Latest News and Information from

Week ending 23 March 2014

• Keith’s Rainbow is best fish of the season to date at Grafham
Keith Gilchrist weighs in 7lb 2oz Rainbow

• Excellent over wintered fish at all our fisheries

• Ravensthorpe’s buzzing!
Rod average of 7.6 and fish are switched onto buzzers

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 950 Returns 114 Rod average 8.33
Rutland Water is fishing very well, with bank anglers having good sport around the shoreline with the fish being caught close in.

As predicted, the fish are feeding exceptionally well on small buzzers, with nymph anglers using floating lines and long leaders reaping their rewards. Areas like the Finches Bank, Normanton, Whitwell, Sykes Lane, East Creek and the Old Disabled Bay are fishing well. Lure anglers are catching fish on small weighted and un-weighted lures with black and green working well at this time of year.

Anglers had to put up with some fairly strong winds blowing along the reservoir last week which gave boat anglers very few settled areas to fish comfortably, not many took to the boats during the week, however, more settled conditions at the weekend saw anglers catching fish along the Normanton bank, Sykes Lane, Sailing Club and the Old Hall.

Stock fish are averaging 1lb 12oz, while steady numbers of over wintered fish are being caught in many areas ranging between 2lb and 5lb. Season ticket holder Al Owen from Lincolnshire managed two 4lb plus overwintered Rainbows last Tuesday fishing a team of buzzers from the north arm shoreline. Elsewhere boat angler Mr Blatch had the best rainbow of the week at 5lb caught last Saturday.

Browns, which are out of season, have been showing with the best quickly weighed and returned at 8lb 8oz, caught by bank angler Michael Dorr fishing off the Normanton bank.
Please remember that until 1 April browns are to be returned to the water. Random bag checks are being made. There are also winter restrictions regarding ‘no go’ areas for both bank and boat anglers. There are maps at the fishing lodge illustrating restricted areas and also on our website pages http://www.anglianwater/leisure/fishing-news
Best Rainbow 5lb taken by Mr Blatch

Best Brown 8lb 8oz taken by Michael Dorr

Best methods Bank – Floating line with nymphs and weighted lures.
Boat – As for bank but include various sinking lines and lures.

Mid week boat winner C Atkinson of Great Dyton, TS9 6QJ

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses: 3, 9, 19 & 26 April; 3,10,24 & 31 May and other dates throughout the season.
Independence Day Trophy 5 April.
Anglian Water Airflo International – Northern Heat 27 April
Tuesday Night Boat League This year’s boat league commences on Tuesday 6 May and runs through to the 15 August – a total of 15 weeks.

Grafham Water
Fish week 333 (season 1,056) Returns 53 (160) Rod average 6.28 (6.6)
Grafham Water has continued to fish well for both bank and boat anglers with an excellent rod average of 6.28.

Season ticket holder Keith Gilchrist landed the biggest fish of the week and also the season. Keith caught a superb conditioned over wintered Rainbow of 7lb 2oz whilst boat fishing at the North End of the Dam on a black and green booby with a Di5 line. Keith also landed a 4lb 14oz Rainbow from Deep Water Point on the same fly but with a Di3 line.

Bank anglers have once again had an exceptional week’s fishing with plenty of areas producing consistent catch rates. Season ticket holder Roland Dean from Cambridge has had a great week’s fishing, catching 24 trout from the G Buoy area with 3 fish weighing over 4lb. Roland was fishing a floating line with a mixture of small nymphs. G Buoy, North Dam, Hill Farm, Lodge Bank, the Seat and Gaynes Cove have all produced very good consistent catch rates on floating or intermediate lines with nymphs, black and green lures and boobies.

Boat anglers have also had a good week with plenty of bag limits being caught mainly around the margins, with Hill Farm, Hedge End, Deep Water Point, G Buoy, Willows/North Dam, Lodge Bank and Gaynes Cove proving the best areas. The most prolific methods for boat anglers have been Di3/5 lines with black and green lures or boobies, orange blobs, gold ribbed hares ear and olive buzzers.

The Bob Church Open will be fished at Grafham Water on Saturday 19 April. This annual match for the Frank Cutler Trophy raises funds for Northampton Town Football Club and for Parkinsons Disease. The competition will be fished to International rules to an 8 fish limit. The entry fee of £58 (£34.50 for season ticket holders) includes a hot meal at the end of the match. Entries close on 1 April. For more information and to make an entry please call 01480 810531.

Best Rainbow 7lb 2oz taken by Keith Gilchrist.

Best methods See report.

Best boat areas G Buoy, Hill Farm, Hedge End, Willows, North Dam, Lodge Bank and Gaynes Cove.

Best bank areas Hill Farm, Deep Water Point, G Buoy, North Dam, Lodge Bank, Seat, Gaynes Cove.

Mid week boat winner John Moore of Perry.

Fish stocked 2,000.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses: 5,12, 17 & 27 April; 4,18,25 & 29 May and other dates throughout the season.
Anglian Water Rudder Match (leg 1 of 9) 12 April.
Bob Church Open (Frank Cutler Memorial Trophy) 19 April – 01480 810531
GWFFA vs EDFA 27 April 01480 810531
Evening boat league starts May
Lexus European Individual Qualifier 3 May – 01761 490367
Lexus European Team Qualifier 4 May – 01761 490367

Pitsford Water
Fish week 521 (season 1,546) Returns 143 (311) Rod average 3.6 (4.9)
The changeable weather conditions have made for difficult fishing this week. Some days the fish are in the top three feet taking buzzers and the next day they are down deep and reluctant to feed. The rod average for the week has been 3.6 with the season average at 5. A further stocking of 1,000 fish from Rainbow Valley will freshen things up and more settled weather is forecast.

The best Rainbow of the week fell to Mr Harris, a fish of 4lb plus which was an overwintered specimen. Fish are well spread out around the water and are still in the margins. There are still plenty of superb Brown trout being taken, the best of the week a 5lb 8oz specimen. All anglers are reminded that they must return any Browns as they are out of season until 1 April.

Best methods are floating lines with teams of buzzers and bloodworm or Di3 with small Gold Head Lures in black and green or damsel.
On Sunday Mid Northants Fly Fishers held a bank match in very unpleasant conditions with gales, hail and rains storms. Barry Jones won the match with 4 fish for over 9lb, with Richard Slater second with 5 fish but for slightly less weight.

Best Rainbow 4lb.

Best Brown 5lb 8oz.

Best methods See report.

Best boat areas North Farm Bay, Bog Bay, Sailing Club Bank, Brixworth Bay.

Best bank areas Sailing Club, Rigbys, Sermans, Duffers..

Mid week boat winner Andy Shortland.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses: 27 & 30 March; 6,13 & 25 April; 8,11,17 & 30 May and other dates throughout the season.
Four man team bank match 13 April (no other bank fishing) for more information please call 01604 781350

Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 515 (season 1,844) Returns 67 (190) Rod average 7.6 (9.7)
The fish at Ravensthorpe are really beginning to switch on to buzzers now with the milder weather and this is the method that works over lures for those wily trout who have seen too many Pitsford Peas. The water is still fishing well but has slowed to a very respectable rod average of 7.6.

Catches of note this week began last Wednesday when Ady Greeno caught 23 fish on a blue holographic buzzer by the Island. Mr Turner and his boat partner managed 16 fish all on black buzzers and diawl bachs on Friday.

The weekend proved productive for Mick Griffin on both Saturday and Sunday when he boated 20 plus fish on both days from the Island and Coton End on red diawl bachs fished static on a very long leader. Mick had several fish over 6lb in weight which he returned.

The bank has continued to provide good sport. In particular the Platforms down the Ravensthorpe bank have fished well with many fish being taken on buzzers.

Best Rainbow 6lb plus taken by Mick Griffin

Best methods See report.

Best boat areas The Island to Coton Car Park.

Best bank areas Platforms 4-6 and 11-12

Mid week boat winner Mr J Watts of Market Harborough.

Fish stocked 500.