Eyebrook Fishery Report; Week Ending Sunday 02 Apr 23.

Weekly Fishing Report: Draycote, Eyebrook, Thornton

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Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

Email: eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Eyebrook is explained on our website

www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

2023 Membership options visit our website www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/

Main Entrance Road Maintenance – As of Tuesday 04 April, the Great Easton Road main entrance to Eyebrook should be open as normal this week. For the latest info, please call the Lodge on 01536 770264.

Week Ending: 02 April 23                    Rod Av: 6.2    Water Temperature: 9°C

The week began with a light variable wind that changed direction throughout the day. After a chilly start, the air temperature increased & by late morning the sky was full of early springtime buzzers. This reflected in the fishing, after a slow start to the day with a few fish caught, there was a lot of fish caught by late morning through to late afternoon. Both the bank & the boats anglers caught well with some excellent bags recorded. Members Ian Jobe & Roy Swinfield both landed 19 fish from the banks, on buzzers. Ian chose to fish the Chestnut area with buzzers on a washing line whilst Roy opted straight lined buzzers at the Hawthorns & Sam’s Dyke. From the boats, Household Members, Liz & Mike got well into double figures fishing buzzers in the margins at the Hawthorns. What was noticeable was by late afternoon as the sun had disappeared behind the hills & the temperature had dropped, the buzzer hatch was done.

There was a calm, overcast start to the day on Tuesday. However, by mid-morning there was blustery southerly wind & some heavy showers that abated by mid-afternoon. The unsettled weather did not detract from the fishing as there was fish caught throughout the day from the bank, the boats & float tubes. Fishery Guide Mike Oliver had a very productive afternoon session from the bank fishing a team of buzzers down the Hawthorns. Mike landed 10 fish in total, just letting them swing around on the prevailing wind. From the boats, fish were caught from various locations; the Chestnut, Mucky Bay, Hawthorns & Sam’ Dyke. Black Buzzers fished very slow, or static were the order of the day as fish were caught consistently throughout the day & consequently there were some good catch returns from the boats with anglers catching into well into double figures. The Pike are also beginning to feed with regular visitor Nigel Woolnough landing 2 upper doubles in what was a productive afternoon after a wet late morning.

The reservoir continued to fish very well on Wednesday with good numbers of fish being caught from both the boats & the banks. The Leicester bank from the Hawthorns to the Chestnut has proven to be both very productive & very consistent with naturally feeding fish found all the way along. What has been increasingly noticeable, is the importance of the temperature when it comes to early season buzzer fishing. During the warmer mornings, the buzzer fishing has been prolific whereas, late afternoon has been seen all catch rates reduce. This is due the drop in temperature that occurs this time of year by late afternoon. The reservoir has fished better in the mornings now for 3 consecutive days. There have been some high returns recorded with All Water Member Norman Perkins landing 14 fish off the bank. Norman fished a cast containing a blob, buzzer & a Diawl Bach down at the Hawthorns. On the boats, Eyebrook members Liz & Mike Rawson had a great day catching well over 20 fish on Buzzers also down by the Hawthorns. Another member, Albert Coles, had a great afternoon session catching well into 20’s from various locations. Albert found that small black buzzers were his most effective fly pattern.

Thursday brought with it some relentless, blustery southerly winds that favoured those fishing the Hawthorns & Mucky Bay. Eyebrook member Roy Swinfield & All Water Member Lynsay Bates opted for the Hawthorns & were rewarded with a very productive day as they caught consistently throughout the day. Fishing small, black buzzers on either the Washing Line or Straight Line they landed 19 & 20 fish respectively. Another Eyebrook member, Mick Farrell opted for Mucky Bay where Mick fished Muskins on a washing line to tempt his 9 fish. From the boats Household Members Liz & Mike Rawson enjoyed their final day of their latest visit with 18 fish to the boat on Buzzers. Liz & Mike have had a very productive 4 days with us despite having to contend with some of the finest examples of, typically British, springtime weather. It was great to see you both & we look forward to your next visit.

Friday started off very wet & remained very wet for the rest of the day. Those who braved the elements were rewarded with some excellent fishing with the reservoir yielding an 8.9 rod average for the day. Yet again Buzzer patterns & Nymphs featured very highly on the catch returns with both the banks & the boats being equally productive. Mick Farrell returned after his previously successful bank session, but this time from the boats. Mick went on to have a very productive day with his boat partner Mr Harris, landing well over 20 fish to the boat. From the banks, regular visitors Nigel Woolnough & Garry Mickley landed 15 & 14 fish respectively with Garry opting to fish Diawl Bachs rather than Buzzers. The Diawl Bach is an excellent suggestive nymph pattern that Buzzer feeding fish find hard to resist. Being a lot lighter than a buzzer, it sinks slower, so therefore it will spend more time in a potential fish holding zone before it sinks too deep. A truly great pattern that catches fish all year round on any venue. The most productive areas remain the Leicester Bank, from the Hawthorns to the Chestnut.

After the overnight deluge of rain, the water clarity was set to deteriorate throughout the day as surface run off from the surrounding fields & the Eye Brook running high & coloured would begin to take its toll. As the day progressed the north of the reservoir, from the Island upwards, bore the brunt of poor water clarity. The southern end continued to fish well with Buzzers & Black Nymphs again featuring high on the catch returns. Fish were caught from the banks & the boats who benefited from targeting the margins as these presented the greater clarity. The most productive methods were either straight lined buzzers or washing lined Nymphs & Buzzers on a tip line or floater. Household Members Albert Coales & Rob Edmunds enjoyed a very successful day, landing well over 20 fish to the boat. Another Member, Mark Hunt, caught very well fishing Nymphs on a 6ft Tip Line finishing with 14 fish to the boat. Saturday also saw the start of the England Ladies open weekend which saw 10 anglers take to the water to hone their skills for the forthcoming season. They all had an enjoyable day catching plenty of fish, with the most successful flies being Buzzers on either the washing line or fished straight lined.

Sunday saw the water clarity deteriorate further as the Eye Brook was still carrying a lot of coloured water. There were still fish caught from both the boats & the banks, as the fish continued to feed on Buzzers. The most productive area remained the Hawthorns & Sam’s Dyke as finding the better water clarity proved to be critical. Eyebrook Member Steve Lawrence had a great day off the bank given the clarity, landing 10. Steve fished an Orange Blob in Sam’s Dyke. Other members Malcolm Thompson & Dave Etty also had a good day landing 6 apiece from the bank on nymphs. On the water, Neil Shilton had 9 from his Float tube. Whereas fishing from separate boats, Rob Edmunds & Sam Smith both got well into double figures, which was a great effort given the conditions.

The outlook for the forthcoming week looks great. The weather looks relatively dry with no heavy rain forecast so there will be a noticeable improvement of the water clarity on a daily basis. For updates call the Lodge on 01536 770264.

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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

Email: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk

2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Eyebrook is explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

2023 Membership details Visit   www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/ for details of our 2023 membership options

Week Ending: 2^nd April    Rod Av: 5.3      Water Temperature: 9c

Monday, with light winds forecast a busy day with all the anglers fishing the shallows of the Thornton arm, wood, corner of the wood with floating lines, black green fritz, black gold humungus, cats whisker, bloodworm, black buzzer, diawl bach patterns. Trout are tight on the bank with most been caught within 12ft of the bank. All water member Ian Leach & M Cowley caught 24, L Serrano caught 28, Pete Hunt caught 10 with Andrew Wilson and Carl Bond both catching 8. Anglers reported lots of gentle and missed takes.

Tuesday damp day at times. Again the shallows of the Thornton arm was the area anglers fished with P Wrigley catching 9, Bob Menhams fished a 4 hour session catching 4. It was surprising how the temperature dropped when the rain passed through.

Wednesday mixed weather forecast, nice at times with spells of rain when the temperature dropped, wind was ok, shame therefore anglers cancelled or moved their booking with the day averaging 5. The anglers who did go out took advantage of our morning session fishing 8.30am to 2.30pm. The shallows opposite the lodge continue to fish close in along the margins to floating lines small hares ears, cormorants, black buzzer with black green fritz tadpole or cats whisker.

Thursday another quiet day due to a mixed forecast, it wasn’t that bad, and we enjoyed an excellent day with P Cox catching 11 & J Scott 14. Continuous to be along the shallows with floating line, small viva, hare’s ear and increasing number trout taken on a clack buzzer. An indicator with black buzzers fished at 4ft & 6ft worked well.

Friday with light rain on & off all day we did see a small rise in the water level although clarity wasn’t affected too badly. Steve Proffitt fished the bank opposite the lodge catching 8 on a #12 UV cruncher, diawl bach. John Bebbington caught 7 from a boat. Generally black buzzer & nymphs worked best.

Saturday #12 #10 black buzzer, #12 diawl bach were the top patterns with anglers still concentrating their efforts opposite the lodge, wood & corner of the wood. M Clay caught 8 with Brian Sibley catching 5 with Ian Ash fishing Thornton for the first time from the bank catching 4.

Sunday proved to be a challenging day, everyone caught but they all reported more fish lost or missed takes than fish landed. Clarity is 18inch & improving.

Overall, not a bad week with a 5+ rod average for the week, the rain on Friday did raise the level by a few inches but its nearly back to normal level as I write this report. Looking forward we have good weather for the coming week.

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Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

Email:  draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk

Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Draycote is explained on our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

Week Ending:     2^nd April 2023           Rod Av: 4.04     Water Temperature: 7°C

A lovely start to the week, with what could have been the nicest day of the season so far with warm spring sunshine. However, there was a distinct lack of wind in the morning. These teamed with bright sunshine pushed the fish off the banks making it a day for the boats. However, when the wind did increase Draycote Member Bob Barfoot landed a brace from Biggin Bay on buzzers. On the boats Andy Axon & Sean Porter landed 52 fish to the boat using Buzzers from Biggin Bay and Toft. All water member Ed Douglas again using buzzers but this time straight lining landed 22 fish from Biggin Bay, Lincroft Point and Croft Shoal. Including some cracking fish weighted at 4lb and 6lb taken on the buzzers. Also fishing at Lincroft Point and shoal Sam Smith landed 35 fish using buzzers under the bung. Brendan Thomas & Gary Murray landed 48 fish to the boat again also on buzzers from Toft, Biggin Bay and Lincroft.

Well after one nice day, the weather reverted back to windy and rainy, the same conditions we had for most of the previous weeks. Thankfully the wind was lighter than forecast to start with and remained in the South giving the anglers access to Toft. On the bank all water member Ken Key landed 4 fish using black and green tadpole and buzzers on the droppers. While Alan Topping landed 6 fish from the bank, using buzzers then a Damsel on the point. With the Swan’s Nest proving to be Alan’s most productive area. On the boats Tim Grove fishing his first day on a three day package landed 22 fish. Using black Buzzers in toft and also around Lincroft Point and Shoal in the morning. Chris Reeves and Ian McKenzie also fished in a boat landing 10 fish from Toft.

The wind’s Wednesday certainly did not reach the forecasted speeds which was a welcome surprise, although we did get treated to the rain during the morning. Season ticket holder Richard Collier fished from the bank in Toft landed a brace of fish using a Damsel pattern including a lovely 3lb rainbow. On the boats Tim Grove on his second day of three landed 9 fish on black buzzers. Also on the water we had the Civil Service fishing their regional qualifier for the final later in the year. 17 anglers took to the water landed 113 fish for a rod average of 6.6. With a number of anglers having the 16 fish limit for the competition which was made up of 4 kept and 12 released. The best tactics on the day being buzzers on the droppers with a blue flash damsel on the point on various different midge tips. With the majority of the fish coming from the Cornfield, Lincroft and Toft.

Another unpredictable day as regards the weather on Thursday, with some strong southerly gusts skimming across the surface of Draycote Water. Under such conditions it’s good to see that Rainbow Corner is producing some good catches, particularly on buzzers. Paul Havard had 9 fish from Rainbow Corner using a midge tip line and a mixture of black buzzers and muskins. On the Third day of his fishing trip, Tim Grove caught a dozen fish using buzzers and hares ears on the bung. Mike Oliver caught 3 fish whilst bank fishing near the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay.

Lighter breezes on Friday allowed both boat and bank anglers to take advantage of the good sport to be had along the northern shoreline. Mr S Hill caught half a dozen fish from the bank on damsels and black buzzers, taking fish from the Tower Bank, Biggin Bay and the Cornfield. Leigh Cheshire and Paul Denton had 9 fish from the bank between them using buzzers in the Cornfield. Season permit holder Stephen Dewhurst also took to the bank to net 3 fish in the Cornfield on Nymphs. Ray Rawlings caught 8 fish from a drifting boat in the area of the Swans Nest and the Cornfield, using nemo crunchers and white snakes.

A mixed day weatherwise Saturday with warm spring sunshine at times and some showers later in the day. On the bank  Stan Hillman used buzzers and a Damsel on the point to land 11 fish. David Hoppe also used buzzers to enjoy a good day on the bank landing 7 fish. With buzzers also proving to the way for Mark Parsley with 6 fish. On the boats John McVay landed 15 fish with a black and red buzzer being his most productive patten. With he hotspots being School Slips, Inlet & Cornfield. Fishery ranger & Guide Lee Henfrey fished from a boat in the morning landing 17 fish on Buzzers fishing down the Farborough Dam including some cracking fish with the best a rainbow estimated at 8lb. New fishery ranger Mark Braun also fished for a morning landing 8 fish all on black buzzers taken along the Cornfield. John Jessop on the boats landed 13 fish using buzzers and FABs along the Cornfield. Draycote season ticket holder Martyn Hancox landed 10 fish on a half day boat using a white tadpole.

A colder feel to the day Sunday with a North wind and overcast skies first thing in the morning. Which later in the day give way to some very welcome spring sunshine which resulted in a good buzzer hatch. On the bank we saw the Draycote Fly Fishers Association, fishing their first bank match of the season with 17 anglers fishing. It proved to be a challenging day on the bank which surprised most given the conditions. Winning the match was Mike Nolan who used buzzers on the Tower bank to land 4 fish including a cracking rainbow which can be seen by following the link www.facebook.com/flyfishstore In Second place was Kevin Jones, a new fishery ranger with 3 fish again taken on buzzers. Outside of the match there was a couple of other noticeable catches. Alan Grant landed 6 fish from Lincroft Point on buzzers. Then just down the bank at Dougie’s Gap Simon Ringer landed 8 fish on buzzers. On the boats Kevin Hart & Dave Pacey landed a dozen fish from the Farborough Dam wall with everyone being overwintered with he fish falling to boobies fish on sunk lines. Rob Middleton who was later joined by his brother Craig boated over 20 fish using buzzers with Toft, Cornfield and Farborough Dam proving to be the best areas. All water member Ed Douglas straight lined buzzers all day landing 24 fish with Cornfield and Toft being his best areas.

Event – RIO SAGE day at Draycote Sunday 9^th April, we have Simon Gawesworth from RIO, Chris Anderson & Peter Knox from SAGE & Jim Fearn from Guide Flyfishing onsite from 10.00am to 4pm.

If you’re looking for advice on any RIO or SAGE products call in, we are providing light refreshments.

Event – Boatmen / Boatwomen required.

Draycote 19^th May hosts the seniors International with teams from England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland. We require boatmen / women for the event. You will receive £30.00 & a Draycote or Eyebrook boat voucher. If you are interested or require further information, contact Tom Bird at the Draycote Lodge 01788812018.