Angling Report
The latest news from the boats and banks
| Report for week ending: 5th May, 2024 |
| Rod average : 5.97 |
| Best fish : 5lb 5ozs rainbow |
| Caught by : Mr. David Gould |
| From : a boat, South Lake |
| Fly used : pink lure |
| Best Dry Flies : hawthorn ; black hopper ; small orange hopper |
| Best Wet Flies/Nymphs : Diawl Bach ; hot head Diawl Bach ; black buzzer ; montana ; hare’s ear nymph ; cruncher ; Black Pennell |
| Best Lures : Cormorant ; orange fritz ; black and green ; orange tadpole ; black fritz ; blue flash damsel |
| Best Areas : Watery Lane ; Mickledale Bay ; Concrete Bowl ; Old Man’s ; Boathouse Bay ; Ten Acre Bay ; St. Stephens Bay ; Rainbow Corner (Mon, Tues, Fri only for bank angling) |
Summary Report
Temperatures begin to rise and so do the trout …
Another exceptional week of sport was driven, in the main, by a rise in temperatures, both air and water, which saw the trout responding readily to the plethora of hatches triggered by the warmth. Dry flies are now starting to attract eager fish with nymphs and buzzers still dominating the returns.
Wet fly enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that Black Pennell, Black & Peacock Spider, Bibio and black gnat patterns are also producing excellent results with the rod average rising along with the temperature this week.
The best of the many noteworthy returns this week include on the 29th for visiting rod Mr. Andrew Brownsword with 10 fish returned from the banks. On the 30th there were further solid returns including for Season Permit holder Mr. Geoff Allsop with 15 fish recorded from the banks on various buzzer and lure patterns. The 1st May continued to provide incredibly good sport with Season Permit holder Mr. Mick Grant returning 12 fish from the banks on the South Lake using Black Pennell, Hawthorn and Bibio Shipmans to good effect ; visiting rod Mr. Jones returned 14 from the banks ; visiting rods Mr. Ian Massey and Mr. Peter Hindle recorded 11 fish apiece from the banks of the South Lake ; visiting rod Mr. Steve Owen fished from a boat and returned 12 to his boat and visiting rod Mr. Robert Darby recorded 22 fish from the banks. The 2nd May saw further superb returns with visiting rod Mr. Henry Deakin recording 11 fish from the banks ; Season Permit holder Mr. Paul Walker caught and released 14 from the banks ; visiting rods Mr. Tim Russell and Mr. Alan Hudson both returned 12 fish apiece and visiting rod Mr. Jones returned 22 fish, all caught on a muddler, from the South Lake banks. Visiting rod Mr. Steve Cooper recorded a total of 14 fish from the banks on Friday 3rd whilst visiting rod Mr. Bruce Burton returned 15 – all caught on a hot head damsel pattern. Near-perfect conditions on Saturday 4th resulted in further productive sport with boat anglers faring particularly well – Messrs. Smith and Lewin recorded a boat total of 32 fish, mainly on various blobs ; Mr. Phil Dixon returned 24 fish to his boat ; visiting rod Mr. Matthew Yarwood recorded 19 to his boat using damsel and Diawl Bach patterns ; visiting rod Mr. Tucker returned 18 fish from the banks of the South Lake on hoppers – the first significant dry-fly return this Season and Season Permit holder Mr. Peter Deacon enjoyed excellent sport from the banks with a total of 33 fish , the majority released to swim for another day. Rounding off the week we hosted a heat of the ever-popular Fastmail pairs match organised by Phil Dixon. It was a superb day with all boats catching their limits and enjoying fabulous sport. Winners were Mike Lightfoot and Dave Currie, with Jake and Ethan Clowes in second place followed by Roy Lewin and Mike Smith in 3rd. Well done to them and to all who took part and supported both the event and the fishery.
Don’t forget to enter our monthly prize draw to win a 4 hour boat ticket or a 4 hour permit – simply submit your return after fishing to be entered into the draw (don’t forget to include a ‘phone number when buying day tickets). The next draw will take place on Friday 31st May. Good luck!
April’s monthly draw winners are Mr. Dave Saunders and Mr. Colin Beresford – congratulations to both!
The North Lake is now open to all anglers as are all of the vehicle tracks around the South Lake. With continued mild weather and settled conditions the prospects for the week ahead are extremely good. We look forward to seeing you soon!
We will be continuing our Loyalty scheme in 2024 so don’t forget to pick up a card and start collecting the stamps each time you pay for a boat or a permit (1 stamp per visit). Once you have collected 5 stamps you can choose from either a free 4 hour permit or a free 4 hour boat.
For the latest information on conditions and track closures please ring the Duty Bailiffs on 07974 263338.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The rod average is 5.97