Weekly Fishery report 24th July 2022

Weekly Fishing Report: Draycote, Eyebrook, Thornton

Visit our Fisheries Websites: www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk   www.flyfisheyebrook.co.uk  www.flyfishthornton.co.uk

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Thornton Fishery Weekly Report – 01530 230807

Email: thornton@flyfishstore.co.uk

Stocking Policy Details of our stocking policy for Thornton is explained on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/stocking-policy/

Can we remind members & day rods of our pre payment policy for 2022 details are on our website www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/about-us-2/day-permits/

Week Ending:  24^th July    Rod Av: 4.4      Water Temperature: 21c+ – (26c on Tuesday at 4pm)

Monday & Tuesday angler followed our advice not to fish due to the intense heat & high water temperature.

Wednesday and a much cooler start to the day, L Serrano went out for a few hours during the afternoon fishing a S5 with two humungus catching 4 trout from the buoy and lower end of the stones.

Thursday and a much cooler morning, cloud, light rain and an air temperature of 16c. Few rods about but the ones who are out fishing are looking at the cooler morning session. Tony Socket fished the deeper water with a sinking line and a silver white humungus & appetizer catching 3 but losing a further 3. Phill Mee fished diawl bachs to catch his trout. The heat has left us with some algae, its nowhere near as it could be with visibility still 3ft+

Friday an easterly wind which felt cool with light rain greeted the anglers. We were expecting a better day’s fishing, surprisingly it proved difficult. Ian Brearley caught 6 from green bay on damsel patterns during the day. A few fish moved in the evening with the rain and a drop in temperature, Karen Thompson fished a floating line losing a fish on a small blob and catching 1 on a orange daddy.

Saturday southerly breeze with anglers reporting fish feeding in front of the dam and across the corner, which in all honesty surprised us all following the hot weather we had Monday & Tuesday. Jan Webber found a pod of feeding fish off the corner of the wood catching 7 on a floating line with daddy & muddler. Tim Price caught 2 on daddies in front of the dam but reported he had another 15 come to the fly but wouldn’t take it properly. Mark Hunt fished team of daddies in front of the dam to feeding fish catching 20+ for his visit. Water temperature was 22c and dropping, some algae in the water with visibility 3ft

Sunday, floating lines with daddies, hoppers, small fabs, small muddlers was the successful method with a rod average 7+ for the day. With the westerly breeze the most productive area was in front of the dam, Adam Gunby & Lorenso both caught 14, John Thomson caught 6 on Fab, soldier palmer & diawl bach with Andy Dermott also catching 6.

Considering the heat & high water temperature at the start of the week the fishing Wednesday onwards has been far better than expected & noticeably better than years gone by & is without due to the change to the stocking policy introduced to cope with higher temperatures were facing. Prior to 2000 when we first trialled our new stocking policy we would not see much, if any top of the water sport once the surface water temperature went above 19c. Were know seeing as we did at the weekend excellent top of the water sport with water temperature at 21c+

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

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Draycote Fishery Weekly Report – 01788 812018

Email:  draycote@flyfishstore.co.uk

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

Week Ending:  Sunday 24th July 2022              Rod Av: 2.2      Water Temperature: 20 °C

Well with the record temperatures Monday and Tuesday, it was hardly surprising that no anglers decided to venture out on the water. Wednesday was the first day we had anglers return to Draycote to give it a go. Jim Dempsey fished utilising the rudder using Di 7 and a Booby basher to land 5 fish. Jim didn’t really have any specific areas just drifting from the Top dam wall straight down the lake into Toft. Draycote member Ray Rawlings landed a brace also fishing deep on a Di 7. Ray found his fish at Y Buoy and B Buoy using a olive snake.

A much cooler day Thursday with a cool northwest wind and some drizzle first thing in the morning. This has helped the water temperature drop back down to 20 degrees, and hopefully we should see a few fish moving nearer the surface. Season permit holder Dave Adkins caught a brace using a DI7 line and snakes in the area around Y buoy. Richard Walker also took two fish in the area around C buoy again on a DI7 and snakes. Frazer Duffy and his son took four fish between them on sinking lines and lure patterns.

It was overcast with a light easterly breeze on Friday morning, but quite muggy with it. Most anglers chose to fish in the deeper water up by C buoy and the Valve Tower, where 2 or even 3 fish was considered not a bad day at the moment. Mr David Chambers had 2 fish in Biggin Bay fishing between E and D buoy. Mr Ian Leach and Mr D Stoll had a brace a piece fishing over the deeper sections on the reservoir, but as sometimes happens here at Draycote, the fish are not sticking to the rules. Most of the fish on Friday came from the shallows down in the bottom of Toft. Mike Garner, fishing from the bank, used a washing line and crunchers to net 7 fish from the area near the big willow tree. Mike said that there were a lot of fish moving right across the bottom of Toft Shallows. Season permit holder Peter Harris used a single FAB to net 3 fish from the same area.

An overcast start to Saturday, with the sun breaking through, before the cloud rolled back in with some gusty winds for the afternoon. Fishery Guide Lee Henfrey took to the water on a 4 hour guide taking Nicholas Golding & James Holier for their first ever visit to Draycote or any reservoir for that matter. Under Lee’s instruction and guidance the pair landed 6 fish with Lee in 4 hours, losing a number of others and went on to finish the day with 10 to the boat.  The method was to fish a floating line, a tequila booby on the point and 2 size 12 black Diawl Bachs on the droppers. The best fishing spot was in Toft near the nature reserve buoys and the large willow tree. At the other end of the reservoir all water member Andy Lillie fished with Graham England to land 11 fish to the boat. They opted to fish foam daddies drifting from Rainbow Corner to A Buoy and landed a cracking 4lb fish. Fishing for an afternoon Paul Bailey also fished daddies to land 8 fish. Draycote member Mark Braun landed 11 fish dropping his flies a little deeper using a Di 5 sweep. Mark used a humungus and an olive snake with the best areas being A Buoy and Y Buoy.

An overcast start to the day on Sunday with a gusty south westerly blowing across the water. It’s obvious now that the fish have moved up in the water column, as anglers are regularly catching on floating lines using nymphs and lures, as well as some fish falling to dries. Jon Crowley used a hot headed damsel fished on a floating line along the dam wall in Toft to boat 9 fish. Stephen Dewhurst had half a dozen to the boat whilst Mark Robinson and Ian Western netted 3 apiece. Mr Craig Davies’ group, visiting us from Wales, had 60 fish to the boat between 8 anglers on their second day. The group used foam daddies and other dry flies, drifting in Rainbow Corner and out to A buoy.

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Eyebrook Fishery Weekly Report – 01536 770264

Email: eyebrook@flyfishstore.co.uk

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

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

Week Ending: Sunday 24 Jul 22       Rod Av:   2.7         Water Temperature:  19 – 22°C

Due to the extreme weather on Monday & the fishery was very quiet with no anglers attending. With even hotter weather on Tuesday, the decision was made early afternoon to close the fishery.

Wednesday saw the first anglers arrive to the lake after the break in the hot weather. Eyebrook Member Ian Jobe fished from a boat to land 8 fish. Ian found the fish in the main basin fishing deep utilising a Di 7 with a black and gold humungus. In a very different approach Stuart Ponter used a floating line and foam daddies to land 6 fish. With all his fish coming from Dog wood bay fishing near the weed.

Cool Northwest winds on Thursday with overcast skies, and a lovely ripple on the water. Fishing from the bank Malcolm Thompson enjoyed a great morning’s sport landing 4 fish. Malcom caught his fish from the Hawthorns using a blue dry damsel. Out on the boats Mr Purdon & Mr Wilson used fry patterns on Di 7 sinking lines to land 3 fish. With the cooler temperatures forecast Friday and some much needed rain in the forecast, we should see the water temperature drop further and the fish start to rise in the water column.

With Friday’s water temperature sat at just over 22 degrees, the fish as predicted, started to move up in the water column. There still appears to be 2 bands of fish, there are a group of fish sat in the first 3ft & some sat at 20-25ft. The fish in the upper layers can be caught on dries; Grunters, Foam Daddies & later in the day when the Damsel hatch in full swing; Dry Blue Damsel have accounted for quite a few fish. Whereas the deeper fish have been getting caught on Di7s with a Humungous Booby, fished relatively slow & hung for a considerable amount of time.  All-Water Member Mark Hunt targeted the upper layer of fish & his endeavours were rewarded with 7 fish caught on Foam Daddies. Another All-Water Member Ian Jobe chose to target the deeper fish from his float tube. Ian had a great day landing 14 fish all of which came to a Humungous fished deep & slow. Best bank areas were over the weedbeds; Dogwood to the Hawthorns & the best boat area remains the main basin.

Saturday brought with it a light South-Westerly breeze with plenty of cloud cover. Fish were caught from both the boat & the bank with Season Ticket holder Malcolm Thompson catching 3 fish from the bank at the Hawthorns. Malcolm selected his area wisely identifying the channels dividing the weed & fished his Dry Blue Damsel in these areas. The fish he caught were spooned, they were full of Damsel Nymphs. Elsewhere, Season Ticket holder Bob Margery had 6 from the boat, fishing Washing Lined Floater with Diawl Bachs on the Droppers up by Robbo’s Cabin & Tim Sheppard had 5 from his Float Tube in the Main Basin.

Sunday saw a blustery wind from the Southwest & good cloud cover with the occasional sunny interval. As the water temperature continued to drop the reservoir fished well from both the boat & bank. The weed that limited the bank access earlier in the year has ceased being an issue as the water level as dropped slightly due to the recent warm weather & lack of rain. This means that bank anglers can now wade up to the weed & fish their flies out in front of the weedbeds to intercept fish that are feeding along the edge of the weed. Their diets consist of mainly Damsel Nymphs in the mornings & as the air temperature increases late morning, they turn their attention to Adult Blue Damsels. Season Ticket Malcolm Thompson, did just this & had another very successful morning session from the bank, landing 12 fish. Away from the bank, another Season Ticket holder, Neil Shilton caught very well in the Basin fishing a Di7 & an Olive Barred Snake, landing 8 fish.

With the cooler weather looking set to continue, the prospects for the forthcoming week excellent