Stunning rod average over over 11 as Rutland re-opens – report

[geepsterKeymaster]

Week ending 4 April 2021

• Rutland rod average a staggering 11.47 for the first days of the new season

• Flying start at Pitsford with 12.55 fish per rod

• Remarkable Ravensthorpe – rod average of 17.5 and 10lb 8oz Rainbow

http://www.anglianwaterparks.co.uk

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
What a great start to the season at Rutland with a staggering rod average of 11.47 over the first few days of the new season. High numbers of overwintered Rainbows, specimen Browns and a great spread of fish all round the reservoir for boat and bank anglers have made for fantastic sport for the anglers eager to get back to some fishing.
The North arm has been very popular with fish taken from #willow Bay to Barnsdale Creek, Barnsdale Road end round into Dickensons and Transformer to Tim Appletons. There have been many excellent reports with comments like “Brilliant”; ”Fantastic”; “Awesome” and “Memorable”. Bank and boat anglers are having tremendous sport from so many areas of the reservoir, there were many multiple numbers of fish recorded.
Reports came back from all over the reservoir, starting from the top of the North Arm all the way round to the extremes of the South Arm.
Cold North easterly winds have been very cold on the hands, but the action has been very hot indeed, with lots of rod bending action throughout the past few days.
As usual there was a variety of flies and fly lines used to good effect ranging from lures to nymph/buzzers.
Bank anglers had many areas to fish, the North shore of the reservoir to the Dam itself, and then along from the Green bank through to Armley Wood on the peninsula. Excellent news was that there were steady numbers of trout reported moving close in feeding on the early season’s buzzer hatches.
A good mixture of stock fish showed along with reports of steady numbers of overwintered fish, including two bank anglers who caught and released three Browns all around the 6lb plus mark.
The winner of the Independence Day shield for best fish on Opening Day was a fine 5lb 10oz Rainbow taken from a boat. A further 2,500 Rainbows are scheduled for this week as we continue with our stocking programme for 2021. Good numbers of buzzers are hatching despite the chilly weather with fish definitely ‘on them’ feeding well, shrimp and corixa have also featured on the menu this week for the trout.

Boat bookings (and payment for boats up to 11 April) are being taken over the phone by the lodges. Based on the Covid ‘road map’ we anticipate our lodges opening to customers from 12 April.
Our season tickets are also available to purchase.

The lodges are open for telephone callers 7 days a week 8am to 5pm.

Rutland 01780 686441
Grafham 01480 810531
Pitsford 01604 781350
Ravensthorpe 01604 770875

Grafham Water
What a fantastic start to the new season at Grafham Water with a whopping 7 fish rod average and an average fish weight of 3lb. One angler fishing from a boat on a day ticket caught and released 57 fish on Opening Day, with many others enjoying catches well into double figures. If we can take anything positive from the recent Lockdown it is the extended break which has resulted in the fish being well and truly up for it.
The north end of the dam wall was the place to be for bank anglers on Opening Day, with anglers catching up to 20 fish in one sitting. One of our rangers caught a number of good Rainbows with a 5lb Brown finishing the session off in style. The Harbour Arms have also been producing good fish so long as the wind is in the angler’s favour.
Boat fishing has produced some surprises. On Opening Day, rather than being dotted along the north shore and around G marker, the boats were finding the fish in Sanctuary Bay and by the entrance of Savages Creek. The fish have been caught 6 feet and deeper under the surface.
Similar methods work for both the bank and boat anglers. Lures and snakes allow them to reach the depth required and pull back quickly. If this doesn’t bring the fish to the hook then try hares ear on a size 16 hook fished static slowly across the wind.
Boat bookings (and payment for boats up to 11 April) are being taken over the phone by the lodges. Based on the Covid ‘road map’ we anticipate our lodges opening to customers from 12 April.
Our season tickets are also available to purchase.

The lodges are open for telephone callers 7 days a week 8am to 5pm.

Rutland 01780 686441
Grafham 01480 810531
Pitsford 01604 781350
Ravensthorpe 01604 770875

Pitsford Water
Rod average for first few days of the new season 12.55
Pitsford Water opened for fishing on Thursday 1 April with some incredible sport. The rod average for the first four days of the season was a fantastic 12.55.

Even though conditions have not been ideal with strong cold northerly winds, fish were found to be already feeding heavily on buzzers in the top 6 feet of the water. Various methods are accounting for fish, from floating lines and small black or olive buzzers to intermediates and sinkers with old favourite the Pitsford Pea catching. Cats whisker lures and blobs are also accounting for a lot of fish.

Although the bank fished well on opening day with fish feeding close in, boats also caught well. The standout return on opening day came from a boat with two anglers fishing the drifts from Bog Bay all the way along to Brixworth Bay, fishing midge tip lines with FABs and buzzers, to take 70 fish between them in an incredible day’s sport.

From the bank there were numerous catches into double figures with several anglers reporting Rainbows in the 4-6lb bracket. Anglian Water fishery staff member Mark Mathieson had two cracking Brown trout both falling to size 12 black buzzers and estimated at 6lb plus. One of our season ticket holders fished buzzers in Hell Bay and had a great morning catching Rainbows of 5lb 11oz and 5lb and releasing 12 others. Other notable catches included a 5lb Rainbow taken on a shrimp pattern.

Boat bookings (and payment for boats up to 11 April) are being taken over the phone by the lodges. Based on the Covid ‘road map’ we anticipate our lodges opening to customers from 12 April.
Our season tickets are also available to purchase.

The lodges are open for telephone callers 7 days a week 8am to 5pm.

Rutland 01780 686441
Grafham 01480 810531
Pitsford 01604 781350
Ravensthorpe 01604 770875

A more comprehensive report will be published next week after the first full week’s fishing.

Best Rainbow: Estimated at 6lb.

Best Brown: 6lb (estimated).

Best bank areas: Stilton, Gorse, Cliffs, No Fish Point, Duffers, Bog Bay.

Fish stocked: 10,000.

Ravensthorpe
17.5 Rod average for first few days of the new season

A fantastic start to a long-awaited new season as Ravensthorpe with an impressive rod average of 17.5. It’s been buzzer fishing at tis best over the last few days with many hard fighting, full finned fish being caught. Our stocking programme at Ravensthorpe started back in January and the fish are silver and well mended.

Many of the fish being caught are 3lb plus with some much larger specimens showing. The best fish to date is a 10lb 8oz Rainbow.
One of our boat anglers had two fish of 8lb in his haul of 58 fish. Several other anglers are reporting releasing fish between 5-7lb. The best method has been straight lining buzzers or buzzers under the bung, but some anglers have had great success with intermediate lines black and green lures and blobs. Slow or almost static retrieves have been best. Bank fishing has been good from the dam and Monger Bank, although in bright conditions the fish quickly push out to deeper water when disturbed.

Boat bookings (and payment for boats up to 11 April) are being taken over the phone by the lodges. Based on the Covid ‘road map’ we anticipate our lodges opening to customers from 12 April.
Our season tickets are also available to purchase.

The lodges are open for telephone callers 7 days a week 8am to 5pm.

Rutland 01780 686441
Grafham 01480 810531
Pitsford 01604 781350
Ravensthorpe 01604 770875

[Author]

Posts