Eyebrook Reservoir
Weekly report ending 8th April 2018
Tel: 01536 770264 Fishery Mobile: 07738 490667
Weekly Stats:
Number Rods: 149 Number Trout Taken: 183 Number Trout Released: 698 Total Catch: 881
Weekly Rod Average; 5.9
We thought spring had sprung, we have blossom the Hawthorns are coming into leaf and a noticeable increase in fly life only to be halted by north winds with more rain! The week looked promising, Tuesday was noticeably warmer with a southerly wind and although the water level rose 2 feet at the weekend clarity remained good. From Wednesday levels dropped and clarity deteriorated, Clarity is currently at 3 feet and improving daily. The fish have still been pulling though, anglers have caught on a range of methods this week with buzzers becoming increasingly productive. Boat and bank still fishing very evenly with fish being tightly shoaled into the margins. For the first part of the week bank anglers continued to enjoy good sport off the netted bank from the three trees to Robbos cabin, particularly in a north or Easterly wind. The Cowshed to Stoke Dry fished very well over the weekend with the Cowshed, Black Cabin and Norris Dyke proving to be the most productive pegs for Saturdays Elite Performance Program bank heat. Boat anglers have found fish in various areas. Pollards jump and the Island both producing good sport. Sunday saw the boats fishing at the northern part of the Reservoir. The Chestnut Tree to the Cowshed fishing very well on both lure and nymph tactics.
Easter Monday fished well, Mr ross and Mr Leon boat fished returning 18 fish between them on a black and green tadpole whilst drifting into the hawthorns bank. Steve Rainbow got a quick evening session in and caught 3 fish on blobs bank fishing at the Belle. Tuesday was noticeable warmer which brought out the crowds! Lots of bank anglers fished the netted bank and all caught well on buzzers fished on various methods. Roy Swinfield fished washing line using a cruncher booby on the point to keep his buzzers in the top few inches, whereas Lindsay Bates fished a straight through method. Lindsay let his buzzers drift round on the steady ripple creating a natural presentation. Both methods worked equally well with both anglers catching into double figures.
The Reservoir didn’t look particularly inviting on Wednesday morning. The coloured water which had been holding off past the Island had dispersed leaving most of the reservoir with little more than 18 inches of visibility. Higham Ferrers had a club outing. 12 anglers fished to a 6 fish kill friendly competition. The reservoir fished surprisingly well, P Holland had bagged up by 13.00 with a bag of 6 fish for 12lb 4oz. Mr Holland found the fish at the Island, casting a black lure right to the bank on a slow sinking line.
Chris Hawkins enjoyed a very successful trip on Friday. After a slow morning Chris found the fish at Pollards jump. Fishing a straight-line buzzer method, he had three hours of none stop action, catching some super quality fish. Chris’s friends and colleagues Rodger Symons and Kevin Pearson also had a cracking day, they fished a cormorant tied with a holographic flash and cats whiskers drifting from the Willows into open water.
Saturday saw a first here at Eyebrook. The Elite Performance Programs First Reservoir bank heat. 14 world class anglers fished for points to become part of the AT TEFF teams for the 2019 World Championship in Tasmania and the European Championship in Montenegro. Anglers fished dedicated pegs, changing pegs every 55 minutes. The competition was catch and release only. Controllers were on hand to measure each fish before safely returning it. A big Thank you to all Controllers both on the Saturday and Sunday your help was very much appreciated. Pegs were set from Dogwood bay to the cowshed and every peg produced fish. Fishery staff were concerned with the clarity particularly at the Cowshed peg. Staff were pleasantly surprised to hear that this proved to be one of the most productive pegs with some anglers catching 7 or 8 fish during the 55-minute session. This proves that fish will still feed in coloured water and are most certainly catchable. Saturdays rod average was a healthy 5.76 (not including the EPP anglers) with many anglers recording double figure returns. Mr Chewter and Mr Ormiston caught very well on buzzers fished straight through anchored off Pollards Jump. (Straight-line or Straight through refers to anglers just fishing buzzers without a bung or buoyant point fly). Steve Ottridge found small buzzers worked best. Black buzzers on a size 12 or 14 accounted for his 8 fish.
Sunday was the boat heat of the EPP match. All boats fished around the Chestnut tree to the Cowshed and fished a mix of methods from floating line nymphs to slow sinking lines with lures. A high number of fish were recorded having been caught. The netted bank didn’t fish as well, and bank anglers had most success fishing at the Willows or Chestnut tree. Peter Wiston caught 9 fish at the Chestnut and Island on a hares ear and white lure. Bill Roberts had a good afternoon fishing just past Pollards jump and accounted for 11 fish on buzzers. J Beeson bank fished in Sams Dyke and caught 6 fish on black quail buzzers he also missed several and had several come off before making it into the net. Mr Organ and Mr Dewes had a day on their float tubes. (there is no launch flee for float tubes at Eyebrook) The pair caught fish on various fly’s including blobs, Snatchers and tadpoles.
The forecast for the week ahead looks to be improving, highs of 16 degrees for the weekend and the wind is due to change to a South Westerly.
After Draycote’s very successful first tuition day of the year on Saturday, were all participants landed their very first fish under the watchful eye of Guiding & Tuition Manager Tom Bird. Eyebrook looks forward to starting the first of its 2018 tuition days on Saturday 5th May. There’re a couple of spaces left for this date for further enquires call the lodge on 01536 770264 or visit the website
http://www.flyfishtuition.co.uk/prices/
Eyebrook is the venue for this years Disabled international. The two-day event will take place on 26th and 27th June. We are currently looking for boat men to help on the day and monitor anglers whilst fishing. IF you can offer your help for one or two days please speak to a member for the Eyebrook staff or get in touch with the English Disabled Fly fishers.
Photographs on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FlyFishStore
We are allowing rudders & float tubers welcome. We will also have float tube available for you to hire at the Eyebrook this season.
Guiding available with England International Lee Henfrey, Fishery Ranger Toff Crowther & assistant Eyebrook manager Jobe Burnham. Jobe also specialises in Pike Fly Fishing tuition
Lodge will be open from 7.30am for bank anglers to book in with boats available from 8.30am
We will be operating the same pricing structure that we use at our other water with the permit loyalty card & boat loyalty card valid at all our waters.
Please be aware with our upper fish limit been reduced from 8 fish to a 6 fish limit in future all 8 Fish stamps will be eligible for a free 6 fish permit once you reach the required number of stamps
Access
‘Alec Lane ‘ gate now has a combination lock on. Please remember to check the code with the wardens as it will change regularly
Current Fishing Time:
Bank: 07:30am until 20.00 pm
Boat All Day: 08:30am until 20.00 pm
Morning Boats: 08:30am until 14:00 pm
Afternoon Boats: 14.00 pm until 20.00 pm
Last 4 Hours from: 16.00pm until 20.00pm (Tickets on sale from 15.45pm)
All anglers booked out at the lodge & off site by: 20.15pm
Visit our new Eyebrook fishery website www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk