Hello Forum,

My enquiry follows:

1. What will be your first cast (rig) you send out at Grafham this year? (Please quote line density/leader length/'team' set-up/retrieve and anything else)

2. Where will it be made (North Shore? Seat? Savages? Boat or bank?)

3. What are you expecting to change in light of the killer shrimp infestation? Will it affect your initial fly selection?

Thanks in advance
JD

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JD - midland reservoir fanatic

Dangerous affliction making decisions about tactics, method, flies etc before you get to the water.

Best wait until you get there, see where the wind has been coming from, has it been in that direction for a while? Then make a judgement on where to fish, how to fish and what to fish.

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Fair point, but the title does add the caveat of 'dream' cast - by which I mean 'in an ideal scenario', i.e. wind/water conditions being positive.

Any feedback?

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JD - midland reservoir fanatic

JD, I'll attempt to answer your 3rd question.

I've been fishing Grafham for 30 years and last season was totally different from any previous season in my experience.

Normally, the fish stay within 150 yards of the shore for the first couple of months, particularly along the North Shore. In June the fish usually move right out into the middle and great success can be had with really long drifts right across the reservoir. I've even drifted all the way from Savages to the Dam on several occasions and found fish most of the way along. The best drift on South-Westerly for me has always been from The Seat all the way across to The Willows.

However, last season was totally different and the fish stayed very close to the shore for almost the whole season, particularly in the area from Savages all the way round Valley Creek to the Lodge. This made it a nightmare if you wanted to fish from a drifting boat as it became impossible to navigate through the many anchored boats. Although I had a couple of good days in the middle, those long drifts were nowhere near as successful as in previous seasons.

Last season, I probably spent more time in Savages than in the previous 29 years put together.

Normally I would be fishing varnished buzzers and cove pheasant tails early season, but maybe will have to try out a few shrimp patterns if they seem to be feeding mainly on shrimp.

I'm hoping that this change last season was due in part to the fantastic buzzer hatches that extended well into the season, perhaps due to the very cold winter that preceded the season. I suspect that we usually miss a lot of the good buzzer hatches as they take place before the season even starts.

The other possible reason for the change is down to the increased shrimp population which has provided a huge food source for the trout very close to the shore. I hope that this is not the case, but expect that all will become a lot clearer this season.

Tight lines,

Graham

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Laughed myself silly over your link to the Hadron Collider .

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"Take not out your 'ounds on a werry windy day" Surtees.

I hear that. I gave up fishing from a boat as Savages ended looking more like a marina and not my idea of fishing.

Last season I got a bit fed up having to weave through the Spanish Armada at Savages, Sanctuary and the West shore and although I had a few good days, my most productive and enjoyable were in Gaynes Cove, Plummer Car Park and the Seat.

The North shore was like the Marie Celeste for most of the season, Hill Farm, Hedge End, Church, Pylon, G and the Willows were the hardest I had seen for some years, as so many of the fish had just pushed along into the west or south and stuck there.

Last year was a bumper season for Grafham and I have a funny feeling it will fish its tits off this season too, can't wait.

The Pirate.

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