Wistlandpound Club – Visit Blakewell

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

img_3873

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Clubs winter challenge match at Blakewell fishery saw twelve members competing . All members caught their four fish limit by early afternoon with those who bagged early enjoying socializing with fellow members. Winner of the event was David Eldred with four for 10lb 1oz. Matt Kingdon was runner up with 9lb 10oz and Colin Combe third with 9lb 3oz. David Richards landed the biggest fish a quality brown of 3lb 5oz. Biggest rainbow weighed 3lb 3oz to Colin Combe.

img_3849

 

 

img_3869
Dave Richards -3lb 5oz brown trout
img_3857
Matt Kingdon in action!

Whilst it is still winter and we may get an icy blast or two before the spring arrives it was hard to believe that spring was not starting to arrive as we walked to the water. Green shoots of blackthorn on the hedge and daffodils emerging from the soil. The sound of a song thrush drifted through the mild air. I chatted with fishery owner Richard Nickel about the forthcoming salmon and sea trout season. It will soon be upon us once again daffodil lined river banks, summer migrants swooping over the water and with luck that tightening of the line as a salmon seizes the fly!

img_3876

With mild conditions it was never going to be a challenging day and most anglers caught easily. I caught my bag using a bead headed black and green tadpole, a varied retrieve proved effective. After completing my bag I took a stroll around the lake chatting with fellow club members. I was also shown a few fascinating behind the scenes projects including a project to restock freshwater pearl mussels into the Torridge. We were also shown future generations of stock fish. A 2lb rainbow takes around 15 months to rear and a 10lb fish 3 years.

img_3868
2018 stock fish!

 

img_3875
Richard always spins a good yarn!

img_3864Slide1

A message from Nick Hart at Exe Valley

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

a3c4d24a-d937-4da5-ab7a-31813c4e97e5Merry Christmas from Exe Valley Fishery. Escape the house and enjoy some festive fly fishing on Tuesday 27th December 2016

During the time of year when inboxes overflow with never ending marketing and BUY NOW buttons I don’t want to add to the pile so will keep this brief and hope that there may be something of interest!

I would like to wish all the people who have supported the fishery and fly fishing school for so many years a very Merry Christmas, thank you for visiting. If you need to escape into the fresh air next week, we will only be closed on Christmas Day & Boxing Day, reopening on Tuesday 27th Dec 2016.

Best Wishes,

Nick Hart
Fly Fishing Guide @ Exe Valley Fishery

static1.squarespace.com

BLAKEWELL _ WINTER SPORT

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

img_0250That’s tea sorted; Andy Facey heads for home after a successful day at Blakewell.

Its a busy time at Blakewell as families descend to select their Christmas trees and perhaps chose a tasty goodie from the popular farm shop.

The still-Water trout angler combines a few hours casting for hard fighting trout with taking home fresh trout for tea. Andy Facey above landed six trout to 4lb 8oz in a bag totaling 16lb.

img_0249A well marked brown trout of 2lb 8oz for Trevor Whyborn tempted on a green and black gold head montana.

img_0248Slide1

The Art of Fly Tying

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

img_3818

I joined South Molton Angling Club members at the Coach and Horses Inn at South Molton where local Fly Tier Matt Kingdon gave a demonstration of his skills in creating flies and lures to tempt the wisest of trout. Matt used all the latest materials to whip together fur and feather in an impressive display of skill chatting as he tied about the factors that make a good fly, First rule is of course that the fly should be tied on a quality hook! Each fly is tied using features that create triggers to entice the trout, to do this the fly should appear natural in the water. To this I would add that the fly should appeal to the angler for with confidence in the fly comes success.

img_3822

img_1547

Local angling guide Bryan Martin also joined in tying a stoats tail salmon fly that I intend to put to good use next season!

img_1553 Stoats Tail -Variant

In addition to vast range of materials used in tying the flies Matt also gave useful tips such as the use of Hard as nails available from Boot’s and Super drug for varnishing the heads of the flies.

img_1550img_1541Rising Sun

STUNNING BRATTON BROWNS

 

 

dscn4894
Members on the way to the water.

 

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members enjoyed a brown trout bonanza at Bratton Water Trout Fishery where they assembled for their Christmas Competition. All but one of the members who took part successfully completed a four fish bag limit with the trout averaging over three pounds in weight. The first hour of the competition saw the trout on a feeding frenzy with most members catching their days allocation within this golden hour.

dscn4902

The brown trout within the fishery are stunning looking fish each one carrying a distinctive pattern of dark and crimson spots upon their flanks of gold, bronze and buttermilk. Each fish is so much more distinctive than the rainbow trout and  in my view deserves a far grander title than brown trout.

dscn4897

Members used a wide range of patterns to tempt their fish with damsel nymphs and small gold-head nymphs all successful.

Winner of the competition was Roger Bray who caught stunning browns of 5lb 4oz, 5lb, 4lb and 3lb 12oz for a total of 18lb.

dscn4907dscn4919

Runner up in the competition was Matt KIngdon with a four fish bag of 14lb 4oz that included the days biggest trout scaling 6lb 4oz.

img_1537

Full results

1st Roger Bray 18lb 2nd Matt Kingdon 14lb 4oz 3rd David Eldred 13lb 4oz 4th Wayne Thomas 12lb 5th -Colin Combe 11lb 4oz

6th – Nigel Bird 11lb 7th Andre Muxworthy 10lb 4oz

dscn4925

The event was fished in calm conditions with glimpses of winter sunshine. This intimate lake is nestled within a peaceful valley providing an ideal location for a winters day of trout fishing, After catching their bags of trout members retired to the fishing hut to chat of future plans for the coming year as they drained their flasks of hot tea and coffee.

dscn4910

My own twelve pound bag of stunning trout( Above) would delight from any fishery throughout the country. The lake is certainly well worth a visit over the Christmas period if you fancy tangling with some hard fighting trout; an ideal time to test out those fishing related Christmas gifts.

dscn4926Slide1

 

 

Junior Bank National @ Exe Valley Fishery

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Nick Hart reports from just over the border at Exe Valley Trout Fishery.

Showing the adults the way is up and coming junior angler Seth Mayhew-Tuson, age 16, who has just won our heat of the Greys Junior Bank National supported by the Angling Trust.  Seth has picked up many tips having become part of the England Youth Fly Fishing squad, using this knowledge to great effect to secure top spot with 3 fish weighing exactly 10lb.

14700824_1372488729430706_7209416904044056339_oSeth Mayhew-Tuson, (Above)

The fish were caught within 2 hours so Seth also gained himself an extra 2lb 8oz time bonus to finish well ahead of the field.  His successful tactics included an intermediate line and mixed up retrieve (mainly slow figure eight) with a combination of Blobs and Nymphs fished around the deep water inlet.

In second spot was last year’s third placed angler, Toby Bennett, with two fish weighing 5lb 14oz.  He caught these quickly, also in the deep water inlet using a floating line but couldn’t add to his bag before the match finished at 1pm.  Toby is studying fisheries management at college and is an incredible caster winning a major tournament earlier this year with a cast of 32 metres!

14711625_1372488436097402_4207655593385940098_o
A very happy lad! Charlie Cooper, age 10, with his third placed Trout

 

Meanwhile the youngest angler, Charlie Cooper, couldn’t get the fish to stick and lost 3 before finally netting a 2lb 14oz Trout to collect third prize of a fly line and line snips.  This was a fantastic effort and the ten year old will now progress on to the 2017 final to be held next April.  Charlie used an intermediate line to catch his fish and it was great to see Seth helping out the younger anglers after he had completed his limit.  This is what competition fly fishing is all about, sharing, learning and meeting new people.

14691446_1372488619430717_4422733307727603956_o(Above)All the boys received something from Greys fly fishing and we threw in a few prizes. These are the fly anglers of tomorrow and need as much encouragement as possible.

image001