Latest News and Information from

Week ending 15 July 2012

• Super savings at our fisheries

• Purchase 2 x 8 fish day permits for only £30 at any of our trout fisheries!
Saving of at least £14
(2×2 fish plus catch & release at Ravensthorpe)
This permit is for one angler fishing two different days, purchased in July/August and to be used no later than 17 September. Offer applies to Rutland, Grafham, Pitsford and Ravensthorpe Waters. Not valid for match entries.

• Mid week sunset boats from 4pm for only £12

• Season ticket holders can hire a mid week day boat for only £20 during July and August

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 569 (season 19,582) Returns 178 (4,968) Rod average 3.19 (3.94)
Doug McNicoll of Oakham was delighted to land the best Rainbow of the week at Rutland Water. This superb 6lb 10½oz fish was also a personal best for Doug who bank fished the North Arm shallows. The fish was taken on a size 14 claret Shipmans and had been feeding on corixa.

Another good sized Rainbow caught during the week was landed by Dick Turpin. Dick, who fishes for the Renegades, was practicing for the Anglian Water Airflo International Northern Final on 16 July and netted a personal best Rainbow of 6lb 6½oz. He was drifting off Lax Hill and the fish fell to a boobie.

Fish are being taken from the extremes of the North Arm shallows, the Main Basin and all the way down to Manton Bay.

Bank anglers have caught early morning as well as late evening with fish feeding on pin fry and corixa.

Various methods have worked from dries, nymphs and a variety of mini lures to gold and silver tube flies. Dry fly has started to work on settled days similar to the conditions experienced last Saturday. However the current weather systems and fronts that have prevailed so far this season have created changeable winds and made life difficult for dry fly anglers.

A number of anglers practicing last Saturday for Monday’s Northern final of the Anglian Water Airflo International encountered good sized fish in the shallows of the North Arm and the still weather conditions were more favourable with dry fly enticing fish in very shallow water.

Fish are feeding on daphnia, sedge, buzzers (various sizes) and corixa and there are numbers of fish feeding on this year’s pin fry. With this wide range of food available fish are out in the open water, however, the shallows and areas of bank where the weed is starting to grow have attracted fish including some very large specimens. Fish are being taken in only a couple of feet of water.

Ghillies needed – Rutland Water Fly Fishers Junior Day 22 July
80 Junior anglers have booked a place at Rutland Water for a very special day being organised by Rutland Water Fly Fishers. The youngsters will learn about fly fishing and fly fish from a boat for trout with an experienced boat handler. The day is based at the Fishing Lodge at Normanton with activities such as casting tuition, tying knots and leaders, tackle advice, fly tying and fishing advice.

Following lunch youngsters will go out on the water accompanied by an experienced adult boat handler, either individually or in pairs of matched ability and age. Boats will return to the lodge for a barbeque at 6pm.

Ghillies are still required to help out with the event. If you are able to help then please go to the following
http://www.rutlandwaterflyfishers.co.uk
[email protected]

Competition news
Tuesday Night Boat League – week 10
Keith Jones won week 10 of the league with seven fish for 19lb 15oz, including the best fish of the match a 3lb 10½oz Rainbow.
1st Keith Jones 7 fish for 19lb 15oz.
2nd Mick Bennett 8 fish for 17lb 14oz.
3rd Richard Cooper 5 fish for 12lb 11oz.
Keith’s victory gives him a one point league lead overall with Richard Cooper on 46 points.
1st Keith Jones 47 points
2nd Richard Cooper 46 points
3rd Ady Naylor 30 points
4th Geoff Wanless 30 points
5th Mick Bennett 24 points
6th Chris Evans 23 points

Best Rainbow 6lb 10½oz taken by Doug McNicoll of Oakham.

Best boat areas The main basin, Sailing Club, bottom of both arms.

Best bank areas Sykes Lane, Normanton, New Zealand Point, East Creek, bottom of the North arm.

Best methods Bank – nymphs/dries.
Boat – As for bank but include various sinking lines with lure/nymph combinations and tube flies.

Mid week boat winner M Foreman of Bury St Edmunds.

Fish stocked 3,700

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 22 & 29 July; 4,15 & 19 August and dates throughout the season.
Tuesday Night Boat League
Anglian Water Over 50’s Pairs Match 21 July
Rutland Water Fly Fishers Youth Flyfishing Day 22 July
Anglian Water Loch Style 4 man team 15 August
Floating Line competition date to be confirmed.

Grafham Water
Fish week 886 (season 12,915) Returns 195 (3,383) Rod average 4.54 (3.81)
The fishing at Grafham Water this week has been fantastic for both boat and bank anglers with 20% of all anglers catching their limits with a rod average of 4.54.

Bank anglers have had lots of consistent sport mainly by fishing the Dam, Gaynes Cove and the G Buoy area. The most productive method for the bank anglers has been floating lines with shrimp patterns, gold ribbed hares ear, diawl bachs, crunchers and pheasant tail nymphs.

Boat anglers have also had a great week’s fishing with the entire Dam, Gaynes Cove, G Buoy and the Willows, all producing consistent fishing throughout the day. The main methods for the boat anglers have been floating, Di3 and Di5 lines, with cats whisker boobies, orange blobs, gold ribbed hares ear, crunchers, shrimp patterns and cormorants generally fished slow and close to the margins.

Competition News
Anglian Water Airflo International Midland Final 9 July
Twelve teams competed for one of four places in the International final to be held at Rutland Water 1,2 and 3 October. Once the starter’s gun was fired at 10am most boats headed for Gaynes Cove and the dam frontage. Di3 and Di5 sweep lines with two flies, a booby on the point, blob on the top dropper and nymphs in between were popular methods.

Lots of competitors had 4 or 5 fish to the boat before 11.30am. Top team on the day was Rio Masters who caught 44 fish for 121lb 8½oz. The team’s winning tactics on the day were to fish Di5 lines with cats whisker booby, orange blob and a gold ribbed hares ear along the dam. Top rod on the day was Robert Edmunds fishing for Rio Masters. Rob, from Rutland, caught 8 fish for 26lb
4 ¾oz with his best fish weighing 4lb 11oz, this tremendous bag was also the biggest bag of the week. Although netting 44 fish to Elinor’s 48 fish, Rio Masters landed the biggest weight of fish.

The teams winning through to the prestigious international final are
1st Rio Masters 44 fish for 121lb 8½oz
2nd Elinor 48 fish for 117lb 15½oz
3rd Greenwell Persauders A 42 fish for 114lb 11 1/8oz
4th Hanningfield 40 fish for 104lb 14 1/8oz

Adam Worker fishing for England Youth Anglia caught the best fish at 6lb 2¼oz.

Invicta Tuesday Night Boat League
Eleven anglers took part in this week’s boat league catching 18 trout. Top rod on the evening was Chris McLeod who caught 5 trout.
1st Chris McLeod 5 fish
2nd John Cauldwell/Kieran Bonas 3 fish

Best Rainbow 6lb 2 ¼oz taken by Adam Worker of Bedford.

Best Brown 5lb taken by Don Bowyer of Bedford.

Best boat areas Entire dam, Willows, G Buoy, Gaynes Cove.

Grafham Water continued

Best bank areas Entire dam, Gaynes Cove, G bank.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Aiden McGuire of Hemingford.

Fish stocked 2,000.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 25 & 29 July; 5,12 & 26 August and dates throughout the season.
Airflo Southern Final Anglian Water 23 July.
Floating Line Inter Club Match 28 July.
John Watts Trophy (FDG) 25 August

Pitsford Water
Fish week 772 (season 10,669) Returns 249 (2,714) Rod average 3.1 (3.9)
Pitsford Water continues to fish well during the ‘rainy season’ with anglers reporting consistently good bags of fish. Hares ears, diawl bachs and small damsels are generally performing well, although the dries do seem to be taking a fair number of fish too.

The best methods are floating lines with nymph teams or washing line set ups fished just under the surface.

Competition news
Pitsford Water hosted a match for The Alex Booth Flyfishers for the second time this season. Top spot was taken by Rob Dobson with a bag weight of 18lb 9oz, closely followed by Mike Smith with 18lb 4oz and Dennis Footman in third place at 16lb 4oz. Colin Marriot took the biggest fish of the match at 4lb 1oz.

Anglers wanting to fish in the Lexus Individual are reminded that Ravensthorpe Reservoir is hosting a heat on 9 August and places are still available.

Best Rainbow 5lb 8oz.

Best Brown 3lb 8oz.

Best boat areas Boils, Mosely Point, Grange Farm Creek, North Farm Bay, Small Half.

Best bank areas Cliffs, Gorse, Stilton, Gravels, Holly, Rigbys.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Hugh Hughes of Bradden.

Pitsford Water continued

Fish stocked 1,000.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 21 & 28 July;1,11 & 25 August and dates throughout the season.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 295 (season 6,393) Returns 3.5 (5.1) Rod average 3.5(5.1)
The changeable weather has produced some mixed results for anglers at Ravensthorpe this week.

Earlier in the week the fishing was generally excellent with several boat anglers landing up to 20 fish. Jamie Blaney took over 20 fish from the Boils on Monday with various nymphs including red diawl bach and hares ear nymph.

Experienced dry fly angler Brian Calvert had 10 fish whilst drifting across the water.

The Boils and Cotton End continued to fish well until Thursday when fishing slowed down a bit in these areas due to conditions and angling pressure.

Saturday saw an improvement with anglers catching well at the Coton End on dries, damsel nymph and diawl bachs. The best bank area is still the dam which is best fished early or late with teams of small nymphs or buzzer.

Best Rainbow 3-4lb.

Best boat areas Coton End, the Boils, the Domes.

Best bank areas The Dam.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Mr Green of Milton Keynes.

Forthcoming events
Lexus heat 9 August (Apply now).