With the season coming to a close anglers have been taking advantage of the extra months fishing, and boy have they had some sport. Five fish over 6lb have been recorded this week and I was lucky to land one myself estimated at 6.5lb. The big fish have come alive and seem to be builing a head of steam as they look to pack on weight for the winter.

Flies Fished close to or on the surface have done well. A slow retrieve has been best.

The bank has also continued to fish well with plenty of fish recored around 3-4lb !

Tomorrow is Draycotes Christmas fur & feather boat competition. It has attracted some top individual anglers like former world champion Iain Barr, Trout Fisherman contributor Rob Edmunds, well known Midlands angler Dave Doherty and Team Rio's captain Graham Pearson. An interesting day awaits !!

Tight Lines

Craig Barr- flashattackflies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk

Yesterday saw the opening of Draycote Water, an what an opening it was too!! No one could have predicted the explosive start we witnessed, as every angler caught fish, and in most cases, a lot of them !!

Welsh International anglers Russell Owen an David Hoppie said "absolutely incredible, what a day"!!!! They took the majority of their fish on buzzers from Lincroft point to Toft Shallows.

Many anglers were bewilered by the days events, as conditions hit near perfect, rods were bending everywhere. One beginner, who had only ever managed one fish before, caught his 8 fish limit, and was over the moon.

All areas of the lake produced fish, from the bank and boat. One determining factor was to make sure you fished close to the shore.

With favourable conditions forecast for this weekend, it is sure to fish well again.

Best lines were floating lines, slow intermediates, and the fast glass, as fish appeared to be in the top 4' of water.

Tight Lines

Craig Barr - www.flashattackflies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk

Draycote was yet again in scintillating form today. The morning started off slow, however a raise in temperature by a few degrees after the sun broke through the low mist saw what Draycote is fast becoming renowned for, a lake in top form. It is not all stock fish either - Garry Simpson from Totteridge in London took 3 cracking over wintered rainbows in a four fish limit from the mouth of Toft Shallows.

As the boats docked this evening every angler commented on what a fantastic day they had had, with several repeating- it was their best days trout fishing ever !

Just a reminder to anyone who may be planning a trip to Draycote, bank anglers ARE able to drive their vehicles around the lake, up to 30 cars permitted at any one time, and park in designated car parks. 30 cars are permitted around the reservoir at any one time, call the lodge & book one of the 30 bank anglers car passes. You will be issued with a car pass ticket to display on your dashboard and will be issued when purchasing your fishing permit. Call the lodge for further details.

Boat anglers we have 30 car parking permits available, on busy days it will be one car parking permit per boat booking, call the lodge for further details.
Tackle shop, gutting facilities and toilets are now available on site.

All inquiries, or for an up to date fishery report call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

Tight Lines

Craig Barr FlashAttackFlies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk

Predicting the weather these days is like trying to predict the lottery numbers - neon impossible. From the throws of summer we were dropped backed into the grips of winter last week !

The sudden drop in temperatures and two days of frost sent the fish nose diving to the bottom and anglers turning up for the past good buzzer fishing were left scratching their heads!
All week we had North East, North and Easterly winds which slowed the big buzzer hatches we have been seeing recently, thus sending the fish deeper, and noticeably closer to the shores!

Mr I Bullock took advantage of the fish cruising the shores once again with 12 fish, the best weighing 3lb 6oz, and Peter Elliot also managed well into double figures from the bank fishing buzzers.

Boat anglers wanting to fish floating lines struggled in the colder weather as the fish dropped to around 8' in the water, deeper in many other cases, as reports from boats using fish finders filtered back to fishery staff.

Rod Wilson found the right depth as he took over 20 fish fishing deep with lures, including 2 browns over 4lb(returned). His 8 fish weighed 29lb 4oz!! Birmingham anger Keith Harding took his 8 fish on buzzers, with the trick being a 20' leader and 4 heavy buzzers fished from an anchored boat in Toft Shallows.

If the weather forecast is correct it is due to turn cooler again for the weekend, so if you are planning a trip to draycote be prepared to fish on the dark side !! (sinking lines)

Fish Caught 285
fish released 354
Number of anglers 186
Rod Average 3.4

Boat fishing starts at 8.30am and now off the water at 7.45pm
Bank anglers start from 7.30 and must be off site by 8.15pm
Credit card paying facilities are now available at the shop.

Our two £1000 cash prize competition dates will be confirmed this week and also a NEW individual match sponsored by Rio with some fantastic prizes down to 12th place up for grabs. To book call the fishing lodge on 01788 812018

tight lines

Craig Barr FlashAttackFlies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk

The last 48 hours has seen Draycotes fortunes change like the flick of a switch. Yesterday's rod average reached 7.4 between 31 anglers. Garry Simpson and his elderly father traveled up from Totteridge and were rewarded with 18 fish between them with garry commenting "It was great as we caught fish everywhere we stopped the boat"!

Two anglers today have both taken their limits, with Warwick angler Mr Dixon taking 4 cracking fish. He too said " Brilliant mornings fishing. Incredible, they were ripping my arm off"! He took all his fish on a blue flash damsel. An order for 20 more damsels soon followed !!

Swifts and swallows have not left the waters surface in 2 days which suggests the first major buzzer hatch of the season is under way. It was reported yesterday that fish were stuffed with buzzers.

One bank angler yesterday took fish well into double figures fishing buzzers off the bank, whilst Wullie Munn, a visiting angler from Scotland, was catching fish in the middle of the lake on dries !!

Long may it continue.............

Tight Lines

Craig Barr FlashAttackFlies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk

Fish are now higher in the water, with buzzers and diawl bachs now taking good numbers of fish. A cooler weekend may see them drop in the water. Boats still available for Saturday and Sunday. Call the fishing lodge up to 9pm to book your following days fishing. Places are still available for the Rio Pairs match on July 1st, fished to International rules.

Tight Lines

Craig Barr FlashAttackFlies.com

__________________
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk
www.flyfishforemark.co.uk
Member Fishery: Stillwater Game Fisheries Association www.troutfisheries.co.uk