Rod average - 5.0
This past week has seen weather which can best be described as changeable, with some days having a very autumnal feel & others feeling like a typically late summers afternoon. This has reflected in how the fishery has performed with some days proving to be more productive than others with the fishery yielding a very good rod average of 5 for the week.
During the changeable weather, it has really paid dividends to ring the changes in both fly line & depth, fish the conditions & the fish have invariably been where you would expect them to be. In the brighter spells they have been around the drop offs, sitting in the deeper water & during the periods of overcast, they have been sat high up in the water column & feeding in relatively shallow water.
This week has really started to see a change in the fish’s diet with the first signs of fry feeding in the harbour on the abundant Perch & Roach fry that inhabit this area. Elsewhere, they continue to feed on Snails around the margins & terrestrials (Foam Daddies & Hoppers) that have been blown across the open water. With regards to the Shrimp, the water temperature remains a tad too high for Shrimp to start breeding & therefore the Shrimp feeding to start in earnest. The cooler nights & recent winds will begin to cool the water so that will start to change soon no doubt.
From the banks, the various points along the North Shore have on days, proven been very productive with fish caught on anything from Dries to Nymphs on a Washing Line. With either method, the secret has been to do not a lot with your flies, cast across the wind & use the this to swing your flies around. Early morning & late afternoon has also proven to be more productive than during the day.
The boats have seen fish caught on Dries, Nymphs straight lined or on the Washing Line & lures fished very targeting deeper laying fish feeding on Fry sat 40ft down. The best areas have been, all along the North Shore, G Buoy to N Buoy, South Corner of the Dam & Q Buoy out in the open water.