Fishing Reports 6th June 05

International competition at Grafham Water Flags will be flying at Grafham Water this week as anglers gather for the Home International Fly-fishing Championships on Friday 10 June. Four teams of 14 anglers representing England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales will practise from Wednesday onwards trying to discover the best flies, tactics and fishing areas on this 1500 acre reservoir.

Anglian Water’s recreation manager David Moore predicts some big catches for these expert anglers. We are thrilled that Grafham Water has been selected for this international event for the second time in four years. The reservoir was voted as the UK’s best managed trout fishery in Trout Fisherman magazine last year.

Grafham Water has been fishing at its best over the past few weeks with some very big trout being taken, so there should be some exceptional results. The anglers fish in pairs with a boatman in each boat. Competitors must keep casting in front of their drifting boats and no anchoring is allowed so it requires a lot of stamina especially if there is a strong wind.

The home team is always the favourite in these events. Local expert Iain Barr from Peterborough who has an excellent record at Grafham Water will captain the England Team.

Grafham Water The most successful method, in a week of strong winds, proved to be going point first – as demonstrated by Bob Wallinger of Leicester. Bob had the biggest bag at 25lb 1oz for 8 fish and he also took the best brown of the week, weighing 5lb 12oz. He fished point first with a Di3, finding that the fish are not deep. In the unsettled weather conditions with frequent wind changes it has been difficult to fish buzzers static. Anchored boats have caught well on the sheltered shore through the week. Rainbow point and valley creek have produced some quality silver fish for the anglers that chose to explore these lesser fished areas of the lake rather than just heading straight to G buoy.

Rutland Water Mr M Herbert of Sheffield took both the best Rainbow and the best brown of the week. Both fish fell to floating line and nymph tactics whilst boat fishing the south arm, the rainbow weighing in at 6lb 1oz and the brown at 6lb 8oz. Mr Herbert shared a boat with Viv Davies and the pair went on to take a fine bag of fish. Season ticket holder.

Al Owen and his partner had a great day out last Tuesday 31 May with fish estimated up to 6lb caught and released. This was the final day for catch and release which is now suspended until September.

John Wadham Bank Trophy With a total catch of 76 fish for 139lb 14oz this is a record catch for this event and reflects the current quality of the fishing. The event started off in torrential rain and strong winds. Undaunted, six anglers went on to catch their limit; some in double quick time! These were a mixture of stockfish and some silvery well-seasoned specimens. The fish were caught very widely in areas like Ernie’s Point, Normanton, Sailing Club Bay and Sykes Lane. Congratulations to Mike Loy of Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, who swept the board taking heaviest bag and best fish: thus winning the trophy that will be presented at the RWFF Annual Dinner next March. The fish were caught on a variety of patterns. Congratulations to Empingham’s Tom Cooper aged 14, for catching his limit to take sixth place.


Pitsford Water A brilliant week at Pitsford with four double fish, including the record so far this season. Visiting angler Norman Powell, of Blackwood, Gwent, caught the season’s record fish weighing in an 11lb 12oz rainbow. Norman boat fished with the Bell Fly fishers on Wednesday. He used an Ivens green and brown nymph and used a floating line whilst fishing close to the dam.The next big fish fell to Colin Faulkner, of Moulton, Northampton, a season permit holder, who was out practising for the Anglian Water Fulling Mill International heat at Pitsford. Colin hooked a lovely specimen weighing 11lb 8oz.On Saturday visiting angler Tony Hitchman of Wellesbourne in Warwickshire decide to bank fish off Stilton Point. He used a gold head brown and red buzzer on a 7lb leader on a floating line. Tony, who normally coarse fishes, was delighted with his catch.Bill Knight, of Oakley, Bedford, a season permit holder, caught an 11lb 10oz rainbow from a boat with a black and green buzzer off Stilton Point.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir The best fish this week was an 11lb 14oz rainbow that fell to visiting rod Alan Clegg from Preston. Alan was on a three day boat package and fished a diawl bach from a boat anchored off the island.Rob Edmunds of Ringstead took a fine 10lb 15oz rainbow on a ‘rubber band’ from a boat at the Coton End.Fish are being caught on damsels, buzzers, PTN and GRHE, all from floating lines. Some fish are coming to dries when conditions are right. Bank anglers are scoring best from high platforms or the dam. Boat anglers have found fish between the island and causeway. Easterly winds could see fish pushed to the south west shore.

Coarse fishing Ardleigh Some excellent bags of bream have been recorded this week with Ian Symington fishing two sessions and having over 30 fish for a terrific total weight of 130lb. Peter Nance had 11 bream from Lodge Bank South with a weight of 60lb. On the match front Dean Constable came out top at Wick Lane with exactly 20lb. Second was Tim Sage with 18lb 7oz and third place went to Dave Cockwill with 12lb. The pike anglers are having some success targeting individual fish in the shallows with Mick Scutter landing seven, fishing from the boats. Ben Briscoe had a bit of a shock when he fished the Butterfly Lake recently when he hooked and managed to land a huge mirror carp estimated at 30lb.

Wasing Estate Syndicate Water River Enborne despite the cold wind and lack of Mayflies the brown trout fishing has been quite good with some nice brown to nearly 4lbs being taken. Size 18 parachute Adams has been my best fly over the past couple of days. For membership details Telephone Kevin Rolls on 07769-653496 The tench and carp lakes syndicate are looking good for the start of the season on June 16th. The fishing will depend on the weather during the next few days. If its warm and the water temperatures rise fishing could be productive. On the Kennet beats expect chub and barbel.

River Ribble With the prospects of warm weather during the coming week and more fly life we can expect some good sport with brown trout, though if the evenings are cool the best fishing will be during the middle of the day. We might be lucky to see a hatch of Mayflies. Other flies we could see are. Medium Olives, Pale Wateries and Yellow May's though I have never seen a trout eat this latter fly. If your lucky to see some Sedges and you plan to fish an imative pattern be ready for savage takes Trout become very aggressive when they are feeding on sedges. With the rise of water last week prospects for the start of the new coarse fishing season on June 16th are looking good.