April Newsletter
Dear Spring fishers!
This month we have been busy with building the new hut at WZ, collecting large amounts of weed, repairing seats around our lakes and welcoming the return of swallows. So lets all enjoy the spring sunshine while it lasts!
First has anyone lost a brass tipped priest at Rawlsbury recently? If so please let me know one of our members kindly picked it up and kept it for you. It had a hardwood handle and bootlace through the eye.
WORK PARTY - WZ
I must mention the work party held last week at WZ. As in the photo you can see much weed in fact tons were cut and deposited on the bank where it was collected by Merv with his mini-digger and then placed in the paddock by dumper truck. Last Sunday our first weekend work party was held and all the remaining surface weed was collected. A huge thanks to all members attending, it was a great team effort.
Your reports for the month -
Put my brand new all black buzzer on , went to the west jetty, and got a 2 lb fish first cast!. Then it went pear shaped and I struggled for ages. The fish contained nothing to give me a clue, and everything turned their noses up at my lovely fly. Eventually I did get another, after losing 2. (Very very long casts right out to the backing, and and either I was slow, or the stretch in the line caused a slow strike.) Anyway, spooned that out and realised my error. Full of buzzers, large ones though varying in size, but they were a distinct silver grey with a black rib or segmentation. And the standard black thorax. I’d tied black with a silver rib, and it was all wrong. Just didn’t look right. Second fish would be about 2 ½ lb. Lovely day, could see into the water. Really great and an interesting puzzle solved – shall be tying tonight!
I fished WZ yesterday but was beaten by that strong NW wind, though others managed to work through it. I had just the one fish on a green damsel @ 2lbs 8oz. BW.
Hello Paul, fished today, looks like the shed foundations are about finished, told the workmen not to scare the fish! Reply unprintable! Took my two on a buzzer, four casts two fish (secret pattern!) Take care, Jim.
• Lovely day at Winterborne Zelston today in bright sunshine and mid-twenty temperatures. I arrived at about 10.45 to see an exciting number of rises across the lake. As the wind was in the NW, I started at the road-side pontoon with an 18 green bug fished very slowly at about 3 feet of depth. I had an immediate take and landed a very sporty 3lb 11oz Rainbow. The wind soon moved to SE, so I followed the ripples and fished the field side edge and saw not only my first swallow, but several Brimstone butterflies too. I didn't catch my second fish until mid-afternoon and not before I had changed my fly several times. But on scooping the first fish, which I should have done earlier, I saw that it was stuffed with small water-snail cases, I tied on the nearest pattern that I had to match them and took a really spirited 5lb rainbow after a good battle. Fish were still surface feeding as I left. The new cabin concrete slab looks in good shape and is curing nicely. So, 2 x RT; 1 x 3lbs 11oz and 1 x 5lbs.
We went to Rawlsbury for the day in the end. Arrived at 0830 with a very cold mist over the lakes. A fairly slow start with a fish taking a Montana but dropped the fly. Alison picked up 2 fish in first few hours on Diawl Bachs, and both gave her a great fight on the first pontoon. The lake turned on a bit from about 11.30 – 14.00 when it warmed up a bit, with some fly life including some sedges hatching and for a while it was a fish on a cast on static Diawl Bachs or crunchers but so many dropped off for me. Even had a couple on but lost on dry sedges drifting round in the breeze. Alison caught her third and biggest fish just over 4lb again on Diawl Bach. Moved up to Cowleaze and had 5 fish on in 15 minutes on black crunchers before getting the last one to the bank without it dropping the hook. We popped up to Viners to target the new Browns and within 15 minutes I had one of the new stocked Browns estimated 4lb+ which grabbed a fast retrieved Cats Whisker at the far end Island (pictures attached), before leaving at 1630. A very pleasant day out, 6 Rainbows taken, all 3lb 6oz to 4lb 2oz
• Despite the heavy rain forecast at lunch time today, I fished Rawlesbury, arriving around 09.30 and tried Chapmans woodside to begin with as I had anticipated some bug life dropping into the water from the newly greening up trees. Alas nothing doing though a good hatch of Hawthorn flies should have suggested a response from the stocked fish. However, there was much wildlife about including a couple of swallows working the dam; several swans with their young ; two large families of Canada geese and two broods of very young mallard ducklings charging about unbothered by myself. After a mid-morning cuppa' in the lodge, I tried the platform side and netted a 2lb 5oz Rainbow on a damsel nymph. Nothing else until lunchtime when the wind increased significantly and the heavens opened so I took shelter in the lodge. After lunch and when the rain had conveniently ceased, I tried Culeaze and very quickly had the second to my brace at 2lbs 6oz. Before I departed, I swept the floor near the sink area, cleaned the tables and emptied the waste bin. The room needs a deep clean sooner than later! Anyway, a fun day fishing.#
• I trust that all went according to plan yesterday and you have a good team today to tidy up? It seemed strange yesterday not dashing off am to go fishing but I took advantage of the new one fish ticket to arrive mid-afternoon. The strong easterly wind was not conducive to start but in the evening it faded completely and Chapmans was like a millpond. I fished to 8pm but no evening rise as such. I managed an RT out of each lake and all returned. Probably 41/2 lb ‘ish out of Viners. A good option as the evenings lengthen-Thankyou.
• Got there about 11. Fish rising in the bottom right corner, so despite the stiffish breeze I thought I'd do well on a buzzer there. Got nowhere!! Buzzers , dry emergers and all. Don't know what they were rising to. Since it was confined largely to that corner it wasn't stuff blown off the field., but I did see some very small red sedges, so will tie some 16 hydropsyche patterns. Anway, had some lunch and tried he roadside jetty. Again without success. So decided to go back to the western jetty and face the wind again. As I did so I saw 3 fish very close in to the bottom bath. By this time I had a 14 shrimp on - which I hadn't tried before. First cast he swam underneath it, so lengthened the leader. Got him. Waited for the disturbance to settle and the other fish came round - and having lengthened the leader further, that one took immediately Both fish contained the normal selection of small bugs, and no buzzers! Tying for the shrimp if anyone would like it - its been deadly in the main. Size 14 small Gripz curved bug type. Tying thread - any light brown. Underbody 5 turns fine lead. Body brown olive dubbing, and palmered soft cock hackle. Shellback thin polyethene strip or equivalent pulled over the palmering: tie in at the eye. Clip the side hackles close to leave a fringe under the body.
Finally, could I impress upon people to send in your catch returns with as much detail as you like about your days fishing. It makes the newsletter much more interesting if your experiences can be shared amongst us.
Tight Lines,
Paul.