Rutland Water 23rd May 2010

Rutland Water opens Thursday 1 April
Fish week 1,503 (season 14,137) Returns 323 (2,833) Rod average 4.65(4.99)

Last week’s fishing was demanding with light to nil wind all week and temperatures starting to rise. Fish are very much widespread with the top of the North arm through to the main basin, East Creek to the lodge and half way down the South arm all producing fish.

Fish are feeding on various large/small buzzers, corixa, bloodworm and a little daphnia. This year’s pin fry were showing up around the fishing lodge.

Competition news
Vision Pairs
This popular boat match fished to a rod average of 4.85. The best bag went to Clive Morgan with a total weight of 25lb 10½oz. Joan Russell took the best fish at 4lb 14½oz and was top lady rod.

1st Rob Edmunds & Andy Clark 16 fish for 46lb 2oz
2nd Geert Janssens & Christian Jadoulle 16 fish for 41lb 6¾oz
3rd Steve Winstone & Mike Kayes 15 fish for 40lb 9½oz
4th Martin Rowson & Paul Haskey 14 fish for 40lb 1oz
5th Al Owen & Ian Colclough 16 fish for 40lb 0oz
6th Lindsay Barrie & Dave Doherty 16 fish for 36lb 15oz

Tuesday night boat league
Keith Jones won the second match of the series taking 5 of his six fish in a late flurry. Hilary Tomlinson took the best fish a 2lb 9¼oz Rainbow.

1st Keith Jones 6 fish for 10lb 9oz
2nd Richard Cooper 5 fish for 9lb 15oz
3rd Phil Longstaff 4 fish for 7lb 12¼oz

League positions week 2
1st Richard Cooper 18 points
2nd Keith Jones 10 points
3rd Phil Longstaff 8 points
4th Mike Netherclift 7 points
5th Ian Lishman 6 points
6th Hilary Tomlinson 6 points

Best Rainbow 6lb 8oz taken by M Perry of Teddington

Best boat areas See report

Best bank areas East Creek, Whitwell Creek, Carrot Creek, Normanton & Sykes Lane.

Best methods Floating lines, midge tip lines, with buzzers are taking the better fish (static), nil retrieve. Lures are taking stock fish.

Mid week boat winner T Davies of Congleton.

Fish stocked 3,500

Forthcoming events:
Please remember that from May through to September boat anglers have to cease fishing by 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays only.
Beginners courses:29 May; 6,9,13,20 & 26 June; 3,11,18 & 25 July and other dates throughout the season.
Tuesday Evening Boat League
England Qualifier ‘Odds & Sods’ 30 May.
Anglian Water Floating Line Competition 12 June
EDFA Disabled International 22 & 23 July
Don’t forget the Help for Heroes match Saturday 14 August call 01572 653021 for more information.

Grafham Water 23rd May 2010

Fish week 1,488(10,992) Returns 292 (2,073) Rod average 5.1 (5.3)
Anglers have enjoyed another cracking week at Grafham Water. The biggest brown and bag caught this week was by season ticket holder John Sears from Great Gransden. John caught 8 fish for 29lb 5oz with his best fish being a superb over wintered brown of 7lb 10oz. John caught this memorable bag by fishing a Di 3 line with a brown zonker whilst boat fishing at Rainbow Point.
The boat anglers have had the cream of the sport with the west bank producing the bulk of the trout caught, along with Gaynes Cove and the Seat area. The best methods have again been floating lines with long leaders with black or green buzzers, bloodworm, diawl bachs, damsel nymphs and pheasant tail nymphs fished almost static or medium sink lines with gold head damsel nymphs and black and green dog nobblers fished with a slow figure of eight.
The bank fishing at Grafham Water this week has improved with once again Gaynes Cove producing the most consistent fishing with Hill Farm starting to produce some good sport. The main method has been floating lines with black buzzers or gold head damsel nymphs fished with a slow figure of eight.

Competition news
The highlight of the week was the inaugural Anglian Water Airflo International Individual match fished on Saturday 22 May. The top 15% of the anglers fishing in last year’s heats were invited back to compete for the title. 58 anglers were very keen to get out onto the water with Grafham on top form. Floating/midge tip lines were the order of the day fished with a team of buzzers either straight lined or under the bung, either way the flies had to be fished very slowly on the long leaders.
As the match started the boats headed off in different directions heading towards Savages Creek, West bank, Sailing Club Bay or Gaynes Cove.
With all of these areas holding vast numbers of quality fish all feeding heavily on buzzers. It was clear from the start that the sport of the past few weeks was going to continue with anglers in all areas catching from the off. Best fish went to Cornish angler Dave Johns who caught a cracking Brown of 5lb 5oz taken on a buzzer from Sailing Club Bay.
Grafham Water fished its socks off with a rod average of 7.76. The final result reflected the international flavour of the event. Gary Owen won having qualified at the Rutland heat in April 09. Second placed Matthew Griffiths qualified at one of the Welsh heats at Lyn Llandegfedd. Frederick Shmitt from France took third place (Bewl Water).

The top three anglers (including time bonus)
1st Gary Owen 8 fish 30lb 7/8oz
2nd Matthew Griffiths 8 fish 28lb 3/8oz
3rd Frederic Schmitt 8 fish for 25lb 12 5/8oz

Invicta Tuesday Night Boat League
26 Anglers took part catching 45 fish. Top rod was Cambridge angler Mark Searle with 7 fish.
1st Mark Searle 7 fish
2nd = Peter Hartley 5 fish
Graham Williams
3rd= John Vincent 4 fish
Harley Smith
Ashley Gillies

East Midlands Trout Fishers Association
28 Anglers took part in this competition catching 173 trout giving a rod average of 6.1 Top rod on the day was John Sears. John caught 8 fish for 29lb 5oz from Rainbow Point on a Di3 line with a brown zonker. John was also in the top boat with his good friend Mick White from St Neots. Mick also caught 8 fish for 21lb 8oz.
1st John Sears 8 fish for 29lb 5oz
2nd Bob Forsyth 8 fish for 23lb 11oz
3RD Roger Woodhams 8 fish for 23lb 7oz

Top 3 boats
1st Mick White & John Sears 16 fish for 50lb 13oz
2nd Bob Forsyth & Roger Woodhams 16 fish for 47lb 2oz
3rd Rick Varley & Danny Peat 16 fish for 41lb 6oz

Best Rainbow 5lb 8oz taken by Simon Ware.
Best Brown 7lb 10oz taken by John Sears of Great Gransden.

Best boat areas L and H buoys, Savages Creek, South of Dam, lodge frontage, Valley Creek, the Seat.

Best bank areas Hill Farm, Gaynes Cove, Savages Creek.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Bob Wallinger of Leicester.
Fish stocked 2,000

Forthcoming events:
Invicta Tuesday Night boat league
Anglian Water Airflo International Midland Heat 5 June
England Qualifier ‘Odds & Sods’ 20 June
Pro Am Boat match 23 June
English Youth National 4 July
Beginners courses: 27 May; 6,12, 24 & 27 June; 4,17,23 & 28 July and other dates throughout the season.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir 23rd May 2010

Fish week 376 (4,970) Returns 74 (1,028) Rod average 5.0 (4.8)
The best fish of the week went to season ticket holder Kevin Daykin of Hollowell. Kevin took a 12lb 1oz Rainbow on a mini damsel from Platform 12.

The dam with its access to deep water has produced some nice Rainbows. Michael Williams from Bedworth took his personal best fish of 8lb 15oz from Platform 14. Bob ‘Turbo’ Semple, of Northampton, christened his newly acquired season ticket with a cracking 5lb 14oz fish, again a personal best from the dam.

Still mornings and bright sunny days have restricted surface sport. However, dark red and holo green buzzers fished at depth have accounted for most fish. Fish the bung or a sink tip line from boats or intermediate lines with damsels. Think “thin, small and slow”.

Cooler, breezier conditions will see more olive and damsels hatching to supplement the buzzers and hawthorns.

Best Rainbow 12lb 1oz taken by Kevin Daykin of Hollowell.

Best boat areas Coton end.

Best bank areas Platforms 3-12

Mid week boat winner John Harlow

Fish stocked 4,810