most successful method on Saturday was fished by J Bebbington catching 3 trout during his mornings visit using a fast sinking fly lines with booby patterns 150yds in front of the willows towards the Markfield arm.

Sunday John Reynolds also caught 3 trout during his mornings visit again using a fast sinking line and cats whisker booby fishing 40 to 60yd off the bank down the Markfield arm.

On the plus side towards the end of the week our water temperature was 17c hopefully our sport will pick up as the cooler weather takes us into the autumn. Currently we have 5,900+ trout in the reservoir.

Contact the lodge for latest information 01530230807

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

——————————————————————————————————————————

Monday gave a good indication of what the weather would be like for the next couple of days, with strong gusty winds and some heavy showers at times. Those brave souls who ventured out against the elements did quite well, returning a rod average of 3.5 for the day. Mr G Quigley and Mr D McGuigan had 10 fish to the boat between them on CDC’s and cormorants. Young Andy Lilley used sinking lines and lures on the rudder to boat 4 fish, one of which weighed in at a touch over 4 lbs. Draycote stalwart Kevin Rees persisted with dry flies such as bob’s bits and the F fly to net 3 fish in very difficult conditions. Mr Kevin Hart plied his trade near the Inlet in Rainbow Corner to net a brace on floating fry patterns.

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 17^th September 2023  Rod Av: 3.7  Water Temperature: 18 °C

A warm start to the week, with the sun making an appearance in the morning before the cloud rolled in later in the day. However, the afternoon remained humid and muggy thankfully the Southwest winds helped to take the edge of the heat. On the boats Jim Dempsey fished for a morning using the rudder to good effect landing 6 fish. Using a Di 7 sinking line with various snakes with his best area being the top side of Y Buoy down to P Buoy. All water member Ed Douglas landed 10 fish while out on the boat landing 2 of them on dries, with the other 8 falling to a washing line set up. Ed fished at the flat stones drifting out towards B Bouy using a Snowbee buzzer tip with Diawl Bachs on the droppers and a FAB on the point. On their second day of a 4 day break, Steven Bett & Brian Collins enjoyed great sport landing 28 fish. The pair fished all along the Draycote Dam Wall drifting out towards the middle. With Steven using a 5ft midge tip with a weighted fly on the point and cormorants on the droppers. While Brian opted to use a Di 3 sweep sinking line with 2 sparkler boobies ten feet apart. The pair commented on how they lost as many as they caught and could have finished the day with over 50 fish to the boat.

Overcast first thing in the morning with very light winds, with the rain arriving around 9am and it didn’t’ really let up until about 5pm. With the wind picking up and swinging to the North later in the afternoon. On the bank Draycote member Pete Allen fished at Lincroft point using a grey minkie to land a great brace of fish. On the boats all water member Steve Orton & Ged O’Donoghue landed 5 between them but left no comments as to how.

A bright start to Wednesday, with some cloud arriving later in the day with the wind coming from the North. Mick Cronin fished from the bank using minkies to land a brace of fish from Lincroft Point. On the boats Mark Smith fished for a morning using a washing line set up to land 5 fish, from Toft. Draycote member Bob Barfoot also used a washing line with cormorants on the droppers landing 7 fish. With the majority of Bob’s fish coming when he covered moving fish. Mick Cartlidge & Tim Strachan fished in Toft to land 9 fish between them using a mixture of FABs and cormorants. Roy Taylor also fishing in Toft with Barry Butler with the pair landing a dozen fish to the boat on a mix of methods. With claret hoppers, minkie boobies and standard minkies all accounting for their fish. We also had a number of teams on the water practicing ahead of the Airflo Sheild on Saturday. While the specifics were a closely guarded secret, the teams did say there is certainly two layers of fish. With a number of anglers getting good success on dries with a lot of fish coming blind and showing interest. While a number of other anglers found the fish deep using Di 7 sinking lines and sparkler boobies.

A wet day Thursday with drizzle for most of the day and the wind coming from the South. On the bank Tony Broadway fished down in Toft landing 7 fish using a washing line with crunchers. James Kelly also fished in Toft landing 6 fish also on a washing line with all of the fish taking the Diawl Bachs on the middle. Fellow member John Dickens also fished in Toft landing 8 fish 6 on a washing line and 2 taking a Midas. On the boats Draycote hosted the English Fly Fishing Association with the 34 anglers landing 114 fish. With the winner of the day being Pete Skelton who caught his 8 fish limit. The anglers fished to full C/R measuring the fish, so Pete’s winning length was 356cm. There was a mix of methods with a number of anglers opting to fish dries. However washing lining and also boobies on sunk lines proved to more productive. Outside of the EFFA, we had a number of teams once again practicing for the match at the weekend. Speaking to the anglers as they came off there was some very good  number of 16s to the boat, 20s and the occasional 30. Once again lots of comments of a mix of methods from a Di 7 all the way to the surface and dries. With Toft proving to be very productive so to the Draycote Dam wall.

A misty start to Friday, which lifted around 10am leaving a calm bright day but thankfully the wind did pick up a little around lunch blowing from the South. On the bank Steve Proffitt landed 4 fish from Toft, using a washing line with Daiwl Bachs & Shrimps. However, all of Steve’s fish came before 9am before it got bright. Kasidit Leoviriyakit fished the bank landing 6 fish using a cat whisker and a snake. On the boats it was the final practice day before the Airflo Shield Final on Saturday. Given the conditions it was a trickier day for the anglers, but once again specifics were kept close to their chest. Outside of the match practice boats Stephen Peart landed a dozen fish. Using a 6ft midge tip with 2 FABs and 2 black Diawl Bachs catching from B & C Buoy.

Saturday saw the fishery host the Airflo Open Shield Final with 12, 6 man teams competing to be crowned champion. With conditions much improved from the day before and good practice days, everyone hoped for a good days sport. This proved to be the case with the 72 anglers catching 498 fish giving a rod average of 6.92. Winning the match with a fantastic performance was RAF Fish Hawks A. Who landed 66 fish for 136lb 14oz. There best method was to use a cutthroat cat on the point cormorants on the droppers and then a tequila FAB on the top dropper. With the lads catching from Duns Bay, Rainbow Corner and Biggin Bay. In second place was the Alba Cats who landed 50 fish for 99lb 13oz, using either CDC dries or washing lining tactics with cormorants on nymphs. In the same areas as the RAF, however, they did land a number of fish later in the day around Lincroft point drifting from E Buoy out towards P Buoy. In third place, the Welsh Wizards with 44 fish used various tip lines and cormorants on the droppers. The top rod on the day was James Rice from the Welsh Wizards who landed his 12 fish by 1pm. Using the same tactic he used to win the Wychwood Induvial championships. Which was a 12ft slow tip with a cormorant booby on the point and top dropper and cormorants in the middle around D Buoy drifting towards C Buoy. Outside of the match Draycote member Mike Garner fished on the Cornfield and Lincroft Point to land 3 fish, including a cracking 5lb rainbow that took a fry pattern.

The weather on Sunday was overcast to start with, promising a few sunny spells, and perhaps the odd shower later in the day. The fishing has carries on from previous days with good returns coming from several different areas. Once again the fish are sitting pretty high in the water with the preferred lines being midge tips and floaters. Flies such as red diawl bachs, black buzzers and cormorants are all proving very popular, as are dries such as foam daddies, black hoppers and crippled midge patterns. Mr Thomas Long had 10 fish to the boat using diawl bachs and buzzers. David and Jack O’Farrell caught a bakers dozen between them on claret hoppers, crippled midge and big reds. Season permit holder Paul Walley had 8 fish to the boat pulling daddies across the surface near D buoy in Duns Bay. Mr D Keeble had 4 fish around D buoy using a mixture of dries and cormorants. Young Will Hunt caught half a dozen fish on black hoppers in Biggin Bay. Season permit holder Mark Thistleton caught 7 fish in Biggin Bay on a mixture of snakes and buzzers. Sunday saw the Draycote Fly Fishers Autumn pairs match take to the water. 16 anglers took part and caught a total of 48 fish between them for a competiton rod average of 3.0. The match was won by Anthony Hart and Paul Walley with a total of 10 fish to the boat.

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: 17^th September   Rod Av:  2.9      Water Temperature: 18°c

There was a slightly cooler start to the week with intermittent cloud cover. Fish were caught throughout the Main Basin on a variety of methods, Dries, Nymphs straight lined & washing lined & Lures on Sinking Lines. The water temperature remains over 20°c, so whatever fish are getting caught higher up in the water column, are not spending any length of time at that depth. They are coming up to feed briefly before returning to the deeper more comfortable water & they are the fish getting caught at depth. All Water Member Ged O’Donoghue, on his first visit of the season had a very productive day, landing 7 fish, most of which came to a Midas or a Foam Daddy. Well done, Ged, it was great to see you again. Elsewhere, from the banks, Mr Coles landed 4 fish from the Hawthorns on a Foam Daddy & Diawl Bachs. With cooler weather coming, the outlook for the banks is excellent.

It was a very quiet day Tuesday, which brought with it a persistent rain that remained all day. Initially there was a light, warm southerly breeze that developed into in by a cold northerly wind by early afternoon. This extreme 180° change in wind direction ensured that the Eyebrook trout were at their finicky best & consequently there were very few fish caught, most of which, were mainly in the morning.

Wednesday saw a moderate Northerly prevailing wind drive most of the Algae into the Harbour resulting in large areas of clear water. The boats that headed out, all went upwind to find clear water & consequently these areas fished relatively well. Wednesday saw us host 2 groups, the Higham Ferrers Fly Fishers & the Fishing For Fun club Higham Ferrers had 12 anglers & these went on to catch 37 fish between, returning a rod average of 3.1 which was great given the previous day. Fishing for Fun had 11 anglers out, catching 34 fish for another rod average of 3.1. Elsewhere, all water member Ed Douglas had a great day, landing 17 fish, 16 of which came to Cormorants on a washing line from various locations around the reservoir. The Willows & Robbo’s Cabin fished very well early on as these were located up wind & later in the day, the Northerly areas of the Main Basin fished well later in the day. There were also fish caught over the top of the weedbeds down by the Hawthorn.

There was a light southerly wind on Thursday which brought with it some good, consistent cloud cover. The reservoir fished well consequently, with some good bags coming from both the banks & the boats. It was the banks that really sprung into life with regular visitor Max Woolnough having an excellent morning from the bank landing 20 fish on a Washing Line with a Sparkler Booby on the point & Diawl Bachs on the droppers. Max targeted feeding fish in the weedbeds down at the Hawthorns. Another angler to do this was All Water Member Jim Greasley, Jim fished the Hawthorns later in the day & took his 6 fish on various, coloured Shipman’s Buzzers fished over the weedbeds. On the Boats, Eyebrook Member, Stuart Bilsdon had a productive Day on the Daddies landing 10 fish from various locations around the reservoir.

Friday saw the reservoir fish well from the boats & from the Float Tube with Eyebrook member Dean Shilton landing 7 fish on Foam Daddies from various locations. From the boats, Dries & the Washing Line, be that with a floater or on a Tip Line, seem to be the most productive methods. Once again what has been important with the Washing Line, is to have colour on the point, in the form of either a FAB or a Blob Booby. All Water Member Paul Havard found the fish he caught only interested in the colour, to the point that he fished a FAB on the top dropper & a Blob Booby on the point to maximise his catch rate. As a result, Paul ended the day with 8 fish which was a good return for the day. Another option for a buoyant fly that can be fished on the washing line is the ever versatile, Foam Daddy. Thomas Long, used this method to land his 11 fish for the day, with some of his fish, coming to the Buzzers on the droppers. The Main Basin proved to be the most productive area.

For the Saturday, the wind had swung round to a moderate Northerly which brought with it some extended periods of sunshine, particularly in the morning. Despite the weather, the Reservoir fished well with once again with some steady bags of fish recorded, with again the Main Basin being the most productive area. As for methods, Dries & the washing line were the percentage methods & it paid to fish from a drifting boat, covering more water. All Water Member Mark Hunt fished a washing lined 6ft Tip Line in the morning, during the bright spells & he swapped to a single Orange Foam Daddy for the afternoon & was rewarded with a great return of 14 fish in a morning session. Elsewhere, another All-Water Member, Sue Potts, also had a productive day, landing 7 fish on the Washing Line with a pink FAB taking its fair share. John Balladon & Rimalew Naidu were others to catch well on the washing line, landing well into double figures from the Main Basin.

Sunday started with a strong northerly breeze blowing into the harbour bringing with it a cooling wind & consistent cloud cover. As the day progressed, the wind eased but the cloud cover remained, leaving great conditions. Today we hosted the All-Abilities Friendly Fly-Fishing Club which saw 22 anglers of varying experience levels take to water & between them they caught 56 fish on a variety of methods. Most of the boats headed down to the general area of the Willows with some catching on Dries, Foam Daddies & popper Hoppers featuring well on the catch returns. Other methods that caught well were Washing Lined Floaters, Tip Lines & Intermediates but what was noticeable was that movement of the Flies was important to illicit a response from feeding fish. Elsewhere, All Water Members Fraser Duffy, Senior & Junior & Terry Bayes who accompanied them, took their 2 boats down to Stoke Dry & targeted feeding fish in the shallower water. The 2 boats were duly rewarded with an excellent bag of over 30 fish between them.

There is some extreme weather forecast for later in the week with some very heavy rain & very strong winds. Please contact the Lodge on 01536 770264 for updates & use the Weather Links below. On a positive note, the low pressure that is due will undoubtably lower the water temperature somewhat.

Upcoming Events.

20^th September – AMFC Group 2 – 15 Boats.

21^st September – Police Pairs – 18 Boats

24^th September – Mid Northants Fly Fishers – 16 Boats

01^st October – AMFC Group 3 – 15 Boats.

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: 17^th September Rod Av:1.0  Water Temperature:19c

Following on from the early September heatwave our water temperature has started to drop and is currently 19c, usually for this time of year we should be 17c – 18c.

The algae condition has started to show sign of improvement clear visibility between 16inch to 18inch.

A sign that the algae condition is starting to improve is that some trout were caught higher in the water on intermediate or sink 3 lines with booby & fry patterns with a few caught on a daddy.

Hopefully clarity will continue to improve. We advise you call the lodge & follow our advice.

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

 Fishing Report: Draycote

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.

Monday 11th September 2023   Rod Av: 5.50  Water Temperature: 18.5 °C

A warm start to the week, with the sun making an appearance in the morning before the cloud rolled in later in the day. However, the afternoon remained humid and muggy thankfully the Southwest winds helped to take the edge of the heat. On the boats Jim Dempsey fished for a morning using the rudder to good effect landing 6 fish. Using a Di 7 sinking line with various snakes with his best area being the top side of Y Buoy down to P Buoy. All water member Ed Douglas landed 10 fish while out on the boat landing 2 of them on dries, with the other 8 falling to a washing line set up. Ed fished at the flat stones drifting out towards B Bouy using a Snowbee buzzer tip with Diawl Bachs on the droppers and a FAB on the point. On their second day of a 4 day break, Steven Bett & Brian Collins enjoyed great sport landing 28 fish. The pair fished all along the Draycote Dam Wall drifting out towards the middle. With Steven using a 5ft midge tip with a weighted fly on the point and cormorants on the droppers. While Brian opted to use a Di 3 sweep sinking line with 2 sparkler boobies ten feet apart. The pair commented on how they lost as many as they caught and could have finished the day with over 50 fish to the boat.

Competitions Due at Draycote:

EFFA- 14^th September 18 boats.

Airflo Sheild Final- 16^th September 36 boats.

Mid Northants- 17^th September 20 Boats.

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

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 10th September 2023  Rod Av: 2.3  Water Temperature: 20 °C

Monday was flat calm with bright sunshine, and one of those days when there were no fish showing on top at all. The few anglers that did venture out fished mainly on sinking lines over the deeper parts of the reservoir and in the Aerators. There was only a total of 4 fish caught for the day and these were caught early, on such flies as snakes and minkie boobies.

Although Tuesday was bright, at least we had a good breeze here at Draycote Water. Anglers fared much better than yesterday with the rod average rising to 3.8. Some anglers were catching fish early on with a washing line fished off a midge tip, but as the day progressed it became apparent that a fast glass or a DI3 was needed with snakes or cormorants. Stuart Lee and Peter Elliott had 2 dozen fish to the boat between them using blobs, boobies and cormorants. Mr Rob Keeber and Mr Alan Wither caught well over 20 fish between them using a DI3 and snakes down in Toft Shallows. Mr McNicolls party also used snakes fished on sinking lines to net a bakers dozen.

The welcome breeze of yesterday, was nothing more than a distant memory, as still & bright conditions returned for Wednesday morning. By the afternoon though there was some resemblance of a breeze which provided a brief respite from the oppressive heat. Despite the weather, the reservoir fished well for those fishing Sinking lines & for those fishing the Washing Line on Long Tip lines. Draycote members & regular boat partners, Lee Patten & Peter Elliot caught well on 12ft Tips, landing well into double figures. Whereas Rob Keeber & Alan Withers, opted to fish Di 3 Sinking Lines with Snakes & were rewarded with well over 20 fish between them.

Draycote’s form continued to improve on Thursday, with fish caught on a variety of method from various locations. Dries proved to be a productive method for All Water Member Ed Douglas, who went on to land 9 fish on F-Flies & on Crippled Midge patterns. Ed remained as mobile as possible, which can be tricky when there is a lack of wind, achieved this by frequently moving his boat & not spending too long in areas that are not producing.  Draycote members Dave Kennell & Eddie Mitchell also had a productive day, choosing to fish washing lined floaters & they went on to land well into double figures, as did Gordan Bramwell, another Draycote member. From the banks, Mr Goldney fished a Blue Flash Damsel for what proved to be a very good morning, going on to land 7 fish, which is a great return.

Friday brought with it flat, calm conditions, that resulted in reservoir resembling a sheet of glass. By lunchtime, there was light cloud built that dulled the sunshine for the remainder of the day. At times like these it is best to push down on to the fish a bit, perhaps starting with an intermediate line and lures. Most of the fish in these temperatures will move into the deeper cooler water, but this is not always the case. At the moment we have a large number of fish here at Draycote on the feed in Toft Shallows. Craig Middleton used a coral cormorant on a midge tip to net 4 fish from near the Nature Reserve. Mr D Molyneaux also caught 3 fish in Toft Shallows on sinking lines and fry patterns.

We could feel the heat on the pontoon early on Saturday morning, and by 9 o’clock it was flat calm with bright sunshine, and very warm. There were a good number of anglers who took to the water, catching a few fish first thing just off the front of the pontoon. Through the middle of the day everything went a bit quiet, before picking up again sometime after 4pm. Jon Crowley got straight on the water and headed to M buoy to net 4 fish on a sinking line and lures, before returning to the pontoon by 10:30. Mr Stuart Wallaces group had 9 fish between them, which they caught on sinking lines and snakes over M buoy and around the Aerators. Dan and Elliott Quinn caught 16 fish between them using boobies on DI7 lines in the aerators.

Sunday started flat calm and warm, but with good cloud cover. There was a forecast for heavy rain and thunderstorms later in the day, but these never materialised. Once again the fishing was set to be a challenge with most anglers opting for sunken line techniques, mixing it up a bit with small competition sized boobies or bigger lures such as snakes and minkies. Draycote regular Kasidit Leoviriyakit, tried his hand on the bank under very challenging circumstances, and managed 3 fish. Kas fished from the Swans nest around to Lincroft Point using snakes and fry patterns. Draycote staff member Lee Henfrey and his boat partner Nigel Keeber used booby bashers and small competition sized sparklers to net 7 good fish near Y buoy. The lads were counting down 40 seconds and back drifting with a very slow retrieve. Season permit holder Tom Roberts had 3 fish to the boat during a morning session. Tom used a coral boobie on a sinking line to catch his fish up near the Valve Tower and in the Aerators. Frazer Duffy, senior and junior, used snakes on DI7 lines to net 9 fish between them.

Competitions Due at Draycote:

EFFA- 14^th September 18 boats.

Airflo Sheild Final- 16^th September 36 boats.

Mid Northants- 17^th September 20 Boats.

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: 10^th September   Rod Av:   2.4     Water Temperature: 20-21°c

The Algal bloom that threatened towards the end of last week, welcomed in the week with vengeance, as the still, hot, sunny conditions finally took its toll. There was a thick Algal bloom that covered the southern end of the reservoir. Now there are a couple of ways of dealing with Algae, you either avoid it by searching out clear areas, predominately up wind, or you fish under it as Algae very rarely covers the whole depth. Those venturing out in the morning chose the former as the boats travelled up to the general area of the Willows where fish had been found previously & the water was clearer. By mid-afternoon there was a gentle North-Easterly breeze that began to push the Algae in the Main Basin downwind, freeing more clear water. Fish were caught as in previous days, high up in the water, on Dries or a washing line. Those fish down by the Willows were caught predominately on the Dries with fish willing to come “Blind” to a well-presented Dry Fly. Foam Daddies & the Midas both, unsurprisingly, featured well on the catch returns.

Tuesday brought with it a moderate breeze which fluctuated between a South Easterly & a North Easterly. This made avoiding the Algae somewhat challenging as clear patches became inconsistent, but there were some clear patches & fish were caught. Those fishing the clear patches caught very well on top of the water tactics; Dries & Washing Lined floating lines & there were some very high catch returns recorded. The clearer & therefore most productive areas were the Willows down to Stoke Dry & across the open water, between the Island & the Point. As previously mentioned, another method for fishing with Algae present, is to fish underneath it be that on tip lines with deep fished Nymphs or on Sinking Lines using Boobies. Either can be a great method on their day & some of those who tried that, caught very well on Fast Sinking Lines & Boobies. In areas where the band of Algae isn’t deep, getting under it can be achieved by fishing with Intermediates & Long Tip Lines.

Whatever breeze there was earlier in the week was a distant memory on Wednesday as bright sunlight & flat calm conditions welcomed anglers. The lack of breeze also meant that the Algae was still which made locating clear water challenging. In addition, the water temperature continued to rise so it became very little of a surprise that anglers found fish hard to come by with few fish caught. Wednesday also saw us host the England Disabled Fly Fisher, National Qualifier with 14 anglers taking to the water, producing a rod average of 1.7. Congratulations to all those that qualified for next year’s International & a special mention must go to Neil Hodgson who was the top rod on the day with 5 fish. Neil caught his fish at the Willows & in front of Robbo’s Cabin on a Mid Glass with a Sparkler Booby on the point & Cormorants on the Droppers. Another method that worked for some was a washing line fished on a long Tip Line with Hoppers fished on the droppers.

Thursday brought with it an inconsistent, gentle breeze from the Northeast with clear, bright skies. To make the conditions even more challenging, the consistent high air temperatures finally began to raise the water temperature. With high water temperatures, algae & a flat calm, Thursday turned into a very challenging day. Those that did catch caught mainly on the washing line on long tips or intermediate lines from various locations around the reservoir. The most consistent area proved to from the Willows to Pollards Leap, where Eyebrook Member Stuart Bilsdon caught his 3 fish which was an excellent return for the day.

Friday was yet another extremely hot day, with very little to no wind. The reservoir spent the day in a flat calm with most of the fish caught during the slightly cooler mornings. Foam Daddies featured well on the catch returns with fish willing to feed off the surface during those cooler spells. During the afternoons, very few fish were caught & those that were, were caught on lures on sinking lines. The algae is still present & it became challenging to found clear water due to the lack of wind.

With similar weather to the previous days, Saturday saw the water temperature increase to 22°c by mid-afternoon. Despite the water temperature increase, the algae in the main basin begin to dissipate which opened this area for long drifts. Subsequently there were fish caught in the Main Basin, but the were caught deep on sinking lines with Buzzers, Nymphs & Lures. Eyebrook members Neil Shilton & Bob Margery both had productive days, Neil on his Float Tube landed 6 & Bob landed 7 fish on a morning session. Both anglers fished lures deep on Di 7s. The England Ladies practicing for tomorrows National Final, also found fish deep on Di5’s & Di7’s, but they found that colour was key with bright, blob patterns catching well. Elsewhere, Ian Watts chose to present buzzers deep on sinking lines & had a very productive day from the Main Basin.

Sunday started with bright, clear & calm conditions but as the day progressed, light cloud started to build, brought in by a light easterly breeze. By late afternoon these light winds brought with them some strong winds, thunder, lightning & heavy rain before reverting to a flat calm & bright sunlight again. These variable conditions did not seem to affect the fishing too much where fish continued to get caught deep in the Main Basin with Nymphs, Cormorants & Lures on Sinking Lines. Sunday saw us host the England Ladies National Final where they went on fish to a Rod Average for the day of 3.5, which given the conditions was excellent. Congratulations goes to Sam Edmunds who was crowned Champion again & well done to all competitors. Everyone caught & it was great to see you all again, along with some new faces. We also hosted a group from Fly Fishing Large Reservoirs which saw 20 anglers take to the water. Well to all fishing in some challenging conditions & a special mention must go to Mike Smith & Craig Middleton who had 10 fish each. That’s a great return on a tricky day.

With cooler weather to come, the outlook for the forthcoming week looks good where we should see the water temperature begin to drop & the fish move up in the water column.

Upcoming Events.

17 September – All-Abilities Friendly Fly-Fishing Club – 12 + 3WB’s.

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 Eyebrook is explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

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.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/

Week Ending: 10^th September Rod Av: 1.0  Water Temperature:21c – 22c+

Monday, start of the week with our algae bloom continuing. We recommended anglers looked at Eyebrook or Draycote. Looking back through our records we would have to go back over 15 years to see algae this bad.

Tuesday through to Sunday the forecast for the heatwave peaked on Friday & Saturday with our surface water temperature at 7am registering 22c+

With the high daytime temperatures, we recommended anglers either moved their booking to this coming week & cooler forecast or they went to Eyebrook or Draycote. Not surprising few rods fished Thornton.

Looking forward to this week I have posted the weather forecast on our

Facebook page www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

Twitter page www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Instagram page www.instagram.com/flyfishstore/

Its certainly a typical September forecast which is good for fly fishing.

Thornton still has algae although its starting to improve, we recommend you call the Thornton lodge for latest updates 01530230807.

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

We could feel the heat on the pontoon early on Saturday morning, and by 9 o’clock it was flat calm with bright sunshine, and very warm. There were a good number of anglers who took to the water, catching a few fish first thing just off the front of the pontoon. Through the middle of the day everything went a bit quiet, before picking up again sometime after 4pm. Jon Crowley got straight on the water and headed to M buoy to net 4 fish on a sinking line and lures, before returning to the pontoon by 10:30. Mr Stuart Wallaces group had 9 fish between them, which they caught on sinking lines and snakes over M buoy and around the Aerators. Dan and Elliott Quinn caught 16 fish between them using boobies on DI7 lines in the aerators.