Weekly Fisheries report 3rd September 2023

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

Fishery YouTube Channel: YouTube Flyfishstore

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 on 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: 3^rd September Rod Av: 1.0  Water Temperature:18.5c – 19c

Despite some excellent fishing towards the end of the week previous Monday & Tuesday fishing of this week proved challenging due to the continued algae we have.

Wednesday anglers fished the morning session due to the algae with fast sinking lines and booby patterns generally fishing best. P Hunt & J Thomson fished fast sinkers with a sparkler booby to catch 5 for their mornings fishing with T Holder back for a second trip catching his 3 trout on a blue eyed damsel booby. Water temperature due to the cooler nights is just below 19c.

Thursday our water temperature at 7am is 18.5c going the right direction for the autumn. Algae is still an issue were advising rods to fish the morning or take a trip to Eyebrook or Draycote.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday algae has remained and is quite thick in some areas. When the breeze was from the east the anglers who did go out found clearer conditions from the Markfield arm across to the smaller yellow buoy on Sunday with a southerly breeze the clearer water was from green bay / dam area. Fast sinking lines with damsel booby, sparkler booby and minkie booby worked best.

During the week we recommended anglers fished Eyebrook or Draycote with their clearer conditions and good fishing. Thornton will bounce back as soon as the algae reduces.

Thornton Angling Club, Monday 11^th September from 9.00am to 2.00pm have their clubs annual seniors boat competition. Contact the lodge to have your name added to the event.

Thornton 2023 last day of the fishing season Thursday 30^th 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

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

2023 Permits & Pre-Payment for Boat Bookings For details on 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 3^rd September 2023  Rod Av:3.4   Water Temperature:  18°C

Overcast skies Monday and Northwest winds, with the wind dropping later providing a nice ripple on the water. All water member Andy Lillie fished with Graham England with the pair boating 12 fish from a morning session. Using suspender Minkies and also daddies, fishing near Lincroft Point. They spooned the fish to fish that they have clearly been feeding hard on sticklebacks. Draycote member John Dickens used dries all day to land 9 fish with Crippled Midge and Bob’s Bit being his most productive patterns. Gary & David Turner also fished dries to land their fish, taking 5 in an afternoon session. Ian Watts & Rob Toptalo enjoyed a great days sport landing 30 fish to their boat. The fishing a washing line on a floater, but found it was when the popped and pulled the boobies the caught the majority of the fish. The pair drifted from C Buoy down to Y Buoy finding the fish closer to Y in the morning but as the day progressed caught more at C Buoy.

Tuesday, the winds the winds swung to the Southwest with more overcast skies and some rain later in the day. Mick Cronin fished from the bank at the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay landing 4 fish on suspender minkes. With Micks largest fish being a cracking 5lb 5oz rainbow. Draycote member Jim Kelly also fished the bank landing 3 fish all of which took a blue flash damsel fished on the point. On the boats Dave Atkins landed 7 fish in a morning session. Using a white snake fished on a Di 3 sinking line, with Dave’s best area being a drift from E Buoy towards Lincroft Point. Ian Morris landed a dozen fish using pin fry patterns and a Silver Invicta. Drifting from A Buoy to M Buoy in the morning and then M Buoy to Y Buoy in the afternoon. Sticking to dries all day Kevin Rees used Crippled Midge and Bob’s Bits to also land a dozen fish.

A brighter day Wednesday with winds that started in the West first thing in the morning which then later went to the Northwest. Draycote members Mike Garner & Tony Broadway fished from Lincroft point using fry patterns to land a brace each. Fishing from the boats Ian Richardson & Bob Smith enjoyed a good days sport landing 15 fish to their boat. The  pair fished with Di 3 sinking lines with a Humungous on the point and cormorants on the droppers. Landing their fish from Albert Bottom drifting towards E Buoy commenting on a “very good day” Draycote member Peter Elliot fished with Stuart Lee over from Canada landing 27 fish to the boat. They also fished in Biggin Bay and around Lincroft point but found popper hoppers to be their best patterns. John Kirk landed 12 fish while out on the boat, using a floating line with a booby on the point and then hoppers on the droppers.

A flat calm start Thursday with overcast skies from the start. Thankfully a ripple did pick up in the afternoon giving near perfect conditions. All water member Paul Havard landed half a dozen fish using a washing line on a 3ft RIO Midge Tip. Using a small cat booby on the out with a cruncher and cormorant on the dropper, fishing around M Buoy and the exclusion buoys. Draycote member Gordon Bramwell fished with Ken Cooke with the pair landing 20 fish to the boat. Fishing with washing line set up with a FAB on the point and cormorants on the droppers on a floating line. They fished around E Buoy, Biggin Bay, Lincroft and S Buoy. Peter Jefferies fishing with Keith Buckley landed 15 fish using dries and also a washing line. S Charter used a candy booby on the point of his washing line and small Diawl Bachs to boat 10 fish. Draycote member Kevin Rees used dries all day to land 19 fish with his best patterns being Bob’s Bits and Crippled Midge.

A fairly calm, overcast day on Friday with just enough breeze for the occasional ripple. This summers weather has been genuinely kind to us with steady fishing throughout , and Friday was no exception, with the western end of the reservoir features heavily on the catch returns. Mr G Day and Mr A pierce caught 3 fish between them from the bank using fry patterns such as minkies. Ruth and Tony Kirk had 4 fish to the boat between them using humungus and gold ribbed hares ears. Ian Reeve and Cian Lewis had a dozen fish to the boat on crippled midge, blobs and diawl bachs. Stuart Lee and Eddie Mitchell caught 16 fish on dries and lures fished on a midge tip. Season permit holder Ray Rawlings caught half a dozen fish using a washing line and cormorants drifting around A buoy and in Rainbow Corner. Mr K Bowen and Mr D Botterill used FAB’s to net 18 fish between them from a drifting boat.

Despite the forecast for Saturday we had light breezes and good cloud cover right through until late afternoon. Again Draycote did not disappoint, producing a rod average of 5.1 on what should have been a difficult day. Hares ears, buzzers and crunchers showed up everywhere on the catch return as well as blobs and FAB’S, mostly fished on floating lines or midge tips. Season Permit holder Alan Grant took to the bank near the old pipe in Biggin  Bay to net 4 fish on a floating line and buzzers. Staff member Mark Braun had a cracking day over in Biggin and Duns Bay, netting a total of 11 fish on boobies and black buzzers. Jon Crowley netted a dozen fish during a morning session on ginger midas and claret bob’s bits. Jon worked the outer edge of Duns Bay, past D buoy, as well as A buoy and Rainbow Corner. Young Ed Douglas had 15 fish to the boat on dries such as crippled midge, bob’s bits and culs.

Flat calm and bright sunshine was the order of the day on Sunday here at Draycote Water. The algae came up like pea soup and made for difficult fishing at times, although the anglers made the best of it, managing a rod average of 2.7. Kasidit Leoviriakit took to the bank to net a total of 4 fish. Kas used fry patterns on a floating line near the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay and up on the Tower Bank. His best fish weighed in at 3lbs 12 oz. Season permit holder Richard Walker managed a brace to the boat early doors on big reds down in the Cornfield. Mr Peter Webb caught half a dozen fish on a slow tip line and FAB’s whilst drifting near A buoy up[ near Rainbow Corner. Staff member Lee Henfrey had 14 fish to the boat using a fast glass line and snakes. Lee plied his trade out in front of the pontoon early on in the day and remarked that the fish had gone off by 11 o’clock.

Competitions Due at Draycote:

EFFA- 14^th September 18 boats.

Airflo Sheild Final- 16^th September 42 boats.

Mid Northants- 17^th September 20 Boats.

Draycote’s closing date

The closing date for Draycote for this season will be Thursday 30^th 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

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Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – Tel: 01536 770264  Mobile 07834 581424

Email: eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

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

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

2023 Permits & Pre-Payment for Boat Bookings For details on 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: 03^rd September   Rod Av:   5.0          Water Temperature: 18°c

Eyebrook started the week in the same vein it finished the last with fish occupying the upper layers of the water column & getting caught on Dries & the Washing Line from the boats & from the banks. Beginner member Alex Hardy took to the banks & landed 6 fish from the Hawthorns in a short morning session which is a great return. Mr Burdett fishing a Last 4 Hour also caught well down the Hawthorns, landing 4 fish on Foam Daddies. On the boats, All Water Member Ed Douglas landed well into double figures from the area of the Main Basin, all of which came to the dries. Ed caught on Bob’s Bits, F Flies & CDC Emergers. Enjoying a morning session was John Balladon, who landed 15 fish on the Washing Line fishing a Candy FAB on the point & a Nemo Cruncher & Muskins on the droppers. Another angler to do very well on a Candy FAB was James Britton. James fished a Diawl Bach & a Hares Ear with it & went on to also land 15 fish. Our resident Guide Lee Henfry took Fred & Cohen Jones out on a 4-hour guide & had a great morning catching on the Dries, north side of the Valve Tower, tight into the Dam wall. Fred & Cohen Jones then went out & enjoyed an afternoon session consolidating what Lee had covered with them in the morning.  For further information on the Guiding & Tuition services we provide, please use the following link: https://www.flyfishtuition.co.uk/

Tuesday saw a moderate south-westerly breeze bring overcast skies for the majority of the day which was perfect for long drifts across the Main Basin targeting fish in the upper layers. Subsequently the reservoir fished very well with both the banks & the boats producing some excellent returns. The Hawthorns continues to fish very well for the Bank anglers with fish getting caught above the weedbeds on Dries or the Washing Line. Richard Joy had a very productive bank session landing 17 fish on Diawl Bachs presented with a FAB/Blob Booby on the point of his Washing Line. On the boats it was a similar story to the previous day with large numbers of fish caught on either Dries or the Washing Line. Fish were caught throughout the Main Basin with fish being caught from the Dam Wall to Robbo’s Cabin frontage & along the Leicester Bank to Sam’s Dyke. With regards to fishing the Dries, the Foam Daddy featured high on the catch returns as did Muskins, Diawl Bachs, Nemo Crunchers & FABs for those fishing the Washing Line. A special mention must go to youth angler Cohen Jones, who had a great short session landing 8 fish, all on Foam Daddies. Well done, Cohen, that’s a great effort.

Wednesday brought with it what can only be described as changeable weather. What started as a gentle south-westerly breeze developed into a moderate to strong, gusty north-westerly which brought with intervals of heavy showers & bright sunshine. Generally the fished remained high in the water column, although the spells of extended sunshine did result in the fish dropping down slightly & then coming back to the surface when the conditions change. The most productive methods remained the washing line & when conditions suited, the Dries, with the most productive area being the Main Basin. The Foam Daddy continued to feature highly on the catch return as did FAB’s, Diawl Bachs, Crunchers & Muskins.

There was a bright, clear started to Thursday with the reservoir in a flat calm. This remained so until lunchtime until a southerly breeze brought in some much-needed cloud cover.  Due to the stillness early on, there was a slight algal bloom which hampered some areas of the Main Basin until the wind increased. Yet again the reservoir fished well with fish caught from the boats & the bank. The bank anglers caught well along the Hawthorns where All Water Member Jim Greasley landed 15 on a washing line & also on the Dries. Round in Mucky bay Nigel Woolnough targeted the naturally feeding fish & was rewarded with 9 fish all taken on natural patterns fished over the weedbeds. From the boats, within the productive Main Basin, Dogwood bay held a good number of fish & were caught on Foam Daddies, the North Side of the Tower was also holding fish, as was Robbo’s Cabin frontage. Another All-Water Member, Mark Hunt, had another productive day landing 18 fish on the Dries: Yellow Owls & Foam Daddies proving to be the most effective. As previously reported, the washing lined Floating Line was another method that was catching well & as it proved for Jude Tuffs who landed 11 on FABs & Nymphs.

The reservoir continued to fish well Friday with fish still being caught in the upper layers. Eyebrook members Ian Steele & Bill Law had a very productive morning session landing 17 fish to the boat on the washing line from the area of the Main Basin. Another Eyebrook member, Nigel Savage caught well on a greased-up size 16 Hares Ear & out in his Float Tube was Ian Jobe, also caught very well. Initially going out to fish deep, Ian found the fish a lot higher up & changed to a tip line & fished the washing line. Ian found a lot of fish in front of Robbo’s Cabin, landing 10 fish on one drift.

Saturday brought with it some initial overcast conditions which disappeared after lunch to reveal clear, bright skies. Consequently, the change in weather made the fishing challenging for some. Thinking outside of the box & trying somewhere different, Eyebrook Member, Mick Farrell ventured down to the Willows & had a very successful day fishing the Dries. Mick landed well over 20 fish with the Midas & a Tan Foam Daddy being his most productive patterns. Others to catch well on Foam Daddies were Andrew & Nigel Farmer who landed well into double figures from the Main Basin. Thomas Long, also fishing the Main Basin, opted to fish nymphs on a Floating Line & was rewarded with an excellent return of 16 fish. Thomas found Diawl Bachs & small Black Buzzers to be his most effective patterns.

Initially there was a misty start to Sunday which eventually cleared due to the rising sun & revealed flat, calm conditions across the whole reservoir. With the sun beating down on the water & no wind to move the water, Algae quickly began to form in the Main Basin, with other parts remaining clear. Sunday saw us host the Eyebrook Flyfishers Single Fly match which saw 8 anglers armed with their Foam Daddies, take to the water. The reservoir fished very well & between they produced a rod average of 6.6 which was great given the conditions. The Willows produced a great number of fish with the fish happy to take the Dries & for those fish the competition, Foam Daddies. Congratulations goes to all the prize winners, Mark Goodge/Dick Spicer for the smallest fish & Dave Etty for the largest fish. Elsewhere, Mr Hollins had a great day, landing well over 20, fishing deeper, pulling boobies on a sinking line out in open water, off the Island. On the banks, down by the Hawthorns, was Ian Gadsby, who had a great bag of fish, landing 11 once a gentle breeze cleared the Algae. Despite far from ideal conditions, the Reservoir fished very well & it was a great end to the week.

Upcoming Events.

06 September – England Disabled Fly Fishers, 15 Boats + 2 WB’s

09 & 10 September – England Ladies National, 15 Boats.

10 September – Fly Fishing Large Reservoirs, 10 Boats.

17 September – All-Abilities Friendly Fly-Fishing Club – 12 + 3WB’s.

2023 Eyebrook Closing Date.

The last day of fishing on Eyebrook is Monday 20^th 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.