AMFC Spring Association Match - Hanningfield

Friday 24th April was the date of this years AMFC Spring Association Match and it was held at Hanningfield Reservoir in Essex.

I was captain of the GWFFA "B" Team which also included Chris Lane, Steven Ellerbeck and Derek Bravington. This was our first match of the year as the newly formed GWFFA "B" Team so we were all enthusiastic and ready for the challenge.

The weather for the day was forecast to be bright and sunny with a strong breeze and lived up to the forecast. We had a hearty breakfast at the lodge, tackled up and boarded the boats.

Everyone was ready for a day afloat.

It was tough day in the end. I managed 3 fish and Chris, Steven and Derek all managed 1 each. Not a disaster though as there were 17 blanks for the day and only a handful bagged up.
We finished in 2nd place in our division (Division 4) beaten by East Mids.

1 extra bit of good news was we managed to beat GWFFA "A" Team (Richard Kesek (6 fish), Peter Hartley (blanked), John Weaver (blanked) and Tony Starling(1 fish))by 6oz's.

Lexus European Flyfishing Championship Qualifier

Sunday 19th I fished my very first Lexus Individual Qualifier on Grafham. The day started at 10.00 with 16 boats setting out from the harbour. It was a nice sunny morning but the wind was strong from the North making the South shore very choppy indeed. Although I knew there were fish around Perry Point, Sailing Club Bay and The Seat I agreed with my boat partner that Hill Farm and The Stumps was a good bet. At least 10 other boats agreed with us and a small fleet headed in the Aeration Tower direction.

I started with a pulling cast, blob, cats whisker and booby which I stuck with for an hour. My boat partner, Peter Elliot, caught 2 in that hour on a midge tip with buzzers so deciding that 1 may have a been a fluke but 2 was a trend I switched to the same. Peter had 5 before I got a pull so I was getting worried. I eventually got another and Peter bagged up by 3.10pm. I stuck it out around Hill Farm and moved into Pig Bay about 4.00 where I picked up 2 more on the buzzers and finished the day on 4.

In hindsight, which is always 20/20 vision I should have ventured to the South shore. The fastest to bag up was 34 mins. Finished by 10.34am was amazing.

Oh well, no shiny new Lexus for me. Maybe next year. A great experience though and my first major competion so learnt a lot and gained in confidence.

A huge well done to Richard Kesek though who had a cracking bag of 8 fish and won the day. Peter Hartley had 5 fish as well so well done Peter.

First Boat of 2009

Saturday 11th April and I took the kids out for the afternoon on Grafham in a boat.

Armed with a new boat seat, drogue and a new Di7 line to try out we set off from the harbour at 2.00pm.

We headed for Sanctuary Bay and The Stumps as word was there were plenty of fish feeding on buzzers. After stopping half way to set the drogue up we arrived to several boats already in Sanctuary Bay so we found a spot and set up a drift.

Lauren had a floating line with 2 buzzers on and I used my midge tip with a couple of buzzers. Wasn't long before I had a couple of pulls but no fish. A few drifts later and I had a good pull that hooked a nice rainbow. 1 to me. The next drift and Lauren had a fish on. she played it really well I was just there to net it for her.

Amy was getting bored, I had set her up a floating line with a Diawl Bach and a Buzzer and she was back drifting behind the boat. Nothing happening for her though so we set off to the middle, on went the Di7 for Lauren and an intermediate for AMy both with Pitsfords Peas. I started rowing and we trolled towards the dam.

About level with G Bank and Lauren's line tightened and she was into a good fish. Again she played it really well and I netted a 3lb 5oz overwintered Rainbow.

I carried on rowing and eventually Amy's line tightened and she had a fish on. Sadly it came off again.

No more action trolling so we went back to Hill Farm and I set up the midge tip again. Another stockie was soon on and that made it 2 each. A tangled leader meant the end of a good day out.

Another great evening at Rutland

Tuesday 7th April and I met up with Peter Waterhouse at East Creek on Rutland around 5pm. Peter was already fishing and hooked into his first fish as I was still tackling up.

I waded in next to him but struggled to cast so took a walk around the bay to try and find some easier spots. Peter took a second fish whilst I was still battling with an uncooperative wind.Peter hooked into a 3rd fish which was a bit feisty and eventually snapped his leader. Whilst he was replacing his lost leader and flies I dropped into his spot and connected with a fish on my first cast. I was so surprised I lost it.

I stayed in this spot while Peter took a look into the next bay. Half an hour later I had 2 on the bank and was just about to pop round and see how Peter was getting on when he came over the hill with a grin from ear to ear and proudly announced he had bagged up! He’d kept that quiet. Other expletives may have been uttered but are not publishable here.
So, not to be outdone I moved around the bay and had 3 fish very quickly to reach my “ECONOMY TICKET” limit of 5.

As there was a lesser degree of water extraction this evening (Mr Brett) the successful flies were black or olive buzzers and a black Bibio for me while Mr Waterhouse took his on black buzzers and an extremely small black nymph (size 14 i think)
I did get some reward out of it all though as my 5 fish weighed slightly more than Peter’s 6.

Another very enjoyable evening out at Rutland.

Colins account at Rutland

It’s Thursday 2nd April and Peter Waterhouse, Kevin Appleton and myself Colin Brett made the trip up the A1 to Rutland Water for our 1st visit of the new season. We headed for Stockie bay and within a few casts PW had a fish on the hook and soon into his net. That was it for about another hour when Andy Linwood appeared and said we needed to go round to the Monument in Skyes Lane for loads of fish. Andy had “bagged” up and was on his way home but decided to pass on the whereabouts and the method.

We dutifully trotted off to the Monument where PW again hooked a fish very quickly only to lose it almost as quickly [Shame :o) ]. Upon checking his fly all he had was a curly end of Fluorocarbon line [Shame :o) ]. Kevin came along and joined us and within minutes hooked and landed a nice Rainbow. I was feeling a bit left out having no pulls at all?

I decided to up stakes and head off towards Whitwell, Peter and Kevin dropped into Stockie Bay again but nearer to the point. I went past the point and headed towards the next point where I could see a rod bent into a fish. So fishing a floating line with a couple of buzzers I at last hooked my first fish of the 2009 season!! {Hooray!!]. Peter and Kevin had joined me again and they started to get amonst them as well. Several pulls and a couple of hours later we called it a day, I had managed another 2 Rainbows while Peter added another 4 to finish with a limit. Kevin took 4 as he just missed his “”ECONOMY TICKET”" limit.

Successful flies for the day were Black, Green, Copper wire Buzzers. Peter was using his home brewed Spaniels arse Buzzer. Kevin wouldn’t disclose his winning flies as I kept taking the p!ss out of the “”ECONOMY TICKET”" he has.
Anyway it was an enjoyable afternoon and early evenings fishing. For anyone going up to Rutland, there appears to be a good number of fish on the north end of the Dam right through to Whitwell and if the wind stays in the north there should be some good catches.

A good start to the new Season

After the disappointing start on opening day things did get better.

Tuesday evening i nipped out after work and went to Hill Farm. I had planned to fish The Stumps as i had seen people catching there in the morning but decided to try Hill Farm Bay first.

Had 2 stockies quite quickly, 1 on a cruncher and one on a buzzer. All went quiet so I moved to Deep Water Point. Eventually picked up another fish this time on a Richard Kesek Buzzer.

I had a couple of hours yesterday. Started at Plummers but nothing doing there so moved to Gaynes Point. A couple of boats had drifted through there earlier but i didn't see them catch. One boat turned out to be Steve and Chris. I had moved to The Seat when they came motoring by. Chris had 1 from earlier in the day but Steve hadn't had a single pull all day.

I changed from a midge tip set up to a sinking line and 2 boobies. after about 30 mins I got a take and hooked into a nice fish. It had taken the orange booby blob on the dropper. A good scrap and in the net. Turned out to be 2lb 9oz so not a bad fish.

So, all in all a good first weeks fishing.

The New Season has started

The 2009 Grafham Season started on Sat 14th March.

I headed down to Plummers around 10.30 and was met with a full bank. Didn't seem to be any spots so knowing that Steve Ellerbeck and Chris Lane were on Gaynes Point I walked round to Join them. I met up with Peter Waterhouse so he walked round with me and we arrived just in time to see Steve playing his first fish. We stayed there till 3pm by which time Steve had 4 fish on the bank, I had had a couple of follows but no takes and Chris hadn't had a touch.
We moved to the South corner of Plummers by the dam but it was quite windy there and was like fishing in the North Sea. Didn't stop Steve and Chris landing fish but I still had nothing.

Thats the way it stayed for me. Steve got one more up in Gaynes Cove but I still didn't get a single pull. Trudged home dejected.

Went out again on Sunday afternoon to Plummers. Only a few anglers around so I dropped in next to a chap who was just landing a fish. "Black Buzzer" he shouted so I set up with a black buzzer on the dropper and a Diawl Bach on the point. Hooked into a fish after a few casts. Was I pleased or what. Especially after yesterdays blank. Another take a few casts later but this time it took off with speed and pulled the hook free. Another lost fish a few minutes later and I was starting to think that 1 was going to be it. Finally another good pull and I was in to another good fish. Just the 2 but beat the blank at last.

Got home early today from work, Monday, so nipped down to Perry Point for an hour. Did manage to hook a fish briefly but it shook the hook free.

Need to get plenty of practice in before 29th March, Troutmaster Fish Off. Working from home on Tuesday so with a NE breeze forecast an afternoon trip to The Stumps might be in order.

Closed Season

No more fishing type updates to go on here but why not follow my Closed Season blog till March.

Click here to visit the Closed Season Blog