Thornton Fishing Report week ending 08/08/21

Weekly Fishing Report: Thornton, Eyebrook, Draycote

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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

**New Email Address**: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk

Week ending 8^th August.  Rod Av 2.6   Water Temperature 19c – 20c+

Stocking Policy As we enter the period of the year higher water temperatures we alter the average size of trout we stock our stocking policy for Thornton is explained on our website Stocking Policy | Fly Fish Thornton – Leicestershire Fly Fishery

As we move into August a noticeable shortening of the daylight hours which in turn will help to reduce the water temperature & is a sign that were not too far away from the autumn & its dry fly sport to daddies & hoppers.

Monday anglers reported fish feeding but they proved difficult to tempt with Thornton member P Hunt fishing a mini muddler to take his 5 trout. The Rev Chip party of 4 anglers caught 13 trout with damsel patterns being the most successful fly. Our evenings fishing remains patchy with the cooler morning session still providing the best of the fishing

Tuesday the Markfield arm fished best with all water member Arthur Olding top rod for his mornings session catching 10 trout on an Intermediate with a booby on the point with small nymph on the dropper. Pete Cox fished a floating line with diawls and Dawsons olive to catch his 6 fish during a mornings session. Mornings without doubt continues to be the most productive session

Wednesday was a warmer, brighter day which certainly slowed the fishing. Paul Martindale fished in green bay with buzzer patterns, reporting plenty of fish moving during the morning but not taking the fly properly with Paul managing to boat 5 trout for his morning’s session. Other rods struggled catching 1 or two fish on a variety of methods from a floating line to fast sinker with buzzer patterns, blob, booby, bloodworm, diawls and snakes all mentioned, a day when it was difficult to find the consistent method.

Thursday & Friday, an unsettled forecast with the threat of heavy rain kept the rods away. Local angling club Thornton Fly Fishers secretary Peter Birdsall fished with Mick Norman taking 3 each for their mornings fishing with two of Micks fish taking a dry. By Friday morning our water temperature was 19c+ going in the right direction. Richard Callis caught 7 for his mornings visit on buzzers with Chris Sayer catching 4 & John Bebbington 3 trout for their part day visit.

Saturday & an excellent start to the weekend, cooler, overcast with the water temperature closer to 19c. Trout were in the top of the water & prepared to chase lures & nymphs but also take the dry with confidence. Fish were well spread across the reservoir from the dam to the mouth of the Markfield arm. Brian Sibley & Alison caught 6 for their mornings visit wit Jason Harrison finding a black & green lure pulled through the top on a floater created lots of follows & takes with Jason landing 7 for his mornings fishing. Mark Hunt went for the dries, big reds, cdc & grunter boating 15 trout for his days fishing.

Sunday another cooler, showery morning with the rods out for the morning session reporting fish moving and prepared to chase a muddler but were reluctant to take, Alasdair Blakemore party caught 8 for their mornings visit catching on muddlers and washing line. Thornton member A Wilson fished a claret bumble pattern on the top dropper and diawls on the dropper pulled through the wave creating plenty of follows and boating 5 trout.

Mornings is still the most productive period although this morning our water temperature is 18.5c and the first of the larger claret buzzer out in an appearance, with an unsettled forecast we should hopefully see some evening rises. Water clarity is good

Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

**New Email Address**: draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk

Week Ending 8^th August     Rod Average 4.7      Water Temperature 19‘C

With the recent drop in water temperature a fair number of fish have been caught on dries, and hopefully this will continue as we move on into August. It was busy for a Monday here at Draycote with 30 rods out on the water, mostly in boats. Season permit holder John Dickens caught 6 fish on a crippled midge. Bob Smith and Ian Richardson had a baker’s dozen on orange foam daddies and big reds around D buoy. Kevin Rees caught 18 fish on dries such as crippled midge and bob’s bits.

Tuesday was very humid through the middle of the day but with some good cloud cover here and there. The rod average is hovering around the 3 mark at the moment with Andy Axon and Sean Porter putting 8 fish in the boat between them. Season permit holder Tony Parker and his boat partner Nick, had 21 fish which all came to the dries when they had some cloud cover. Keith Coley and Bob Taft fished sinking lines with lures to boat 9 fish in the deeper water at the western end of the reservoir.

Wednesday was mostly warm and calm with bright conditions through most of the day, which made for tough fishing at times. Season permit holder Dave Adkins had 6 fish in the aerators on diawl bachs and cormorants. Mr M Francis had a total of 12 fish to the boat on a red stimulator and a green dabbler. Mr S Brown had half a dozen fish to the boat around A buoy. Mr C Jacques also had 6 fish which he caught on big reds and a gold lure.

On Thursday we had some heavy rain during the late afternoon, but Draycote seemed to fish well right throughout the day. Peter Elliott and Lee Patten had over 30 fish to the boat on dries such as bob’s bits and also a washing line and nymphs. Paul Havard caught 7 fish using a 6 foot midge tip line with crunchers, diawl bachs and a tequila booby. Sue Potts and Andy T had 18 fish to the boat using blobs and crunchers around A and B buoy. Chris Bobby and Lianne Frost used dries and a washing line to catch 25 fish between them. Kevin Rees caught over 20 fish, all on dries such as crippled midge and bob’s bits. Staff member and

Draycote guide Lee Henfrey had nearly 30 fish to the boat during a morning session fishing sinking lines through T and S buoy and off Farborough spit. Lee is well versed in this method of fishing and in his time here at Draycote has taught many anglers how to turn those dog days of summer into good fishing days. Why not book a session with Lee and learn how to catch when the fish just don’t seem to be biting.

The wind on Friday was blowing a lot harder than originally forecast and made for uncomfortable conditions at times. Draycote fished hard all day but John Dickens put the dries to good use netting 11 on claret bob’s bits around B buoy. Dave Naylor and Steve Houlton had 20 fish to the boat between them on hoppers around X buoy. Season permit holder Richard Parris caught off the bank during an afternoon session using CDC’s.

Saturday was overcast and a bit windy, with showers promised for the late afternoon. Draycote fished really well posting a rod average of 6, with a lot of fish being caught in the top few feet of the water. Lee Henfrey and Kevin Hart took to the water for a morning session and put about 50 fish in the boat by early afternoon. The method they used was heavy sinking lines with tubes and humungus, but pulled just under the surface, down the front of the Farborough Dam. Season permit holder Chris Pallott caught 4 good fish from the centre of the reservoir on a DI5 and snakes. Lianne Frost and Chris Bobby had 23 fish to the boat from various areas of the reservoir, all on FAB’s. The Invicta Fly Fishers took to the water with a total of 29 anglers, producing a club rod average of 6.58.

Sunday was again overcast and blustery with light rain forecast throughout the day, however the rain didn’t really continue much after lunch. With the overcast conditions the majority of the fish caught came from the top few feet. Jon Crowley fished from the bank landing 6 fish from Rainbow Corner on a black and green booby fished on the end of a washing line. Tim Burn & Paul Mitchell fished together in a boat landing 21 fish using FABs and Boobies on a washing line fished on an Airflo 12ft Slow tip. Michael Hanlon fished for a half day landing a dozen fish using a Di 3 sinking line and humungus. Mr A Hoffrock landed 18 fish all on dries drifting from the Draycote Dam wall going out.

Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

**New Email Address**: eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

Stocking Policy As we enter the period of the year with expected higher water temperatures at the Eyebrook we alter the average size of trout we stock. Our stocking policy for the Eyebrook is explained on our website Stocking Policy | Fly Fish Eyebrook – Leicestershire Trout Fishery

Week ending 8^th Aug 21                 Rod Average:4.6                  Water Temp: 21C – 19C

After a few cooler days with a bit of wind, fish have been moving in the surface all over the lake, but the main concentration of fish has been in the main basin area close to the dam and the draw off tower. With Monday being quite a muggy day with not a lot of wind, most anglers were experiencing a multitude of different things from the fish. Occasionally the fish would come up and take a single CDC, where others were taking nymphs like Diawl Bach’s fished on a washing line method. Some Anglers were commenting that the takes were very subtle and then others were getting hard takes that were snapping their leader. Top rod on the day was Alan McGuire with 8 fish to the boat. Alan was fishing washing line method with a sunburst blob which accounted for most of his fish. Not a bad start to his 2-day package. As in previous weeks, a majority of the action came to those out on drifting boats, whereas the bank anglers struggled to get fish to the net.

Wednesday seen Eyebrook hosting the English Disabled Fly Fishers (EDFF) Competing for the Presidents Cup on a bright sunny day with not much wind. Eyebrook provided some fantastic sport for the 15 Competitors with 81 fish between them giving a Rod average of 5.4. Biggest fish on the day was From Stewart Hume with a Rainbow of 3lbs 12oz. Top rod on the day was Paul Davidson with an outstanding display of angling by landing 20 fish. All competitors were welcomed back in off the water to a fantastic buffet set up by Pauline and her trusty crew. The fishing remained on top form for a majority of our anglers out in the boats. Jamie Thomas enjoyed his first outing on Eyebrook in years accompanied by Darren Wharton, the pair managed well in to double figures each fishing a multitude of different flies and methods, but Jamie stayed on for a little while and was impressed with the evening rise and continued to take fish on big red’s and small CDC’s. Eyebrook produced a whopping Rod average of 6.2 on this day despite the conditions being bright and still.

Thursday had The EFFA team meet up of a friendly competition out on the water. A few of the anglers had been out the day before and had some amazing sport. So obviously news was getting around the groups on areas, flies, and lines. Most of the flotilla spent most of the morning searching the open water around the dam area to Robbo’s cabin with a few fish coming to small boobies fished on a midge tip or dries on a floater. By the afternoon the group found where the main concentration of fish were and set up drift after drift along the Leicestershire bank from Dogwood bay to the Hawthorne’s. most anglers were on midge tips and slow intermediate lines and taking fish on boobies and Nymphs by casting out and retrieving with long steady pulls. Top Rods on the day were Andrew Wightwick and Steve Otteridge. John Goldie was the winner of the free boat draw at the prize giving. Overall, 25 Anglers caught 179 fish for a rod average of 7.46. Special mention needs to go to Eyebrook Season ticket holder Malcom Thompson who had an outstanding haul of 16 fish to the net while fishing from the bank. An outstanding feat considering the bank fishing has been extremely challenging lately.

Friday kicked off with being damp and overcast. The forecast heavy rain has seen most anglers opt to find other pursuits that are a lot drier. Meanwhile, the staff are keeping on top of boat maintenance and general admin around the lodge. From those few brave souls that ventured out on a blustery wet day Eyebrook Season Ticket holder Mick Farrell had an outstanding day getting in to double figures fishing washing line method on a midge tip with a cutthroat cats whisker booby and a couple of diawl bach’s. All water ticket holder Mark Hunt persevered with big reds and Bibio crippled midge to get in to double figures despite the conditions being far from perfect for fishing dries.

Saturday seen a good number of anglers covering a lot of the lake and taking fish from mostly along the Rutland bank on a multitude of methods, but the most productive methods were the washing line or dries. A few anglers had great success and managed to get in to double figures. Saturday ended up with a rod average of 4.8 obviously a sign that the drop in water temperature is bringing the fish back on to the feed.

Sunday was a bit of a quieter day giving our anglers plenty of water to explore. A majority of the anglers out today managed some good numbers of fish to the boat on cats’ whiskers and even baby doll patterns. This just goes to show that the old patterns still work, and they are worth a go every now and then.