June 2024

The weather continues to warm up, as have the water temperatures (in spite of unseasonably cold nights and some cooler breezes), with steady insect activity, and fish feeding well either on or just below the surface; some wet days and heavy downpours of rain have meant that most of the reservoirs are still all at top level.

Fishing:

Kennick – Anglers averaged 2.6 fish per rod over the month, with fish continuing to be well spread out around the lake. Bank anglers enjoyed slightly more success than the boats, with The Narrows, The Lawns, Boat Bank, Laployd, Smithacott and Poplar Bay banks fishing particularly well, and boats catching well in the deeper central water. Natural airborne beetles, caddis, crane-flies and hatching Damsels have meant that many fish have been feeding on or near the surface, with anglers catching well using Foam Beetles, Black Hoppers, Daddies, Sedges, Hawthorns, Claret Snafflers and Emergers on the surface, using floating lines with long leaders and a slow retrieve. Subsurface feeders have been caught on Damsel Nymphs, Buzzers, Montanas, Bloodworms and Diawl Bachs, while lure anglers caught using Cats Whiskers and Boobies. Peter Gilpin (from Newton Abbot) caught ten rainbows to 3lb 9oz in one session, mainly on Black and Green Boobies; Ben Garnett (from Kenn) caught a 2lb 9oz rainbow while fishing in the early evening, casting to a feeding fish in Boat Bay, using a Diawl Bach; Alex Jackson caught a bag of four fish to 2lb 8oz, casting to topping fish along the West Bank. The annual Peninsula Classic bank competition, sponsored this year by Turralls, was won by Alex Venn, catching a bag of seven fish, weighing in at 13lb 12oz; Alex Jackson (from Australia) took second place with five fish, weighing 9lb 12oz; John Hern (from Exeter) caught the biggest fish of the day – a rainbow of 2lb 8oz.

Siblyback – This fishery continued to provide some excellent fishing, with anglers averaging 4.7 fish per rod, with the North Bank, Two Meadows, Stocky Bay and Crylla Bay producing the most consistent sport (although fish have been caught all over the lake, and seem to be well spread out). Plenty of air-born beetles and hatching buzzers meant that the fish were eager to look up to the surface to feed, with Beetles, Hawthorns, Sedges, Coch-y-bondhus and Hoppers all catching well. Deeper feeding fish were caught on a selection of nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Gold Head Hares Ears, Montanas and Diawl Bachs) and lures (Boobies, Tadpoles, Orange Blobs, Orange Baby Dolls and Vivas). Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) had some excellent sessions, the best producing a bag of twelve rainbows (to 2lb) and one brown while fishing one morning in Stocky Bay, with fish feeding close to the surface.

Burrator – Anglers averaged 2.34 fish per rod over the month, with Longstone, Bennetts, Sheepstor and Pig Trough producing the best sport. Sedge hatches produced the best surface feeding activity, when fish were caught using Black Gnats, Daddy Longlegs, Hoppers (black and red) and Beetle imitations. Fish could, however, be caught at all depths, when Montanas, Crunchers, Damsel Nymphs, Orange Blobs and Tadpoles all succeeded in catching fish. Roger Prout (from Pensilva) caught a bag of ten rainbows in a session of very mixed weather conditions, using a floating line with a midge-tip, either with fast strips using a Cormorant, or a static line with Buzzers and Beetles. Allan Lawson (from Plymouth) caught a bag of five rainbows to 1lb 12oz and a brown using both a floater and slow-sink line; Andy Lawson (from Plymouth) caught a bag of six rainbow to 1lb 8oz, either stripping white lures on an intermediate line, or using dry Black Caddis and Beetle patterns fished very slowly.

Stithians – The lake continued to produce some excellent sport, with anglers averaging 3.6 fish per rod, and fish still well spread out around the lake (Pipe Bay, Yellowort, Goonlaze, Pipe Bay and Sailing Club Bank all received regular mentions on catch returns). Buzzer hatches and air-born beetles meant that there was plenty of surface action, with dry Daddies, Hawthorns, Hoppers, Black Gnats, Beetle patterns and buzzer emergers all catching well. Damsel Nymphs, Hares Ears, Diawl Bachs and Black and Peacock spiders all caught deeper feeders, mainly fished on a floating line.

Fernworthy – Most of the fish caught this month have been on or near the surface, either on dry patterns (Beetles, Hoppers, Bobs Bits, Sedgehogs and Black Gnats), or nymphs (Diawl Bach, Pheasant Tail and Spiders) and larger patterns (Soldier Palmer, Invicta and Bibio) fished just under the surface and cast to feeding fish. The most productive areas included Brownhills, Thornworthy, Permit Hut bank and near the dam.

Colliford – The fishing continued to improve this month, with rods averaging five fish per angler, with the preferred locations including Fishery Hut bank, Lords Waste and the banks by the dam. The browns were looking to the surface to feed on beetles blown onto the water, and floating lines with long leaders produced the best results. Coch-y-bondus and foam beetle patterns, along with Sedges and Hoppers, caught well on the surface, otherwise pulled lure patterns (Soldier Palmer, Zonker, Black Mini muddler, Bloodworm and Bushy Blob) fished just under the surface attracted fish. Included in the nice bags caught in the month were Chris Tillyard (from Fraddon), catching eleven browns to 1lb 8oz in an evening session, using Black and Peacock spiders and Hoppers; Dean Boucher (from Gunnislake) caught eleven browns, all on pulled wets in one session, and twelve fish to 15” on Beetles, Hoppers and slow-retrieve team of nymphs in another; Paul Mockford (from St Wenn) caught eight browns to 1lb 8oz on beetle patterns.

Roadford – Floating lines with long leaders proved to be the best combination, with fish taking a variety of patterns, including Humungous, Sedgehog, Buzzers, Damsel nymphs, as well as the more traditional Coachman and Whickhams Fancy. Fish were well spread out, with Wortha, Shop Inlet and Grinnacombe all proving popular. Rodeny Wevill (from Lifton) caught four browns to 2lb, using a floating line with a long leader and fishing slow and deep, with the best sport in the last hour before sunset.

Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. The Trust, in conjunction with Fluff Chuckers, will be running a Brown Trout Masters competition this season, to be held over three dates at Colliford, Fernworthy and Roadford – please see the website for more information.

Chris Hall (June 2024)

ENDS

South West Lakes Trout Fisheries Report

August 2023

The weather was mixed throughout August, with a mixture of wind and rain as well as some warm humid days with the occasional thunderstorm, interspersed with some bright sunny days. Generally water levels continued to fall, although at a fairly slow rate.

Fishing

Kennick – Boat and bank anglers both enjoyed equal measures of success, averaging just under two fish per rod, with both floating and sinking lines catching fish. Clampitts Bay, Smithacott, Poplar Bay, and The Narrows proved to be the most productive locations. In spite of some large hatches, only a few fish succumbed to dry patterns (Sedges, Daddies, Amber Hoppers, and Klinkhammers), with most fish preferring to feed sub-surface on a variety of wet and nymph patterns (Damsels, Montanas, Diawl Bachs) or lures (Boobies, Vivas, and Blobs). Peter Gilpin (from Newton Abbot) caught seven rainbows to 3lb, mainly on Green and Black Boobies; Graham Roberts (from Totnes) caught a nice 3lb rainbow, fishing deep from the bank at Poplar Bay. Anthony Jenkins (from Modbury) caught five rainbows to 3lb using a sinking line, fishing deep in Clampitts Bay using yellow and Black Blobs. Graham Roberts (from Torquay) caught four fish to 3lbs from a boat, including a spectacular, beautifully coloured  brown trout of 2lb 4oz, using a dry fly in Clampitts Bay.

Siblyback – Fishing continued to be challenging at Siblyback this month, with only very few surface feeding fish evident – this, however, changed in the last week of the month (when rod averages dramatically rose to six fish per rod). Floating lines were the most popular, with a few fish taking dry patterns (Hoppers and Black Gnats), and more taking sub-surface nymphs and wets (Diawl Bachs, Montanas, Soldier Palmers) or lures (Red Baby Dolls and White lures). Most fish were congregated around The Meadows, Stocky Bay, The North Bank, and by the dam. Simon Peters (from Truro) caught a bag of twelve rainbows, most fish coming to a single goldhead Blob, fished on a floating line and long leader, in Stockie Bay. Benjamin Lang (from Launceston) enjoyed a good session, catching a superb wild brown trout of 1lb 8oz from the Meadows bank using a Claret Hopper, as well as five rainbows to 2lb 8oz from the margins along the North Bank using Claret and Ginger Hoppers.

Burrator – Longstone, Lowery Point, Back Bay, and Bennetts South Bank produced most of the fish caught over the month, with anglers averaging just over two fish per rod. Large numbers of flying ants meant that plenty of fish were showing toward the end of the month, when floating line tactics tended to work well, often when pulling a Cats Whisker or Bibio Snatcher – Alan Lawson (from Plymouth) used this method to hook five rainbows to 2lb one morning; on another session Alan caught five rainbows to 2lb, four on a dry Sedge pattern. Mark Sinclair (from Horrabridge) caught three rainbows to 3lb, using a deep-fished intermediate line. Patrick Murphy (from Plymouth) caught a beautiful wild brown of 1lb 8oz in an evening session, fishing tight into the tree cover on South Bank.

Stithians – The fishing proved to be more challenging this month at Stithians, with anglers averaging just under two fish per rod. Generally floating lines with a range of retrieval methods worked best. Successful dry patterns included Sedgehogs, Black Beetles, Sedges, Daddies, Hoppers, and Hawthorns, while Black Pennells, Cormorants, Montanas, and Orange Nomads all caught deeper feeding fish. Fish were well spread out, but Yellowort, Pub Bay, Hollis, and Goonlaze all regularly featured on catch returns. Simon Peters (from Cusgarne) enjoyed a good early morning session fishing in the fog, catching two browns on Daddylonglegs, and three rainbows using Hoppers and fast retrieved Blobs. David Williams (from St Just) caught seven rainbows using Cormorants and Orange Blobs on a floating line.

Fernworthy –  A quiet month at Fernworthy, with little surface activity, in spite of plenty of flying ants on the water. Floating lines with fast retrieved sub-surface patterns (Blue Flash Damsels, Black and Peacock Spiders, Hares Ears, and Pheasant Tails) caught fish, mainly below the boathouse, Brownhills, and Thornworthy. Dave Redding (from Ropely, Hants) caught four browns to 45cm using a Black Gold Ribbed Hares Ear, while fishing in strong winds.

Colliford – Great sport continues at Colliford, with anglers averaging just under 5.5 fish per rod, and the best locations including Lord’s Waste, Fishery Hut Bay, and the bank by the dam (although it always pays to keep on the move and cover as much water as possible). Floating lines, fished either with single flies or teams of three wets, proved to be the most successful, with the most productive patterns including Soldier Palmers, Bibios, Blue Zulu, Daddy Longlegs, and Hares Ear Nymphs. Chris Tilyard (from Fraddon) caught nine browns (and lost another six) in one session, and 9 browns to 16” using a CDC Hopper fished close to the bank in another. Brian Robinson (from Chandlers Ford) caught a bag of sixteen browns to 1lb.

Roadford – The fishing has at last improved at Roadford, with anglers averaging over 5.8 fish per rod, with the best sport at South Wortha, Shop Bank, Grinnacombe, and the Big Oaks. Floating lines are the preferred method, fished in conjunction with a selection of nymph patterns (Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, Diawl Bach, and Kate McLaren). Charles Langton (from Chagford) enjoyed an excellent session, catching nine browns to 14”, using nymphs and a floating line, some in less than a foot of water in the margins, while others were caught fifteen yards off the banks at Big Oaks.

Wistlandpound

Wistlandpound is giving good sport with rudd and quality brown trout.

Please see South West Lakes’ website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events.

Chris Hall (August 2023)

With Christmas and New Year almost upon us, the 2022 fishing season is also drawing to a close, with the extended rainbow trout fishing ending on 31 December. We would like to thank the many anglers who have visited our waters this year. We have seen some fantastic fishing followed by very challenging conditions as the water dropped to unprecedented levels all over the UK and we have enjoyed meeting many of you on the bankside, at the Roadford Fly Fair and at the Fly Fishing Taster Day.

Your support during the season has been much appreciated as well as the all-important catch reports and written accounts of your fishing trips that are submitted – we find these immensely helpful for planning stockings, ensuring we focus efforts and resources where needed, and in encouraging new anglers to our sport.

Looking ahead to the opening of the 2023 season, plans are already well under way for the Roadford Fly Fair. This year saw a record number of visitors at the event who gave very positive feedback and enjoyed the day. It was a fantastic opportunity for the angling community to get together as well as stock up on supplies – a great way to kick off the new season! The date for next year’s Fly Fair is confirmed as Sunday 26 February. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

Here are some more dates to look forward to – more details will follow but do put them in the diary:

26 February 2023 – Roadford Fly Fair
5 March 2023 – Kennick Fly Fishing Taster Day
9 March 2023 – Season Permit Preview day Kennick & Stithians
10 March 2023 – Season Permit Preview day Burrator & Siblyback
11 March 2023 – All Rainbow Trout waters open fully
2 April 2023 – Siblyback Team of 4 Competition (sponsored by Snowbee)
22 April 2023 – Stithians Fly Fishing Taster Day
14 May 2023 – Kennick Bank Pairs Competition
25 June 2023 – Kennick Peninsula Classic Competition
5 August 2023 – Kennick Fly Fishing Taster Day (National Angling Month)

Angling season tickets for 2023 will be available to purchase shortly before Christmas onwards if you are looking to get prepared in good time, or would even make an ideal gift.

We hope you have a happy and peaceful festive season and look forward to seeing more of you out on the water next year.

Tight Lines.