Midlands Fly Fishing Report 24th - 30th June 2007

Another very mixed week weather wise and varied fishing. The deluge of rain wiped out the prospect of any river fishing! Interestingly several trout were very obliging on Tuesday evening, rising to a great sedge hatch on the Coln, despite the river being the colour of drinking chocolate. Fish are still taking, but understandably clients fishing a chalkstream expect clear water.

Carsington continued to produce, but it is all about finding small groups of feeding fish. On calmer days, floating lines and small nymphs are working while windy conditions see an intermediate or slow sinker with a mix of attractor and nymph patterns pick up the fish.

Watermark has fished brilliantly again this week, with plenty of brown and rainbow trout to 6lbs landed during tuition and sight fishing days. We also had another rainbow I estimated at 11lbs come adrift after jumping 3 times!

Willington also fishing well, PTN, damsel and sedge pupa working well, while at loynton the fishing improved as the week progressed. Good rainbows to 9lbs taken on buzzer, damsel, hares ear and loynton guinea.

Fly Fishing Report 17th-23rd June 2007

The trout have been as mixed up as the weather this week, with periods of high and low activity. Feeding patterns have been constantly changing, so finding what they want has been a real challenge somedays.

The key is to have a small range of flies which you know work and fish them well, trying to present them to feeding fish. Current favorites with the fish are olive nymph and buzzer, damsel nymphs, pin head fry, corixa and sedge pupa.

As you can see from the above selection, it is varied to say the least. You can edge your bets by fishing general representations, such as PTN, hares ear, bead head ptn and buzzer. This cuts down on the number of fly changes, so you can concentrate on fishing the flies.

Willington and Watermark have fished most consistently this week, with Loynton producing catches of up to 5 fish for anglers patiently working buzzers and small nymphs over lures. Carsington has produced fish, but tracking down feeding fish has been hard work. Fishing will settle down again as the weather does, whenever that is!

Tight Lines

Steve

Fly Fishing News Update & Report 10th - 16th June 2007

Firstly a few hours late night detective work solved the recent problems encountered with our shopping cart software. So if you have been frustrated trying to order from us on-line, we apologise for the inconvenience and are ready and waiting to receive your orders. Check out our own range of flies and polarised shades!

Last week's fishing was both fun and at times frustrating. Prior to the deluge of rain the river Coln was fishing well, with good hatches of various olives, midge and sedge. Currently the river is running high, carrying colour, but should be in good fishable condition again later this week, with fishing all the better for the fresh water!

Lake fishing has been largely focused on tuition days and casting lessons over at Loynton Trout Fishery. The water had really warmed up despite the cooling springs during the early part of the week, sending fish down a few feet in search of cooler water. Patient fishing with buzzers produced fish for several anglers, the best a catch of 9 rainbows, the biggest at 16lbs! Heavy rain Thursday and Saturday helped cool the surface layers down, bringing nymphing fish up a little and triggering some fry feeding. Pink, yellow and green guineas taking a number of fish between hatches of midge.

Carsington has continued to produce good fish, the key being to know exactly where to go. Small buzzer patterns, mini lures, PTNs and damsels all scoring well, with many first time visitors comparing it to the quality of fishing at Rutland! If you are planning a trip and need some advice checkout out reservoir fly fishing.

I have a mix of sight fishing, reservoir fishing and casting lessons booked for this week, be sure to check out how we get on in our next report!

Tight Lines

Steve

Fly Fishing Report 3rd - 9th June 2007

Well I said the easy fishing was over and so it proved this week. The fishing has been more challenging and anglers have had to take their chances or rue mistakes made.

Willington, Watermark, Loynton and Carsington have all produced fish for clients, largely by us targeting feeding fish and presenting our flies too them. You only have to look into the water now to see it heaving with life forms. If your fly is not in front of the trout you can forget catching.

It has also been a week of what might have been, with two cracking fish coming adrift during truely thrilling fights. The first a big rainbow I would estimate at 9-10lbs at Watermark, then a cracking brown estimated at 4lbs+ from Carsington. I'm still not sure who feels worse when clients loose big fish, them or me!

Average water temperatures on our stillwaters are now 16C in the surface layers and heating up on hot days. When the fish go down, don't just switch to lures, a long leader and nymphs size 14 - 18 will often catch some surprisingly good fish.

I'm looking forward to getting back to the river during next week!

Keep the faith & tight lines

Steve

Fly Fishing Report 27th May - 2nd June 2007

Varied conditions this week, with some very cold mornings early on, giving way to much warmer afternoons and pleasant evenings. At least I managed to stay dry for a week!

Water temperatures are good everywhere, Carsington is still fishing exceedingly well. On calm days a floating line with buzzers, PTN and damsel are all you need. If the wind gets up use the same flies on an intermediate.

Loynton although not producing the bigger catches of winter and early spring is providing anglers with good sport, averaging 5-6 takes per day per angler and 3-4 fish on the bank. Still some good doubles coming out.

Willington has again provided great sport this week with plenty of surface action to hoppers and damsels, while subsurface a PTN is taking nymphing fish everytime. Catches of up to 8 fish per angler.

Watermark has been a little slow, mainly due to the explosion of daphnia and pin head fry. Trout have so much food infront of them your fly has a tiny chance of being the one they take! The water is crystal though, so by stalking fish you can make sure your fly is right on the fishes nose. This method is getting the takes when all else fails.

Still have a few dates available in June, email for latest availability.

Tight Lines

Steve

Fly Fishing Report 20th - 26th May 2007

Well this week saw the big change, on the lakes Trout started to target Damsels in both the nymph and adult form. Numbers have been increasing over the past two weeks and damsels are now everywhere, amazing when you consider this is four weeks early!

The other big change happened on the river. The trout have started to get full, bellies are bursting from the feast of mayfly, olives and midges. Yesterday trout were noticeable by there absence at the surface during the morning. PM and a few stragglers in the form of mayfly duns hatched and the odd spinner fluttered by, though in vastly reduced numbers. The trout however did react, almost sensing the end of a feast, trout grabed what they could the moment flies hit the surface!

I always see spring as ending with May, though June often provides similar fishing. This year Summer fishing is now very much here, the better fishing will start to swing toward afternoon and evening if the hot weather continues, and no doubt fishing will get more challenging as the water becomes a soup of trout food.

The easy fun fishing is coming to an end, now we can look forward to good fishing which requires that bit more thought, provides lessons and makes us better anglers if we chose to listen!

Tight Lines

Steve