Dennis Toleman and John Vaughan are well pleased with their brace of Blakewell browns.
Triple Hook Club members enjoyed good sport at Blakewell landing both brown and rainbow trout. Dennis Toleman won the competition with a four fish bag totalling 10lb 4oz. Runner up was John Vaughan with four for 9lb 12oz. The biggest trout caught was a rainbow trout of 3lb 2oz to the rod of Bernie Scoines.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members enjoyed quality trout fishing at Bratton Water with some impressive bags of brown trout. Danny Ford won the D & D Cup competition with four trout for 13lb 3oz. Danny caught his fish using small buzzer patterns and spent time after bagging up sharing his knowledge with other club members.
(Below) Danny Ford with brown trout each weighing 4lb 1oz
Runner up in the competition was David Richards who landed four trout topped by a fine specimen of 5lb 5oz that was winning the biggest trout of the day until David Eldred secured the biggest trout of the day prize with yet another stunning brown of 5lb 8oz. David Eldred secured third place with a four fish bag for 11lb 3oz and I took forth with an 11lb 2oz bag that included a fin perfect brown of 4lb 14oz.
(Above) This 4lb 14oz brown trout is probably the best looking trout I have ever caught.
Fishing at Bratton Water was enhanced by the onset of spring with daffodils and primroses in full bloom and toads spawning in the lakes margins. Fishery owner Mike Williams spotted two house martins on the morning of the competition a sure sign that Spring has truly arrived.
Exe Valley Trout Fishery hosted their Troutmasters fish off at the end of February. This year was a very hotly contested match with 63 fish weighing 233lb 6oz caught by a total field of 15 anglers. That’s a 3.9 rod average with an average weight of 3lb 7oz!
Nick Hart Reports:-
Well done to Devon based rod builder Alan Riddell who caught his limit with 2 hours to spare winning with a total of 6 fish for 24lb 12oz including a 2lb bonus. Meanwhile special mention has to go to the juniors James & Alfie. Both stuck it out but once again James took his 2nd junior win in a row and if he hadn’t lost 4 fish during the match including one that was a definite double he may have won the match! He did manage to beat his Dad with 4 fish for 14lb and also caught a tagged Trout so went home £10 richer.
Thanks to all who took part in such good spirit and well done to Keith Ratcliffe & Alan Jukes who both bagged potential monthly Troutmasters awards by both landing Trout of 8lb 8oz Good luck in the finals Alan & James!
Junior angler James Mockridge into an early first Trout
Neilsen Jeffery and John Forster enjoyed an afternoon session on Fletchers, one of the day ticket lakes right next to the car park at Clawford Fisheries. With warm sunshine raising the water temperature they landed plenty of carp to 10 lb and plenty of nice fat pasties, lovely days fishing. Neilsen gave many thanks to fishery owners John Ray and Wanda Ray. http://www.clawford.co.uk/
(Above)Andrew Atkinson with a fine specimen spurdog of 18lb.
Harry Collins who is a local boy who fishes here regular , this is his new PB of 23lb 10oz caught on mainline cell boilies. Harry had 5 fish out in 24 hours from the summer house swim on Beattie’s lake.
(Below) Steve Pinn affectionately known as the Bivvy tramp enjoyed this wonderful sunrise at Stafford Moor.
The EA have introduced a revised rod licence system for the coming year with some welcome changes see info and links below.
To see poster on new rod licenses please click on below links.
The Environment Agency has also launched “Get a Fishing Licence” on GOV.UK to simplify the process of buying a fishing licence: www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence. This is part of a series of improvements to the service, which include:
People are required to buy a fishing licence in order to fish legally in England, Wales and along the Border Esk in Scotland. Sales of licences for the 2015/16 season raised £21 million. The money was used to restock rivers with 452,220 coarse fish, encourage over 35,000 people to try angling for the first time and bring 2,043 successful prosecutions against crimes like poaching.
The latest report from South West Lakes Trust indicates some good catches from reservoirs throughout the South West. At recently downgraded Wimbleball several overwintered rainbows were landed. Wistlandpound Opens on March 15th following a substantial stocking of brown trout that will boost existing stocks of browns from last year and the resident wild population. The abundant rudd that are thriving in the lake could well result in some big brown trout in the years to come.
South West Lakes Trout Fisheries Report (Opening Weekend 2017)
General:
The 2017 season opened earlier this year at South West Lakes Trust’s Rainbow Trout waters (4 March, with a preview day for season ticket holder on 3 March) and got off to a flying start at the lakes, with the opening weekend producing some outstanding sport, both in terms of the quality of the fish and their willingness to take the fly in spite of the cold, wet and windy conditions
Fishing:
Kennick – Rods averaged nearly 4.5 fish per angler over the opening weekend, with a number of fish over 4lb being landed. Very little insect activity is yet evident but fish were keen to take sub-surface nymph and lure patters, fished mainly on intermediate lines. The most successful patterns included Damsel and Montana nymphs, as well as deeper fished Tadpoles and Boobie patterns.
The best fish caught included a 4lb 4oz Rainbow, as part of a full bag, which also included another fish of 4lb, caught by Paul Lee from Ivybridge fishing with a nymph pattern from the bank. Mr Peppit caught a full bag, which included Rainbows of 4lb 4oz, 3lb 10oz and 3lb 2oz, while fishing from the bank.
Siblyback – Anglers averaged 3.7 fish per rod over the opening weekend, with most fish being caught in Two Meadows, The Marshes and the North Shore, with fish following the windblown food source. Floating and slow sink lines proved to be the most successful, with darker nymph patterns, such as Montanas, Dark Damsels, Diawl Bachs and Black Pennells, or pulled lures (Tadpoles, Cats Whiskers, Orange Gold-heads and Baby Dolls) catching fish.
The best fish was a 4lb 6oz Rainbow, caught by Mr R. Cogar from Bodmin.
Burrator – With the reservoir full and boats not yet available at Burraor, fishing from the bank at Longstone has been the most productive, using mainly intermediate lines. Rods averaged just over 2 fish per angler, with Montanas and Gold-head green Damsel nymphs catching well, as did dark lure patterns such as Tadpoles and Black Boobies.
The best fish caught was a 3lb 10oz Rainbow, caugh by Pat Power, fishing at Longstone, using a White Strike.
Stithians – The harsh conditions meant that the fishing at this exposed site proved to be challenging, with Pub Bay and North Bank proving to be the most productive locations. Sub-surface nymphs and lure patterns fished on sunk lines proved to be the only method, with Gold-head Tadpoles and weighted Orange and Yellow lures the successful patterns.
The best fish caught was a 3lb 8oz Rainbow, caught by Mr. Docking from St Agnes, using a Gold-head Tadpole.
Drift – Rods averaged 3 fish per angler, which included a number of Blue Trout which seemed to favour small lures and Damsel patterns. The Badger Sett bank proved to be the most productive area, with teams of nymphs (Damsels in particular) catching well, as well as deeper fished Black Woolly Buggers and Pink/Orange fritz mini lures.
The South West Fly Fair was held at Roadford on 25 February, for the fifth consecutive year, and proved to be even bigger and better. In spite of poor weather forecasts, the rain held off to allow for outdoor casting demonstrations and clinics, while indoors there were fly tying demonstrations, along with numerous stands offering tackle, advice and information, as well as a masterclass Trout cookery demonstration from a local top-class chef. Show patron Charles Jardine was on hand all day and, when not giving demonstrations, was available for advice or just a chat.
The Trust’s Brown Trout fisheries open on 15 March. For detailed fishery information and prices for the 2017 season visit www.swlakesfishing.co.uk or visit one of the fishery-based self-service kiosks.
Rising water temperatures should see an increase in surface activity, with floating lines starting to come to the fore in the next month.
Chris Hall (March 2017)
One week into the salmon season and barely a line has been cast as a result of both the Taw and Torridge being swollen by successive days of rain. The rain is however good news in the longer term as it should ensure fish are well spread throughout the river system when fishing does get underway. With water temperatures rising and plenty of water prospects have to be good for a big spring run fish.
The RIver Taw Fisheries Association are holding their Annual General Meeting on Friday 17th March 2017 at Highbullen Hotel, Chittlehamholt.
Guest speakers are Paul Carter, EA High Impact Enforcement Officer and Simon Evans, Chief Executive, Wye and Usk Foundation.
The Torridge AGM is on March 31st at the Half Moon Inn Sheepwash
(Above) 20lb 2oz common
Upper Tamar lake regular Nigel Woods has been warming up for the £3500 Pallatrax carp Open Pairs at the end of March with some stunning fish from the venue. Over two visits Nigel has banked two commons over 20lbs at 20.02 and 20.04 as well as five other smaller fish including this stunning double figure mirror and a small spawned on mirror. Its fantastic to see some stock coming through with amazing scale patterns. Nigel was using sticky baits Krill and matching wafters.
,