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.