Draycote Water weekly report week ending 2nd July 2017
Telephone Number 01788 812018
The previous fortnight caused surface water temperatures to rise above 20°C. This weeks cooler nights has seen temperatures return to a more trout friendly 18°C. Due to this drop-in temperature, the fish have risen in the water column, feeding well in the top 2 feet of the water. This meant a washing line with buzzers, or dries, really came into their own with impressive catches coming to both methods. This week 286 anglers caught a total of 1105 fish for a rod average of 3.8.
Monday started with a near flat calm and a very light ripple picking up in the afternoon, which brought with it some cloud. With conditions like this it looked like a great day for dries, and indeed the best catches came to this method. Richard Pelly used size 12 big reds around the boils to land 22 in a morning session. All Richard’s fish apart from 2 came to fish he had covered. Also using dries to great affect was season ticket holder Kevin Rees who landed 21. Kevin fished in various spots around the lake with the flat stones and B buoy producing well. His top patterns were bobs bits and the crippled midge. Mark Hunt fished dries on the last four hours off Farnborough spit to land some cracking fish including a 5lb 10oz specimen rainbow.
The wind increased and swung round into the East on Tuesday. Normally an easterly here at Draycote knocks the fish off the feed although thIs was not the case Tuesday with impressive catches being recorded. Season Ticket holder Ed Douglas fished Tuesday and found small 16 shuttlecock CDC’s the best pattern, with Ed landing 18 on them. Ed found the fish drifting from the Farnborough Dam to J buoy, coming out from Biggin Bay and around B buoy. Steve Barby also enjoyed good sport drifting around various marks on the reservoir to land 16 fish. Fishery Ranger Tom Bird also took to the water on a day off, enjoying fantastic sport. Tom found the fish willing to take dries in the morning with crippled midge being the best pattern. A switch to a washing line with two FABS and two nymphs really proved affective with over 25 fish coming to this method. Tom’s best area’s where drifts from F buoy and S buoy and from Farnborough spit to H buoy.
Wednesday was another cool day with the wind coming from the North West, and a persistent drizzle for much of the day. While it may not have made for the most pleasant fishing conditions for the anglers, it certainly didn’t put the fish down or off the feed. Out on the boats season ticket holder Ed Douglas landed 21 on dries again with small size 16 CDC’s being his best pattern. Also on the boats season ticket holder Dave Kennell and boat partner Paul Mitchell landing 17 to the boat, fishing in a variety of areas catching on all methods from pulling to dries practicing for the Alex Booth competition on Thursday. Also getting into the fish was season ticket holders Colin England and Tony Plummer, with the pair landing 26 fish to the boat, fishing the washing line in Toft, Biggin Bay and near the aerators. Chris Heyburn and Julie Chandler landed 11 fish to the boat fishing around 50 yards of the cornfield. The pair used buzzers and damsels to land the fish with red bloodworm buzzers being the best colour.
Thursday saw the Alex Booth Charity Match take to the water with 55 competitor’s fishing to a 6 fish limit with 2lb hour. The anglers could then continue fishing with catch and release for pleasure until the official match finish time of 6pm. Overall the 55 anglers took 166 and returned a further 100 fish giving a rod average of 4.8. Many methods caught well, from pulling blobs on a fast glass in Toft, the washing line in Toft and out over the deeper water, and finally dries played a major part with good fish being caught on all methods. The best bag from the match without time bonus was caught by Mick Glover with his 6 fish going 15lb 8oz. The quickest six fish from the match came from Dave Kennel who caught his six fish by 12.45 using blobs in Toft. The heaviest fish fell to Eddie Mitchell with a lovely overwintered Rainbow of 3lb 13oz. Outside of the competition Tony Broadway fished the bank along the Cornfield to land, 17 fish. Tony used the washing line to tempt his fish with 11 coming to a tequila FAB with the others coming to small buzzers. On the boats, outside of the competition Eugene Hughes has good day landing 25. Using a fast glass teamed with FABS, Blobs and small lures. Most Eugene’s fish came from the Tower bank, in the middle and at the deep water towards B buoy.
Friday dawned with strong north westerly breezes, good cloud cover and the chance of some scattered showers. The fishing turned out to be slightly more difficult than the previous few days but there were still some good numbers caught from both the boat and the bank. Season permit holder Mr Dennis Jones landed a respectable 5 from the bank in toft, on size 14 Diawl Bachs. John Hoskins caught 6 fish from a boat on crunchers and Diawl Bachs. Draycote regular Mr Steve Barby had “a great day” with 9 fish to the boat. Mr M Moore caught 7 fish from a boat on crunchers, diawl bachs and dries.
Saturdays light westerly breeze with sometimes sunny spells was a more comfortable but difficult day. This didn’t spoil things for Draycote regular Seth Severn, who boated 15 fish from around middle shoal on the rudder. The usual suspects of Ivor Jones and Jim Dempsey had a reasonably good day as well, boating 14 fish between them from various points around the reservoir. 5 fish were caught by Mick Cronin from the Tower bank whilst Season permit holder Martyn Hancox caught 2 fish from the bank during an evening session. Mr Trevor Rodwell, also fishing from the bank with his newly repaired rod, also caught 2 fish.
Sunday started with a very strong north westerly, calming to a steady 10 to 12 mph with bright conditions. The fishing was challenging for some with only a few rising fish here and there. Chris Discombe and Jim Brennan were doing really well on the Hensborough bank, coming in at lunchtime to buy more humungus boobies and red holographic diawl bachs. They finished off their day with 18 fish between them. Mr L Booth and Mr P Hallam had 14 fish between them to the boat using various dries around the valve tower, B buoy and C buoy. Mr Ronnie Gent and Mr Mark Rowson had 18 fish to the boat using various methods around the reservoir. Draycote regulars Chris Aubrey and Ian Reeve caught 9 fish during an evening session.
Weekly Boat draw:
Congratulations to Mr M Severn from Derbyshire, who is the winner of this week’s free boat draw.
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 286 Number Trout Taken: 417 Number Trout Released: 688 Total Catch: 1105 Weekly Rod Average: 3.8
Current Fishing Times:
Bank: 07:30 until : 22:00
Boat All Day: 08:30 until 22:00
Boat Part Day: AM 08:30 until 15:00 PM 15:00 until 22:00
Last 4 Hours from: 18:00 until 22:00 (Ticket sales available from 17:45)
Gutting Room Closes: 21:30
All Anglers to be off site by: 22:15
Fishery News
Tuition Days- Beginners Courses
There is currently one place still available on this coming weekends Tuition course on Saturday 8th July, hosted by Kevin Hart and Tom Bird. If you know of anyone who might be interested in taking up the sport, why not pass on our details and get them to give us a call on 01788 812018.
Saturday 14th October Tuition Day, Hosted by Kevin Hart and Tom Bird. Currently five places available
Call the lodge on 01788 812018 to book or for further information
Trout Masters
Draycote has joined the Troutmasters Competition. Entry forms can be found next to the booking out sheets. You will need a member of staff to countersign your entry. Good luck!
Volunteer Boatmen.
We require volunteer boatmen for the England youth match taking place here at Draycote on 10th September 2017. If you would like to assist with this event then please contact us on 01788 812018.
Dates for your diary:-
Competition Contact
Angling World Holiday Heat 5th and 6th August – Visit website
TEFF Fundraiser. Dry Fly Championship 16th September – Ian Colclough – 01543 689117
Angling World Holiday Final – 23rd and 24th September
Troutmasters Final – 9th October. – See Fishery staff.
Boat Cleanliness:
Our hard pressed team strive to maintain the boats to a high standard of cleanliness. Anglers are kindly requested to respect their endeavours by keeping their vessels shipshape & litter free. Particular attention should be paid to avoiding the unnecessary practise of pulling muddy anchors on board. These should be shaken clean before being lifted into the boat. Your assistance in this regard will be most appreciated.
Guiding & Tuition:
Why not take your own fishing further with a day out on the water with England Internationals and fishery staff Lee Henfrey or Tom Bird? Whether you wish to get to know the water better or hone a particular skill, our guides can help to improve your catch rates. Visit the website www.flyfishguiding.co.uk for more information or book a slot by calling the lodge on 01788 812018.
Keep up to date with the latest catches and fishing posts from our in-house fishery ranger and guide Tom Bird, by following him on Facebook. Tom has been catching some great fish this season and posting pictures of the fish as well as a light write up on how he has been catching them.
Tight lines,
The Draycote Team
Follow Us on
facebook www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore twitter www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore