Weekly Fishing Report: Draycote, Eyebrook, Thornton
Visit our Fisheries Websites: www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
Online Shop: www.flyfishstore.co.uk Tuition & Guiding: www.flyfishtuition.co.uk
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| Fisheries Opening Hours & Boat Session | |
| Lodge & Bank Open: | 7.30am – 7.30pm |
| Full Day Boat: | 8.30am – 7.30pm |
| Morning Boat: | 8.30am – 2.00pm |
| Afternoon Boat: | 2.00pm – 7.30pm |
| Last 4 Hr: | 3.30pm – 7.30pm |
| All Anglers Off Site: | 7.45pm |
Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report
Lodge – 01536 770264 & Fishery Mobile 07834581424
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/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings Details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Week Ending: 10th September Rod Av: 2.4 Water Temperature: 20-21°c
The Algal bloom that threatened towards the end of last week, welcomed in the week with vengeance, as the still, hot, sunny conditions finally took its toll. There was a thick Algal bloom that covered the southern end of the reservoir. Now there are a couple of ways of dealing with Algae, you either avoid it by searching out clear areas, predominately up wind, or you fish under it as Algae very rarely covers the whole depth. Those venturing out in the morning chose the former as the boats travelled up to the general area of the Willows where fish had been found previously & the water was clearer. By mid-afternoon there was a gentle North-Easterly breeze that began to push the Algae in the Main Basin downwind, freeing more clear water. Fish were caught as in previous days, high up in the water, on Dries or a washing line. Those fish down by the Willows were caught predominately on the Dries with fish willing to come “Blind” to a well-presented Dry Fly. Foam Daddies & the Midas both, unsurprisingly, featured well on the catch returns.
Tuesday brought with it a moderate breeze which fluctuated between a South Easterly & a North Easterly. This made avoiding the Algae somewhat challenging as clear patches became inconsistent, but there were some clear patches & fish were caught. Those fishing the clear patches caught very well on top of the water tactics; Dries & Washing Lined floating lines & there were some very high catch returns recorded. The clearer & therefore most productive areas were the Willows down to Stoke Dry & across the open water, between the Island & the Point. As previously mentioned, another method for fishing with Algae present, is to fish underneath it be that on tip lines with deep fished Nymphs or on Sinking Lines using Boobies. Either can be a great method on their day & some of those who tried that, caught very well on Fast Sinking Lines & Boobies. In areas where the band of Algae isn’t deep, getting under it can be achieved by fishing with Intermediates & Long Tip Lines.
Whatever breeze there was earlier in the week was a distant memory on Wednesday as bright sunlight & flat calm conditions welcomed anglers. The lack of breeze also meant that the Algae was still which made locating clear water challenging. In addition, the water temperature continued to rise so it became very little of a surprise that anglers found fish hard to come by with few fish caught. Wednesday also saw us host the England Disabled Fly Fisher, National Qualifier with 14 anglers taking to the water, producing a rod average of 1.7. Congratulations to all those that qualified for next year’s International & a special mention must go to Neil Hodgson who was the top rod on the day with 5 fish. Neil caught his fish at the Willows & in front of Robbo’s Cabin on a Mid Glass with a Sparkler Booby on the point & Cormorants on the Droppers. Another method that worked for some was a washing line fished on a long Tip Line with Hoppers fished on the droppers.
Thursday brought with it an inconsistent, gentle breeze from the Northeast with clear, bright skies. To make the conditions even more challenging, the consistent high air temperatures finally began to raise the water temperature. With high water temperatures, algae & a flat calm, Thursday turned into a very challenging day. Those that did catch caught mainly on the washing line on long tips or intermediate lines from various locations around the reservoir. The most consistent area proved to from the Willows to Pollards Leap, where Eyebrook Member Stuart Bilsdon caught his 3 fish which was an excellent return for the day.
Friday was yet another extremely hot day, with very little to no wind. The reservoir spent the day in a flat calm with most of the fish caught during the slightly cooler mornings. Foam Daddies featured well on the catch returns with fish willing to feed off the surface during those cooler spells. During the afternoons, very few fish were caught & those that were, were caught on lures on sinking lines. The algae is still present & it became challenging to found clear water due to the lack of wind.
With similar weather to the previous days, Saturday saw the water temperature increase to 22°c by mid-afternoon. Despite the water temperature increase, the algae in the main basin begin to dissipate which opened this area for long drifts. Subsequently there were fish caught in the Main Basin, but the were caught deep on sinking lines with Buzzers, Nymphs & Lures. Eyebrook members Neil Shilton & Bob Margery both had productive days, Neil on his Float Tube landed 6 & Bob landed 7 fish on a morning session. Both anglers fished lures deep on Di 7s. The England Ladies practicing for tomorrows National Final, also found fish deep on Di5’s & Di7’s, but they found that colour was key with bright, blob patterns catching well. Elsewhere, Ian Watts chose to present buzzers deep on sinking lines & had a very productive day from the Main Basin.
Sunday started with bright, clear & calm conditions but as the day progressed, light cloud started to build, brought in by a light easterly breeze. By late afternoon these light winds brought with them some strong winds, thunder, lightning & heavy rain before reverting to a flat calm & bright sunlight again. These variable conditions did not seem to affect the fishing too much where fish continued to get caught deep in the Main Basin with Nymphs, Cormorants & Lures on Sinking Lines. Sunday saw us host the England Ladies National Final where they went on fish to a Rod Average for the day of 3.5, which given the conditions was excellent. Congratulations goes to Sam Edmunds who was crowned Champion again & well done to all competitors. Everyone caught & it was great to see you all again, along with some new faces. We also hosted a group from Fly Fishing Large Reservoirs which saw 20 anglers take to the water. Well to all fishing in some challenging conditions & a special mention must go to Mike Smith & Craig Middleton who had 10 fish each. That’s a great return on a tricky day.
With cooler weather to come, the outlook for the forthcoming week looks good where we should see the water temperature begin to drop & the fish move up in the water column.
Upcoming Events.
17 September – All-Abilities Friendly Fly-Fishing Club – 12 + 3WB’s.
2023 Eyebrook Closing Date.
The last day of fishing on Eyebrook is Monday 20th November.
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48-to-72-hour forecast.
XC Weather – https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/LE16_8RP use this link for Eyebrook.
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Eyebrook Reservoir.
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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807
Email: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk
2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Thornton are explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings For details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Week Ending: 10th September Rod Av: 1.0 Water Temperature:21c – 22c+
Monday, start of the week with our algae bloom continuing. We recommended anglers looked at Eyebrook or Draycote. Looking back through our records we would have to go back over 15 years to see algae this bad.
Tuesday through to Sunday the forecast for the heatwave peaked on Friday & Saturday with our surface water temperature at 7am registering 22c+
With the high daytime temperatures, we recommended anglers either moved their booking to this coming week & cooler forecast or they went to Eyebrook or Draycote. Not surprising few rods fished Thornton.
Looking forward to this week I have posted the weather forecast on our
Facebook page www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore
Twitter page www.twitter.com/FlyFishStore
Instagram page www.instagram.com/flyfishstore/
Its certainly a typical September forecast which is good for fly fishing.
Thornton still has algae although its starting to improve, we recommend you call the Thornton lodge for latest updates 01530230807.
Thornton 2023 last day of the fishing season Thursday 30th November
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48 to 72 hour forecast.
XC Weather – https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/LE67_1AR use this link for Thornton.
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Thornton Reservoir
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Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018
Email: draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk
2023 Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Draycote is explained on our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/
2023 Membership Options visit our website www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/season-permits/
2023 Permits & Pre Payment for Boat Bookings Details of our Day Permits, Package Breaks & our Boat bookings pre-payment policy visit our website.
https://www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/
Exclusion Zone Due to the work being carried out on the Hensborough Bank there is an exclusion zone in place, clearly marked with yellow buoys. Under no circumstances are anglers to enter this area as there are divers in the water.
Week Ending: Sunday 10th September 2023 Rod Av: 2.3 Water Temperature: 20 °C
Monday was flat calm with bright sunshine, and one of those days when there were no fish showing on top at all. The few anglers that did venture out fished mainly on sinking lines over the deeper parts of the reservoir and in the Aerators. There was only a total of 4 fish caught for the day and these were caught early, on such flies as snakes and minkie boobies.
Although Tuesday was bright, at least we had a good breeze here at Draycote Water. Anglers fared much better than yesterday with the rod average rising to 3.8. Some anglers were catching fish early on with a washing line fished off a midge tip, but as the day progressed it became apparent that a fast glass or a DI3 was needed with snakes or cormorants. Stuart Lee and Peter Elliott had 2 dozen fish to the boat between them using blobs, boobies and cormorants. Mr Rob Keeber and Mr Alan Wither caught well over 20 fish between them using a DI3 and snakes down in Toft Shallows. Mr McNicolls party also used snakes fished on sinking lines to net a bakers dozen.
The welcome breeze of yesterday, was nothing more than a distant memory, as still & bright conditions returned for Wednesday morning. By the afternoon though there was some resemblance of a breeze which provided a brief respite from the oppressive heat. Despite the weather, the reservoir fished well for those fishing Sinking lines & for those fishing the Washing Line on Long Tip lines. Draycote members & regular boat partners, Lee Patten & Peter Elliot caught well on 12ft Tips, landing well into double figures. Whereas Rob Keeber & Alan Withers, opted to fish Di 3 Sinking Lines with Snakes & were rewarded with well over 20 fish between them.
Draycote’s form continued to improve on Thursday, with fish caught on a variety of method from various locations. Dries proved to be a productive method for All Water Member Ed Douglas, who went on to land 9 fish on F-Flies & on Crippled Midge patterns. Ed remained as mobile as possible, which can be tricky when there is a lack of wind, achieved this by frequently moving his boat & not spending too long in areas that are not producing. Draycote members Dave Kennell & Eddie Mitchell also had a productive day, choosing to fish washing lined floaters & they went on to land well into double figures, as did Gordan Bramwell, another Draycote member. From the banks, Mr Goldney fished a Blue Flash Damsel for what proved to be a very good morning, going on to land 7 fish, which is a great return.
Friday brought with it flat, calm conditions, that resulted in reservoir resembling a sheet of glass. By lunchtime, there was light cloud built that dulled the sunshine for the remainder of the day. At times like these it is best to push down on to the fish a bit, perhaps starting with an intermediate line and lures. Most of the fish in these temperatures will move into the deeper cooler water, but this is not always the case. At the moment we have a large number of fish here at Draycote on the feed in Toft Shallows. Craig Middleton used a coral cormorant on a midge tip to net 4 fish from near the Nature Reserve. Mr D Molyneaux also caught 3 fish in Toft Shallows on sinking lines and fry patterns.
We could feel the heat on the pontoon early on Saturday morning, and by 9 o’clock it was flat calm with bright sunshine, and very warm. There were a good number of anglers who took to the water, catching a few fish first thing just off the front of the pontoon. Through the middle of the day everything went a bit quiet, before picking up again sometime after 4pm. Jon Crowley got straight on the water and headed to M buoy to net 4 fish on a sinking line and lures, before returning to the pontoon by 10:30. Mr Stuart Wallaces group had 9 fish between them, which they caught on sinking lines and snakes over M buoy and around the Aerators. Dan and Elliott Quinn caught 16 fish between them using boobies on DI7 lines in the aerators.
Sunday started flat calm and warm, but with good cloud cover. There was a forecast for heavy rain and thunderstorms later in the day, but these never materialised. Once again the fishing was set to be a challenge with most anglers opting for sunken line techniques, mixing it up a bit with small competition sized boobies or bigger lures such as snakes and minkies. Draycote regular Kasidit Leoviriyakit, tried his hand on the bank under very challenging circumstances, and managed 3 fish. Kas fished from the Swans nest around to Lincroft Point using snakes and fry patterns. Draycote staff member Lee Henfrey and his boat partner Nigel Keeber used booby bashers and small competition sized sparklers to net 7 good fish near Y buoy. The lads were counting down 40 seconds and back drifting with a very slow retrieve. Season permit holder Tom Roberts had 3 fish to the boat during a morning session. Tom used a coral boobie on a sinking line to catch his fish up near the Valve Tower and in the Aerators. Frazer Duffy, senior and junior, used snakes on DI7 lines to net 9 fish between them.
Competitions Due at Draycote:
EFFA- 14th September 18 boats.
Airflo Sheild Final- 16th September 36 boats.
Mid Northants- 17th September 20 Boats.
Draycote’s closing date
The closing date for Draycote for this season will be Thursday 30th November 2023.
Weather: we use two weather forecast pages.
Both options give a good 48 to 72 hour forecast.
XC Weather – Forecast for CV23 8AB | XCWeather use this link for Draycote
Windy App – https://www.windy.com/ on their home page, enter the fishery name Draycote Water