Bushyleaze

[Steve Walker]

I've decided that it's about time I used my fly rod for something other than bothering coarse fish, and that if I'm to do it in public I'd better get my casting polished a bit, so I have booked an hour's tuition tomorrow afternoon at Bushyleaze. Lesson is at three, and I'll hopefully pick up an evening ticket and fish on afterwards.

 

With a bit of luck the instructor will put me onto some fish, but does anyone have any other hints? Report from someone who fished it on Friday was that buzzers were out-fishing lures.

 

Unfortunately, it looks as if the afternoon is going to be damp and a little windy (though not too windy, I hope).

[Alan Roe]

I wouldn't worry too much about fly patterns at this time of year anything black will do It's been many years since I last fished it but the place is rammed with huge stockie rainbows so it shouldnt be too challenging.

[Steve Walker]

Thanks Alan. I think the HUGE rainbows are in their other water, though it's all relative, I suppose - I believe the rainbows in the lake I'm fishing are stocked in the 2-10lb range, with a breeding population of browns, while the other lake is stocked with 6-30lb monsters .

[Steve Walker]

Well, that was interesting. The instructor, John, a thoroughly nice bloke, got my casting sorted out in no time and put me onto some fish. He advised fishing a buzzer a couple of feet deep under an indicator. A couple of missed bites and a lost fish later and I had a 2lb rainbow on the bank. There were some fish rising, so we tried fishing dry fly for a while, using a big bushy daddy - a couple of fish rose to it and turned away, but no takers. I fished on after my lesson, persevering with the dry fly for a while, and then reverted to using a buzzer, which I lost on the strike. Lost the next one while playing a fish - looked bitten off rather than unravelled, but perhaps I just don't like the leader material. I hadn't any more (doh!) but a nearby angler gave me one of his self-tied flies, and I fairly quickly caught another 2lb rainbow. And that was my bag limit, so I came home.

 

It was fun, it's a lovely fishery and it was nice to christen my fly rod with a trout and I got some good and useful instruction. And, I have dinner. I'm not so sure that heavily stocked waters with no catch and release are really for me, though. I'd have liked to have fished on (I had the option of extending my ticket), but I didn't feel the need to kill four trout. I could have (perhaps should have) persevered trying to catch on the dry fly, I suppose, instead of fishing the buzzer again.

 

I think I'll fish there again now and then, but it's perhaps not quite what I'm looking for.

[chuby]

Alas this is the problem with catch and kill waters.You either take what you can when you can,or mess around trying 'not' to catch and risk getting no more.Not too many catch and release waters around though.

 

This may help in your quest

http://www.flyfishingvenues.co.uk/list.asp...th+East+England

Edited March 24, 2009 by chuby

[Anderoo]

Steve, that's the same problem I've always had with fly fishing. I don't want to kill them, I don't even like eating stocked rainbows, they taste horrible! The best trout fishery I found when I lived in south London was Halliford Mere in Shepperton, which was a £20 catch and release ticket. Much better! Despite what a lot of people say, trout return just fine, and those fish were in really good condition, and also weren't a complete walkover (except when newly stocked).

 

It's been several years since I've done any stillwater trouting, tench fishing in the closed season has ruined it for me now! However, I do a fair bit of small stream trout fishing in April-June for little brownies, which is so much nicer - wild trout, catch and release, beautiful surroundings.

 

You're not too far from me, PM me if you fancy it

[Steve Walker]

Steve, that's the same problem I've always had with fly fishing. I don't want to kill them, I don't even like eating stocked rainbows, they taste horrible!

 

Quite agree, I cooked one of those I caught yesterday in foil in the oven with herbs. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. I brined and hot smoked the other one to serve cold, and I must say that it's rather tasty. I think the smoker has to be the only way if I take any more.

 

The best trout fishery I found when I lived in south London was Halliford Mere in Shepperton, which was a £20 catch and release ticket. Much better! Despite what a lot of people say, trout return just fine, and those fish were in really good condition, and also weren't a complete walkover (except when newly stocked).

 

I thought that Watermark at South Cerney allowed C&R, because their rules say "No catch and release between 1st June and 1st November", but I've just had another look and their tariff page now says "Unfortunately, Watermark Trout Fishery hast taken the decision not to allow catch and release on any of its waters. You may notice the new concessionary charges. We understand this may disappoint some anglers, but we have made the decision based on the welfare of the fish." So I guess that one's not an option now. Shame, it's only just up the road.

 

 

It's been several years since I've done any stillwater trouting, tench fishing in the closed season has ruined it for me now! However, I do a fair bit of small stream trout fishing in April-June for little brownies, which is so much nicer - wild trout, catch and release, beautiful surroundings.

 

You're not too far from me, PM me if you fancy it

 

PM sent!