27 Sep 2024

South West Lakes Trust Trout Fisheries Report September 2024

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September proved to be a mixed month weather-wise, although generally warm, with some occasional heavy showers. Water levels slightly dropped over the month, now down to around 60% to 70% at time of writing.

Fishing:

Kennick – The fishing gradually improved as the month progressed, with weekly rod averages up to 2.4 fish per rod towards the end of the month. The fish were well spread out around the fishery, with Clampitts Bay, The Narrows, Oak Tree Point, Poplar Point and the East Wall all proving popular locations. Fish tended to feed close to, or from, the surface, and floating line tactics proved the most successful, either with dry patterns (Foam Daddies, Black Hoppers, dry Sedges and Beetle patterns), or shallow-fished nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Green Buzzers, Pheasant Tails and Diawl Bachs). Successful lure patterns included Orange Fritz, Cats Whisker and Cormorant, as well as the occasional deeper fished Booby – Jerry Hiscutt (from Newton Abbot) caught five rainbows on a Black Booby.

Siblyback – The fishing at Siblyback proved challenging this month, with anglers struggling to average one fish per visit, although this did pick up as the month progressed. Stocky Bay, Crylla Bay, Two Meadows and the West Bank proved to be the most promising locations, with Damsel Nymphs, Goldhead Montanas, Black Buzzers, Shrimp and the occasional Black Midge catching fish. Few fish of note were caught – Nigel Hoskin managed to catch a 2lb rainbow using a Black and Green Goldhead pattern fished on a floating line and fast retrieve, and Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) caught a bag of four fish using a slowly pulled Black Beetle.

Burrator – Rods averaged 1.9 fish per angler over the month (picking up to 2.7 by the end of the month), with most fish being caught from Longstone Point and Bank, Bennetts Lawn, Lowery Point and Pig’s Trough. Fish were feeding throughout the water column, with floating, intermediate and sinking line tactics all catching fish. Successful nymph patterns included Damsels, Hares Ears, Buzzers and Black and Peacock Spiders, while successful lures included Hothead Yellow, Orange Blob, White Dancer and Black Woolly Worm. Alan Green caught a bag of five fish, the largest of which was a rainbow of 3lb 12oz, a personal best, as well as best rainbow of the season at Burrator. Carl Thomas (from Kingsbridge) caught five rainbows to 2lb, as well as two brownies, using Buzzer patterns on a floating line.

 

Stithians – Fishing at Stithians remained tough throughout the month, with anglers again struggling to average one fish per visit. The best locations included Goonlaze, Deep Bank, Pipe Bay and Yellowort. Generally midge-Tip and Floating lines proved popular, in conjunction with Daddy Longlegs, Black Gnats and Deerhair CDC fished on the surface, or Diawl Bachs, Hares Ears and Quill Nymphs fished just below. Neil Chapman (from Penryn) caught three browns from the East Bank, using a floating line and a moderate retrieve.

 

Fernworthy – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging three fish per rod in the final week. Lowtin Bay, Picnic Area Bank and the South Bank proved to be the most productive locations, with a selection of dry (CDC Sedge, Cinnamon Sedge and Black Parachute) and nymph (Damsel, Black Spider, Hares Ear and Pennel) patterns proving successful. Clive Garland (from Tiverton) caught three browns (missing six others) using a Black and Peacock Spider fished just under the surface on a floating line with a slow retrieve.

Colliford – Here the excellent sport continued, with anglers averaging 4.2 fish per visit (up to 5.3 in one week). Floating line tactics continued to produce the best results, with fish being caught on dry patterns (CDC Hoppers, Foam Daddies, Beetles and Black Gnats), nymphs (Pheasant Tail, Black and Peacock Spider) and pulled Soldier Palmers, Zulu Muddlers, Bibios and Zulus, as well as a few of the more traditional brown trout patterns (Alexandra, Teal Blue and Silver and Black Pennel). Popular locations included the Middle Car Park bank, Dam, Lords Waste, Stuffle and Menaridian Point). Simon Peters (from Cusgarne) caught thirteen fish in one session on a bright sunny day with a northwest wind, with fish coming to a selection of flies fished as a team with a slow retrieve. Chris Tilyard (from Fraddon) caught nine browns to 1lb 8oz, casting dry patterns to freely rising fish.

Roadford – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging 3.3 fish in the final week. Daveys Bank proved to be the best location, where Rodney Wevill (from Lifton) caught ten browns to 2lb, using Soldier Palmer and Humungous fished on a floating line with a varied retrieve. Other successful patterns included Blue Damsels and Bibios.

October 12th is the Final of the Fluff Chuckers Brown Trout Masters at Roadford

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 (September 2024)

 

23 Aug 2024

South West Lakes Trust Trout Fisheries Report August 2024

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South West Lakes Trust Trout Fisheries Report

August 2024

Generally a very warm and humid month, with water temperatures rising; this has meant that many fish have often sought the deeper, cooler parts of the reservoirs, and while some fish have continued to rise to the surface to feed, deeper fished flies on sinking lines often proved more successful.

Fishing:

Kennick – A more challenging month at Kennick, and anglers have had to vary tactics according to conditions, with both sinking lines fished with lure patterns (Blobs, Black Boobies and Woolly Buggers), and floating lines fishing either dry patterns (Dry Sedges, foam beetles) or nymph patterns (Damsels, Diawl Bachs and Montanas) catching fish, mainly using a slow retrieve. Smithacott Bank, Poplar Bay, Clampitts and The Lawns all produced fish for bank anglers, while boat anglers managed to pick up fish in the deeper central water. Alex Venn (from Willand) enjoyed a great float-tubing session while fishing from early morning through to mid-day – he caught seven rainbows on sunk patterns using a Di3 line while fishing between the dam and Oak Tree Point. Levels are now down to 75% full.

Siblyback – The catch rate fell this month with the hotter conditions, and anglers averaged just over a fish per visit. The most productive locations included Stocky Bay, Crylla Bay, Two Meadows and The North Shore, with most fish being caught on floating lines, using either dry patterns (Claret Hoppers, Bob’s Bits, foam Beetles and Hawthorns) or sunk patterns (Damsels, Montanas, Buzzers, or Orange Blobs and Lures). Ben Lang (from Launceston) caught three browns up to sixteen inches, using a Soldier Palmer variant fished from the bank at Crylla. Levels are now around 70% full.

Burrator – Intermediate, Floating and Sinking lines all caught fish at Burrator, with most fish being caught in the top eight feet of water, usually with a slow or medium retrieve.  Longstone, Sheepstor and Back Bay produced the best fishing, although nowhere was easy. Anglers managed to catch some fish on dry patterns (Sedgehog, Bob’s Bits, Crane Fly), but most were caught on Nymphs (Damsels, Buzzers, Hares Ears) or Lures (Goldhead Fritz). The water level is now 65% full.

Stithians – The catch rate at Stithians fell to less than one trout per visit, with Sluice Bank, Hollis, Pipe Bay, Mossopps and Goonlaze proving to be the most likely locations to catch. The fish were still looking up to feed, and so floating lines with surface patterns (Griffiths Gnat, Daddy Longlegs, Bob’s Bits, Beetles and Sedge patterns) or nymphs fished just below the surface produced the best results. Levels are down to 65% full.

Fernworthy – Tough fishing in August, improving to two fish per visit toward the end of the month. Fish were spread out around the lake, with Permit Hut Bank, South Bank, Lowton Bay and the picnic area producing the best sport. There were plenty of midge hatches, which meant that fish were looking up to feed, and so were caught on Bristol Hoppers, Black Gnats, Hawthorns, Sedges and beetle patterns; otherwise subsurface Invictas, Cormorants and Zulus all caught fish. Patrick Murphey (from Plymouth) managed to catch three browns in one session, missing a good half dozen other snatches at his fly – there were the occasional violent rises throughout the day, but these were probably fish trying to grab mating damselflies.

Colliford – Here the excellent sport enjoyed by anglers earlier in the season continued, with anglers averaging four fish per visit (up to 6.7 in one week). Floating lines proved to be order of the day, with fish being caught on the surface (Hoppers, Sedges, Beetles and CDC Emergergers) or just below (Hares Ear, Diawl Back, Bibio, Soldier Palmer, Pheasant Tail, Black and Peacock and Invicta), with fish well spread out around the lake (Middle Car Park, Redhill and the deeper water by the dam all produced good sport). Ben Garnett (from Kenn) caught nine browns, all on various Hoppers, fishing the bank between the Spillway and Redhill Point.

Roadford – Shop Bank produced the best and most consistent sport, with fish rising to Daddy Longlegs and Hoppers fished on a floating line and long leader, or taking Goldhead nymphs just below the surface.

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 (August 2024)

Wistlandpound

WISTLANDPOUND – Brown Trout in the fading light

11 Mar 2024

Rainbow trout waters opening weekend

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The new season is now firmly under way at the South West Lakes Trust trout fisheries, with the Rainbow waters opening on 3 March (with prior preview days for season ticket holders), and Brown Trout due to open on 15 March. Where available, boats are now on the water, and should be pre-booked (online or via the telephone). Generally the weather for the opening weeks has been challenging to anglers, and in spite of strong winds, rain, snow and hail, and cold temperatures, the fish have already started to feed near the surface, with many caught using floating line tactics. The very wet winter means that the waters are at full capacity.

Fishing:

Kennick – Rods averaged over 5.5 fish per angler during the opening sessions, with fish generally located along the western bank and in the Narrows, with bank anglers catching well. A selection of nymphs (Buzzers, Damsels and Montanas) and lure patterns (Tadpoles, Kennick Killers, Black and Blue Fritz and Black and Green Woolly Buggers) fished on intermediate and floating lines with various retrieves proved most successful. The best fish, a rainbow of 3lb 13oz, was caught by Mike Malpas.

Siblyback – The season opened on excellent form – anglers averaged 4.8 fish per rod, with fish mainly located along the North Bank, Two Meadows and Stocky Bay. While some fish were caught on Montana Nymphs, most were caught on a variety of lure patterns (Cormorant, Kennick Killer, Snake, Blob and Siblyback Sparkler) fished on floating lines with a medium retrieve. Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) caught a bag of six rainbows to 1lb 12oz in Stocky Bay.

Burrator – the season opened with a flying start, with anglers averaging 8.6 fish per rod, mainly from Longstone, Pig’s Trough, Lowery Point and Back Bay. Intermediate or floating lines with a fast retrieve proved to be the most successful method, with fish feeding on small flies on or just below the surface. Successful flies included Damsel Nymph variations, Black Fritz, Humungous and Distressed Marabou patterns. Simon Stokes (from Horrabridge) caught the best fish, a rainbow of 2lb 8oz, using an intermediate line fished down to four feet depth, with a medium to fast retrieve. Jonny Mac (from Plympton) caught ten ‘fighting fit’ rainbows to 2lb, chasing stripped lures down to 6 feet below the surface.

Stithians – the cold windy conditions made the opening weekend’s fishing challenging, with anglers managing to average only one fish per rod. Fish were mainly located at Pub Bay, Hollis, Sailing Club Bay and Carmenellis, with slow-fished lure patterns (Black and Green Cats Whisker, Cormorant and Blob patterns) fished on a floating line, but letting the fly sink well before retrieving, proving to be the most successful.

Another successful Fly Fair was held at Roadford Lake on 25 February, with fly-tying demonstrations, casting lessons and trout cookery demonstrations. Charles Jardine opened the event, which also included a variety of tackle and fly-tying suppliers, ‘Coarse fish on the Fly’ by Dom Garnett, a chance to meet local clubs and some bargains to be had on the Kennick Club used-tackle stand.

ROADFORD FLY FAIR