I have never blanked this time of the year before but...
Arrrived at 6.45 a.m, wind blowing S.W about 12mph. Started at the wire as the usual windlane was cutting across and my line was coming round ar the perfect angle and pace.No signs of life from either fish, or flylife, though as Midlander points out the main buzzer hatch doesn't get underway until after ten o'clock.It unnerves me if I havn't had an offer or seen a fish after thirty minutes .so we worked our way along sermans looking for signs of life- nothing.Got in the van and drove along to the gravels, still nothing doing.
By nine there were eight cars on the bank, and throught the morning they all drove up and down the bank searching for fish.We had considered braving the wind and trying the gorse, but by eleven it was blowing up strong.
Somedays you are filled with a sense of doom, and this was one of them so we packed up before noon and went to Ravensthorpe.This was busy, nearly all the boats out but only odd fish being caught.We had a few but it was unusually quite there too.
We are off to Rutland for two days next week (thursday/friday), never fished it before so any help gratefully received.
Lets hope it isn't like yesterday!

GM
p.s Go on Midlander, tell us what a great evening rise there was yesterday! Lovely brownie by the way!!

Sorry to hear you had an off day GM. Was there no sign of the Matins and Swifts? I'd have taken out the old binoculars and had a good mooch to see where the Swifts etc were and headed in that direction. If they're up high around the trees then they're probably on adult buzzers, if skimming the surface they're on post emergers. Find the ones on post emergers and you'll find fish close by. With that wind I'd have given Table Bay and the shallows on the Picnic Bank a try. Either that or if they were pumping water in, try the area round the inflow in Brixworth Bay. You can get huge amounts of Daphnia coming in with the pumped water and sometimes the fish home in on that area and gorge away.

I can't tell you about the evening rise I'm afraid, I won't be there until next Sunday more's the pity.

Thanks for that info Midlander, I should have mentioned that there were few swifts or martins, and they were very high up indeed. I'm glad you carry bins too, I find them very useful to spy on other boats, or the other bank when I'm not doing well- they have saved the day on numerous occasions.
I'm interested about the water inlet area, I can't say I've fished much around there.Is the water pumped from the Nene? I chatted to one old boy last year who told me it was pumped over from Grafham, but I can't see anyone pumping water that distance.
Is the picnic bank in front of the waterworks? Once again I can't say I've given it much consideration in recent years, although we fished it in the eighties a couple of times.( mainly because it was near the carpark I'm afraid.)
I don't mind blanking as long as I've seen fish or had takes; some of my most exciting trips have only resulted in a fish or two but I do hate dead days, I find it hard to persist, though I know I should!
All the best,
GM

Hi GM. I always carry a small pair of binoculars for just the reasons you've stated.

The inlet isn't always pumping water and I believe the water comes from a couple of sources but I'm really not sure. Early in the season is usually the time for the larger Daphnia clouds which makes me think there's more than one source.

The Picnic Bank is indeed near the waterworks. Parts of it are only worth fishing from the bank up until about now and at the end of the season. As there's more light and warmth it gets choked with weed. There's a very shallow "saddle" there that runs for a good 60 yards out and is about 40 yards wide shelving off into deeper water as it runs into the dam overflow to the west and Pitsford Creek to the east. There are always fish between the eastern shelf/side of Pitsford Creek and the western point of Table Bay. They might not be accessible from the bank all the time but that area there has every creature comfort for Trout. Fertile shallows that warm up quickly and are full of food, be it buzzers or damsels and safe deep water close at hand to bolt to in an emergency all in about two acres of water. It's a residents dream and somewhere I always try. Incidentally, that's where the big brown came from.

The wire you mentioned in your previous post has similar properties but not as marked. It deepens noticeably in the first small "bay" on the Pines side. When the water gets lower you'll notice a small tree stump. From there to the wire is always worth a throw.

I'm afraid perseverance is a must and on bad days a little understanding of the underwater topography is helpful. I've made a good few notes on Pitsford when the water's been low which has served me well at other times. Keep a notebook handy in the car to make notes on your observations. August and September have been the best months for me.