Draycote Opens 5th March
News
We will be increasing our boat fleet to 30 boats, group boat discounts will be available for 2013 call Craig at the lodge for full details.

Also for 2013 Boat Loyalty scheme, get your card stamped with 8 visits when yo took out a Full or Part day boat & get the 9th visit boat for free

Bank Fishing: 30 cars are allowed to drive around the reservoir at any one time, you need therefore to call the lodge & book one of the 30 Car Passes for opening day nearly all the car passes have been booked

Tel 01788 812018
Visit our online shop www.flyfishstore.co.uk

Draycote Opens on 5th March 2013

Call the lodge to book a boat

If Bank Fishing call the lodge & book one of the 30 available car passes which give bank angler access to the perimeter track with their vehicle.

Looking for that special fishing holiday Join Ifor Jones on his 2013 trip to Alaska in July visit www.flyfishthornton.co.uk for further information.

Ifor

Draycote weekly report week ending 4^th November

As the first snow lands in parts of Britain, and the temperature drops with it, the fishermen too have not been so keen to brave the cold weather. Those that have braved the colder weather, have had some brilliant sport, with Draycote boasting an excellent 4.3 rod average. The quality of fish however that is being caught is exceptional, with plenty over the 4lb mark being caught, daily !!

Total Flyfisher editor, and current English national champion Steve Cullen and his boat partner caught 20 trout in very shallow water, with the several fish weighing 4lb +. Mr Spence recorded the best bag of the week with 5 fish weighing 19lb, the biggest weighing 5lb 8oz. The 5 fish were part of a 13 fish haul, between two anglers. They took the fish fishing from a boat down the centre of Toft Shallows on black and green, and white and green tadpoles on DI-5 lines.

The bank has continued in rich form, with plenty of top conditioned fish being caught. I bared witness to the quality of fish, by taking 2 fish over 4lb in a 15 minute session from the bank, using a brown minkie. Both fish were brimming with snails and yellow corixa, and were caught just feet from the bank !

The bank fishing has edged the results this week, however those boats that have fished tight into the shores have taken advantage of the large numbers of fish feeding close in on snails and corixa and recorded equally as good results as some bank anglers.

Brown, white and black minkies, and minky boobies have by far been the best patterns, fished on slow to fast intermediate lines from the bank, and Di-3 or DI-5 lines from the boat.

Many anglers hang up their rods at the end of November, however with Draycote remaining open until the end of November, why not pay us a visit and sample some top class fishing for as little as £10 from mid-day to close.

Number of fish killed 207  Number of fish released 256  Number of anglers 107 Road average 4.3

Thinking of Christmas already?? Why not check out our new online fishing store at www.flyfishstore.co.uk Orders are despatched within 24 hours.

For further fishing or shop information call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

2012 Closing Date 30th November
Draycote relentless good form continues as yet more cracking fish are taken. Mr S Hillman recorded a tip top conditioned brown weighing in at 8lb, included in his catch was 5 other fish! Mr D Elms weighed in 8 fish for 26lb with the best weighing 4.5lb. Yet again there have been numerous fish over 5lb caught and a lot more between 4 and 5lb. There has been no change to fly patterns, as the trout really are focussing on any fry patterns. White, black, grey and olive minkie have been the best flies to use. A black or white humungous has also fished well.
A steady NE wind for 5 days saw most of the bank sport happening from Lincroft Point down to the bottom of Toft Shallows, as well as the dam side of Toft Shallows, in particular the Swans nest. As I write this report the wind has swung almost 360 degrees and Rainbow corner is now producing well, with one bank angler yesterday (Mon) landing 11 fish including two over 5lb ! All fish fell to a white minky fished on a floating line.
Boats have done well on most areas of the lake, in particular the Farnborough Spit, Dunns Bay, Toft Shallows, the Cornifields, and Rainbow Corner. Di-5 or Di-3 lines have been the better choice of lines recently.
With four weeks to go to the end of the season, the fishing I am sure will remain good, as the trout seek to pack on the weight for the winter months ahead.
We still have a few boats available for our fur and feather match on Sunday the 25th of November.If you wish to fish this friendly event then please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018. It is FREE to enter and you fish with your partner. The top 3 INDIVIDUAL bags will win a cracking Christmas hamper. The match will be fished form 9.OOAM – 4pm (please remember to bring a small prize with you. This is to ensure everyone goes home with something)
Number of rods this week 183 Number of fish killed 285 Number of fish returned 438 Rod average 3.9 Boat bookings are now popular so please book in advance, especially for the weekends. Bank fishing is also popular so please call in advance to book one of the 30 car pass. Call the fishing lodge on 01788812018 Tight Lines Craig Barr FlashAttackFlies.com

Draycote report 21^st October 2012

The work to the main road from Dunchurch to Draycote Water has been completed, the road is open again.

The Closing Date For Draycote 30^th November

Week on week for the last 3 weeks Draycote has got better and better, and this week again is no exception. The lake is in fantastic form for with some of the best fish of the year now being caught.

Anglers are reporting the fishing at Draycote as the best they have experienced this year.Seth, a regular weekly visitor, commented “This is my 11^th bag limit this year of 8 fish weighing over 30lb”!!

Mr B Shields recorded the biggest fish of the week, a cracking 6.5lb rainbow. This was part of a 9 fish catch from a boat. Alistair Beaumont from Lancaster recorded a great day landing 14 fish, with the best weighing in at 4lb 8oz.

The bank fishing at present can only be described as unbelievable, as everyone is reporting incredible fishing. 18 fish over 5lb have been recorded from the bank this week alone, with 44over 4lb also taken. I was fortunate to get out for 4 hours on Saturday. My 5 fish weighed just under 18lb !! The best rainbow went 5lb 9oz and looked like a fresh run grilse – it tasted fantastic too !! George Connor from Rugby and myself took the fish from Lincroft Point to the Cornfields, on a di-5 sweep minkies and a sparkler booby,15’ leader.

Sunday the bank fished exceptionally well. As I walked the bank, anglers were catching well, along the cornfields to the bottom of Toft. The average at 1pm in the afternoon amongst 6 anglers was in excess of 5, with several fish over 5lb caught. The best fly by far was minky lures. The fish now are close in and are readily taking them. Many big fish have been hooked and lost,with two separate anglers claiming on Sunday to have hooked a big fish and instantly being snapped on 10lb nylon  – so 10lb + nylon is recommended !!

Boats have been in top form too as the minky bonanza is happening all across the lake. Di-5 lines have been best from the boats, and noticeable areas for good fish have been across the middle of the lake, A buoy in Rainbow Corner, the Farborough Spit, the whole of Toft Shallows, Dunns Bay and the Tower bank. White, Brown and grey minkies have been the best colours, fish slow and deep from the boats, and floating or intermediate lines from the bank.

Draycote remains open until the END OF NOVEMBER so the last 5 weeks promises to be fantastic. If you are planning to fish from a boat, booking is essential ! With the bank fishing also in great form, please remember to call in advance to book a bank pass.

The back end of the season often produces the best fishing on any reservoir, with the fish in top quality and top fighting form. Here at Draycote for the whole of November our very popular last 4 hour ticket for just £10 is available from 1pm. This allows for 1 fish to be taken and the rest to be released. A boat would be a further £10. Two anglers in a boat for £30 for the last 4 hours, 1 fish each !

Sunday the 25^th of November is our Christmas Fur & Feather boat match. It is FREE to enter(normal fishing fees apply) and will be fished from 9.00 am to 4pm. All anglers are to bring a small Xmas gift to ensure everyone goes home with something. There will be great Christmas hamper prizes to be won for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. Light refreshments will also be available at the end of the match. To book a boat please call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018.

Number of rods 166  Number of fish caught 509  Number of fish returned 622 Rod Average 6.8 !!!

30 bank angler car permits available at any one time, with the bank fishing sure to be good during November be sure to call the lodge & book one of the car permits to ensure you can take your car around the perimeter road

Lodge & Bank fishing open from 7.30am, Boats available from 8.30am

Tel 01788 812018     Craig Barr

DRAYCOTE REMAINS OPEN UNTIL THE END OF NOVEMBER FOR BACK END FRY FEEDERS AND MORE……

Draycote has continued in its current rich vain of form, with relentless bag limits and a standard of fish to make any angler happy!

The coppenhall flyfishers held their annual Autumn match on Saturday 13th, with 20 anglers taking part. Conditions were not perfect,with plenty of sunshine, however the fishing was simply superb. The 20 anglers fished with a rod average of a staggering 11.5 per angler. They were not all recently stocked fish either, with the winning bag weighing 8 fish for 29.3lb, 2nd place 8 fish for 28.2lb and 3rd place 8 fish for 27lb 7oz.

Sunday 14th was the Draycote Open Pairs boat match, with a £1000 up for grabs. The anglers were greeted with the first proper frost of the year, and a cold mist which left visibility down to 30′. The fishing started slow, however once the mist lifted and the sun burnt the mist, the fishing picked up. First in with 16 fish was local angler Mark Sturgess and his boat partner at 4.45.As the match came to a close at 5.30 it became apparent few boats had reached the 16 fish limit, but several pairings had got 14 fish,including Graham Pearson and Robert Edmunds.

First place and the £1000 prize fund was won by Graham Pearson and Rob Edmunds with 14 fish for 48lb 9oz, followed in 2nd place by Joan Russell and Belgiums match angler Patrick De Schutter with 16 fish for 44lb 7oz, and third place was won by local season ticket holder Frazer Duffy and his son Frazer, with 16 fish for 42lb.The best fish was a fine 5lb rainbow caught by John Mason.

Fish caught this week 235 Fish Killed this week 745 Fish returned this week 599 Rod average 5.71

The Christmas Fur & Feather match is held on Sunday 25th November and will be a boat match. This competition is FREE to enter and to book a boat please call the fishing lodge on 01788812018. All anglers are to bring a prize so everyone will go home with something. Prizes will be for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Despite rising water levels the water clarity remains excellent, and the fish have now moved close to the margins, feeding on corixa and fry. The best flies have been, minkies, minky boobies, buzzers, diawl bachs, and big lures. Floating lines and intermediates have been the way forward from the bank, and Di-5 has been the best line from the boats, although as we all know most days are different so line choices still need to be available for necessary changes.

You are now able to shop online at our new store at www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk

Tight lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com

Draycote Water

Carriageway Resurfacing – A426 Southam Road Toft

Work to repair and resurface the carriageway from the bridge over the M45 to Draycote Water is due to start on Monday 15^th October.

Access to the fishery along this stretch of road should still be available on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16^th however from Wednesday 17th to and including Friday 19^th the road will be closed.

Diversion signs from Dunchurch will direct you into Draycote Water.

outstanding catches coming from both bank and boat. The few weeks where things had slowed, mainly due to the warm weather and water temperature, are all but a distant memory, as the fishing has well and truly switched on !

Much to many peoples surprise, buzzers remain a main part of the fishes diet. Draycote is known for big back end buzzers, and they are plentiful at the moment. Fry are also now plentiful although they are currently restricted to several parts of the lake. The fish are taking fry patterns well, especially white and grey minkies fished on a floating line.

This week has seen some bigger fish coming out. Mr. P Parry netted one for 8lb, and Mr R williams took one weighing 7lb 3oz. Mr Sichi recorded the best fish of the week, a beautiful 8 1/2 lb rainbow, not to mention the other 17 fish he landed, no wonder he commented “what a smashing day out”!!

The bank has been in exceptional form, with all areas of the lake producing fish. Toft Shalows has seen the majority of good catches, with most people taking their bag limits. Small black and olive buzzers has been the way, although minkies have taken there fair share of fish.

Boat anglers have also had exceptional sport, with 39fish over 4lb reported this week, with almost half of them exceeding 5lb. Some of these fish are the early season stocking, and they are in fantastic fighting form, with many anglers still reporting being snapped ! 8lb + nylon is highly recommended !! Drifting through the central ares of the lakes has produced the bigger fish, with one 7lb fish coming from Y buoy. Mr JP Worley took 8 fish for 24lb from a boat, and Regular angler Rod Wilson took 8 fish from Farborough spit weighing 26lb 8oz.

This Sunday is the Draycote Open pairs match, with two boats remaining. If you would like to fish this reservoir rules match (No Rudder) then please call the fishing lodge on 01788812018. You fish with your partner.

Our popular last 4 hour ticket now runs from 2 oclock, at a cost of only £10 for 1 fish catch and release, or a further £10 if you wanted to fish from a boat. Once the clocks go back, this ticket will run from 1pm !! No afternoon boast will apply after November the 1st. This will be replaced by the last four hour ticket prices – Excellent value for money !!

Want to do some early Christmas shopping ? Why not vist our new online tackle store at www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk, open 24hours a day !! All goods will be shipped on the day of ordering (before 2pm). All Shakespeare rods currently 50% off !!

Number of rods this week 239 Number of fish killed 449 Number of fish released 566 Rod average 4.2

Our season ends on the 3oth November. It is advised to call before travelling for a boat booking, especially at the weekend as bookings are high for the remainder of the season.

Tight Lines

Craig Barr www.flashattackflies.com