Latest News and Information from

Week ending 19 June 201

• Grafham Water’s Pairs Boat Match Sunday 3 July
Celebrating 50 years of great fishing at Grafham with a fantastic prize pot

• David’s personal best Brown makes biggest fish of the week at Rutland Water
5lb 9½oz Brown for David Mann

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 539 (Season 16,276) Returns 134 (3,230) Rod average 4.02 (5.03)
Come rain or shine Rutland Water is fishing remarkably well. The significant rainfall last week didn’t prevent anglers from catching fish in good numbers. Fish are feeding really well this season with plentiful supplies of daphnia plus pin fry and sedge in good numbers, with damsel nymphs also starting to make an appearance. The ample supply of food means the fish are in extremely good condition. Season ticket holder Roger Gill who fished the bank last week said “the fighting ability and quality of fish has been excellent this season.”

The best fish recorded during the week fell to David Mann who is in his second season fly fishing. David was delighted to take a 5lb 9½oz Brown which was a personal best. He fished the North Arm last Sunday using a di8 line and a fly from the eighties era in the shape of a Christmas tree!

In addition to a good number of Browns there have been plenty of Rainbows in the 2½ – 3lb bracket. Many methods have been working from floating lines, nymph, buzzer and dries through to fast sink lines and lures and blobs, through to large snake patterns.

Good numbers of fish have been on or just under the surface in the very low light conditions coupled with light variable winds. A lot of boat anglers have persisted with the aerators. Although anglers fishing close in to the shoreline along areas such as Normanton, New Zealand Point and Dickensons Bay have accounted for a good share of the fish.

Bank anglers have had good success along the blue pipes at Normanton and down towards Fantasy Island and Sykes Lane and Stockie Bay when the wind changed direction.

Prospects are excellent with plenty of areas to catch fish from both bank and boat. Plenty of pin fry feeding fish are showing on top along the shorelines of the reservoir.

Competition news
Tuesday Night Boat League
Twelve anglers fished last Tuesday, catching 34 fish. Keith Jones a season ticket holder from Peterborough won on the night. Keith took eight fish from the bottom of the south arm and the best, a Rainbow, weighed in at 3lb 6½oz. In second place was Ziggy Lesiakowski, who’s catch included a 3lb 13½oz Rainbow, taking the free mid week boat prize for the biggest fish on the night. Gary Cooper of Empingham was third.

Best Brown 5lb 9½oz taken by David Mann.

Rutland Water continued

Mid week boat winner Hilary Tomlinson of Whissendine.

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 2,10,17 & 23 July;7,13,25 & 28 August and other dates throughout the season.
Tuesday Night boat league
Fly fishing for Pike from 16 May (subject to boat availability)

England Eliminator ‘Odds & Sods’ 26 June
AWAI North of England Final 11 July
Anglian Water Over 50’s Match 30 July
Anglian Water 4 man team Loch Style 17 August
Lexus European Team Final 18-21 August

Grafham Water
Fish week 828 (Season 14,572) Returns 185(2,541) Rod average 4.47 (5.73)
Perseverance and a good battle plan won the day for anglers at Grafham this week despite heavy rain, lightening and even a tornado! The rod average for the week was 4.47 with fishing improving towards the end of the week. Fish are feeding on the pin fry with large specimens being reported by both boat and bank anglers, although we are waiting for these fish to succumb to a fly without breaking the line.

Boat fishing is still the ideal way to enjoy a good day out with areas around G Buoy, Deep Water Point, the Dam and the Willows being the hot spots. Fish are being taken on a variety of methods and depths, though most commonly within the surface layers of water on floating lines and buzzers, diawl bachs and lures.

Bank fishing has been relatively slow as fish move into deeper water, although fish are still coming from Deep Water Point and the Dam (keep an eye out for the evening rise).

Predator anglers will be delighted to know that large Perch and Zander are starting to make an appearance with popular areas being the Aeration Tower, Boils and Deep Water Point. We have reports of a 3lb 8oz Perch being taken on a ‘humungus’ fly off the bank and we hope to see some photos soon.
As the weather starts to settle fishing will improve.

Grafham Water continued

Competition news

Bob Church Classic 12 June
1st Iain Barr
2nd Angus Armour
3rd Stewart Barclay
4th Graham Willis
5th Dean Appleby

Stewart Barclay took the best fish with a fine 3lb 11oz specimen. The best bag was tied with Angus Armour and Dave Kennel weighing in at 11lb 3oz.

EFFA ProAm 16 June
This was a close competition with only 6lb 10oz separating the two teams.
Best bag EFFA – Mel Parrott with four fish for 7lb 8oz. Best bag Professionals Dave Summers 5 fish for 10lb 4oz. Best fish Ben Dobson 4lb 3oz Rainbow; Ray Jenkins 3lb 4oz Rainbow.

EFFA 55lb 15oz
Professionals 62lb 9oz

AWAI Midland Heat 18 June
The top three teams were Elinor; The Renegades and Iain Barr Fly fishing Team Costa. Full results published next week.

As part of Grafham Water’s 50th Birthday Celebrations we are hosting a pairs boat match with a terrific prize pot on Sunday 3 July
This pair’s boat match will celebrate 50 years of fly fishing at Grafham Water. There’s a fantastic prize pot with £1000* going to the winner plus many more prizes. *Subject to the number of entries.

This event will take place on Sunday 3rd July to coincide with the official 50th anniversary week of activities at Grafham Water. This friendly fly fishing competition is to be fished to relaxed international rules (no anchoring or back drifting, any size fly is acceptable) with an 8 fish limit plus time bonus (2lb per hour).
Best Rainbow 4lb 12oz.

Best boat areas 200 yards off north shore, dam and Hill Farm. Lots of fish taken in deeper water.

Best bank areas Deep Water and Pylon Points, Hill Farm and north and south Dam.

Best methods See report.

Grafham Water continued

Mid week boat winner Don Bowyer of Bedford.

Fish stocked 2,000

Forthcoming events
Beginners courses 30 June; 3,9,22,29 & 31July; 14 & 21 August and other dates throughout the season.
Fly fishing for Pike from 16 May (subject to boat availability)
Grafham 50th Birthday Pairs Boat Match 3rd July – terrific prize pot
Scierra Pairs 9 July
AWAI Southern Final 18 July
AWAI Midland Final 25 July

Pitsford Water
Fish week 292(Season 6,131) Returns 85(1,262) Rod average 3.4 (4.8)
The barometric pressures have made the fishing conditions super challenging at Pitsford this week and the unseasonable weather has deterred anglers. Earlier in the week trout were being caught on di5 on a variety of lures, including minkies. Although it’s not been easy as the fish continue to show little interest in feeding.

Nick Nicholson had a great end to a week of challenging fishing from the bank with a 4lb12oz brownie, taken on a green/black nymph and David Newens had 6 to the net including two over 3lb. Bank anglers have also found fish from Duffers to Bog Bay and Charlie Evans had 5 to the net early Saturday morning including a full tailed 3lb7oz rainbow.

We have been really pleased to welcome some fishing kayaks back onto our water this week – especially 10 year old MD Jacobs fishing with his father.

As the week closes, the boats have been fishing well on a variety of methods and shrimp feeding in close with anglers also catching on damsels and lures.

Fraser Duffy reported catching loads of pike despite him targeting the trout, and included a pike estimated at 20lb+ caught on a snake!

Alex Ferguson brought his dad out for a Fathers Day treat. Using a floating line, Alex quickly had a 4lb plus brown on a hares ear off Brixworth Bay. They also caught on size 14 buzzers, and olive hog fly patterns.

The bank anglers struggled with few fish moving and just out of touch, but the latter part of the week has seen the fish moving into the margins early morning where anglers have been reporting reasonable catches.

Pitsford Water continued

Hopefully the weather will now settle and we will see buzzer hatches return and the fish feeding on the top!

Dates for your diary include Pitsford’s popular Evening Summer fishing club which runs every Tuesday up to 9 August.
Mid Northants Trout Fishers Association meets at Pitsford Lodge on the second Saturday of the month with fly tying, casting tuition and friendly advice on all fishing matters.

Best Rainbow 5lb plus

Best boat areas Flats, Sailing Club Bay, North Farm Bay.

Best bank areas Duffers to Stilton Point and North Farm Shore to the Gravel Banks.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner Keith Hatfield of Powys.

Fish stocked 2,000.

Forthcoming events
Evening Summer Fishing Club – Tuesday evening
Lure fishing and fly fishing for Pike from 16 May
Beginners courses 1,16 & 30 July; 6,12 & 27 August and other dates throughout the season.
Mid Northants Trout Fishers Pairs Match 26 June and 23 July

Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Fish week 313 (Season 8,688) Returns 46 (1,021) Rod average 5.8 (8.5)
Anglers have enjoyed another good week at Ravensthorpe with fish being caught on a variety of methods. A lot of fish are being taken on small dries, hoppers, klinkhammers, small foam daddies, cdc’s have all been working.
Damsels, diawl bachs and buzzers fished up in the water, blobs and lures are also producing fish.

Season ticket holder Jim Watts had 14 fish to the boat this week fishing a small damsel pattern. Rob Edmunds had over 30 fish on dries, drifting across the main bowl on Saturday.

Bank anglers have also been catching fish with buzzers, diawl bachs and damsel nymphs or dries worth trying. Alan Duffin had 5 fish in a morning, all on a small buzzer from the Dam.

Ravensthorpe’s Thursday Evening Boat Club runs weekly until August. This friendly boat club is open to all anglers, 6pm start.

Best Rainbow 4lb 4oz.

Best boat areas Coton End, Main Bowl.

Best bank areas Dam, Platforms 3,4,5 and 6.

Best methods See report.

Mid week boat winner P Miley of Ashby St Ledgers.