Draycote is now in top form with fish being caught everywhere, on all methods. Draycote hosted an AMFC match on Saturday and all bar 2 anglers bagged their eight fish limit from a field of 30 anglers !! The boats headed to all areas of the lake, highlighting the vast spread of fish.

The bank fishing too remains good, though on very bright days things have been tougher. Rainbow Corner remains a top spot, though good bags have come from the tower bank, Dunns Bay and Lincroft point.

The boats are producing fantastic catches with visiting anglers describing their experience as the best fishing they have had in years ! There has been over 70 fish above 4lb recorded this week, though many have come from the aerators. I managed an evening session and my partner, Garry Simpson, landed 28 fish over the aerators, many over 3lb. Garry took the majority of his fish on a yellow dog nobbler, where mine fell to Fab blobs. Toft Shallows is also producing some brilliant sport to buzzers and diawl bachs fished on floating lines.

The best areas have been all over the lake. The best flies have been, owl buzzers, black buzzers, olive buzzers, diawl bachs, dry bits, damsels, FAB blobs, and boobies.

Best lines are floating, slow intermediates and a DI-3.

COMPETITION NEWS

Sat 13^th July – RIO PAIRS – INTERNATIONAL RULES – FISH WITH YOUR PARTNER – WIN £1000 RIO TACKLE, 2^ND PLACE £700, 3^RD £600 – PRIZES TO 10^TH PLACE.

27^TH -28^TH JULY  LEXUS INDIVIDUAL – BOOK YOUR PLACE IN THE FINAL AT CHEW VALLEY.

SAT AUGUST 10^TH OUR 1^ST £1000 CASH PRIZE BOAT PAIRS MATCH.  FLOATING LINE ONLY – ANY SIZED FLY. £25PP ENTRY + FISHING FEES

TO BOOK ANY OF THE COMPETITIONS CALL THE FISHING LODGE ON 01788 812018

TOTAL NUMBER OF RODS 300

TOTAL OF FISH KILLED 933

TOTAL OF FISH RELEASED 1426

ROD AVERAGE 7.8

Restaurant now open above lodge at 10am serving breakfasts and other good food. Why not take advantage of our last 4 hour ticket for only £10, or take a boat for a further £10 !

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

As predicted within the last two weeks, once the water clarity cleared, the lake would hit top form, and it has certainly done that in recent days, with the rod average topping above 9 over the weekend. Local anglers Tom Morris and Hugh Shrimpton said that on Saturday the aerators were swamped with 3” roach fry pursued by lots of fish crashing across the surface. Between them they landed over 20 fish between 3-4lb. Many were taken on tube flies.

Birmingham anglers Mike Clarke and Keith Harding landed 42 fish to the boat whilst fishing from the Hensbrough bank to Rainbow Corner. They took all their catch on buzzers and diawl bachs fished on floating lines. On Friday alone, 9 boat pairings  landed over 16 fish to the boat.

James Cavanagh fished from the bank, landing 5 fish, the best a 3-1/4 rainbow. He described his day as awesome ! Mr Serrano, a season ticket holder from Leicester, has had in excess of 16 fish 3 times from the bank this week, using a combination of damsels and buzzers.

The best areas from the boats are Rainbow Corner to the Sailing club building, the Farborough dam wall, Tower bank, the aerators and Toft shallows, though plenty of fish are now showing across the middle too. It could be said, park your boat anywhere and you should catch fish !!

The best bank areas have been the tower bank, Rainbow corner and the bottom of Toft Shallows.

Best lines – floating, midge tip and intermediates, though on brighter days faster sinking lines may be needed.

Best flies have been owl buzzers, red or green holographic diawl bachs, damsel lures, and given the right conditions CDC dries have caught fish.

COMPETITION UPDATE

Saturday the 13^th of July is our first major boat pairs match – THE RIO PAIRS FLOATING LINE ONLY.(Fished to International rules) You fish with your partner. There are 6 boats left for this event. Only £25 entry pp + fishing fees. Win £1000 Rio tackle for 1^st place and great prizes to 10^th place. Start time 10am – finish 6.00pm

Saturday August 10^th – £1000 CASH PRIZE boat pairs competition. Floating line only, any fly size. The pair with the heaviest combined bag weight will win £1000 cash on the day !

     CALL THE FISHING LODGE ON 01788 812028 TO BOOK A PLACE……..

Number of rods 205

Number of fish caught 399

Number of fish released 582

Rod average 4.7

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Finally the water clarity is clearing and the overall clarity is now good. This will hopefully set us up for a fish bonanza as the lake has not yet reached its true potential for this time of year. At times the fish have been high in the water and have often been feeding on buzzers off the surface. Pin fry are now in the boat harbour and fish have already started hoarding these up to the surface!

The Civil Service held there final match here on Draycote this last week, and 24 rods produced a 3.8 average. Match organiser Frazer Mcdonnel said it is the first time for as long as they can remember there has not been a blank in the final !

The bank is still producing some good catches. Holec landed 10 fish from the bank, and Mr Hancox landed 16. Buzzers have been doing well as have damsels.

The boats have had some varied catches this week. The occasional day with strong winds have hampered the preferred methods of many, buzzers. Tony Parker, a season ticket holder, landed 20 trout, 2 of which were over 5lb, the majority of which took the dry fly. Mr Hanlon recorded 4 fish for 14lb.John Worley stole the show with 8 fish, one of 8lb, 6.5lb and 5lb were amongst his 8 fish limit. He took the fish on the boils using an intermediate line and a black tadpole.

The biggest fish recorded this week was caught by Mr P Mann, a fish of 7.5lb. Plenty of foish between 3-4lb were also caught.

COMPETITION UPDATE

Saturday 13^th July – RIO BOAT PAIRS MATCH – FLOATING LINE ONLY, INTERNATIONAL RULES – FISH WITH YOUR PARTNER. £25 ENTRY PP. WIN £1000 RIO TACKLE(rrp) 2^nd prize £600(rrp).Prizes to 10^th place !! ONLY 7 BOATS LEFT !!

Lexus individual qualifying heat 27^th & 28^th July. Book you place in the final to win a lexus 4×4

AUGUST 10^TH – OUR FIRST £1000 CASH PRIZE BOAT PAIRS MATCH. FLOATING LINE ONLY, ANY FLY. £25 ENTRYPP. YOU GET THE HEAVIEST COMBINED BAG WEIGHT, YOU WIN £1000

Number of fish caught 360

Number of fish released 435

Number of rods 190

Rod average 4.1

To make a boat booking or to book any of the above competitions please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018.

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Draycote is still plagued by coloured water, however the fish are on most days not deterred by this.Better fishing conditions this week has seen some great rises and fish have been taken on dries. The water temperature is creeping up and with this the fish are now higher in the water, and can often be seen moving.

The bank fishing is now more sporadic than of late as the fish at times are drifting into slightly deeper water, though in areas where there is weed growth and grasses the fish are sometimes in close feeding on snails ect.

Boats are now edging the better sport with fish now in all areas of the lake. The dam wall in front of the lodge (Farborough bank) is holding a good head of fish as fish are constantly rising there throughout the day, for at least the last 3 weeks !! Toft Shallows is too producing regular catches of good numbers of fish, enhanced by the warmer water temperatures.

An AMMFC match held at Draycote for 30 rods produced a rod average of 4.9. Mr J Douglas was the first angler to reach his 8 fish limit finishing at 13.05 hours after a 10am start ! Six other anglers also got there bag limits.

Tosh’s adventures(a regular group visiting from Scotland) had some cracking fishing over there 4 day stay with us. Big Tosh led the way with some superb fish, the biggest topping 8lb. Tosh used the bung to entice most of his fish, using a cast of Dennis the Menace buzzers. His rod average over the 4 days was 13!!

Best flies have been black and green lures, orange blobs, fab blobs, small boobies, buzzers, and Diawl bachs.

Best lines have been DI-3 & 5, Midge Tip and floating lines

COMPETITIONS

There are still boats available for the Rio Pairs Match on Saturday 13^th of July. It is a floating line only competition fished to International rules. Entry fee is £25pp + normal fishing fees. The winners will win £1000 worth of Rio Tackle

Lexus Individual 2 day heats July 27^th and 28^th – call fishing lodge for details

Saturday August the 10^th is the £1000 winner takes all boat pairs competition. Floating line only however any fly can be used ! Entry is £25pp + normal fishing fees on the day.

CALL THE FISHING LODGE ON 01788 812018 TO BOOK ANY COMPETITION

       (PRIZE FUNDS WILL BE DICTATED BY THE NUMBER OF ENTRANTS ON THE DAY)

Why not take advantage of our fantastic 3 day fishing packages – Excellently priced at only £145 for 3 days for 2 anglers. This is for a motor boat and 2 anglers taking 1 fish each per day,£185 for 3 days taking 8 fish per angler per day. We have arranged a fantastic deal with the Draycote Hotel for anyone wishing to stop in the area.(5 mins form the lake )Please call 01788 521800 for details( ask for Mina, and quote Draycote Fishing)

Number of rods 306

Number of fish killed 704

Number of fish returned 767

Rod average 4.8

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

This Week has seen a change in fortunes for most as the fish are now frequently both in the surface and rising. The week’s warmer weather ahead should now see things really coming to life as the water finally gets a chance to warm up.

The banks have slowed a little this week as the fish respond to the slight increase in water temperature, and moved into deeper water. Saying that some good catches are still happening. Mick Cronin landed and returned 6 fish in an afternoon session, the biggest being 3lb. Lorenzo Serrano had a field day off the bank, landing in excess 30 trout, the biggest weighing 6lb 10 !! The majority of his fish fell to a selection of damsel variations fished on a floating line.

The boats have had the slight advantage this week with some superb catches being recorded. Neal Hume recorded 14 fish including a 6lb rainbow. R March and M Sargeant landed 31 fish to their boat. Jim Brown and his colleagues visited us from Scotland on our popular 3 day packages – they had rod averages of 16 per boat for the 3 days, with some real belters amongst them !!

Buzzers, Diawl Bachs, Crunchers have been the best performing flies across this week, however on two separate occasions I have taken fish on a size 14 yellow owl dry fly, as fish at times have been cruising the surface. Sinking lines are still having their day, and at times are still out fishing the more traditional approach.

Toft shallows, the lodge dam wall, and Rainbow Corner have been very productive areas for the boats, whereas the Tower Bank and Toft Shallows have been the better areas for the bank anglers.

COMPETITION NEWS

July 13^th – RIO PAIRS BOAT MATCH. WIN £1000 WORTH OF TACKLE. ENTRY £25PP + FISHING FEES –FISHED TO INTERNATIONAL RULES. FLOATING LINE ONLY. MATCH STARTS 10AM

JULY 27-28^TH LEXUS INDIVIDUAL HEAT.

AUGUST 10^TH – BOAT PAIRS MATCH TO WIN £1000 CASH.-FLOATING LINE ONLY, ANY SIZED FLY. THE HEAVIEST PAIRS COMBINED WEIGHT WINS £1000 CASH !! MATCH STARTS 10AM

OCTOBER 13^TH -2^ND £1000 BOAT PAIRS MATCH – RESERVOIR RULES.

TO BOOK ANY OF THE ABOVE COMPETITIONS PLEASE CALL THE FISHING LODGE 01788812018

NUMBER OF RODS THIS WEEK 293

NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT 524

NUMBER OF FISH KILLED 832

ROD AVERAGE 4.6

We currently advise if you intend to fish from a boat that you book with a couple of days notice.(especially weekends)

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Draycote is continuing to fish well for some and not quite so well for others. I was lucky to get my own first session on the water on Sunday(26^th) for the afternoon. This allowed me to see how the water was fishing from my own perspective. The water remains coloured, though not to coloured to hamper the fishing as I and some visiting Scottish anglers discovered. I managed 21 fish to the boat, all on buzzers, and one Scott’s pair boated 49 fish on boobies and cormorants, including a rainbow of 10lb!!  The key factor to both our catches was depth ! The water temperature remains cool for the time of year and the fish are still not freely moving in the top layers. I took all 21 fish on a midge tip line with a 22’ leader and 4 size 8 grub hook “owl buzzers” with the fish taking at an estimated depth of 12-16 feet with the very slowest of figure of eight retrieve, virtually static !

A lot of fish between 4 and 6lb are now being caught. A group of anglers visiting from Scotland took fish of 7lb 6lb 5lb and 4lb respectively. Garry Davies and his colleagues from Wales have also done well over the bank holiday weekend with plenty of fish to the boat. Dei Williams weighed in a cracking fish of 7lb 12oz caught on a black buzzer.

The bank has generally fished well, though the trick seems to be to move around the lake if things appear slow. The fish are in places still close to the banks. Chain eyes cats whiskers, Pitsford Pea lure, black buzzers, Diawl bachs and crunchers have been the most consistent patterns for the last week ns have done well, and sinking lines have done better on windier days. Trial and error with lines is a must from the boats if the tactics you start off with are not working, as the general feedback from the anglers this week are the fish are deep, very deep !!

COMPETITIONS

WHY NOT TRY ONE OF OUR COMPETITIONS – FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND GREAT PRIZES TOO.

13^TH July RIO PAIRS BOAT MATCH – FLOATING LINE ONLY – INTERNATIONAL RULES APPLY – £1000 WORTH OF TACKLE FOR 1^ST PLACE, AND PRIZES DOWN TO 10^TH PLACE. £25 ENTRY PP PLUS FISHING FEES ON THE DAY.EXCELLENT TOP OF THE WATER SPORT !!!!

27^TH & 28^TH JULY LEXUS INDIVIDUAL INTERNATIONAL BOAT COMPETITION. CALL THE FISHING LODGE FOR DETAILS.

SATURDAY AUGUST 10^TH – OUR POPULAR £1000 CASH PRIZE BOAT PAIRS COMPETITION. Floating line only – any fly rule applies. £25 entry pp + fishing fees on the day. You and your partner get the heaviest bag, you win £1000 CASH on the day !!

Sunday Oct 13^th Our 2^nd £1000 cash prize boat pairs competition. Any line, any flies goes !!!!! You and your partner get the heaviest bag, you win £1000 CASH on the day !!

TO BOOK ANY OF THE ABOVE COMPETITIONS PLEASE CALL THE FISHING LODGE ON 01788 812018.

Number of fish Killed 393

Number of fish returned 722

Number of Anglers 247

Rod average – 4.5

To book a boat or a bank pass please call the fishing lodge on 01788812018

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Draycote weekly update 19/5/2013

Bank fishing is available but only from the natural grassed banks. Bank anglers can take their cars around the reservoir but we are restricted to 30 bank anglers cars at anyone time, we recommend you call the lodge and book one of the 30 car passes available.

Draycote is continuing to fish at a steady pace. A continued nagging water discolour is hampering a true reflection of the volume of fish that are now in the lake.  The wind today has switched to the North, giving a dramatic air temperature change to the summers day of the day before!  One thing is for sure when the clarity gives way to its usual crystal clear clarity and the weather decides to stay settled for more than two days, then Draycote is sure to erupt.

Thursday afternoon whilst stocking fish, the lake was still, and this tempted fish in there hundreds to the surface, and they could be seen right across the lake, rising freely. It appears though that as the surface water temperature remains cool, the fish are not staying in the surface, but lying approx 4feet down.

The bank fishing remains good as fish are staying close to the shores. This year’s weed growth has helped keep them close in as the fish are feeding on snails, as stomach contents are showing. Daphnia too is on the menu! Buzzers appear in there millions on the warmer days and the fish respond accordingly, though they are not the easiest to catch as they are not staying in the surface to long, however regular angler  John Dews took 11 fish on buzzers from the Tower bank on Friday! Gold head lures are still catching well, fished usually with a team of buzzers. The best areas have been the Tower Bank, Dunns Bay, Toft Shallows and Rainbow Corner.

Boat anglers too have had some consistent sport, though finding the depth is key! Warmer quieter days have seen plenty of fish moving, and those who have fished buzzers have caught well. Sinking lines and lures are still producing the better catches. Black boobies, Cats whiskers and Pitsford Pea lures are still the best choice of lures. The best boat areas have been Farnboro Spit, Biggin Bay, Toft Shallows, Tower bank.

Three fish of 8lb plus were caught this last week – Mr Mozcant landed the best fish, 8lb 8oz.

Best Flies –Damsels, boobies, black buzzers, pitsford pea, gold head lures.

Number of  fish caught 417

Number of fish returned 473  Total number of rods 184  Road average 4.8

To book a boat or bank fishing please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

COMPETITION NEWS

JULY 13^TH – Rio Pairs Match £1000 tackle 1^st prize – prizes to 10^th place. FLOATING LINE ONLY – INTERNATIONAL FLY SIZE RULES. YOU FISH WITH YOUR PARTNER. FRIENDLY MATCH, ANYONE CAN ENTER.

27^TH & 28^TH JULY –LEXUS INDIVIDUAL MATCH – TOP PLACES TO GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL FINAL AT CHEW VALLEY WITH THE CHANCE TO WIN ANEW 4X4 LEXUS !

SATURDAY AUGUST 10^TH (DATE CHANGE !!) £1000 CASH BOAT PAIRS MATCH – FLOATING LINE ONLY – BOAT PAIRS DRAW TO BE DONE ON THE MORNING OF EVENT. ANY SIZED FLY CAN BE USED. HEAVIEST BOAT PAIR COMBINED WEIGHT WINS £1000 CASH ! £25 ENTRY PP, PLUS FISHING FEES.

To book any of our competitions please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

The restauraunt above the tackle shop is now open from 10am. Car parking is FREE for anglers, and unloading by the boat dock is available to all boat anglers. Bank anglers have full access around the lake with plenty of car parking spaces available.

Tight lines

Craig Barr

Draycote  has continued to fish well despite the changeable weather conditions and water clarity. The clarity is improving and latest catches are reflecting that. The Coppenhall Fly fishers held a match on Saturday, and the 20 anglers took a very credible 5 fish average, in the current tinted water !!!!!

The England Youth team also held a weekend of practice matches. They too took excellent bags, up to 15 fish per man !!!!

London angler Eugene Hughes set the pace for the week with over 30 fish taken along the dam wall in front of the lodge. Eugene was using a di-3 and di-5 sweep line with a team of cormorants and a small booby on the point. “The fish were taking as the flies came up off the bottom” he said.

The buzzer fishing is still rather sporadic, mainly dictated by the changeable weather. The bank continues to fish well, with the better catches coming to buzzers fished on floating lines. Damsels, cats whiskers, and the Pitsford Pea lures are still taking a good majority of fish, as the fish haven’t decided whether they want lures or buzzers.

Boat anglers have taken the majority of fish on lures, a combination of blobs, boobies, and streamer lures.Di-5 and Di-3 lines have proved the best lines, and fishing close to the shores is imperative!! The fish are still tight into the banks, as the water remains cool.

The best bank areas have been, the Tower Bank, Dunns Bay point, Lincroft Point, The Corn fields and Rainbow Corner.

Boats have done well in Toft Shallows, The Farborough Spit, The draw off tower, and Biggin Bay.

COMPETITION NEWS

JULY 13^TH – Rio Pairs Match £1000 tackle 1^st prize – prizes to 10^th place. FLOATING LINE ONLY – INTERNATIONAL FLY SIZE RULES. YOU FISH WITH YOUR PARTNER. FRIENDLY MATCH, ANYONE CAN ENTER.

27^TH & 28^TH JULY –LEXUS INDIVIDUAL MATCH – TOP PLACES TO GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL FINAL AT CHEW VALLEY WITH THE CHANCE TO WIN ANEW 4X4 LEXUS !

SATURDAY AUGUST 10^TH (DATE CHANGE !!) £1000 CASH BOAT PAIRS MATCH – FLOATING LINE ONLY – BOAT PAIRS DRAW TO BE DONE ON THE MORNING OF EVENT. ANY SIZED FLY CAN BE USED. HEAVIEST BOAT PAIR COMBINED WEIGHT WINS £1000 CASH ! £25 ENTRY PP, PLUS FISHING FEES.

To book any of our competitions please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

The restauraunt above the tackle shop is now open from 10am. Car parking is FREE for anglers, and unloading by the boat dock is available to all boat anglers. Bank anglers have full access around the lake with plenty of car parking spaces available.

Number of fish killed – 399

Number of fish returned – 585

Number of rods – 314

Rod Average – 3.13

A fresh stocking this coming week should wake a few of them up.

Tight lines

Craig Barr – flashattackflies.com

As much as we all prayed for some warm weather to finally wet our nets on a more consistent basis, the warm weather quite often brings along with it the dreaded word “algae”. Last week we saw a recent bloom all but disappear, all but to return after the weekends long awaited warm sunshine. As I write this report this morning’s cool  weather has already cleared the water compared to yesterday. The next few days weather forecast should clear the water to give a good clarity again.

The fishing however was still very good, though a little more thought was required to catch them, as once again the fish homed into the cleaner water, often near the margins. The buzzer fishing still has not reached its full potential as the water temperature still remains generally cool. Buzzer hatches are now frequent with clouds of literally thousands over the waters edge during the evenings and early afternoon. The fish however are still not swimming freely on or near the surface, so different approaches other than floating lines are still needed most of the time.

Some very good fish have started to show now too. Mr Denney returned a fish he estimated at 12lb, taken in Toft Shallows. Mr Habbal landed a rainbow of 8lb 5oz, another fish of 8lb 4oz was also recorded.

The boats have done well fishing Toft Shallows, The Inlet, The Tower and the Draycote Dam. Sinking lines and lures are still taking the majority of fish from the boats, using Di-5 and Di-3 lines with blobs and boobies. Black and green lures are also working well. On less windy days buzzers have done well too.

The bank continues to do well with many bag limits being taken. Buzzers have been a good choice from the bank on floating lines, though black and green lures continue to catch good amounts of fish. The best areas have been Bottom of Toft Shallows, the Tower Bank, Dunns Bay ,Lincroft Point, and the Hensbrough Dam wall.

Competition News

Saturday July the 13^th  – Rio Boat Pairs Match – Fished to International Rules and floating line only. Fish with your partner and enjoy some fantastic top of the water sport. £1000 worth of tackle for the winning pair, and superb prizes worth over £500 for 2^nd and 3^rd. Prizes to 10^th place. Entry fee only £25pp plus fishing fees.(prize values subject to the number of entrants)

27^th and 28^th of July – The Lexus International Individual competition. Fished to International rules. The winners go through to the International Final with the chance of winning a Lexus 4×4. See www.lexusflyfishing.co.uk for booking details

Sunday August 4^th – £1000 pairs boat match – floating line only. Boat pairs to be drawn on the morning. The £1000 prize fund will go the pair with the heaviest weight. (The prize fund value will be subject to number of entrants and may change) Entry £25pp + entry fees

Sunday 13^th October – £1000 Fished to reservoir rules. Fish with your partner. The £1000 prize money will go to the heaviest pairs overall bag weight. Entry fee £25 + fishing fees.

TO BOOK ANY OF THE DRAYCOTE WATER COMPETITIONS CALL THE FISHING LODGE ON 01788 812018

Number of fish killed 578

Number of fish returned 834

Number of rods 332

Rod Av 4.25

Water Clarity – slight colour but clearing

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Draycote has continued in rich form this past few days with some truly outstanding fish being caught. This last week alone we have seen 5 fish caught weighing between 8 and 12lb !!

Rod Wilson, a regular visitor who fishes the rudder, took one fish to 12lb(returned) and another fish of 8lb on the same day. Mr Denney also recorded a fantastic day with two fish over 7lb.

It appears we have seen the back of the cold weather, the fish have now moved up in the water and are readily on the feed. Rainbow corner, renowned for its prolific buzzer fishing, is in top form with reports of some big fish moving in in the evenings.

The bank is still producing very good rod averages, as a below normal water temperature is still keeping a good head of fish close to the margins.

The boats are experiencing some excellent sport both on lures and on some occasions buzzers(when conditions allow).

With this weekends weather looking superb for fishing, those who do visit Draycote Water I would predict  to have some fantastic sport !!

Best flies – black buzzers down to size 14, Diawl Bachs, Blobs, boobies, Pitsford Pea, Goldhead damsels, and goldhead variants

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com