Fish 719 (Season 19,801) Returns 224 (3,657) Rod average 3.2 (5.41)
Fishing overall is amazing at the moment with huge areas of the reservoir alive with surface feeding fish mopping up pin fry within feet of the shoreline. This has provided bank anglers with plenty of opportunities, as well as boat anglers who have also reported fish showing well out in the open water and these are also feeding on this year’s fry.
Last week saw the trout really switch on to Rutland’s pin fry which culminated in a real mixed bag of results for anglers. Pin fry feeders are notoriously hard to tempt with many different flies employed by anglers last week. Hares ear, pearly pheasant tail, diawl bachs and dries such as a yellow owl cdc have all scored for these fish when kept high in the water on a floating line. A switch to co polymer leader material and also reducing the length of leader helps with this.
It is very important to keep the flies on the cast high in the water when targeting these fish as they are so high up in the water their field of vision is very small. Fly choice varies day to day so keep chopping and changing to try and gauge what will be the preferred fly on the day. Get it right and spectacular sport can be enjoyed as found by season ticket holder Toff Crowther and retail assistant Graham Hayward; the pair had a fantastic afternoon/evening on the bank during the week. Toff and Graham targeted the pin fry feeders, banking 31 fish between them in one session. The successful method was to keep moving along the bank looking for individual fish to target using a single buzzer on a heavily greased leader. Later on in the evening they switched to dries with good numbers of sedge encouraging the fish to take a dry.
The main basin has also switched on in the last week with many fish in open water from Stocky Bay to the buoy line on the dam. Washing line with FAB on the point and diawl bach, crunchers and buzzers up the cast has been the best tactic, fished with a floating/midge tip line. The best boat areas have been Manton Bay, Gibbets Gorse, New Zealand Point to the Sailing Club, East Creek and Fantasy Island along the Normanton bank. Also featuring have been Yellowstone, Old Hall and Ernies Point, and along Sykes Lane frontage. This really illustrates what a good spread of fish there is currently in the reservoir with plenty of locations producing fine Rainbows up to 4lb. Mark Jeffery was rewarded with one of Rutland’s fine specimen Browns weighing 6lb 7oz, it was a tough day for Mark, but a special fish like that can turn any day into a good one.
From the bank Ernie’s Point, Sailing Club Bay, Stockie Bay, Barnhill Creek, East Creek and the blue pipes along Normanton are all holding good numbers of fish and well worth a look.
It is also worth noting that our Summer bank ticket is now available to purchase – so take advantage of what is often the best part of the day. Priced at just £12 for one fish plus catch and release you can fish from 6pm; a very good value option to enjoy those summer evenings on the bank.
Mid week boat winner: A Robinson of Suffolk.
Tuesday Evening Boat League week 6
Just 2oz separated first and second place last week with Rich Cooper seemingly handed victory quite literally on a plate. Keith Jones was one of the first to weigh in with a very respectable four fish for 12lb 3½oz. Rich then came to the scales with four fish for 10lb 5½oz plus another four released. With a ½lb allowance per fish released this gave Rich a total weight of 12lb 5½oz, 2oz ahead of Keith. Rich went off to gut his fish and came back smiling having discovered something very unusual in one of his fish; showing Keith and the rest of us a piece of porcelain, possibly from a broken plate!
Third place went to Paul Baker with four fish for 11lb 5¾oz. Ady Naylor had the biggest fish on the night – a cracking 4lb 9½oz Brown, winning Ady a free mid week boat.
Forthcoming events
Breakfast Club Fishing 29 June
EDFF 3 July
EFFA 4 July
Scierra Pairs 6 July
England Qualifier 7 July
Anglian Water Airflo International – North of England Final 15 July
Anglian Water Lochstyle 4 man team match 31 August
Beginners courses: 29 June; 2,14 & 20 July; 4,10,25 & 31 August and throughout the season.
Boat handling courses: 24 June; 5 & 9 July; 8 August and throughout the season.