Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club was formed back in the 1970’s and its members enjoyed fishing the venues from which it takes it name. With the changes in Wistlandpound stocking over the years the club has now adapted and enjoys visiting trout fishing venues across the South West.
Members assembled on February 23rd at the Ye Old Globe Inn, Berrynarbor. Top of the agenda was the calendar of events for the coming year.
The events were discussed and dates set up with all members looking forward to getting together at the water’s edge for a bit of friendly competition.
The club welcomes new members of all ages and abilities. Membership is just £10 per year. Contact club secretary David Richards for details:-
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club visited Wimbleball Reservoir for their latest competition where Colin Combe won the competition with four trout for 9lb 8oz. Paul Grisley caught three trout for 7lb 14oz and Dave Mock three for 7lb 10oz. The biggest fish of the day was a rainbow of 3lb 10oz to the rod of Andre Muxworthy.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their presentation night at the Pack of Cards Combe Martin where club members and their partners enjoyed a delicious meal. The club was formed in the late seventies and is still going strong despite Wistlandpound being downgraded to a wild brown trout fishery. The small friendly club hold competitions throughout the year visiting the regions many still waters in search of trout.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club – Award Winners 2019 Members
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club Members enjoyed a good mornings sport at Bratton Water with the eight competitors all completing their three fish limits. Winner was Paul Grisly with 7lb 4oz. David Eldred and Dave Richards were runners up with 7lb 3oz and Nigel Bird fourth with 6lb 13oz.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members travelled to Clatworthy Reservoir high on Exmoor and enjoyed some fine autumn sport. All members caught but it was those who were in the right place early in the day who secured the best bags of hard fighting rainbows. On arrival at the lake overnight showers were clearing away and a vivid rainbow stretched across the lake as autumn sunshine beamed down onto the lake.
I started my day at the top end of the lake and used a bead headed Montana on the point with a diawl Bach and black buzzer on the droppers. A floating line and 8lb b.s leader completed the set up. Casting out with a stiff breeze blowing from my left I retrieved the flies slowly delighting as the line drew tight and hard fighting rainbows surged to and fro before being coaxed in the waiting net. Within just over two hours I had completed my five fish bag limit and spent the next three hours taking in the scenery and atmosphere. White clouds drifted quickly across the vivid blue sky, I watched as three buzzards drifted high on the thermals mewing continually as they often do in late summer and early autumn. Brown and bronze hues are starting to appear amongst the green signalling that the seasons change is starting to paint the countryside. Hard to believe that another summer has drifted into the past. The last time we fished here was in the spring with summer to come.
Wessex Water Ranger Danny Ford told me that it had been an excellent season with good fishing and plenty of anglers returning frequently to enjoy the fine sport on offer. We are very fortunate to have Clatworthy and Wimbleball offering the region some of the best trout fishing in the country.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members fished their April Trophy Competition at Wessex Waters Clatworthy Reservoir where all members competing landed some top quality trout. A cold brisk easterly wind put the trout down deep with most fish caught deep using boobies or lures. Whilst the fishing proved to be more challenging than expected the quality of the fish caught made the effort well worth well while with full tailed rainbows testing everyones tackle. One fish estimated at over five pound slipped the hook at the net whilst a good number of the fish caught were between 3lb and 4lb 8oz. The biggest trout fell to Colin Combes weighed in at 4lb 8oz and was part of the only five fish bag of the day that secured victory.
1st – Colin Combe – Five Rainbows – 12lb 15oz
2nd – Dave Mock – Four Rainbows – 12lb 12oz
3rd – Wayne Thomas – Four Rainbows – 10lb 15oz
4th – Dave Eldred – Three Rainbows – 7lb 8oz.
(Above) Colin Combe with a fine rainbow of 4lb 8oz
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club are a small friendly club who meet at least once a month to fish Stillwater trout fishery’s in the south West. Membership is £18.00 per year. For membership contact David Richards ;- [email protected]
Competition Programme 2019/20
Date
Venue
Times
Special Rules
Award
10/03/19
Wimbleball
10am-4pm
Bank
D&D Cup
07/04/19
Clatworthy
10am-4pm
Bank
April Trophies
12/05/19
Blakewell Fishery
9am-4pm
Floating Lines Only. Max fly size 10 Buzzer/DRY
Edwards Cup
09/06/19
Exe Valley
10am-4pm
Hulland Trophy
14/07/19
Wimbleball
10am-4pm
Boat
Jubilee Rose Bowl
11/08/19
Bratton Fisheries – BBQ
3pm-7pm
None
Beeny Trophy
08/09/19
Hawkridge
Fishing with the women – times to be confirmed
Boat
Roger & Guard Shield
06/10/19
Clatworthy
10am-4pm
Boat
Secretary’s
Shield
27/10/19
Bratton Fisheries
10am-4pm
20/11/19
Exe Valley
10am-4pm
First round of Winter Challenge
15/12/19
Blakewell Fishery
10am-3pm
Christmas Competition*
12/01/20
Simpson Valley or Blakewell Fishery
10am-4pm
Second round of Winter Challenge
09/02/20
Bratton Fisheries
9am-3pm
Third round of Winter Challenge
*Please can all competitors that are invited to take part in the Christmas Competition donate a raffle prize to around the value of £5
Winter Challenge – best two competitions, out of the three, to count.
PLEASE CAN ALL COMPETITORS CHECK IN WITH THE SECRETARY 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE START TIME.
NOTE: All Boat bookings and transport arrangements are the responsibility of the members
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held the first heat of their Winter Challenge series at Bratton Water where all members secured three fish bags by mid morning. The winning bag of three browns fell to myself (Wayne Thomas) and totalled 9lb 14oz. In runner up spot was Colin Combe with 9lb 12oz and in third Andre Muxworthy with 8lb 12oz.
(Above) Winning bag of three quality browns to 4lb
Bratton Water is nestled in a wooded valley protected from most winds which is always good especially when a bitter East wind is blowing as it was on the day of our visit. With a bright blue sky I wondered if we would struggle to catch but these fears were unfounded as the trout responded well to a variety of tactics. I chose to fish a light rod combined with a floating line and long 6lb b.s leader with a small gold-head PTN on the tip and small diawl-bach on a dropper. Casting a long line and allowing the fly to sink before commencing a very slow erratic retrieve. The choice of tactics was more to do with how I wanted to fish as opposed to what I thought would catch most. Other members succeeded using small lures fished on intermediate lines with speedier retrieves.
(Above)Three quality rainbows caught by Nigel BirdMembers take a break
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members met members of South West – Fishing for life at Hawkridge Reservoir near Bridgewater where members gave Fly Fishing Coaching on a one to one basis from boats kindly provided by Wessex Water. The hot sunny conditions were far from ideal for fishing and as a result only one of the ladies taking part caught a trout. The event proved very enjoyable and rewarding however with all celebrating the joys of fishing and living on a splendid summers day. The main fishing event commenced at 1.00pm and finished at 3.00pm and was followed by afternoon tea and delicious food in the fishing lodge.
Pip Bristow with a fine 2lb 10oz rainbow
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club have been invited to repeat the event in September 2019 when it is hoped conditions will be more favorable for catching fish.
‘Fishing for Life’ is an organization which provides fly fishing sessions for people who all have one thing in common – breast cancer. Meetings are held every month at lakes over the South West, Greater Manchester area and Gloucester/Worcester,, where the scenery is beautiful all the year round. At these sessions members are able to learn to fly fish under the supervision of qualified coaches.
The sessions are provided free of charge, thanks to the help of South West Lakes Trust, Bristol Waters, fisheries and small grants from local authorities. Also fundraising done by a very committed group of volunteers. As well as learning to fly fish, knot tying, entomology, fly tying and conservation are all included in the program and each morning’s session is concluded with refreshments.
Fly fishing not only provides gentle relaxing exercise, but in this wonderful atmosphere, refreshes the soul as well as one member said. New friendships are made with like minded people and it is a time to relax and have some special ME time. Families and partners are welcome to come along and support but the fishing is just for the members. Everyone is welcome to the refreshments at the end of the session.
My boat partner Sam fished enthusiastically whilst I spent two hours wishing for a trout to seize her Fly.
Wistlandpound Club Members fished their competition between 4.00pm and 6.00pm
Competition Report From Club Secretary David Richards
Well the fishing at Hawkridge was tough five members fished with the women, who I believe had a great day as did the men,such was the enjoyment factor that we have booked up to do the same in September next year.
The reservoir temperature was in the region of 28/29 degrees which is somewhere around the high 80,s.
I believe every fly and every tactic was used but for all but one it was no use and as we had decided earlier that the winner of the comp was going to be the heaviest fish Colin Combe who caught the only 2 fish 4lb 4oz won the day .
Tight Lines Dave R…
I will just add that I did hook into a rainbow that I estimated at 4lb before it managed to shed the hook a foot from the net!
Paul Grisley secured victory in Wistlandpound Clubs April Trophy at Blagdon Reservoir. His eight fish limit bag of rainbow trout totalled 21lb 3oz. Colin Combe was runner up with 8 for 17lb 8oz and David Eldred third with 8 for 16lb 12oz. The biggest trout of the day was a rainbow of 4lb 6oz to the rod of Paul Grisley.
I shared a boat with Matt Kingdom who gave a lesson in how to catch trout completing his eight fish limit by lunch time and going on to add another ten trout. I fished similar tactics and even scrounged a couple of Matt’s successful flies to land a brace of trout. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is due to a subtle difference in technique or tackle. Blagdon is a truly historic trout water that can provide exciting sport especially at this time of year as the trout feast on the thousands of buzzers that hatch from the lake when conditions are right. In a few weeks time it will be thrilling to hear the pleasing screech of the swifts as they swoop across the lake. The first swallows should be showing any day soon.
After many years I have replaced my old trout fishing bag with a new one. The Snowbee XS – Bank & Boat Bag is highly recommended with numerous practical and functional characteristics. www.snowbee.co.uk
