Latest News and Information from

Week ending 6 May 2012

• Best Rainbow of the season at Grafham Water
David Hoppe takes 9lb 3 7/8oz Rainbow

• Anglers hit Rutland Water for 6
Several 6lb plus Rainbows including the best fish of the week a 6lb 6¾oz for Malcolm Harrison of Sutton Bridge

• Every cloud has a silver lining ……
Recent heavy rainfall means no bank fishing restrictions at any of our waters

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/leisure

Rutland Water 01780 686441; Grafham Water 01480 810531;
Pitsford, Ravensthorpe & Hollowell 01604 781350,
Taverham Mills Fishery 01603 861014; Alton Water 01473 589105
Recreation Dept Anglian Water 01572 653021

Rutland Water
Fish week 1819 (season 7,134) Returns 432 (1,601) Rod average 4.21(4.45)
Anglers are reporting fantastic sport at Rutland with several remarking that they are enjoying the best start to the season ever. There have been numerous over wintered fish with at least four over 6lb reported last week. The best fish of the week was caught by Malcolm Harrison from Sutton Bridge. Malcolm netted a superb 6lb 12oz Rainbow last Wednesday whilst fishing the ‘Postland Peasants’ boat competition. James Cussins, fishing in the same match, netted a cracking Rainbow of 6lb 6¾oz.

Brown trout featured this week with Phil Brown of Empingham netting a 6lb 4oz specimen and North Luffenham angler Cameron Neil taking a Brown of 6lb 1oz. Both of these fish were taken off the bank. 13 year old Graham Hayward from Empingham continues to improve his personal best fish with a stunning 5lb 4½oz Brown. Graham caught this fish off the bank using a sinking line and boobie.

Martin Hearth of Hambleton has had a great start to the season with many limits off the bank with at least three eight fish limits weighing in excess of 20lb, one of which came off last week. Martin, who reckons he is having the best ever start to the season, used a weighted lure on a floating line.

Fly life has been excellent with massive hatches of buzzers most days, fish are feeding heavily on the smaller variety, but are somehow missing the big buzzers that are occurring at the same time, that and bloodworm, and snails, have been found in fish. Anglers reported the first hatches of olives last Saturday down the North Arm.

Boat anglers have been noticing the huge amount of birds working the water feeding in some areas, and when fishing in those spots have been rewarded with good sport. Lures are still taking the majority of fish, but nymph anglers are slowly but surely starting to get among them as well. Only occasionally so far have fish been seen moving on top, this is due to the unsettled conditions we have experienced this season.

Water clarity is improving all the time and the reservoir continues to rise with pumps working flat out and it’s only a matter of time before top levels are reached. The best advice is to fish upwind for the clearest water. At the time of writing the bottom of both arms – Berrybutts to Manton Bay (South Arm) and the Transformer along to Tim Appletons (North Arm) are carrying excessive colour due to pumping in and wind direction respectively.

Competition news
David Hodgson Memorial Match
47 Anglers fished this popular match in memory of Dave Hodgson. The rod average was 4.53. Mike Lowe took the heaviest fish at 5lb 3oz. His total bag of only three fish weighed in at 22lb 3oz for second place overall. Top rod was Paul Shaw with 8 fish for 28lb 15oz.
1st Paul Shaw 8 fish for 28lb 15oz
2nd Mike Low 3 fish for 22lb 3oz
3rd Thomas Davies 8 fish for 21lb 14oz
4th Steve Cullen 8 fish for 21lb 7oz
5th Graham Willis 8 fish for 20lb 15oz
6th Ronnie Gent 8 fish for 20lb 5oz
Rutland Water continued

Lincolnshire Postland Peasants
Competitors from the Lincolnshire farming community (some of whom are retired) celebrated the 21st year of their annual boat competition last Wednesday in style. Match organisers Brian Drury and Stephen Grundy reckoned this was their best match by far with the biggest fish caught since the event began back in 1991. It was an excellent match fished from 2pm through to 8pm. Best fish of the match (and the week) came in at 6lb 12oz for Malcolm Harrison from Sutton Bridge. Fished as a pairs match the results were as follows
1st Richard Stimpson & Steve Colby 15 fish for 35lb 13¾oz
2nd Brian Johnson & David Tinn 12 fish for 26lb 4oz
3rd Bill Elderkin & Nick Revell 12 fish for 25lb 8oz

Best Rainbow 6lb 12oz taken by Malcolm Harrison of Sutton Bridge.

Best Brown 6lb 4oz taken by Phil Brown of Empingham

Best boat areas Dickensons to Whitwell front, Stockie Bay to the Dam, Old Hall Bay (including flats), East Creek.

Best bank areas The Dam to Whitwell, Normanton, Old Hall, Yellowstone.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner E Mitchell of Rugby.

Fish stocked 2,500.

Forthcoming events
Please note all boats are booked 16 May for the British Fire Service match.
Beginners courses 12 May;2, 6,17, 23 and 29 June and dates throughout the season.
Pike beginners course 26 May
Tuesday Night Boat League commences 8 May.
Anglian Water Floating line match 9 June

Grafham Water
Fish week 992 (season 5,597) Returns 229 (1,227) Rod average 4.33(4.56)
Anglers have enjoyed an excellent week at Grafham Water with the biggest fish of the season a 9lb 3 7/8oz Rainbow falling to David Hoppe. David, from Stoke on Trent, was doing an article on buzzer fishing for Total Fly Fisher magazine, when he caught a superb conditioned over wintered rainbow from Valley Creek on a black buzzer using a midge tip line. This was captured on camera by Cliff Waters of Fishypics.

The biggest bag and the biggest Brown of the week were caught by boat angler Bob Wallinger. Bob caught 8 fish for a cracking 32lb 7oz, with his best fish being a 4lb 9oz Brown. Bob caught these fish on a Di 7 line with a big silver sparkler whilst drifting between M and X buoys.

Boat and bank anglers are catching the vast majority of their fish from the north shore. Bank anglers are finding this area fishes best especially in the strong north easterly winds. Floating lines with black buzzers, diawl bachs, pheasant tail nymphs and gold ribbed hares ears are the best bank methods and the best bank areas have been Marlow Stones, G buoy, Deep Water Point, Hedge End and Hill Farm.

Boat anglers have also had a good week with plenty of bag limits caught. Once again the vast majority of trout caught by the boat anglers have come off the north shore due to the winds. However, the Lodge Frontage and central drifts have also produced some superb sport with the biggest bag, Brown and Rainbow of the week all coming from these areas. The most productive method for boat anglers has been floating or sink tip lines with long leaders with black buzzers, diawl bachs, fished slowly. The best areas for boat anglers have been Rectory Bay, Church Bay, Pig Bay, Hedge End, Hill Farm and Sanctuary Bay.

Competition news
Lexus European Flyfishing Championship Team qualifier

1st Orvis Team Rutland 78 points 43 fish for 108lb 11oz
2nd Fish Hawks 87 points 41 fish for 101lb 15oz
3rd Sonic Sports Team Pitsford 92 points 38 fish for 96lb 10oz
4th Hanningfield 116 points 33 fish for 80lb 13oz
5th Defenders 146 points 24 fish for 61lb 4oz
6TH Grafham Water Flyfishers 147 points 28 fish for 61lb 4oz

Phil Shaw took the best fish – a 4lb 10oz Brown. The match rod average was 5.75 and average fish weight 2lb 9oz.

Best Rainbow David Hoppe 9lb 3 7/8oz.

Best Brown Bob Wallinger 4lb 9oz.

Best boat areas Church Bay, Rectory Bay, Hill Farm, Pig Bay, Sanctuary Bay, M buoy, Lodge frontage, Valley Creek.

Best bank areas Hill Farm, Pig Bay, Hedge End, Marlow Stones, Deep Water Point.

Grafham Water continued

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Craig Foggo of Arlesley.

Fish stocked 2,000

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 20 and 24 May; 3,9,21 and 24 June and dates throughout the season.
Troutmasters final 14 May (no bank fishing for non competitors).

Pitsford Water
Fish week 525 (season 4,286) Returns 137 (982) Rod average 3.86 (4.31)
Pitsford Water hosted the Water industries Game Fishing International Championship last Saturday. 95 anglers fished, with four regions of the Environment Agency, and ten water companies making up the numbers.
Fishing was from the bank and split into six sections, each section had a steward to monitor the anglers. The anglers were put into a draw ensuring each section had an angler from each water company or EA region.
Fishing started at 10am and continued to 4 pm. Following the weigh in at the fishing lodge, anglers moved on to the Brampton Heath Golf centre for the presentation and meal.
Prizes were awarded to all section winners and teams as well as the top four individuals.
Saint Gobain sponsored the event again donating funds to purchase fishing tackle to present as prizes. Anglian Water sponsored the event with some fantastic crystal decanters and glasses as well as engraved tankards.

Results
1st Northumbrian Water 13 fish for 30lb11oz
2nd Thames Water 6 fish for 20lb1oz
3rd North East EA 8 fish for 20lb 9oz
4th Wessex Water 8 fish for 17lb12oz
5th EA Wales 8 fish for 15lb 7oz

The individual winner was Peter Pattinson from Northumbrian Water, Pete caught an incredible 6 fish for 12lb 9oz.

The reserves section was fished from the boat and the winner was Bryn Crinall from Thames Water. He caught 4 fish for 8lb10oz.
Second was Bob Aves from Anglian Water, Bob also caught 4 fish but they were not as heavy as Bryn’s 4 fish. Bob weighed in at 7lb10oz.

The big fish turned up with three Rainbows weighing in at 7lb 3oz and two at 7lb 4oz , but the biggest fish was a Rainbow of 9lb 0oz caught by Thames Water angler Louis Quartly. Conditions were tough with a much needed, but huge, influx of water (Pitsford has risen to 80% full from its lowest capacity of 54% before Christmas). This has encouraged the fish to push away from the banks and to move about 60 yards out. Although tough on the bank anglers, boat anglers are taking plenty of fish.
Pitsford Water continued

Last Thursday Pitsford Water hosted the English Fly Fishers Association Spring day out.

26 anglers fished with a rod average of 3.23.
Ian Peberdy caught 7 fish which was enough to lead the field.
Second was Grafham’s top fishing Warden Ray ‘I can catch em ‘Jenkins.
Ray managed 5 fish.
The anglers enjoyed lunch in the comfort of the fishing lodge, before heading out for the afternoon session.

Best Rainbow 9lb 0oz taken by Louis Quartly.

Best boat areas No fish Point to Stilton Point.
North Farm Bay to Causeway.

Best bank areas Stilton, Gorse, No Fish Point, Oak Tree, Northfields Shore.

Best methods Sinking lines, boobies and blobs. Floating lines, green buzzer and PTN’s

Mid week boat winner Neil Penigrey, Ashton in Markfield, Wigan.

Fish stocked 750

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 19 May; 1,16, 22 & 30 June and dates throughout the season.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 347 (season 3,281) Returns 82(547) Rod average 4.2 (5.9)
Water levels are constantly improving with an additional three feet of water in the reservoir. The reservoir has some colour in it but clarity is improving.

Notable catches during the week included Marc Balment who had 29 fish on olive buzzer under the bung. Dave McSeventey had 8 fish with small nymphs on floating lines. Dave’s best brace included the best fish of the week at 7lb 12oz and another at 6lb. Bill and Alex Ferguson caught fish all over on varying methods. With warmer weather prospects look good.

Best Rainbow 7lb 12oz Taken by Dave McSeventey.

Best boat areas Catwalk Corner and Coton bank.

Bank areas All areas now available.

Best methods Floating lines with buzzers under the bung catching well. Lures on intermediate lines still doing well.

Mid week boat winner S Walsh of Buckingham.