Thornton Fishing report 11th April

Weekly Fishing Report: Thornton, Eyebrook, Draycote

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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

Week Ending 11^th April    Rod Av: 10.01   Water Temp: 9.5

An incredible start to the 2021 season with another excellent week fishing. We should remember when fishing catch and release,  fish barbless or squash the barb down on your hook, if possible unhook the trout in the net, handle the trout as little as possible, allow the trout to recover before releasing.

A quiet Easter Monday with a bitterly cold northerly wind the anglers that did venture out were all gone by midday having caught on buzzers returning a rod av 3.5

Tuesday a cold day with snow shower, however the rods who did venture out were rewarded with excellent fishing resulting in a rod average of 14.6 for the day. Same areas still producing the shallows opposite the lodge and wood bank with floaters and intermediate with buzzers producing best. Phil Mee, Pete Cox, Arthur Olding, Keith Coley and Bob Taft all recorded double figure catches, well deserved for fishing in those cold conditions. Nice range of fish being caught from 1lb8oz to 3lb+

Wednesday and another cold frosty morning with our water temperature at 9c not surprising therefore that the early morning sport was slow. By mid morning the fish were on the feed with buzzers on the washing line, fished static or under the bung taking the majority of fish with Alan Withers & S Gullen enjoying an excellent day with All Water member Steve Jordan having enjoyed the best early season sport he has had.

Another cold frosty start to the day and it seems the drop in temperature as moved the trout off the bank with boats enjoying the lion share of the sport, new members Ian Leach, M Ravenscroft and L Serrano all caught good numbers with long term member Clive Holt also enjoying a good day

Friday, Saturday and Sunday weather were a lot colder with the Northerly wind having a real bite to it. Mid morning onwards fished best and despite the cold condition’s buzzer were once again the top patterns with the area opposite the lodge and wood bank producing best. We welcomed a reduced number of the All Abilities club back to Thornton for their first 2021 visit and they enjoyed a group rod average of 9 fish. Member Andrew Wilson had a great mornings sport catching 15 trout on epoxy buzzers. Keith Cowen took his 6 fish limits in quick time on Saturday with members Brian Sibley & Alison Toon catching 20 fish between them for their mornings visit.

We would remind boat & float tube anglers that they need to keep 40yards from fellow boat & bank anglers. When boats are moving from one spot to another be considerate to other anglers always pass them on the open water side.

Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

Weekly Rod Average 7.9                Water Temp. 8’c.

What a difference a day makes after a lovely Easter Sunday, Monday could not have been more different a cold North West wind with low air temperatures not getting over 5 degrees. The fishery even experienced snow in the morning, as a result most anglers opted to have bank holiday Monday indoors. The bank fished well over in Dunn’s Bay with a combination of a FAB on the point and buzzers on the droppers with season ticket holders Andy Lillie and Phil Mee catching on these tactics. In Dunn’s & Biggin Bay. Ian Shobbrook landed 8 using Diawl Bachs at the Old Pipe. While on the boat Ian Reeve & Matt Pittaway landed 15 fish in bunny leaches and buzzers in Dunn’s & Biggin Bay.

The wind on Tuesday did not quite have the same bite as Monday, and thankfully the hard overnight frosts forecast did not happen. However, it was still a day to wrapped up warm, although thankfully the fish did not seem to mind. On the bank Andy Lane used buzzers to land over 23 fish, from the Tower Bank, with 3 buzzer fished on a floating line. On the boats Gordon Bramwell & Eddie Mitchell enjoyed a good day landing 27 fish to the boat again all on Buzzers. Taking these from the Dunn’s Bay, Biggin Bay and The Cornfield. Father and son duo Gary and David Turner landed 23 on buzzers fished near the willow trees in Toft just at the end of the Cornfield.

A very frosty start Wednesday with the pontoon being completely white first thing, with the boats not able to go out until bang on 8.30. The winds started light, however, did increase as the day wore on making for another cold day out on the water. Dunn’s Bay and the Tower Bank produced well for the bank anglers with Bob Smith taking 15 on Buzzers from Dunn’s. Paul Walker took 15 from the Tower Bank on Buzzers and Diawl Bachs. On the boats season ticket holder Richard Walker had his best ever day landing 32 in a morning, using various different Damsel patterns at Lincroft Point and then Croft Shoal. Ed Douglas stuck to Buzzers all day to land 42 from Middle Shoal and also the outlet. With Ian Morris opting from Toft and the Swans nest on the boat to land 21 on Buzzers & Diawl Bachs.

A warmer start Thursday with the wind coming from the South West, as a result buzzers featured well on the catch return. Season ticket holders Gordon Bramwell & Eddie Mitchell used Buzzers all day to take over 60 fish to the boat fishing in Biggin Bay & Dunn’s. Fishery guide Lee Henfrey fished with former Manager Kevin Hart taking over 50 to the boat with the vast majority being over wintered fish again on buzzers fishing the Farborough Dam wall. However, other tactics did work in the boats Richard Hanlon & Dave Atkins took 19 fish to the boat using Di 5 sinking lines and snakes. On the bank Dave Parkes took over 30 fish from Toft using a variety of different lures. John Woodcock enjoyed a great last 4 hours permit on the bank taking 17 fish all on Green Pea.

Great conditions Friday with light north west winds, once again the fishery saw a great buzzer hatch. Gaz Roberts fished a half day taking over 50 fish on an olive barred snake fished a Di 5 sinking line from the Hensborough bank. Gaz was smiling ear to  ear when he came off “after he best day ever”. On the bank the Old Pipe in Biggin Bay produced for season ticket holder Peter Elliot & Lee Patten who had over 50 fish on buzzers fished on a floating line. All Water season ticket holder Norman Perkins fished on the Cornfield with Static Buzzers to take 18 on buzzers. Alec Urquhart fished with Johnathan Wood with the pair fishing buzzers all days to take over 50 fish to the boat.

The current spell of cold weather continued through Saturday with a northerly wind blowing interspersed with the odd shower in the morning. Even through this cold spell buzzers can still be seen hatching off, indeed anglers have reported fishing whilst the snow was falling this week and trout rising to buzzers right in front of them. The bank fished well for Mr G Wadsworth on Saturday who netted 16 fish from various points along the northern shoreline. All water season permit holder Andy Lilley caught 10 fish from the tower bank using just buzzers on a floating line. Mr C Wilkins used damsels from the bank to good effect netting a dozen fish from the cornfield. Mr M Cope netted 14 fish from the bank in much the same spot, also on damsels. Out on the boats staff member Lee Henfrey netted quite a few fish during a morning session on straight through buzzers on a floating line. Lee used a 15 foot leader and 4 buzzers fished static, in front of the pontoon and down the Farborough dam. Mr A Biggs and Mr M Govan used a DI5 with blobs and boobies to net 8 fish from various points around the reservoir.

A cold but light north westerly blew through Draycote on Sunday, turning a bit colder in the afternoon with some snow showers here and there. Despite this, both the bank and the boats continue to produce some catches mainly on buzzers and damsels, with lures following very closely behind. Season permit holder Paul Walley caught 14 fish from the bank using buzzers and FAB’S. Paul caught most of his fish from Lincroft point and the Tower bank. A slightly damp Mr Andrew Wheildon had 9 from the bank in total using buzzers and blobs, again from Lincroft point and the Tower bank. The boat pairing of Jim Smith and Ed Douglas had over 20 fish a piece using buzzers. Jim and Ed fish the Farborough Dam, Toft Shallows, Croft Shoal and the Hensborough bank. Mr J Mcelligott netted 10 fish from a boat using damsels in Toft shallows and Biggin Bay.

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

Weekly Rod Average: 12.6     Water Temp: 9c
Easter Monday started us off with strong cold Northerly winds sweeping down the lake. Obviously, the strong cold winds were keeping the anglers at home. Those that ventured out needed to wrap up warm and head for sheltered areas. Eyebrook Season ticket holder Mick Farrell ventured out with his son and found shelter down by Sam’s dyke and had a pleasant day’s fishing bringing well into double figures to the boat on small Crunchers fished straight through on a floating line. All water ticket holder Neil Shilton took Ethan Morrissey out on his first fishing adventure on a boat. Despite the strong winds Neil and Ethan managed to bring double figures of fish to the boat just off the nature reserve boundary fishing a similar method to Mick and his son. Eyebrook regular and all water ticket holder Mark Hunt broke with tradition and fished flies that were sub surface. In 2 and a half hours, Mark managed to whittle out an impressive 16 to the bank. It just goes to show that Mark is just as proficient with Nymphs as he is with Big red’s and Shuttlecocks.

The next morning started off bitterly cold with temperatures hitting -3C on the way to the lodge. The wind is still extremely cold and strong coming from the North East. The Anglers out in boats struggled to catch fish today but David Wall managed a bumper day from the bank catching well in excess of double figures up by the Island.

Temperatures are holding at a steady -3C again today. Early reports are showing that the bank anglers are picking fish up from close in by the Hawthorne’s and the casting platforms. Even with such cold conditions, the fish are steadily taking small buzzers and the occasional blob, FAB or booby. Our anglers had some top sport today with a Rod Average of 16 at the end of the day. Lots of big smiles passing through the lodge on their way to book out and plenty of good stories from our visitors who are reporting good catches from all over the Leicestershire bank. Bill Stewart had a spring in his step after getting well I to double figures even though he had to jump in to his car to thaw out a couple of times.

Thursday saw a shift in wind direction. Now coming from a West south west direction and holding at 16MPH the conditions are more favourable from the Leicestershire bank. But even with the change in wind direction, the fishing keeps on improving.

Friday continued on just like the day before. Lots of happy anglers coming back to the lodge after an amazing day of sport. The Rod average has held at 20 for the past 2 days and the fish are feeding voraciously on buzzers all over the lake. Some anglers have actually been able to fish small emergers and had fish readily take them. Others have opted for fishing a single fly to avoid multiple takes that were leading to breakages.

The weekend saw the Eyebrook hosting the Scierra Pairs competition with several anglers fishing the Saturday in preparation for the competition on Sunday. Despite the cold weather, the excellent sport of the last few days was maintained with several anglers catching well into double figures. Good sport was also had from the bank with Eyebrook members Steve Lawrence and Bob Margerey taking lots of fish from the Leicester bank. Buzzers, Diawl Bach and crunchers were the most successful flies as the fish feasted on the abundant natural  hatches.

40 anglers fished the Scierra pairs competition, which was fished to a 6 fish limit and time bonus, followed by catch and release. The competition started at 09.45 and the first boat weighed in their 12 fish at 11.00. All anglers caught fish, with 17 of the 20 boats recording their 12 fish limit. Given the weather conditions with cold winds and snow flurries, this was an excellent result. Although not the first boat weighing in, Paul and Pat Sharman were top rods with 34lb and 13 ounces. Second pair were Glen Moody and Ian Buckley whilst Jeff Crowden and Toff Crowther were third and go forward to the final at Rutland in September. Full details of the match, together with results and photos are on our social media pages. Several of the Eyebrook members fished from the bank on Sunday and all caught with Malcolm Thompson recording a double figure catch on Damsels and Hares Ears.

With the weather forecast starting to improve this week, prospects look good for an excellent weeks fishing, both from the bank and from the boats.