Lake District Trout Report

[Zinky]

Wych Elm

 

The clarity is not as good as usual because of all the recent rain but it is improving on a daily basis. Fishing this last 2 weeks has as ever been very good with excellent bags of up to 16 trout per angler. Buzzers have been the best bet but bloodworms and tadpoles and dry patterns in black have also worked well. Good daily buzzer hatches now so you need a selection of epoxy, suspender, fly, shuttlecock and blakestones mainly in black to keep in touch with the fish. Menace varient on a floating line and slow jerky retrieve will do well as will sight bob killers fished statically under an indicator..

 

Bag average has been a very good 3.9 per angler and 682 fish were caught in March. Best fish this last few days are 8lbs, 3 x 12lbs , 7.5 lbs and 9lbs with plenty of other good large trout caught.

 

Tewitfields

 

Anglers are still benefiting from the massive recent stocking which Les put in. Again it is imitative patterns that have been doing best. Buzzers especially black epoxy ones fished statically are working well along with dries on the breezier days. No reports of any massive fish this time but plenty of sub doubles.

 

Esthwaite Water

 

Like Tewitfields, Esthwaite is benefitting from that huge restocking we mentioned in the last report.

 

Last week when it was brighter the fish went down as they always do anywhere but these last two or three cloudy days have seen trout back near the top. Under these conditions various nymphs and buzzers are working well and best nymphs are ptns, daiwl bachs and black buzzer.

 

Any method anglers are also doing very well with many anglers catching in excess of 10 trout per session. Many over wintered fish have turned up including trout from 3 to 6lbs. Best fish of the week was a mind blowing brownie of 10lb 8oz taken on a spinner by a holiday angler from London.

 

Trout fishing will get even better over the next few weeks especially if the weather remains mild. However on this water if you fly fish it is essential to bring sinking lines in case the weather changes. Pike fishing is now over until 1 October but many will still be caught by Trout anglers.

 

Killington Reservoir

 

Fishing since the first major stocking has been fast and furious and despite power bait being banned some unscrupulous anglers are still using it. Also many anglers have been seen taking away 8 or more trout per day and this is nothing less than theft and if they get caught they have only themselves to blame.

 

Fly fishing and bait have all produced and with the milder weather some good black buzzer hatches are coming off so various buzzer patterns are needed as the fish start to take natural food.Nothing reported on the coarse fishing front..Ghyll Head, High Newton and Dubbs Reservoirs

 

All three waters have fished well but were fairly quiet over the easter period. At Dubbs black lures on sinking lines seem to be fishing best but in the calmer conditions customers have reported fish coming up to small black hoppers. Some also taken on black buzzer pupae. Fish stocks now getting quite low on all 3 lakes as anglers take their limit each time. It takes several monthly stockings to maintain a decent head of fish in these waters.

 

At Ghyll Head some buzzer hatches are occuring plus a few sporadic olives. These have not been as plentiful of late but an olive nymph on a floating line in the shallow bays will produce these next 2 weeks. In The middle bay if conditions are calmer black suspender buzzer takes some beating and when there is no surface activity get an intermediate line on and fish a white, black or olive tadpole .

 

At High Newton a few beatles seen plus some buzzer activity and customers have had some nice surface sport with small beetles and black dry flies. As always at this time of year we get the tales of the giant taggies smashing anglers. It usually turns out that the anglers were using leader material at least a year old. It deteriorates and costs a fraction of the price of a packet of cigarretes to replace so please do not leave your flies in the fish - change leader material if you have not already done so.

 

Windermere

 

A few trout being taken on top lined 5cm and 7cm sinking rapalas and plenty of small pike being taken accidently. However there has been some mind blowing pike action in the last few days. With water temperatures a little up on normal following an exceptionally mild winter the pike are thinking of spawning. Consequently pike of 19.5lbs, 24lbs , 28lbs and 34lbs have been taken on deadbaits and all were very deep fish and obviously hen fish. Lure fishing is now required as to fish deradbaits is a very grey area. Big rapala shad raps, jerk baits such as hell tails, pike toothy critter series etc should also produce well from now onwards.

 

River KentWe understand that the river has now been stocked but angling activity is minimal at present .It is mainly fly only until 1 May so ticket prices are low to reflect this. Well worth a visit from now on if you fancy some good roaming brown trout fishing with fish up to just over 1lbRatherheath Tarn

Report by "The Friends of Dragonbat" thanks Bob

 

[ 02 April 2002, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: Dragonbat ]