Thornton Opening weeks Report 4th April 2021

Weekly Fishing Report: Thornton, Eyebrook, Draycote

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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

Weekly Rod Average: 11.2     Water Temp: 10c

The long awaited opening of the 2021 season finally arrived on the 29^th March, with good weather greeting the anglers. As we expected the shallows opposite the lodge and down in front of the wood fished best with boat and bank anglers enjoying the good sport. With our water temperature at 10c buzzers, diawls, damsel, Montana & cats whisker fished on a floater down to a sink 3 helped achieve an opening day rod average 10+

Another good day on the second day with the rod average climbing to 16+ with anglers catching along the same areas using the same flies. Adam Brooks having caught well into double figures on day one did even better on day 2. As we locked up there was a number of fish moving across the main basin to a good hatch of buzzer

Wednesday and another warm day with good hatches of buzzer. Anglers were still finding plenty of fish along the shallows of the Thornton arm and wood with anglers fishing the bung and buzzers catching well, it’s great to see our lady members Pam, Carolyn, Christine and Elizabeth out on the water and recording good numbers.

Weather change on Thursday with a cold easterly. Bank and boat anglers fished the shelter of the Thornton arm and wood bank. Chip bank fished opposite the lodge catching 20+ in three hours on a traditional wet fly the march brown. As the last few days buzzers, diawls, damsel flies caught best with a cats whisker and booby also working.

Friday a cold but productive day with the rod average 13+ with bank and boat anglers enjoying the good sport. Buzzer fished static or under a bung was the most productive method with a cats whisker, green pea and orange blob also working. Floater, Intermediate & DI3 best. Lots of buzzer coming off.

The weekend continued to produce for boat & bank anglers with the Thornton arm & wood bank still the best areas. Black Buzzer patterns fished static or under the bung was by far the most successful method over the weekend.

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Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

An absolutely fantastic opening week with 452 anglers visiting the fishery, landing a total of 5,353 fish for a weekly rod average of 11.84 fish per angler. With both the bank and boats catching well on a variety of methods from lures, buzzers and even on dry flies.

It was a fantastic on Monday being able to welcome all the anglers back on the banks at Draycote. With all the boats out on the water along with a fully booked back. Unfortunately, the forecast was not the kindest for the anglers with strong winds from the South West. However, this did not stop the 87 anglers catching a total of 1,064 fish for a rod average of 13.5 fish per angler. Both the boat and bank anglers enjoyed some great sport, on the bank it a Blue Flash Damsel that proved to be the killing pattern with catches into the 20s on the fly with the best areas being the Tower Bank, Dunn’s Bay and The Hensborough Bank producing good catches. On the boats the best tactic was sinking lines with various snakes and boobies, fished at the Hensborough Bank, Inlet, Rainbow Corner. However other good catches came to buzzers in these areas. With some anglers braving the rough weather to land fish in Biggin Bay.

Tuesday provided some fantastic spring weather with temperatures reaching nearly 20 degrees, this teamed with light winds provided some fantastic sport with the rod average for the day being 16.4. Once again, the best area from the bank was the Tower bank with the best fly being a blue flash damsel and buzzers being the best tactics. Utilising this tactic to good effect was Andy Lillie & Colin Day wh0 had 15 and 22 each. On the boats it was really a fantastic day with some scores, the England cricket team could do with. With the warm weather buzzers really came into their own, however blue flash damsels and boobies also featured heavily. The best areas were Toft, Croft Shoal, Biggin Bay & The Cornfield. Later in the day there was also fish seen moving and the first fish of the year reported on dries.

Another glorious day Wednesday with the temperatures getting over 20 degrees. As a result of the warmer weather the buzzer fishing was fantastic. On the bank Phil Mee landed 12 fish including 2 fish at 6lb all on buzzers from the Tower Bank. Draycote season ticket holder Ian Richardson landed 17 fish from the Tower bank on washing lined buzzers with a FAB on the point. Ian Gaskell fished with Bob Cooper who had not fished in 18 months with the pair boating over 40 fish using a floating lines and a team of buzzers. The pair found the fish in Toft, along the Cornfield and also Farborough Dam. Other good catches came on Buzzers from Croft Shoal, Farborough Dam, Biggin Bay & Toft. With lures also working on Di 3 & Di 5 sinking lines from the same areas.

What a difference a day makes from the lovely spring conditions of the previous 2 days Thursday felt like we had gone back into Winter with the North East wind really carrying a chill. With the more overcast conditions the bank sport was outstanding. All Water season ticket holder Michael Ravenscroft landed 16 fish in 4 hours on the Cornfield on a Gold Ribbed Hares Ear. With Dennis Tidmarsh & Alan Bettles landing 18 and 19 fish, Dennis used snatchers on an intermediate while Alan opted for black and green & white and green tadpoles. On the boats the hotspots for the day were Toft, Biggin Bay and along the Cornfield with good catches also coming from the area around the Valve Tower. Gordon Bramwell netted over 20 fish on Buzzers, as did Ed Douglas. Mr M Schofield netted 8 good fish on lures fish very deep, whilst Ian Reeve caught fish in good numbers using Bunny Leeches on a DI 3 in Biggin Bay. Mr L Tones and Mr S Farmer had 50 fish to the boat between them on a fast glass with black and green boobies in Biggin Bay.

It’s just as well the north shore of Draycote is the best place to fish at the moment, as that cold north easterly breeze means that the bank anglers can at least get some shelter. Lee Patten and Peter Elliott had at least 50 fish between them on buzzers from Lincroft Point and Biggin Bay. Mr M and Mr W Hollingshead caught 20 fish from the bank in Biggin Bay on buzzers and blobs, the best of which was about 3lbs. Mr T Cosford caught nearly 40 fish using static buzzers off a floating line fished along the north shore. Andy Lane caught nearly 50 fish using a silver owl, and neon and olive  buzzers. Andy started at Grays Barn on the north shore and just worked his way along into Biggin Bay. Alan Masters had a dozen fish off the bank on buzzers, diawl bachs and FAB’s, remarking on a “lovely days fishing”. Out on the boats the fishing was also first rate with Mr J Carr and Mr S Cochrane netting over 70 fish between them on buzzers and boobies. Brendan Thomas caught 20 fish using a DI3 and a Humungus off the Farborough Dam. Staff Members Lee Henfrey and Michael Hanlon had a great days sport netting over 40 fish between them down in the bottom of Toft Shallows long lining on buzzers.

Yet another cold day on Draycote with a very persistent north easterly. Still a good day for the bank anglers with the north shore producing some good catches once again. Clive Wilkins netted 11 fish on green buzzers, the best of which weighed 5lbs. Season permit holder Mike Garner caught half a dozen fish from the bank using hares ears, cormorants, crunchers and butchers from the cornfield. Ian Western had 10 fish during an afternoon session. Ian caught all his fish from the north shore using black buzzers. Out on the boats Les and Karl Lerigo netted 34 fish between them, all on black and green snakes. It was buzzers fished on a midge tip that did it for Roger Pearce and Paul Burchall. The pair netted their 17 fish down in toft shallows. Fishery Manager Tom Bird and his boat partner Ryan Feber, took to the water and had a fantastic day, netting over 80 fish between them. Tom and Ryan used boobies and cormorants on sinkers and midge tip lines and caught their fish in toft, biggin bay, rainbow corner and along the Hensborough bank. Season permit holder Chris Pallot and his boat partner Carl Holland had 7 fish to the boat down in toft using black and green snake boobies.

After 2 days of cold North East winds its was nice to be greeted with a warmer Westerly wind on Sunday. A frosty start however by the afternoon the sun had really warmed up with temperatures hitting 16 degrees. As a result of the warmer temperatures the fishery experienced an amazing buzzer hatch with clouds of buzzer being seen over the dams. On the bank, the bright sun and crystal clear water made the fishing challenging with the fish holding further off the bank and a little deeper. Draycote member Mark Johnson- Jones landed 3 from the Tower Bank in the afternoon on a green pea. However it was the boats who really enjoyed the lion share of the sport. With the majority of the great catches coming to buzzers, with Paul Mitchell & Tim Burn landing 53 fish to the boat all on Buzzers from Biggin Bay. Ed Douglas took 52 fish from the Outlet on Buzzer fished deep on a midge tip.

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

Weekly Rod Average: 7.1     Water Temp: 9c

Our opening week started off with South westerly winds which saw our anglers favouring the Leicestershire bank. Most of the bank anglers set up along from the Casting platforms to Sam’s dyke area where a lot of anglers had good bag numbers. Those that ventured further up to The Island and the Chestnut tree found fish in good numbers. The fish were readily taking Crunchers, Diawl Bach’s and buzzers as well as damsel nymphs, boobies, blobs and Pitsford Pea patterns. The Leicestershire bank was producing well for the boat anglers as well.

As the week progressed, the wind changed through to a North Easterly and brought a bit of a temperature drop. This moved the Anglers attention to the Rutland bank. Our anglers quickly found that there was a good stamp of fish just off the fence end at Stoke dry. Fish have also been showing in good numbers all the way to the Willows and to Robbo’s cabin. Moving around is key to locating the fish at the moment and the anglers that are covering large areas are finding fish in good numbers from all over the lake, but anglers have opted for the more sheltered areas on the lake to get out of the biting cold wind.

This week has seen some small cohorts from a few local fishing clubs gather for outings in COVID conscious groups and have done well to adhere to guidelines. It was good to see the guys from the Forrester fly boys, who visited on Friday. The Foremark Fly Fishers joined us on Sunday, both groups managed good bag limits and had good days out on the water. Steve Rainbow had a pleasant surprise when he hooked and landed an 18lbs Pike on a green and black fritz lure while fishing for trout.

The opening week has been a good one, even with the changing conditions. Temperatures rising and then dropping rapidly, as well as the wind completely changing direction has not adversely affected the fish and good sport can be found for the angler that’s ready to mix it up with the elements.