Reservoir is maintaining it’s impressive form with anglers reporting fish in many areas from both bank and boat.
Areas ranging from the top of the North Arm, the Main basin, all the way through to the South arm.
Various methods are working with Nymphs, Dries, working in teams, or individuals, to lure, nymph combination, through to mini-lures, snakes etc.
The consistent Easterly wind is still around, although cool&cold, has not put fish off with many, many areas of shoreline seeing very good numbers of fish rising, some in only a few feet of feeding on Shrimp in general,
For some, It’s been an exciting dry fly fisherman’s paradise at this moment of time!
Best areas,
BANK,
Sykes LANE TO Whitwell, Yellowstone’s, Old hall through to the Green bank. Normanton to the Church.
BOAT,
Normanton (Close in!) back to the fishing lodge, Whitwell frontage to Barnsdale creek, Yellowstone’s through to the Green bank, Hideaway bay.
Flies to try,
DRIES
Dries/surface patterns i.e. Hares ear, Small hackled dries, don’t be afraid to go small 14s and smaller some days, Shipman’s, in Claret, Red, orange, Suspender, (Sugar cube) Hare’s ear, C.D.C. Hares Ear, & foam backed Shrimp patterns
NYMPHS
Hare’s, Diawl Bach, Cruncher, & small black buzzers.
LURES,
Mainly being used by Boat anglers, fishing various sinking lines,
Boobies, Blobs, Snakes, in various colours & Tube Flies, & Minkies.
PROSPECTS
Are excellent!! With as mentioned, fish showing around the shoreline, feeding on Shrimp, some are feeding on very small buzzers (Black) Sedge pupae, Snails, and now this Year’s pin fry!
There has been some very big Rainbows stocked recently some in the 7-8lb + bracket being caught. Tony frost of Wellingborough 8lb 10oz rainbow on a black snake, boat fishing outside the harbour.
However, Big browns are still showing, and also a number of quality overwintered Rainbows being caught including a 6lb fish caught on a dry!