Fly Fishing Reports

Date:    Sunday June 14th
Report Author:    Pete
Best Catch:    8 fish by Nick Halstead
Heaviest Bag:    19lb 1oz for 4 fish by Peter Kasminski
Best Rainbow:    13lb 4oz by Richard Johnson
Best Brownie:    4lb by Frank Hartley
Best Blue:    N/a
Bank Rod Av:    1.23 fish per Angler
Boat Rod Av:    2.43 fish per Angler
Sport: the weather today was supposed to be 75% cloud cover warm and light winds and that is exactly what we got except the cloud seemed to be everywhere except over the reservoir, this made for challenging conditions. On the boats thought Stocks G-Tec anglers Nick Halstead and Carl Nixon still managed to find the fish with a impressive 14 fish to boat. Not to be out done by their rivals Stocks Falcons anglers Ian Ritchie and Ian Gaskell also had a 14 fish haul between them. When asked they said the best method seemed to be a washing line set up with diawl bachs and a cats booby, with the booby taking its fair share of the fish. Also on the boats today we had a group of anglers from the Leeds Fly Dressers Guild who were holding their annual competition first place went to Peter Andrews with 6 fish. But the best fish of the day went to Richard Johnson who tamed a cracking 13lb 4oz rainbow from the alders on a hare’s ear (pictured below)
The Angling on the bank proved a little trickier with the bright conditions making the fish tricky to tempt. But stocks regular Peter Kasminski was once again amongst the fish with 5 fish weighing in 4 for 19lb 1oz this haul included a cracking 11lb 5 oz rainbow (pictured below) peter commented on the fact that when he hooked the fish he realised he had left his net 60yds down the bank and had to slowly walk the fish back making this an even more incredible story. Great angling Pete!! See you in the lodge Pete

Date:    Saturday June 13th
Report Author:    Pete
Best Catch:    14 fish by Mark Wilson
Heaviest Bag:    5 fish for 14lb 8oz by James Vann
Best Rainbow:    5lb 3oz by James Vann
Best Brownie:    4lb 3oz by Bill Orrel
Best Blue:    N/a
Bank Rod Av:    3.5 fish per angler
Boat Rod Av:    4.38 fish per angler
Sport: When I arrived this morning the conditions were near perfect, warm slight wind and overcast. This meant the seven teams competing in the Anglian Water Airflo International were in for a cracking day and so it proved with 42 anglers catching 184 fish. The top individual today was Graeme Bell who caught a staggering 13 fish for 29lb 14oz. In second place was Stocks regular Steve Bland with 9 fish for 19lb 9oz just pipping our very own Matt Taylor by 7oz Matt also caught 9 fish but for 19lb 2oz. But the main emphasis today was on the team event and I first place was Chatton Trout Fisheries with 41 fish for 93lb 7oz. In second place was Stocks Harriers with 39 fish and 84lb 8oz, in third were the Stocks Hawks with 31 fish for 61lb 15oz and in the final qualifying place with 26 fish for 53lb 10oz were the Weasels. The top tactics for today were blobs or boobies stripped on a slime line but when it did cloud over the fish were rising to dries.
On the bank a single angler stood out today, Stocks regular Mark Wilson who landed and released 14 trout. Mark fished from Bell Point on a hover line with a booby on the point and bushy Dabblers on the droppers. He said he just cast them out and when it clouded over his line locked up with a fish, cracking angling mark and all in one spot!! See you in the lodge Pete

Chatton Fly Fisheries 1st place Anglian Water Airflo International Graeme Bell, Dave Holt, Paul Little, Chris Tuck, Jim Tuck, Mick Randle

Date:    Friday 12th June
Report Author:    Matthew
Best Catch:    15+ Bob Fitzpatrick and Andy Taylor
Heaviest Bag:    5 fish for 12lb 4oz Steve Hilton
Best Rainbow:    4lb 8oz Bill Taylor
Best Brownie:    4lb 8oz Ian King
Best Blue:    2lb Steve Newbold
Bank Rod Av:    3.47
Boat Rod Av:    6.58
Sport: If today is the yard measure for the weekend then we are in for a real treat! Bill Taylor had a cracking half-day session tempting 10 on the washing line. Bill fished the top of Hollins bay targeting rising fish. All but a couple of Bill’s fish came to a diawl bach! Numerous scores of six plus from the shore today with regular Rudolph being one of them. Rudolph fished Bell Point with a team of dries with a Daddy long legs being the top pattern. Ian King also did well with 7 fish coming from two trees. Ian fished a Montana on a floater with his best fish tipping the scales at 4lb 8oz (a super looking Brownie!)
The number of fish rising today has been astronomical! Methods to tempt them have varied considerably. Targeting rising fish with patterns that cause a wake has done the trick, so too has the dry.
Bob Fitzpatrick and Andy Taylor had a super session with over 30 fish to the boat. Both guys found the fish keen to chase or just as happy to take a static daddy of the surface!
I don’t think you could ask for a better weather forecast for fishing this weekend so that rod average can only go one way!
Tight lines Matthew

Date:    Thursday 11th June.
Report Author:    Paul.
Best Catch:    13 fish for Dave Holt.
Heaviest Bag:    2 fish weighing 5lb for Brendan Ginty.
Best Rainbow:    4lb for Carl Seddon.
Best Brownie:    Several weighing 2lb 12oz.
Best Blue:    2lb.
Bank Rod Av:    2.69 fish per angler.
Boat Rod Av:    5.12 fish per angler.
Sport: This morning we saw a mixture of sunshine and showers but as the day progressed the skies got brighter and the wind picked up. Despite these conditions there were some good catches made with David Holt taking the best catch of the day. David fished from a boat and landed a credible 13 fish. He found trout all over the reservoir and found several patterns and tactics to be effective however he did comment on the fact that almost all his action came when there was the presence of cloud cover. On the bank there were several anglers who caught 4 fish with various patterns working well with the best areas being Hollins bay, the alders and ten acre foot on the east bank. Worth noting was the fact that even in such bright and windy conditions trout were still willing to rise to a daddy. See you on the water Paul

Date:    Wednesday 10th June
Report Author:    Matthew
Best Catch:    12 fish for Bill Orrell
Heaviest Bag:    3 fish for 7lb Michael Gregory
Best Rainbow:    4lb 8oz Alan Crook
Best Brownie:    Several at 2lb 8oz
Best Blue:
Bank Rod Av:    4.4
Boat Rod Av:    5.3
Sport: Some day’s I just wish I were fishing! Today was one of those days. A gentle ripple with fish quietly sipping off the surface all day long. David and Joan had a cracking afternoon with 14 fish all on the daddy down by the Causeway.
Similar story in Paul Bebb’s boat this morning with 15 fish again all coming to the daddy or beetle. No one spot stood out for Paul in-fact a good number came right from the middle of the reservoir.
Off the shore Bill Orrell had the fish chasing his little black and green number with 12 fish to the net. Bill found fish from two trees round to Bell point.
Again a similar story for Alan Crook with 9 fish from Hollins, with Montana’s doing the trick.
The fish are looking up more than ever and it should stay that way for a good few days!
Tight lines Matthew

Date:    Sunday 7th June
Report Author:    Matthew
Best Catch:    10 fish for Steve Bland
Heaviest Bag:    3 fish for 11lb 8oz Darren Coy
Best Rainbow:    7lb Darren Coy
Best Brownie:    4lb Steve Bland
Best Blue:
Bank Rod Av:    1.0
Boat Rod Av:    1.5

Sport:  This spell of cooler weather has made things a little trickier, so a change in tactic is what’s needed! Steve Bland did just that and found the East bank lifting with action. Steve employed a team of mini lures with some of his own creation’s doing the trick. Whilst I was out fuelling him this evening he hooked into a stunning looking brownie nudging the 4lb mark.
Joining Steve down the east bank was Mark Wilson who had numerous takes on his team of Diawl bachs. Mark finished a short session with 4 good trout however on any other day it could easily have been in double figures! Sometimes they just don’t want to stick!!
As of tomorrow lunchtime the temperatures are getting back to were they should be and I’m sure the surface will be lifting once more.
The video below was created on Friday morning while the weather was a bit fairer.
I was amazed at the shear abundance of terrestrials Ben and I found in all but ten minutes. Take a look and see what you have to tie up for the next few weeks!
Tight lines Matthew

Date:                           Saturday June 6th
Report Author:      Pete
Best Catch:              6 fish for Dave flitcroft and Mark Wilson
Heaviest Bag:         3 fish for 17lb 14oz by Bruce Tait
Best Rainbow:       13lb 1oz by Bruce Tait
Best Brownie:        10lb+ by Mr Rowe
Best Blue:                N/a
Bank Rod Av:        3.43 fish per Angler
Boat Rod Av:        2.29 fish Per Angler
Sport: The weather took a turn for the worse today with a stiff easterly breeze which made presentation a little tricky. On the bank stocks regular Mark Wilson started on Bens Beach but being a left hooker found the wind a little tricky so moved to Backhouse Bay on the east bank and straight away was into fish, in a frantic 2-hour session he landed 6 fine trout including a stunning 6lb rainbow. Mark found a washing line type set up with a black booby on the point accounted for most of his fish. Also on the bank another regular Dave Flitcroft also had 6 fish again on the east shore with a mixture of various nymphs and lures working for him. Out on the boats today we had two groups of anglers fishing in club competitions, firstly the Ashington Kingfishers were fishing in their annual loch style championships with 22 anglers fishing they caught 52 trout with the winner Ian Fairgreave Jnr weighing in 5 trout for 11lb 4oz. Also from the Kingfisher was Bruce Tait weighing in a 13lb 1oz leviathan caught from Backhouse Bay on a black booby. Again out on the boats were the Mid-Ribble anglers on a half day comp their top rod was organiser Stuart Halford with 2 trout. The wind is due to drop off tomorrow so see you in the lodge Pete.

Bruce Tait 13lb 1oz rainbow

Date:    Friday 5th June 2009
Report Author:    Matthew
Best Catch:    15 fish for Pete Holland
Heaviest Bag:    11lb 8oz Pete Holland
Best Rainbow:    Several for 3lb 8oz
Best Brownie:    Several at 2lb 8oz +
Best Blue:    N/a
Bank Rod Av:    2.00 fish per angler
Boat Rod Av:    7.00 fish per angler

Sport: Well if theirs one thing we can or indeed can’t rely on in this country it’s the weather! This morning the fish were everywhere and the dries were a hot ticket! Daddies, beetles and Sedges all accounted for good numbers early on. Pete Holland and Craig Tattham had a blinder of a day with near 30 fish between them! They found the fish keen to chase cat’s whiskers. Their key was to anticipate the direction of a rising fish, target the area and antagonise a take! Good angling guys!
Willie Hunter and Alan Merton had a good session too with 24 fish between them again they found the fish everywhere with the morning session being the most productive. Teams of mini lures and sub surface nymphs did the trick.
Buzzers were also on the trout’s menu today with a huge wind lane opening up down the middle of the reservoir this evening holding shucks galore! The number of fish moving in the wind lane was simply breath taking. It just goes to show that we only need a short warm spell and the fish will venture out over deeper water.
Tight lines Matthew

Date:    Thursday 4th June.
Report Author:    Paul.
Best Catch:    10 fish for Ken Whiteside.
Heaviest Bag:    5 fish weighing 14lb 12oz for Peter Harrison.
Best Rainbow:    Several weighing 4lb 8oz.
Best Brownie:    6lb 8oz for Brendan Ginty.
Best Blue:    Several weighing 2lb 8oz.
Bank Rod Av:     2.41 fish per angler.
Boat Rod Av:     4.50 fish per angler.
Sport  The weather was a bit changeable today with warm overcast conditions both this morning and then again this evening but during the middle part of the day  the sun shone brightly and the wind was a bit unpredictable. It is no surprise that early and later were the most productive periods when there was plenty of cloud cover. This morning there were trout rising all over the reservoir and dries were the best tactic although other patterns and tactics worked well. On the bank was Ken Whiteside who landed 10 fish. Ken fished in Hollins bay to catch his fish with a fry pattern fished on a floating line being his best tactic. Keith Charnock and Dave Hunter took to a boat and headed off to the causeway where they landed a total of 16 fish between them. Keith caught most of his fish on a damsel pattern whilst Dave found a gold head daddy to be his best fly. Also on a boat this time in the northern shallows was Peter Harrison who landed 9 fine trout. Peter caught all his fish right off the top on a daddy long legs. I was out on the water this morning for just a couple of hours and with the conditions as they were dries seemed the best option and this proved the case. In those calm areas there were lots of fish rising and a quick, accurate cast usually brought about interest from the fish, I did find however that the fish were difficult to hook right off the top so instead of lifting into a rise a figure of 8 retrieve would see your line slide away, the trout were drowning the flies before taking them. Great sport. See you on the water Paul.

Report Author:    Matthew
Best Catch:    11 fish for Keith Charnock
Heaviest Bag:    5 fish for 14lb Keith Charnock
Best Rainbow:    3lb for Mark Howarth
Best Brownie:    Several for 2lb 8oz
Best Blue:    2lb 8oz
Bank Rod Av:    2.00
Boat Rod Av:    3.30
Sport: Another good day this time with a bit of cloud cover, and with that Keith Charnock took all but a couple of his fish on the dry! Finishing with 11 good fish to 3lb 8oz Keith found the trout willing to rise to various dries as he drifted the willows. When the surface action switched of a slow figure of eight had the after the Diawl bachs once again! Numerous scores of 3 or 4 off the shore with dries or indeed nymphs doing the trick. The key seems to be a very slow retrieve. Hot spots are the Willows and Northern Shallows from the boat, and the spillway, Bens beach and Hollins from the shore.
With the temperatures staying pretty high and more cloud cover due things can only get better and better.
Tight lines Matthew