I took a photo of a huge brown, 12lb plus taken by an older boy off the Jetty last night, fast glass, and Minkie Booby!
Typical i'd been out all day hunting big stuff, the jetty is the place to be!

Once back to work I'll get the photo up!

__________________

Sounds about right Steve. Fishing Long Lake, central Washington while in the USA last year went out in a boat for three hours-not a sniff of fish and expensive at $8 and hour. Tried off the boat dock for the last four hours with tiny dries and had six-one of just over three pounds, but had to work hard for them.

__________________
The scenery in the Grand Coulee area of eastern Washington was worth the air fare on its own!

Cracking fish. I must say this year i have fished closer in than i normally
used too. Mainly because i used a 9" 5# sonic 3 rod, and i have had a belter of a year. So next year i am going to have to reign myself back again.

On a different note, and i hope Ifor will answer this as honestly as he can. This year Draycote has had an amaizing year, one they should be proud of, but ommittedly with so many over wintered fish from the closure i would of expected it. How are they going to keep it up for the next few seasons, after a lot of the over wintered trout get taken. If a stoking policy can be got to keep the returns near to were they are this is going to take some beating in the midlands.

Sarg,

Most of the large browns taken are overwintered fish.

A large amount of the 3lb - 4lb trout & a high percentage of the 5lb fish caught are stock fish 8,500 trout stocked during the first 3 weeks were all 2lb+ to 4lb trout.

It wasnt until the fifth stocking of the season did we put a load of trout in averaging under 2lb & they averaged 1lb14oz

The last two stocking that went in were fish averaging 3lb+

I honestly dont think triploids overwinter as well as the diploid stock fish did.

When you say "to keep the returns near to were they are" is that the size & quality or rod average?

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

ifor, i really hope you aint taken my question the wrong way, i am amazed at the fishing that you have had it its down to your management. I can see that the stocking policy is a great one and hope you can viable carry it on, and i for one will be asking our club to see if they want a trip there next year, if not i know my mate and i will be up next year anyhows all the way from the southwest.

I aint interested in numbers, its the quality and such a good average size that no other ressy has shown like draycote this year

Sarg,

No not at all.

The criticism I have received over the stocking of Draycote this year has been over the amount of trout stocked, some rods dont think Ive put enough in.

Thats why I asked the question, this year I went for Quality & Size

Not quality & quantity, quantity is acheived by lowering the overall stock size.

Hope that makes sense

Ifor

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

its easy for me to understand the hows and what fors of how a fishery runs(ex fish farmer) thats why i asked if it was viable to sustain such a high quality of stock. One things for sure, you wont please everyone, but change the stocking policy and then everyone complains. Thanks for your honest reply and i for one will ne seeing you next year.

Here it is!

__________________

Cracking fish. Thanks for sharing

Nice looking fish