Fishing Report 18th - 24th April 2007

Another week passes & spring is moving on fast. With no sustained cold weather this past winter weed has not died back much in most lakes. Now with the outstanding April weather, weed beds have sprung to life. This is nothing to worry about as I wrote last year in tactics for weedy waters.

Back to now, fishing remains excellent on all waters. The stars of the week have been Willington where small nymphs and dry fly sport have caught plenty of brown and rainbow trout for clients. Best fish went to Alan Guy, a brownie just over 4lbs!

Carsington is fishing it's head off, most days all you need is a floating line, long leader and buzzers. A big difference to years gone by and justification for the revised stocking policy.

Loynton has had some very good days and slower days, the latter usually following a very busy day at the fishery. Plenty of good fish coming to the bank though, well into double figures. Don't just assume this venue is a lure water, we catch many fish on natural patterns and there is a mass of corixa in there this year. Our beginners course here this weekend is a sell out. We are also running several courses for anglers looking to improve specific fly fishing skills this year, so check out our fly fishing courses for more details.

Watermark trout fishery provided clients with continued sport, catches of 6-8 fish per angler all taken on skinny buzzer patterns. Rivers too are in fine form, the Coln seeing steadily increasing hatches of olives and midge, with some early sedges and the odd hawthorn around to make a few more trout look to the surface for food.

We still have a few days available for guiding in early and late May, so be sure to email me for details of our lake and river trips.

Fishing Report 9th-17th April 2007

Right now we are pretty much where I left off in the last report. The weather has been amazing, my freckles are starting to join up forming my very own tan and the fly fishing is great!

I've been busy with fly fishing tuition most days at Loynton and Watermark, both of which fished very well. Floating lines with buzzers, scruffy damsel, leech and PTNs picked up fish for everyone, the best a 6.5lb rainbow in mint condition for Mark Coupe during a weekend break!

Remaining days were taken up guiding on the river Coln, where clients landed caught an average of 14 wild brown trout per day. Fish have been loath to take dries so far despite increasing hatches of midge and large dark olives, prefering to munch shrimp and olive nymphs. A few trout were caught on F fly and parachute adams, but most have been taken on HE shrimp and PTN.

Good sport has also been had at Bushyleaze, Willington and Carsington fisheries, where buzzers and floating line tactics have accounted for many fish in the fine weather. The same tactics have caught well at Marton Heath, Danebridge and Cound.

On the big fish scene Lechlade and Loynton are producing good numbers of doubles, though stalking at Lechlade is made rather difficult by the heavy algal bloom currently present. It is a case of either waiting for a big fish to show high in the water and right by the bank or fish the hot spots blind.

Tight Lines

Steve

Fishing Report 1st-8th April

Yes I have just realised I jumped in time with last weeks report (title said the end of April instead of March). I've corrected the error!

Another good week of fishing, all waters again fishing well. I have done several tuition days at Loynton, which has fished mainly very well, with good numbers of fish and several doubles to 20lbs landed. Best flies have been mobile patterns such as guineas, scruffy damsel, leech, cats whisker, zonker though buzzers have picked up a few fish in the last couple of days. (Sorry Dave, you and Liam hit the slow day!)

Carsington continues to fish well, some days floating lines and buzzer are picking up good catches, while a sinking line and lure is picking out the bigger fish. Browns to 3lb+ and rainbows to 5lbs landed.

The brown trout season has now started and good fish to low doubles have been landed at Watermark and Lechlade (Watermark fished very well while we were there 6 fish landed on small nymphs and buzzers). The river Coln is looking well, though still had a little colour in it during our visits. Most action to small PTN and shrimp flies, with sporadic olive hatches triggering the odd fish to rise to a parachute adams.

Great weather, good fishing and it's only early April! What more can you ask for? Availability for April is now only 3 days, early May I still have good availability, along with the last week at the moment. If you are planning a trip, let me know dates ASAP as bookings are coming in daily now.

Tight Lines

Steve