Thornton Reservoir.

The 2008 season opens on February 1st, with a pre season stocking of 3500 rainbows.

Early season anglers will concentrate on fishing the shallows opposite the lodge, wood bank, lonesome pine & farm bank. Depending on the weather, last year mild & dry anglers caught on floating or intermediate lines with buzzers & diawl bach, but if the weather is colder as it is today expect a sinking lines with tadpoles, lures & booby flies to produce best.

1 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£11.00 OAPs / Disabled £ 9.50
2 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£12.50 OAPs / Disabled £11.00
3 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£14.50 OAPs / Disabled £13.00
4 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£16.00 OAPs / Disabled £14.50
5 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£17.50 OAPs / Disabled £16.00
6 fish kill permit + catch & release option
£19.00 OAPs / Disabled £17.50

Full Day Boats £10.00 Part Day Boat £5.00 Late Evening Boat After 6pm £4.00
Electric Engine Full Day£8.00 Electric Engine Part Day £4.00
Wheely Boat Including engine Full Day £9.50 Wheely Boat Including engine Part Day £4.75

The lodge & tackle shop will be open from 7.30am with boats available from 8.30am.

To book your boat or want to discuss the fishing give me a call on 01530 230807

Ifor

Thornton Report week ending 03/02/08

Well best laid plans, fish were stocked, boats were back on the water & then the weather beat us, those heavy winter rains during late January reduced our water visibility down to below 12inch.

A few eager rods did venture out & a few trout were caught with a few over wintered trout between 3 & 5lb taken but generally sport was slow.

Conditions are improving slowly with just over 3000 trout stocked & a further 400 this Tuesday as soon as conditions allow I'm sure we will enjoy some excellent early season sport.

My advice is keep in touch with the lodge to see if its worth you traveling.

Our tackle shop is just about restocked with the new range of ABU diplomat rods 2 & 4 piece rods retailing at under £50 sure to be popular.

Ifor

Thornton Fishing report week ending 10/02/08

Well the first 10 days of the season have been poor due to the rain prior to the opening & the heavy rain we had here on Tuesday evening.

The frost during the last couple of evenings & the frosts forecast for the next few evening will help & improve the clarity & hopefully by the middle of this week we will be enjoying better sport.

Keep in touch with the lodge for up to date fishing conditions.

Lodge & tackle shop open from 7.30am
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk

Tel 01530 230807

Ifor

Fishing report week ending 17/02/08

This current cold spell -6 here on Saturday night & -7 on Sunday night has put some ice in the margins, but the colder weather has helped improve our water clarity.

Although the fishing is still hard one or two anglers who found the right method have enjoyed some good sport with father & son T. Davies catching 13 between them, while D. Graney & son caught 8 for their visit.

Slow & deep is the way to fish it with the majority of the fish been taken between 11.00am & 4.00pm the warmest part of the day.

As I always recommend keep in touch with the lodge for the latest fishing conditions.

Ifor
01530 230807

Thornton fishing report week ending 24/02/08

At last were starting to see an improvement to the fishing as our water clarity continues to improve & our water temperature starts to climb (6 degrees Monday at 9am) after the other week of hard frosts.

Thursday on wards we started to see an upturn in the catches with the bank generally out fishing the boats with the most productive time to fish been 11.30am – 3.30pm. Sinking lines scored best with orange blobs, booby, viva, tadpole & cats whiskers all taking fish.

Sam Fielder arrived at the fishery at 2pm & took 7 trout by 4.30pm, Nev Welsh took his 4 fish limit off the bank opposite the lodge on a green fritz, while P. Clough preserved with buzzers to take his 4 from in front of the willows while G. Dawkins took an over wintered rainbow at 4lb4oz again opposite the lodge.

If your considering a bank session at Thornton be sure to bring your waders.

For up to the minute fishing information contact the lodge on 01530 230807.

Tackle shop & lodge open from 7.30am.
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk

Ifor

Fishing update 28/02/08

At last were fishing as we should be with boat & bank anglers enjoying good sport with the rod average for the first three days of this week at 3.6 fish per person.

Intermediate or sinking lines with black & green tadpoles, orange fritz & cats whiskers are producing best with a few rods catching with a floating line & buzzers during the warmest part of the day.

Most productive area is along the Thornton Arm & wood bank if your coming to fish the bank be sure to bring your waders.

Ifor

If your really want a top days sport, go visit Ifor and fish your socks off.

5 of us went on Friday and despite the cold had a 40+ fish between us!! Lots of missed pulls, the fish are definately in the shallows opposite the lodge. Try a PT cruncher team of three on a floating line, count them down for five and figure of eight them back. A pull 1 in 3 casts and even had a couple of fish take them on the drop.

Ifor................I'll be back.

Phil

Thornton fishing report week ending 02/03/08

AT LAST were fishing as we should be with boat and bank anglers enjoying excellent sport along the shallows of the Thornton arm, wood bank & Markfield Arm. In total 121 rods caught 636 trout returning 352 for a rod average of 5.2

R. Saunders traveled from south Wales with his float tube & was rewarded with 15 trout to 3lb8oz on a mini cats, pearly pennel & hares ear, H. Davies fished the bank & caught 12 while K. Sargent caught 32 for his visit. R. Bray & A. Wale shared a boat & caught 34 between them, while A. Downes caught 23 to 3lb on a black & green tadpole, day rods J. Graney & B. Burton caught 41 between them on an orange fritz.

The fishing was generally at its best during the warmer hours of the day 11am – 3.30pm with anglers taking their fish within a few yards of the bank at times. Most anglers fished an intermediate or sinking line with black & green or white & green tadpole, orange blob, & cats whisker although a few anglers who fished buzzers, crunchers & ph tails were also rewarded.

These next few weeks offer some of the best bank fishing of the season at Thornton with the trout running close along the shallows, however don’t forget to bring your waders.

Full Day Boats 8.30am – 5.30pm
Part Day Boats 8.30am – 12.30pm / 12.30pm – 5.30pm

Lodge & tackle shop open from 7.30am
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk Tel 01530 230807

Ifor

Thornton Fishing report week ending 09/03/08

It’s a case of watching the forecast & picking your day as many of the 124 rods for last week did & were rewarded with a total catch of 577 trout (325 returned) for a weekly rod average of 4.7

Generally the warmest part of the day is fishing best 11.30am – 4.00pm with bank anglers again enjoying good sport along the shallows of the Thornton Arm, wood bank & lonesome pine with the majority of the trout been taken within 30 yards of the bank.

Some trout have been taken on buzzers but an olive fritz tadpole, black & green or white & green tadpole continues to be the best pattern to try with an intermediate been the most productive line to use.

Tony Lorrimer on his first visit of the season caught 16, while Darren Dodd & his son caught 12 on damsel & bloodworm patterns, P. Bruce fished buzzers to catch 10 to 2lb8oz while B. Nichols fished buzzers to catch 8 from the bank with Paddy Fitch recording 17 for bank visit while S. Wilson fished buzzers & Humungus to catch 19 to 3lb while M. Hugill recorded 16 for his session. Roy Ensor recorded the best catch of the week 30 trout taken on blobs & booby patterns.

Boat Times Full Day 8.30am – 5.30pm
Boat Times Part Day 8.30am – 12.30pm / 12.30pm – 5.30pm

Tackle shop & lodge open from 7.30am
www.flyfishthornton.co.uk Tel 01530 230807

Ifor

Thornton fishing report week ending 16/03/08

Well what a week, Monday Tuesday & Wednesday strong winds, gale force at times kept the anglers off the water, then Thursday, Friday & Saturday provided excellent fishing conditions for the 76 rods who fished catching 341 trout returning 159 for a rod average of 4.5.

Bank anglers again enjoyed good sport along the shallows of the Thornton Arm & wood bank with the majority of the trout taken within 20 yards of the margins. A floating line during the warmer part of the day fished best with buzzers starting to feature in the best fly category with a size 10 or 8 black buzzer working well as Harold Pritchard found catching 35 trout on his visit.

Other notable catches were made by P. Warden catching 21 trout to 3lb on gold head damsel & cats whisker, Norman Perkins fished the bank to catch 12 to 3lb, while M. Neal enjoyed his most successful trip yet to Thornton catching 25 for his visit.

However on Saturday night & during the early hours of Sunday morning the bad weather returned with another spell of heavy rain which once again has put some coloured water into the reservoir. Sport therefore during the next few days will be far from easy & I suggest you keep in touch with the lodge for an up to date report on fishing conditions.

Full Day Boats 8.30am – 5.30pm
Part Day Boats 8.30am – 12.30pm / 12.30pm – 5.30pm
Tackle shop & lodge open from 7.30am
Tel 01530 230807 www.flyfishthornton.co.uk

Ifor