Bratton Water is fishing well with the lake is in excellent condition and the water bright and clear with water temperature at 13-14c. The recent rain has freshened things up and weed growth has not been significant despite a long dry warm start to summer. Mike Williams tells me that most fish are being tempted on small dries and nymph patterns.
Check out Bratton Waters updated website just click on the advert below.
Blakewell Fishery hosted an Open day last Sunday sponsored by South West based tackle company Snowbee.This was a friendly relaxed event with the opportunity to mingle with fellow anglers and witness impressive fly casting demonstrations from Snowbee’s Simon Kidd.
Simon also gave tuition to visiting anglers including a young gentlemen called Tom who landed his first ever fly caught trout a hard fighting 3lb plus rainbow.
Simon Kidd gave casting demonstrations and discussed all the latest tackle from Snowbee with particular attention to Fly-Lines. The general consensus is that a quality fly line is a more worthwhile investment than a fly rod or reel. A good fly Line will dramatically improve the performance of any rod whilst a poor line will spoil the performance of even the most expensive fly rod.
The latest tackle from South West based company Snowbee was available to try and I was particular impressed with the thistledown fly lines that delivered a long line with a minimal amount of false casting. http://www.snowbee.co.uk/fly-fishing/fly-lines-backing/
Jeff Pearce a member of Blakewells team put this to good use tempting a hard fighting rainbow. ( below)
Throughout the day anglers mingled chatting about past adventures and spawned plans to visit new waters. Several newcomers to the sport will undoubtedly be hooked on fly fishing. The lakeside proved a delightful location to savor a beer and burger provided by Blakewell co owner Richard Nickell.
Chris Payne enjoyed success during the open day landing a stunning rainbow trout of 11lb 5oz.( Below)
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their Edwards Cup Floating line competition at their home venue. The competition was for the best brace of trout and was won by Dave Mock who landed who two trout for 2lb 15oz, Close behind was David Eldred with a brace totalling 2lb14oz and in third Paul Grisley with a single trout weighing 1lb 9oz.
When the rivers are low and salmon and sea trout are hard to find many fly fishers are turning to the the estuary where the silver flanked bass can provide exciting sport on both lure and fly. Nick Hart provides tuition in Fly Fishing in both fresh and saltwater, in rivers and still waters. His latest pictures show some happy anglers making the best of ideal conditions where the estuary meets the sea. Investing in guided fishing can make a huge difference to your catch rates boosting success over many years into the future.
Below is a report sent to South West lakes Trust by a very satisfied customer!
Jon Ogbourne enjoyed a Great day on Wistlandpound fishing from the clubs boat. He fished with Peter Coleman-Smith and Mark Stewart taking turns on the oars. Fish came from all over the lake with 50+ to the net by the time we landed at 6pm, the best was pushing 1.5lbs. All fish came to either traditional wets, sedgehogs or weighted mini tadpole patterns on the point. Steady wind blowing up toward the dam all day. Sunshine with broken cloud. Buzzers and hawthorn flies around perimeter of lake but not much out on the water. Fish didn’t seem to mind.
David Hill visited Blakewell Fishery and had a pleasing days sport landing four quality trout for 17lb including a handsome 4lb brown trout.
Next Sunday May 14th the fishery are hosting a Snowbee Open day with casting demonstrations, tackle on show and the chance to mingle with fellow anglers whilst enjoying food and refreshments.
http://www.blakewell.co.uk
A tumbling river in springtime with the smell of ramsey and birdsong filling the air has been a part of my life since I was a child catching crimson spotted brown trout from the River Umber that runs through the village of Combe Martin. A few weeks ago I found myself looking into the river where I first tempted those spotted trout. Sadly there were no signs of the descendants of those trout which is a sad refection on the waning state of our countryside.
Fortunately there are still plenty of rivers in North Devon that still have healthy populations of trout. I took a wander along my local river wielding a split cane rod I had bought from a work colleague. The old scottie rod had been bought at a car boot sale and I later found that the rod had been taken there by Richard Mann who I had fished with on several occasions at Blakewell Fishery. Richard was a very enthusiastic angler who had fished far and wide with many a tale to tell. In latter years he had done a huge amount of work for a local branch of the Salmon and Trout Association. Richard sadly passed away last year.
I flicked the flies upstream and thrilled as the free rising trout seized the fly. The old rod flexed as the trout gyrated and darted to and fro in the clear water. I wondered what other adventures the rod had been on? It didn’t really matter what rod as the small river didn’t demand distance casting, a bit of precision perhaps. A modern carbon rod could have ticked every box in functionality but perhaps the old rod was more in keeping with the late spring evening? The river had those same characteristics I had enjoyed close to fifty years ago, perhaps that is one of angling’s greatest attributes in that it brings back those childish perceptions and feelings.
A couple of nights later I was casting a fly across the River Torridge in hope of salmon. The river had dropped away but still had a nice tinge of colour. I started hopeful but as the evening swept past I felt slightly melancholic at the lack of salmon surely after the recent spate there would be salmon present? It was a glorious evening full of birdsong and riverside aromas. I did catch one or two glorious spotted brown trout but these were not enough tonight for I had set my expectations higher and with that came a slight feeling of failure. I will of course be back casting again full of expectation next time the river rises and brings fresh hope of silver tourists.
The West Country Fly Fishing Seminar 2017
Close to seventy fly fishers from novice to expert assembled at the Fox and Hounds, Eggesford for the annual West Country fly fishing seminar all keen to learn more about the art of fly fishing. Fortunately it was a warm spring day with new growth bursting forth on the trees and recently arrived swallows swooping around the old fishing and hunting hotel.
The event is hosted in a collaboration between the Devon School of Fly Fishing and Fly Fishing Tackle.co.uk who are based locally in Crediton. There were a team of expert guides from all over the country to assist in the delivery of talks, demonstrations with tuition on casting, watercraft, fly selection and a whole lot more relating to fly-fishing.
The morning commenced in the meadows beside the Upper Taw where Peter Tyjas (Above) opened proceedings with an informative talk on the event and aspects of fly-fishing including tackle and his undoubted passion for casting a fly in various waters; especially for the wild brown trout that swim in the Upper Taw.
The guides present included:-
Jim Williams
AAPGAI MASTER level fly fishing & fly casting instructor, Sales manager for Vision Flyfishing UK
Jim Fearn
AAPGAI qualified salmon casting instructor and Rio Pro-Guide. He is responsible for product development at Guide Flyfishing who distribute RIO Lines, McLean Nets, Redington, Fishpond, Loon
John Legg
Managing Director at Guide Fly Fishing and AAPGAI level instructor.
Pete Tyjas
AAPGAI qualified instructor and principal of the Devon School of Fly Fishing, together with his team of fully qualified guides.
During the morning session each of the instructors gave a talk on their area of expertise with casting demonstrations that included in depth advice on spey casting, double haul timing, casting the perfect loop and the need for practice.
After these extensive and fascinating displays and talks the anglers were encouraged to assemble into relevant groups where they could receive relevant tuition dependent upon their knowledge or avenue of interest. There was also the opportunity to handle and cast the latest fly rods with lines and reels.
Lunch time gave the opportunity to mix and mingle in the dining area of the hotel and to have a drink in the bar where hundreds of old photos of salmon catches of bygone days decorate the walls.
After lunch it was back to the meadow where at this point the guides got into the river to talk about watercraft and the wide range of techniques available to the fly-fisher. Dry fly fishing, New Zealand style presentation, czech nymphing and American style streamer fishing. Whatever style you choose observation of the waterside environment is vital with weather, water condition, temperature and light values likely to impact upon the food available to the fish we seek. In addition to this watercraft is valuable in providing an educated guess as to where the fish are likely to be. All the above factors will influence the tackle required. Though in reality it is impractical to carry all the rods and reels required for each technique and presentation compromise is therefore required for most of us.
The choice of fly or lure is of course important but the need for a vast range is generally not required as presentation and positioning are of more value. The importance of the leader is also an important but often overlooked component in the link to presenting the fly correctly. Tapered leaders aid good presentation with a stiff butt leading to a fine tippet via the middle transition section. One of the key factors in dry fly presentation is of course ensuring a drag free drift.
The guide giving my wife Pauline tuition told us that the key areas to consider when fishing for trout are: –
Presence – Not alerting the fish to your presence
Presentation – Presenting the fly in a natural manner
Pattern – Choosing the correct imitation on the day
By the end of the day we had been given a huge amount of information and thought provoking ideas. Success in angling is undoubtedly boosted by attention to detail and the best anglers fine tune their tactics to suit the fish they seek, I realized that despite being an angler for over fifty years I know very little about the sport I love. Being an all-rounder I must concede that I will never be an expert in any discipline of angling if such a thing exists. In angling it is the fish that write the rule-book and the only certainty within that book is that fish don’t always follow the rules.
Fortunately we have a vast range of waters in North Devon to practice on and I look forward to casting a line far and wide this coming year. Hopefully with her recent tuition Pauline will also connect with the wild fish that swim in river, stream, lake and sea.
David Flynn from Bickington fished at Blakewell to land a fine brace of handsome brown trout scaling 4lb and 4lb 8oz.
