Draycote Water weekly report W/E 15^th May 2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

It’s been an excellent week here at Draycote Water. The weather started off pretty well on Monday but deteriorated into heavy showers and windy conditions over Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday dawned dry and bright but gusty conditions continued right through until the weekend , when it then settled down into more comfortable fishing conditions.

But what a week it turned out to be, with fish being caught almost everywhere on the reservoir from both boat and bank, and on such a wide variety of methods. It came as no surprise to any of us here that the weekly rod average came in at a whopping 9.0 .

On Monday, in very bright conditions, Peter Elliott had 17 fish from the Tower bank. John Clifford also did well on Monday, catching 12 fish from a drifting boat on a midge tip line.

Mr J McCutcheon and Mr W McCutcheon weighed in 7 fish for 21 lbs 7 oz.

Tuesday was described by the Anglers as “ Very challenging conditions “, but that didn’t stop bank angler Mr Mike Oliver catching 15 fish from various points around the reservoir. Mr M Allen and Mr P Douglas toughed it out in a boat to net more than 60 fish between them. They fished through the day around A and B buoy  and the Green Bank, before moving into Toft shallows in the evening, where they fished dries.

Season ticket holders Mr Tony Plummer and Mr Colin England also did extremely well in the conditions to bring more than 30 fish to the boat between them.

Wednesday saw a rise in the rod average, despite the weather, with Mr McNaughton and Mr Torlay bringing 25 fish to the boat each. Draycote regular Mr Andy Lunn used a cormorant booby to great effect, netting 21 fish.

Mr Tony Worley did really well fishing from the bank, netting 10 fish on orange buzzers and a muddler in Biggin Bay.

Thursday was a more comfortable days fishing , with yet again another good rod average, and large numbers of fish being caught everywhere. Season permit holders Tony Broadway and John Dews went afloat for a change and netted nearly 50 fish between them, mainly on buzzers. Tony returned a rainbow weighing in at 5lbs 8oz.

Mr M McNaughton and Mr B Torlay took to the water again on Thursday to record yet another 50 fish day.

Jamie Scott, fishing from a boat, used a mixture of Damsels and blobs to great effect, netting 35 fish from “all over” the reservoir.   

Draycote regular Geoff Preston, had 14 fish to the boat, and reported that he was catching fish of approximately 5 to 6 lbs out in the middle of the reservoir.

Mr Neil and Mr James Miller caught 37 fish between them on a variety of methods.

Sean Hanlon caught over 30 fish on buzzers on Thursday from various points around the bank.

Friday 13^th may be unlucky for some, but not for the anglers here at Draycote, where 66 rods caught a total of 701 fish for the strongest rod average of the week at 10.6.

Friday also saw the arrival of the Loch Leven Casters and Trawsfynydd Anglers. Both groups have a strong selection of experienced anglers amongst them and showed this with the large amount of fish they caught over their 3 day stay here at Draycote.

Other notables on Friday were, Mr Ed Douglas who returned 28 fish, from a drifting boat. Mr Torlay and Mr McNaughton again featuring high in the catch return with over 70 fish to the boat between them. Mr M Fisher, who had 27 fish to the boat.

Coppenhall Fly Fishers boat match took place on Saturday which went extremely well. Nearly all 22 of the anglers competing had their 4 fish limit to weight, and had countless returned between them. In fact the club managed a 12 fish rod average for the match. A variety of methods were used from a 7 inch per second sinking line and 2 blobs to dries. Both methods where equally effective, Mark Harrison, used the 7 inch per second line to tempt the biggest fish of the match a fantastic 5lb 2oz rainbow. However top honours in the match went to Mike Laycock who had the heaviest bag for his 4 fish which all came to dries fished over deep water. Outside of the Coppenhall match Mr Otter & Mr Barton had a great days sport landing over 30 fish to the boat on superglue buzzers their 4 fish went a massive 15lb 2oz in weight. Also utilising buzzers to catch a great number of fish was Mr G Lewis and G Williams who landed 44 fish to the boat.

Sunday again saw fantastic weather with more lovely spring sunshine, and light winds another great weather day for fishing buzzers. And it proved that buzzers where the outstanding method of the day with great catches being seen by a great number of people. Paul Sharp & Ian Earle had 30 fish to the boat, Mr Barnes & Mr Patrick also had 44 to the boat all falling to buzzers.

Let’s hope that this lovely settled spring weather remains and that the buzzer fishing continues to remain first class. However looking at this weeks catch returns when they go off the buzzers due to unfavourable conditions the fish still remain very catchable through fishing lures on deep sinking lines over deep water.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:    345        Number Trout Taken:   576    Number Trout Released: 2517 

Total Catch:     3093             Weekly Rod Average:  9.00

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 21:15

Boat All Day:    8.30    until  21:15

Boat Part Day:  AM 8:30     until   15:00 PM   15:15   until 21:15

Last 4 Hours from:    17:15     until       21:15    (Ticket sales available from  17:00 )

All Anglers to be off site by: 21:30

In order to maintain the accuracy of our records could all anglers please ensure that they fill in the catch return sheet before departure.  If not in the lodge it will be found on the counter in the gutting room next door.

Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.

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

Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Congratulations to Mr C Major  of  Hadlow, Kent   who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Forthcoming events.

Jim Williams Beginners Tuition Day 12^th June 3 spaces available. Call the lodge to book the space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June. To book call Phil Dixon on 07921713716/07584642242

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June. To Book spaces contact Roy Lewin on 07762746825.

Gutting Room

Please be aware that the Gutting Room refurbishment has now been completed. Much work has taken place & we would ask that you respect the facility and leave it in the same way in which you would wish to find it.

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. Too many anglers have been failing to do this of late & this distorts the figures leading to potential fishery management  issues.

 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.

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available. Some anglers came close to being disappointed this week when almost all of the available passes were used.

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

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary

Follow Us on Facebook  www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

 Draycote Water weekly fishing report w/e Sunday 8^st May 2016.

Telephone Number 01788 8120187

This week saw the weather start off in the same unsettled nature of last week, with very blustery weather Monday. However the air temperature rose 11°C on Sunday night, this temperature rise continued as the week progressed ending the week with temperatures of 25°C and much needed and welcome sunshine. This increase in temperatures also saw the rod average which started at 2.2 in the windy conditions of Monday rise to one of 9.1 in the warm spring sunshine of Saturday. The overall stats for the week saw 398 Rods catch a total of 2179 fish for a weekly rod average of 5.47.

Monday saw the unsettled weather remain, with strong North Westerly blowing across the lake. Due to the strong winds anglers found it challenging to present the flies correctly. However David Hoppe found the correct presentation by using the new RIO In Touch stream tip and team of buzzers to tempt 8 fish along the tower bank and into Dunns bay. David found that the streamer tip was great for cutting the flies through the big waves. Out on the boats Stephen Conway and his brother were out on the boats and tempted 10 fish fishing a combination of buzzers and blobs. Tuesday saw the rod average increase slightly with the high winds dropping however the sudden increase in temperatures the day before had clearly had an effect on and the fish took another day to adjust. The bank struggled with the fish moving out in the deeper water to feed. Taking advantage of this was Steve Robinson and J Ryder who boated 24 fish.

Wednesday was the day when the rod average really started to improve as the fish settled after the sudden increase in temperature from last week. Out on the boats was season ticket holder Ed Douglas who netted 20 fish, in Rainbow Corner fishing with buzzers and nymphs on floating lines including a lovely grown on rainbow trout of 5lb 7oz. Another angler taking advantage of the good fishing was Sean Hanlon who netted 18 fish all on buzzers. However buzzers were not the only way to catch good numbers on the day. The police inter-force friendly boat competition saw the best catches coming using 5inch per second sinking lines and orange blobs around A/B buoy. The winner on the day was Bob Casey with his 8 fish bag limit for 23lbs. Thursday saw John Clifford getting into the fish around B buoy netting 16 fish using a 7 inch per second lines and lures and commented on how all the fish in the deeper water were overwintered. S Bedwell found that the fish along the Hensborough wanted a black Montana fished slowly near the bottom, as this accounted for all this 17 fish.

Friday saw the start of the really warm weather with the air temperatures being over 20°C for most of the day. These warm conditions saw a very impressive buzzer hatch with both bank and boat anglers cashing in on the action with 98 anglers catching 724 fish for a 7.3 rod average. On the bank regular Tony Broadway had a great days sport netting 21 fish all on buzzers. Alan Joyce also enjoyed great sport landing 22 fish as well as an approximated 8lb rainbow which was returned to fight another day. Out on the boats the sport was equally as good, Season Ticket holder Ed Douglas returned for another day’s sport again using buzzers but this time caught a staggering 47 fish. Also enjoying great sport from the boats was R Bomsford & J Radda who netted 43 fish. Another angler who is worthy of a mention is George Leaton who travelled up from Hounslow in London and landed 20 fish all on a blue flash damsel on a floater. George commented that the key to success was not to strike too soon and that a continued figure of eight through the knocks and pulls would produce a solid lock up. Saturday saw the best rod average of the week at 9.1, with catches into double figures and beyond to be found by the majority from both the bank and the boats. The tactics for these high catches remained the same as earlier in the week of either buzzers or 5 inch per second sinking lines and blobs. Sunday saw the best catches coming from the boats around B buoy to cruncher patterns fished slowly, with Robert and Tony Ball landing 26 to this method.

Looking ahead to this week the weather looks settled and warm weather is set to continue so I am sure the buzzer hatches will continue to improve and hopefully with the good hatches the fantastic fishing that has been seen the the back end of the week will continue.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  398        Number Trout Taken: 756      Number Trout Released:  1423

Total Catch:    2179              Weekly Rod Average:  5.47

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 21:00

Boat All Day: 08:30 until 21:00 

Boat Part Day:  AM 08:30 until 14:30    PM 14:30 until 21:00

Last 4 Hours from:  17:00 until 21:00           (Ticket sales available from 16:45)

All Anglers to be off site by:  21:15

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr C Campbell from Morton In The Marsh, who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Permit.

Forthcoming events.

Jim Williams Beginners Tuition Day 12^th June 3 spaces available. Call the lodge to book the space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June. To book call Phil Dixon on 07921713716/07584642242

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June. To Book spaces contact Roy Lewin on 07762746825.

Gutting Room

Please be aware that the Gutting Room refurbishment has now been completed. Much work has taken place & we would ask that you respect the facility and leave it in the same way in which you would wish to find it.

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. Too many anglers have been failing to do this of late & this distorts the figures leading to potential fishery management  issues.

 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.

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available. Some anglers came close to being disappointed this week when almost all of the available passes were used.

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

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary

Follow Us on Facebook  www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly fishing report w/e Sunday 1^st May 2016.

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Yet another week of extremely unsettled weather, with high winds from all directions & frequent wintery squalls. Frosty starts have also continued, even to the extent of delaying the release of the boats from the pontoon on a couple of days because of ice. Many anglers stayed away due to the forecasts but as ever some good sport was experienced by many. Overall the venue held its own with 211 rods catching a total of 825 trout for the week giving an overall rod average of 3.9

On Monday Ed Douglas worked hard to tempt six fish to his buzzer team fished from the boat in Biggin Bay. A hatch then saw him switch to dries & emerger patterns to bring another six to the net. Meanwhile Rod Wilson stuck to his deep lure tactics on the rudder to take a 25lbs eight fish bag that included a 5lbs rainbow. Bank &boat anglers alike really struggled with high winds on Tuesday although Brian Froggatt took a boat & caught eleven to his partner Adrian Burton’s six. Boat anglers practising for the “Police Interforce Friendly” all found conditions challenging. However, it was a different scenario on Wednesday for match day & 20 anglers landed 85 trout for a rod average of 4.25. Winner Rich Watkins, representing West Mercia, took the top honours with a creditable 13 fish total.  He was followed up by John Goodwin & Kev Pearson who boated ten apiece. Simon Purves & Peter Dawson spent three days on the water & notwithstanding hard conditions, commented on the fighting qualities of the trout they encountered. On the bank, season rod Dennis Jones did very well to entice nine rainbows to his buzzer tactics presented at extreme distance behind a big wind.

Weather conditions showed some (occasional) improvements during Thursday & Friday with Ed Douglas back for more. This time he was in Rainbow Corner where he netted 20 fishing nymphs. Jamie Scott, who is having a very productive season so far at both Draycote & Foremark, enjoyed a very mixed day with 27 to the net. Interestingly he took 10 on snake patterns with the remainder coming to buzzers. He really covered the water too with fish from both Biggin Bay & Rainbow Corner as well as open water over the middle. Congratulations have to go to regular bank Peter Bierenacki who proudly showed Tom & I his first attempts at fly dressing. He had tied three buzzer patterns which we encouraged him to go & try straight away during a last four hour ticket session in Rainbow Corner. They soon proved their worth tempting, not one, but two fine wintered rainbows in the four pounds+ bracket!

Big winds on Saturday saw Mr Severn finding fish very deep in open water off the Draycote Bank dam. He netted a total of sixteen to sparkler tubes presented very deep. Spooning of fish during the latter part of this period showed that many have been on the daphnia as well as small midge pupae. A lull in stormy weather late on Saturday afternoon  prompted a huge  buzzer hatch which led Steve McGregor to report that fish appeared as if from nowhere & could be seen rising in big numbers all over. Visiting us once more on another of their three day breaks from Scotland, the McGregor clan fished Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Between the six of them they again proved their consistency & how well they have got to know the venue.  Their group total of 169 trout to their boats represented an excellent individual rod average over their break of over 28 or 9.4 per person per day!

Whilst on Friday, Saturday & Sunday dawn air temperatures all hovered on freezing point, this morning at 05:30 hours saw a reading of 11 degrees centigrade. With warmer conditions also forecast, let us hope that this cold unsettled early spring weather will indeed soon be behind us.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  211          Number Trout Taken: 193      Number Trout Released:  632

Total Catch:    825              Weekly Rod Average:  3.9

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 20:45

Boat All Day: 08:30 until 20:45 

Boat Part Day:  AM 08:30 until 14:00    PM 14:00 until 20:45

Last 4 Hours from:  16:45 until 20:45           (Ticket sales available from 16:30)

All Anglers to be off site by:  21:00

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Ian Reeve from Rugby, who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Permit.

Forthcoming events

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 8^th May 1 space available. Call the lodge to book the space.

Jim Williams Beginners Tuition Day 11^th June 2 spaces available. Call the lodge to book the space.

Jim Williams Beginners Tuition Day 12^th June 3 spaces available. Call the lodge to book the space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June.

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June.

Gutting Room

Please be aware that the Gutting Room refurbishment has now been completed. Much work has taken place & we would ask that you respect the facility and leave it  in the same way in which you would wish to find it.

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. Too many anglers have been failing to do this of late & this distorts the figures leading to potential fishery management  issues.

 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.

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available. Some anglers came close to being disappointed this week when almost all of the available passes were used.

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

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary

Follow Us onfacebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

  Draycote Water weekly fishing report w/e Sunday 24^th April 2016.

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

A mixture of cold, and often windy, conditions have at times held back sport once more this week. Northerly winds have continued to bring some wintery squalls. Frosty mornings have also clearly not left us entirely yet, however, a couple of proper spring interludes have reminded us all that the warmer weather is not too far away. What has not been put off is the black buzzer hatch which has been prolific & sustained this spring. The trout have been gorging on them. One angler in the week came off the water describing how he had found literally thousands inside a fish spooned from Toft. Others have still been astonished at the sheer numbers of fish showing, particularly during the late afternoons to early evening period – especially when conditions have been a little warmer.

Cold conditions on Monday did not put off Jim Marriott whose buzzer caught catch included a fine brace of rainbows at 5 & 6lbs. Tuesday was extremely challenging for most with bright, almost flat calm conditions most of the day. Whilst this caused the rod average to dip to 2.5 the conditions did not thwart our own Tom Bird who took to open water & showed the way with 16 fish to nearly 5lbs on small black buzzer & dries. Jack Dixon also had a good morning boat session on Wednesday taking a fine eight fish bag. Jude Tuff stayed on the bank and also took her eight fish limit.

Some more pleasant conditions on Thursday led Lea Tones to report “Great day on buzzers & dries with the water coming alive with fish in the evening.” Lea, & his boat partner Stephen Farmer, had a total of 18 to the net by the end of their session. Meanwhile Alan Guest chose to fish a variety of different coloured snake patterns to land 15. Roger Kerrison also fished snakes but found white was his “colour of the day” with a dozen fish to the net. Friday saw season rod Peter Elliott fishing buzzer from the bank. His thirteen fish total included a 5lbs brown which he returned to the water.

Conditions for the rudder were good on Saturday which pleased Mr Severn as he caught a total of fifteen. His eight fish limit included a five & half pound brownie. Steve Gibson fished the bank on Saturday & his small nymph tactics also saw him with a fifteen fish tally.  Boat anglers on Sunday did well off the Inlet & Rainbow with Shaun Higgins & Mr Laye catching 22 between them. Mr Parker also got amongst the fish with 18 to various damsel patterns fished from the bank.

The period ended with a weekly rod average coming out at 3.49.

The best areas this week have still been Biggin Bay, Cornfield, & Toft Shallows. The population is very well spread though & hotspots at any given time are clearly dictated by wind & weather conditions. Those searching over open water are encountering some good sport – especially with wintered fish.

The best flies remain Buzzers, Diawl Bachs, Damsels and of course, the ever popular Snakes.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  285          Number Trout Taken: 449      Number Trout Released:  546

Total Catch:    995              Weekly Rod Average:  3.49

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until  20:30

Boat All Day: 08:30 until  20:30 

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

Last 4 Hours from:  16:30 until 20:30           (Ticket sales available from 16:15)

All Anglers to be off site by:  21:00

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr A Brookin from Leicester, who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Permit.

Forthcoming events

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 7^th May 1 space available. Call the lodge to book a space

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 8^th May 1 space available. Call the lodge to book a space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June.

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June.

Gutting Room

Please be aware that the Gutting Room refurbishment continues and it is anticipated that it will remain unavailable until later possibly Thursday or Friday.

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. Too many anglers have been failing to do this of late & this distorts the figures leading to potential fishery management  issues.

 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.

Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available. Some anglers came close to being disappointed this week when almost all of the available passes were used.

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

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly fishing report w/e Sunday 17^th April  2016.

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

A slightly cooler week than last has seen a mixed bag here at Draycote Water. Quite a cold northerly wind with intermittent showers has made for uncomfortable fishing at times. Large hatches of buzzer all around the reservoir, in various sizes and colours, have kept the fish on the feed and high in the water column. The downside of this is that the trout’s preoccupation on the smallest of these buzzers has made for some frustrating days out on the water. Feedback from the Anglers is that there are plenty of fish showing in the surface, but they are proving difficult to catch. There are a couple of different suggestions as to how to overcome this problem. Either go to the finest leader you dare to use, with just one small fly at a time or, use an intermediate or sinking line and the largest fly you have in your box, and strip it past them. The weekly rod average was 3.4.

The middle and the deeper parts of the reservoir are now producing some good over wintered specimens with drifts around A and B buoy and Musborough Shoal, being the most productive. Fish such as these are also showing up around D buoy in Biggin Bay and of course around F buoy over Croft Shoal.

The best areas this week have been as mentioned above plus, Biggin Bay, The Cornfield, Toft Shallows, and for the last couple of days, The Hensborough Bank and Rainbow Corner.

The best flies have been Buzzers, Diawl Bachs, Damsels, Montanas and the ever popular Snakes.

There were this week, a number of very successful anglers including;

Mr A Bettles and Mr M Oliver, who caught a good number of fish from the bank on Monday.

Mr T Heseltine, who on Tuesday had 10 to the boat.

Mr M Lewis did very well on Wednesday from a boat using a floating line and buzzers, with a blob on the point.

Mr C J Day had 12 fish on Thursday on Damsels.

Mr Ed Douglas and Mr Jamie Scott both had a good day out on Friday, and caught well into double figures.

On Sunday we held the RIO and Sage open day here at Draycote Water. This day was designed to give people a chance to try any combination of RIO Line and Sage Rod of their choice, under the supervision of one of our guides, either from a boat or from the bank. Not only did we have reservoir set ups, but Salmon as well as Salt Water equipment was also available for trial. The day was a great success for all concerned with many people not only trying various combinations of rod and line, but also gleaning tips from the guides on all aspects of Fly Fishing. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank guides , Ronnie Gent and Lee Henfry from the RIO Fly Fishing team, also  Kevin Hart and Tom Bird, Draycote Staff members and Fishing Guides. Also a very big thank you to the team from Guide, John Legg, and Jim Fearn. And last but by no means least, a big thank you to Draycote Member Mr Brian Froggatt, who’s depth of knowledge and experience in fly fishing was once again a great asset on the day.   

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  254          Number Trout Taken: 371      Number Trout Released:  494

Total Catch:    865              Weekly Rod Average:  3.4

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 )

All Anglers to be off site by:  20:45

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr R Ulyet  from Bromsgrove, who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Forthcoming events

Thornton F F Bank Match 24^th April.

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 7^th May 1 space available. Call the lodge to book a space

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 8^th May 4 spaces available. Call the lodge to book a space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June.

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June.

Gutting Room

The Gutting Room will be closed from 20^th to 24^th April 2016 for refurbishment.

In order to maintain the accuracy of our records could all anglers please ensure that they fill in the catch return sheet before departure.  If not in the lodge it will be found on the counter in the gutting room next door.

Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.

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

Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Tight lines

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly report week ending 10^th April   2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

Draycote has again produced some excellent fishing  this week. The changing weather has made the fishing a little uncomfortable at times, although, as long as you come prepared for anything from an arctic winter to summer in the Sahara, a enjoyable days sport was to be had. The bank once again is fishing extremely well, and water quality is excellent. In fact on Saturday I tested this, and you can see the bottom clearly in up to about 15 feet of water. Monday opened proceedings with a rod average of 11.6, with all the rods catching well, from toft and the cornfield.  Throughout this week like the weather the rod average went a bit up and down, however the weekly average still remained high with and came out at 8.1.

During the middle of the week the fish pushed out from the bank in bright sunny weather, and the boats really started to catch well on buzzers, Mr Warren and Mr Jinks had a great days sport on Thursday with 50 fish to the boat all coming to buzzers. However when the sun went behind the cloud the reports were of fish feeding right in the margins, so it pays to have a good look at the water before venturing in. and wading to deep pushing the fish out of range.

This week has seen fantastic buzzer hatches with clouds of them covering the lake and the dam walls. This has caused a lot of fish to have been moving around either in or near the surface. Anglers from both the boat and the bank have enjoyed some excellent sport on these fish which by matching the hatch and fishing teams of buzzers.  Indeed, towards the end of the week we witnessed the largest buzzer hatch we’ve ever seen here over the Farborough Dam.   The fish are obviously concentrating on buzzers at the moment, the best sizes to use being 12’s and 14’s. The buzzers that are hatching off at the moment are not all black, indeed olive, brown and bright green colours have all been seen.

Choice of line is proving vital at the moment. The vast majority of fish are being caught using Floaters, midge tips, or a slow intermediate but, a few anglers have had  success using a DI 5,  washing line with a FAB blob on the point and a couple of either Diawl Bachs or buzzers. On Saturday Mr R Watson & Mr D Watson used a Di 3 sinking lines to great effect with buzzers and boobies to land 46 fish to the boat down in Toft.

All areas of the lake are producing fish at the moment. The usual hot spots are hitting the headlines such as Toft Shallows, Lincroft Point, and the Cornfield. But The Hensborough Bank and Rainbow Corner have also had their fair share of mentions on the catch return, as has the deeper water in the middle of the reservoir, which has thrown up a number of bigger overwintered rainbows

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  221          Number Trout Taken: 340      Number Trout Released:   1465

Total Catch:    1805              Weekly Rod Average:  8.1

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 )

All Anglers to be off site by:  20:30

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr J Dempsey of Bedworth , who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Forthcoming events

Rio / Sage Open Day Sunday 17^th April

Thornton F F Bank Match 24^th April.

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 7^th May 1 space available. Call the lodge to book a space

Hywel Morgan Beginners Tuition Day 8^th May 4 spaces available. Call the lodge to book a space.

Scierra Pairs – 26^th June.

Alex Booth Match – 30^th June.

Gutting Room.

The Gutting Room will be closed from 20^th to 24^th April 2016, for refurbishment.

In order to maintain the accuracy of our records could all anglers please ensure that they fill in the catch return sheet before departure.  If not in the lodge it will be found on the counter in the gutting room next door.

Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.

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

Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Tight lines

Dates for the Diary:    Sunday 17^th April 10:00am ~ 4.00pm  SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS DAY

Join us at Draycote to test Sage & Rio products of your choice. Our guides will be taking to the water on Sunday 17^th April along with representatives from SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS.

We offer you the opportunity to book a FREE hour long fly fishing session afloat with a member of the Draycote guiding team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice.

To reserve your free place, Call Draycote Lodge on 01788 812018

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water weekly report week ending Sunday 3^rd April  2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

Draycote has seen yet another week of outstanding sport in what has unquestionably been the best start to a season in many a year. Even a boatless and windswept Monday turned in a rod average of 3.8 for the day. The weekly rod average was 7.7.

Somewhat calmer conditions took over from Tuesday onwards which saw both boat and bank anglers produce some excellent returns. Mr Neill Bridges took 19 fish on Tuesday on the rudder using tubes, whilst Mr C J Potter made good use of the last 4 hour permit, taking one fish and returning 9 on an orange lure.

Wednesday saw Mr J Dixon and Mr M Edkins bag up with 8 fish each to the boat on orange blobs and white and green lures. Mr Ian Conyers also had a good day on Wednesday bringing 15 fish to the boat on a DI3 and black and green lures. Buzzers were also producing some good bags of fish on Wednesday with Mr Chris Reeves bagging 13 good fish using a Midge Tip. Indeed, as stated last week, buzzers and nymphs are becoming more and more popular now as temperatures start to rise.

Thursday and Friday saw a continuation of good fishing with season permit holders Mr Tony Broadway and Mr Ed Douglas netting 15 and 16 a piece from the bank using buzzers, whilst Mr T and Mr D Heseltine had 27 fish to the boat using black and green lures, small red nymphs and buzzers. Mr Peter Elliott and Mr Lee Pattern had over 60 fish between them on Friday, fishing buzzers from the bank.

Saturday was a very bright , sunny day, and went about producing the best rod average of the week at 11.6. Large numbers of fish were being caught all over the reservoir using various tactics with names too many to mention. The best looking bag I witnessed and photographed was from Mr Steve Rainbow, with a total of 16 fish, the best of which was 5lb 8oz. Among them were some beautiful overwintered specimens , mainly caught using snakes and fishing off Farborough spit and the Dam wall.

Sunday also produced some good sport with even more emphasis on imitative patterns. Buzzers, Diawl Bachs, Crunchers, Damsels and Hares Ears all produced fish on the day.

The best areas of the reservoir are Toft, The Farborough Dam and Farborough Spit, Lin Croft Point, The Cornfield, Hensborough Bank and of course D buoy and Biggin Bay.

The best tactics remain unchanged really, black and green lures are working quite well, Olive Snakes are producing some good returns, but more and more often now, smaller imitative patterns litter the catch return from page to page.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  341          Number Trout Taken: 655      Number Trout Released:   1994

Total Catch:    2649              Weekly Rod Average:  7.7

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 19:45

Boat All Day: 08:30  until  19:45 

Boat Part Day:  AM 08:30  until  14:00     PM  14:00  until  19:45

Last 4 Hours from:  15:45 until 19:45           ( Ticket sales available from 15:30 )

All Anglers to be off site by:  20:00

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Tony Ward of Cubbington,  who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

• 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. ALL ANGLERS MUST BOOK OUT PRIOR TO LEAVING THE SITE.
• 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. Boat anglers are also reminded to keep 70 yards or more from any bank anglers.
• Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
• Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Tight lines

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary:    Sunday 17^th April 10:00am ~ 4.00pm  SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS DAY

Join us at Draycote to test Sage & Rio products of your choice. Our guides will be taking to the water on Sunday 17^th April along with representatives from SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS.

We offer you the opportunity to book a FREE hour long fly fishing session afloat with a member of the Draycote guiding team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice.

To reserve your free place, Call Draycote Lodge on 01788 812018

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water – Weekly fishing report week ending Sunday 27^th March 2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

 This week has seen a continuation of excellent fishing despite weather conditions at the end of the period. These brought excessive winds & rain heralding the arrival of “Storm Katie” to unfortunately spoil the Bank Holiday weekend sport. Notwithstanding a glorious Good Friday, no boats were able to go out on Saturday or Sunday. As I write, the reservoir is closed once more to boat anglers with the pontoon itself looking like an Alton Tower attraction. Westerly wind gusts, as forecast, have been in the 50mph+ bracket. Once blown through though, the forecast for the coming week is looking good.

A total of 257 anglers took to the water this week and recorded the landing of 1,537 trout for an overall rod average of 5.98

There were some notable bags of fish together with individual large specimens taken. Dave Parkes fished with a group of friends in boats on Monday & led the way with a thirty plus catch taken mainly from Lin Croft Point down into Albert’s Bottom. He fished weighted orange lures using a light #5wt  outfit with a floating line & 18ft+ leader to achieve the best presentation. Season rod Ed Douglas adopted similar tactics from the bank on Tuesday resulting in fast & furious sport with 33 to the net!

Tony Ward was particularly pleased with his day on the banks on Wednesday as his 14 fish total was headed up by his Draycote personal best – a splendid rainbow of 8lbs. He safely returned his trophy to the water. Congratulations Tony -largest fish of the week too! Thursday saw Geoff Preston in action from a morning boat and weighed in a fine eight fish limit with a further five caught & released. Meanwhile, on the bank at the Overflow, Mark Sturgess, fishing a black & green tadpole on an intermediate line, caught a fine 5lbs 8oz brown trout (pictured on our Facebook page) as part of a six fish tally.

Mother Nature was indeed kind with the weather on Good Friday when 99 anglers came out to enjoy the Bank Holiday in glorious conditions. Most were rewarded with terrific sport and 355 trout were netted on the day for a rod average of over 6. Boat & bank anglers alike were in action with a mix of pulling & nymph tactics working. As earlier reported, weekend activity was all but completely curtailed by the adverse winds which blew in. These kept the boats from being allowed out & very few anglers ventured out onto the banks.

Fish populations have tended to still be well spread throughout the fishery, although  locations from Dunn’s Bay down through Biggin, Lin Croft, Cornfield & into Toft have probably still been the most productive. Not much movement yet on preferred tactics with the black & green theme still holding good when pulling. There has been the expected pick up in small black buzzer activity with increasing numbers of anglers now resorting to a more imitative approach. Finally, last week’s advice still holds good as regards time of year.  It is still early & weather conditions can & do change rapidly. Be mindful of this & layer up appropriately before venturing out. Water temperatures also remain very cold

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  257          Number Trout Taken:  452    Number Trout Released:   1085

Total Catch:  1537            Weekly Rod Average:  5.98

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)

All Anglers to be off site by: 19:45

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Colin Campbell of Moreton-in-the-Marsh who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

• 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. ALL ANGLERS MUST BOOK OUT PRIOR TO LEAVING THE SITE.
• 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. Boat anglers are also reminded to keep 70 yards or more from any bank anglers.
• Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
• Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Tight lines

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary:    Sunday 17^th April 10:00am ~ 4.00pm  SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS DAY

Join us at Draycote to test Sage & Rio products of your choice. Our guides will be taking to the water on Sunday 17^th April along with representatives from SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS.

We offer you the opportunity to book a FREE hour long fly fishing session afloat with a member of the Draycote guiding team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice.

To reserve your free place, Call Draycote Lodge on 01788 812018

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Draycote Water – Weekly fishing report week ending Sunday 20^th March 2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Yet another excellent week experienced by 248 anglers visiting during this reporting period. Collectively they managed to bring a total of 1,916 trout to the net. This represents a rod average for the week of 7.7

Whilst early spring temperatures have started to increase, some strong north & north easterly winds have often considerably increased the chill factor. Be mindful of this & layer up appropriately before venturing out. Water temperatures are also still very cold.

It is good to be able to report that fish populations continue to be well spread throughout the fishery as a whole. However, given the prevailing wind this week, the best locations have been over the far side from the lodge with Biggin Bay, Lin Croft, Cornfield & Toft all performing consistently well.  These areas have been more sheltered &, as a consequence, much warmer. Boat & bank anglers have still been recording similar catches and pulling tactics, especially with intermediate or sink rate 3 lines, have been most commonly used in conjunction with fly patterns such as black & olive snakes, black & green lures such as Pitsford Peas or Viva. A variety of weighted &/or hot head damsels have also been taking a lot of fish.

The small black buzzer is beginning to show in greater numbers & more anglers are starting to fish  buzzer patterns & diawl bach variants than in the opening two weeks. One angler reported great sport at the weekend from a boat in Toft to a team of black buzzer on a washing line. Although not showing themselves with any frequency, significant numbers of feeding fish were clearly cruising the top foot or so of the water column as a good hatch developed during mid-afternoon.

Once more, too many anglers to mention were up in the twenties in terms of fish numbers caught & released. Well worthy of note though is regular Dennis Jones who brought 18 to the net during his Thursday visit – mostly to a very skinny size14 standard diawl bach fished slowly from the bank.

The end of the week saw twelve of the Greenwell Persuaders competing against each other in boats. They fished to a four fish kill followed by catch & release. All caught their 4 fish limit with a further 136 trout released! The top four anglers caught total of 82 between them with top honours going to Eddie Mitchell with his 4 fish bag weighing out at 10lbs 11oz together with a further 17 caught & released. His “secret weapon” was a combination of black & green snakes.

All in all, another excellent week – with prospects of yet another great season to come!

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:  248          Number Trout Taken:  485    Number Trout Released:   1431

Total Catch:  1916            Weekly Rod Average:  7.72

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 18:00

Boat All Day: 08:30   until    18:00 

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

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

All Anglers to be off site by: 18:30

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Chris Brindley of Crick who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

• 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. ALL ANGLERS MUST BOOK OUT PRIOR TO LEAVING THE SITE.
• Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.
• Bank Anglers car passes should be, booked prior to coming fishing as we only have a limited number available.
• Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

Tight lines

The Draycote Team

Dates for the Diary:    Sunday 17^th April 10:00am ~ 4.00pm  SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS DAY

Join us at Draycote to test Sage & Rio products of your choice. Our guides will be taking to the water on Sunday 17^th April along with representatives from SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS.

We offer you the opportunity to book a FREE hour long fly fishing session afloat with a member of the Draycote guiding team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice.

To reserve your free place, Call Draycote Lodge on 01788 812018

Follow Us on

facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore

 twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore

Dates for the Diary:    Sunday 17^th April 10:00am ~ 4.00pm 

SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS DAY

Join us at Draycote to test Sage & Rio products of your choice. Our guides will be taking to the water on Sunday 17^th April along with representatives from SAGE & RIO PRODUCTS.

We offer you the opportunity to book a FREE hour long fly fishing session afloat with a member of the Draycote guiding team using a SAGE rod matched with a RIO fly line of your choice.

To reserve your free place, Call Draycote Lodge on 01788 812018

Draycote Water weekly fishing report week ending Sunday 13^th March   2016

Telephone Number 01788 812018

Report

What a great week it has been here at Draycote. Despite having some strong winds blowing cold across the water, the anglers have been out in large numbers, and the fishing has been outstanding. Those anglers who braved the conditions have had some fantastic sport from both the boat and the bank, with good bags of fish coming from all corners of the reservoir.

The more or less constant northerly wind for the middle part of the week allowed for some shelter along the northern shore line, where anglers reported catching large numbers of fish, from the Tower bank all the way down into the bottom of Toft. Those who chose to fish into the wind from either the Hensborough Bank and Rainbow Corner, or the near side of Toft, have not been disappointed either, with one or two over wintered rainbows and the odd good brownie, showing up on the catch return. 

Again, the backbone of the action has been on slow sinking or intermediate lines with lures, although a Diawl Bach or a Hares Ear on a dropper just above it, has accounted for the odd take. Popular patterns this week have been Pitsford Peas, Olive snakes, Montanas, Cat’s whiskers and Appetizers. Some brave souls have persisted with buzzers on a floating line, and been rewarded with some sporadic but excellent sport for their efforts.

Friday dawned with a foggy morning breaking into bright sunshine around midday, and a slight south easterly breeze. This theme continued throughout the weekend and the temperatures soared to a balmy 8 degrees, at which time I’m sure I spotted at least one angler without a woolly hat on. The bright sunshine in the afternoons didn’t seem to dampen the trout’s appetite however, as anglers reported continually catching fish throughout the day.

All in all a very good start to the season then, with hopefully many more to follow.

Weekly Stats:

Number Rods:   285         Number Trout Taken: 586      Number Trout Released:   1962

Total Catch:  2548            Weekly Rod Average:  8.9

Current Fishing Times:

Bank:  07:30 until 17:45

Boat All Day: 08:30   until    17:45 

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

Weekly Free Boat Draw

Congratulations to Mr Ben Stubbs of Atherstone who is the winner of this week’s Free Boat Draw.

Boat anglers are also politely reminded of the ruling that there is no anchoring within 100 yards of any pontoon or aerators. This is especially relevant to the harbour pontoon as its own mooring chains & anchors extend out a considerable distance from the end of the harbour & are easily fouled.

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

Boat anglers may wish to note that we now have a rudder for hire at the daily rate of £7. It can be pre booked at the time you make your boat booking.

 Tight lines

The Draycote Team