Anglian Fishery Reports

Rutland Water Boat anglers fishing the Shakespeare competition, fished to reservoir rules, enjoyed an excellent day, with the rudder method proving most successful. Match winners Grafham Water’s Tracey Rathbone and Today’s Fly Fisherman’s Sue Shaw won the top prize with sixteen fish weighing 36lb 13oz. The next three boats in the match all fished the same method and each took their maximum sixteen fish. Rutland fishing lodge staff members Simon Pimlot and Charles Bowers also took sixteen fish and were placed fourth. This match also saw the best brown of the week at 5lb 4oz.



Season ticket holder Roy Taylor of Oakham said that he enjoyed some good sport last week fishing off the green bank and the Old Hall. Small olive buzzer and dries, with a brown seal’s fur pattern and an American ‘humpy’ tied with elk hair worked well. “Fishing late into the evening was beneficial, with fish not moving till very late”, Roy said.Boat anglers have fared best right out in front of the lodge, down into the main basin and the middle of Manton Bay and off Yellowstone and the Old Hall. best rainbow 5lb 5oz taken by Gary Legge best brown 5lb 4oz best boat areas fishing lodge frontage, the main basin, Manton Bay, Yellowstone, green bank, old hall best bank areas Old Hall, Green Bank, Normanton, Sykes Lane best methods Bank anglers – floating line with dries and nymphs. Boat anglers – as bank with sinking lines, blobs and boobies



Grafham Water has continued to fish well this week with the majority of the fish being caught early morning and early to late evening. The fish are still
generally being caught in the top four feet of the surface with nymphs, fry patterns and dry flies all producing good catches of fish. Most areas of the reservoir are producing good bags of fish, from Savages Creek to Gaynes Cove and Calley Creek to the Willows. However, the most consistent areas of the reservoir are the Stumps, North Tower, T,K,G,H and S buoys and central drifts.Bank anglers will be pleased to know that the strong north westerly winds that we have been dogged by for the last three weeks have eventually abated to a comfortable south or south westerly. With some cracking bags of fish coming from the southern area of the dam where there is an abundance of roach and bream fry. Best rainbow 5lb 9oz taken by G Geoghegan from Benfleet, Essex best brown 3lb 7oz taken by J Butler from Sawston, Cambs. best bank areas south dam, plummer park, the seat best boat areas T,H,S,G,K and B buoys. Central drifts through the middle
of the lake, north tower, Gaynes cove and valley creek and hedge end.best methods floating line, diawl bachs, damsel nymphs, crunchers, cats, hoppers and bob’s
bits. Slime lines, diawl bachs, damsel nymphs, cats, tubes, boobies.




Pitsford Water Jonathan Glenn and his son, Lloyd, fished Pitsford for their first ever trout fishing day. The Glenns, from Norwich, attended a beginners course at Grafham last October run by Nathan Clayton. The pair caught seven fish between them on floating lines and gold headed fritz damsel in Brixworth Bay from a boat. Pitsford regular Peter Bills fished on Thursday last week. He caught eight fish in spectacular condition weighing 24lb 8oz on his usual method of Di 5 and gold and silver tube flies.Boat fishing continues to produce good sport with cracking fish being taken. The main basin seems to be the top spot. Bank fishing is best early and late in the day with fish feeding hard on daphnia and pin fry.



Taverham coarse fishery The river is producing good chub sport and also a 10lb 10oz barbell came out this week as well. Pete Ingram took a 13lb 7oz mirror from the lake, along with tench. Great Yarmouth’s Darren Hardy had a brace – an 18lb 8oz common and a 17lb 10oz mirror.





Ardingly coarse fishery The recent rain has stimulated the bream into feeding with Steven Southgate reporting well over 100lb of fish including 24 bream, a tench of 6lb 2oz and several rudd, roach and hybrids. He was also unlucky in losing a carp. A number of double figure pike have also shown with Wayne Smith landing a 12lb fish but losing a much larger one over 20lb. He was lure fishing from a boat. Warden David Elder landed a nice 15lb fish from near the dam. Finally, new season permit holder Archie Millar got off to a good start when he landed a 15lb 2oz mirror carp from Wick Lane. This, and Lodge bank, are the better areas at the moment although Pine Point is well worth a go.