Back at Bewl Fishing!

Whenever I have felt a bit off colour in the past my barometer to test how well I am has been to ask myself "am I well enough to go fishing"! If the answer is yes then I was well enough to go to work, cut the grass, do the washing up etc. So when I was feeling rough after chemo my goal was to try and get well enough to consider going fishing. Most of the time I was feeling grim, the windy and wet weather meant that fishing was ruled out. However the weather improved dramatically two days before my next chemo session and Rosalind volunteered to drive me to Bewl and come out in the wheelie boat with me. The wheelie boat is more stable than the regular boats, has proper seats and it has an electric starter motor (I could not manage a pull cord start).



 Rosalind made it possible


We were out on the water around 11.00am and it felt wonderful to be there. There was a bit of breeze so we headed up to the top of Hook Straight and into the calm waters, with me drinking in the landscape. I anchored up as I didn't want to be hauling the drogue in and out. Rosalind had her head deep into a book so I set about fishing a couple of buzzers under a floating line. I had a couple of fish on but both managed to throw the hook.




Things went a bit quiet so I tried Chingley Wood, then Canoe Club corner. I left a message on Rob Barden's mobile asking advice and very kindly he called me back. He confirmed I was in the right place and suggested a small booby on the point and a Diawl Bach on a dropper. He said the fish had been holding close to the dam wall so to drift right in close. He also mentioned that there had been fish between the towers and the dam. I tried all his suggested spots, as did a couple of other boats but to no avail. On the way back to the jetty I could see that the bubbles were on but by then I was feeling pretty sore so I decided to quit. Fishing the bubbles, whilst productive, is a bit of an art anyway!

Rob was waiting at the jetty and helped me lug my kit to the car. We had a lovely chat, he is a real gent as well as being a brilliant fisher. So I got home tired and sore but what a wonderful day I had enjoyed. Rosalind also enjoyed the experience (and her book)!

I had the whole of Bewl Water all to myself fly fishing.

I finished all I could do on my garden fencing project around noon so I decided to treat myself to a bit of piscatorial R & R! None of my pals could make it so was free to choose between Albury or Bewl.  I was pretty sure to catch at Albury but Bewl won because it would be more challenging and a bit cheaper. When I arrived the weather was good, overcast but dry, south westerly breeze and air temperature around 10 C.  Vince Brook, one of the fishery staff kindly stopped for a chat and suggested Bramble Point?  So off I set on  the ten minute walk and arrived to find the water crystal clear with a nice ripple.  Resisting the temptation to wade I kept well back and started casting with a single black woolly bugger gold head fly presented using a 7 weight forward floating line with a twelve foot leader.  On my third cast I was rewarded with a lovely pull that signalled good fish on!  It had hit the fly round two rod lengths off of the rod tip so it was in quite close and I would probably have spooked it if I had been in the water.

Later I did go into the water as there was no more action from the shore, I also tried an intermediate line with the woolly bugger, then a cats whisker and finally a blue flash damsel. I fished for 2 hours, only had the one fish but I loved every minute of it! The sky, the breeze and the water lapping at my waders told me I was very lucky to be there, still able to cast a line and still able to land a fish, the first of 2015.  And to top it all I had the whole of Bewl Water all to myself!

I am pleased to see that I can still pull them out!

Vince had warned me that they lock the exit gates at 4pm this time of year which is why I only fished for 2 hours.  However, as I was leaving Rob Barden told me that if you park down by the Outdoor Centre you can exit from there whenever you like.

Lots happening on the fishing and other fronts!

Well I finally got all of my children (all 7) together for my mother's memorial service. The pictures in the background are of my mum.

Then I managed to take my son Daniel (the tallest at 6' 10" who had flown in from the States) fishing in a boat at Bewl. He even managed to land a big one, with a bit of help, whilst wearing gloves!

My pal Malcolm was in the boat with us spinning!  I am pleased to report I caught 50% more fish on the fly than he did spinning.  Well, OK he got 2 and I got 3!

Then I slipped down to the Salisbury and District waters to tackle the grayling. The fishery manager, Andreas recommended I try the Laverstock Fishery on the River Bourne and as I had never fished there I decided to give it a go.  In spite of the recent rains it was running beautifully clear, so clear, I kept spooking the fish.  Also I had failed to bring my box of size 18 grayling flies with me so I was fishing nymph that were too big. The net result, well there weren't any "net" results as I blanked.  However, I did get to wade the river and to find the official access by the bridge (the map in the Year Book is a bit misleading).  In the afternoon I fished the Avon at West Amesbury.  There was a lot of coloured water coming down and I blanked there as well.  On the positive side I did see all the work the river keepers had been doing.  I particularly appreciated the plastic matting covering the boggy patches.  Well done!

I made up for my disappointing fishing yesterday when I took my American pal Bryant to Albury Estates Western Fishery.  We met up with the fishery manager at the lake at Western and had a pleasant chat and he suggested we try Western.  The water was crystal clear and I soon realised that I could, if I looked hard, see the fish cruising 2 to 4 rod lengths out.  It was the dark reflection of the trees on the opposite bank that enabled me to see in the water.  So I was fishing with my back to the road.  I got my first fish fairly quickly.  Then I spotted a fish and cast my blue flash damsel fly to try to get it a couple of metres in front of him/her.  The cast went wrong and the fly dropped behind the fish.  Hearing and feeling the sound, the fish turned and hit the fly. We had a 5 minute tussle and just at the net the fish came off.  I tried several other areas with no luck so I returned to where I could see the fishing.  I found that having spotted one, if I took my eyes off it, even for a second or two, I would lose it visually.  So I tried to retrieve and cast all the time, keeping my eyes on the fish.  The next encounter was pure text book stuff.  I saw, I cast it took and I caught, but not quite!!!.  When it saw the net the fish took off and surprise, surprise the hook broke on the bend.  Meanwhile I kept an eye on Bryant, occasionally offering tips on how he could improve his casting.

Then I spotted a large fish well out from the bank. Knowing I had to extend my back cast in order to get the distance on the forward cast I checked out the trees behind me and positioned myself to take advantage of a gap.  Double hauling like crazy I deliberately cast well behind the fish as I was just gauging the line length required.  Having adjusted to get that right I went for the big one landing the fly about 3 metres in front of it.  I then lost sight of the fish and gently retrieved using a slow figure of eight.  My arm was wrenched forward and I was on.  The fish quickly took me back onto the reel and the rod bent through 90 degrees.  I recovered line as it ran towards me and then it made for the protection of branches that hung in the water.  I tightened the clutch and managed to turn it back into open water.  Some minutes later it was in the net and on the bank.  It was a cracker and I was chuffed.

It was exactly 5lb in weight and perfect

Just to prove it was me who caught it.

Whether river or lake, sight targeting fly fishing gives me the most satisfaction.  Well done Albury Estates, we had a great time.

Bewl Water is fishing well with big fish being caught, if you know how!!!

Rob teaching at Bewl

I managed to get down to Bewl Water to enjoy I some top of the water autumnal action. Rob Barden (who fishes for England) was manning the Fishing Lodge so I did not hesitate to ask his advice on the where and how. He recommended drifting either side of the fish cages in terms of the where and fishing a booby on the point and a couple of small naturals on the dropper. He said the knack that makes the difference at this time of year is to fish the booby static, and if on the drift not retrieving any more than is necessary to keep the fly line straight between the rod tip and the fly. So fully briefed I went to work.  The weather was ideal, mainly overcast with a good ripple on the water.  As I was motoring to the cages I saw a circle of smooth water and was tempted to stop and cast to it as it was probably caused by fish circling just under the surface. I should have paused but the call of the cages was too strong!   

A selection of boobies

Now I am use to retrieving boobies fast on warm summer evenings when the trout will provide a brilliant chase, but that is totally wrong in the autumn. So I had to force myself to keep the booby as static as possible and it worked.  In the end I gave up drifting, I got lazy and moored to a buoy, with fish moving all around.  The weather was bright and there was a quiet time early afternoon but there were fish showing most of the time.  Just before I was leaving the clouds opened and it poured. I managed to wrap the leader round the top of the rod and thought of leaving, but I decided I liked extreme fishing so I tied a new leader on put an fresh minkie booby on the point and was swiftly rewarded by a cracking take and another 3 lb fish.

It was worth getting wet as I filleted the fish and my wife cooked my favourite trout recipe "Pan fried citrus trout with basil". The recipe is in the book "50 Classic Trout Recipes" by Jane Bamforth at the amazing cost of £4.99.  I got it for Christmas last year so if you want to get a fly fisherman a lovely present this year there is my suggestion.

   

American Trainee Fly Fisherman Uses Carp Fishing Technique!

 

We all know how carp fishermen set up their rods complete with bite buzzers and then retire to their tents and camp beds and sleep!  Here is Bryant applying the technique to reservoir fly fishing! Not having a bite buzzer, Bryant is relying on the movement of the rod and reel across his stomarch to advise him that he has a fish on, or maybe the splash as the rod and reel hit the water will wake him? Either way he is in for a bit of a surprise but then that is what fishing is all about, lots of relaxing and a few surprises!  Nice one Bryant!

BEWL WATER: HOW TO FIND THE TROUT ON WINDY DAYS

There are literally thousands of trout in Bewl Water.  However, because of its size sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to find the fish.  Normally, one would ask Janet or Coral at the Lodge or speak to one of the fishery team on the jetty.  They want to help you because they want you to catch (happy fishers come back!).  You can also help yourself by watching other boats (binoculars can be useful) and trying the locations that regularly hold fish, like Rosemary's Lane, Canoe Club Corner, The Nose, the top of Hook Straight, Monty's Seat, etc.  Now the fish tend to go where there is food so a northerly wind blowing over the top of the main dam pushes the surface water away from the dam and that draws up water and potentially food from the depths.

 

If the wind has been blowing in the same direction for several days really experienced Bewl fishers can usually predict where the fish will be.  Usually they fish on the drift (loch style) with a drogue (underwater parachute) out to slow the drift down and keep the boat at right angles to the wind.  This means you are always covering fresh water.  If I can I like to start my drift from a known point like a buoy.  This is so that if I find I am travelling over fish and hopefully catching them when the drift is exhausted or I stop catching I can motor back and repeat a similar drift.  If you see another boat on the drift catching then you can motor in behind them (allowing plenty of space) and follow their drift. What you must not do is sneak in front of them as that is regarded as poor form and will probably get a verbal response!

After my last session at Bewl where I actually saw the fish being stocked, Vince Brooks who works at the fishery and fishes for England, kindly stopped and gave me the following advice on how to speed up the process of finding the fish especially when it is windy:-

• Use a sinking line
• Tie on a large lure
• Don't use the drogue
• Cast and retrieve like crazy!

Doing this you drift fast and cover a lot of water but it speeds up the process of finding the fish. Having found them you may want to try a more subtle approach.  I am looking forward to trying Vince's approach on my next visit!

 

However, now I am being tempted by the chalk streams and the mayfly.  My next post will be about that.

Bewl Water: Stocking in progress and the latest fishing report

Last Monday Malcolm and I were struggling to connect with fish in the strong variable winds and then we spotted Vince and Howard in the stocking boat. We had a brief chat with them as they were seeding Rosemary's Lane with 250 blues.  I was impressed that they were actually counting the fish in as they released them.  Needless to say I managed to hook up to a couple in that area after they had settled down. They gave me the arm wrenching response as they took a cats.

 

As we were leaving Vince kindly stopped for a chat and gave me some advice on how to find the fish in Bewl when the wind is up and swinging from all quarters!

 

I will put that in another post as soon as I find time.  Meanwhile here is the latest Bewl Fishing report from Janet.

Strong winds and heavy rain deterred most anglers at the end of last week and the weekend. Those who did brave the elements were rewarded with some good fishing. Rod average for the week was 2.7 and the fish have started to go deeper in the water and have been 4-5 feet down.

1000 blue trout were stocked on Monday and all trout are spread out across the water. Best areas for boats have been Hook Straight, The Nose , Hatheralls and Rosemary Lane.

Best areas for bank fishing are been Ferry Point, Seven Pound Creek, Dunsters and the Oak Trees.

Successful flies haven't changed much again - Cormorants, Boobies, Damsels and green and black flies such as Vivas and Montanas.

LIFE JACKET AMNESTY:

With weekends very busy, we need all the life jackets we have. 40 have gone missing already this season which has added a further £2,500 to the fishery's running costs. Removal of Bewl Water

property from the site should be treated as theft, however we accept that many of these may have been removed accidently and so would ask that you check cars, sheds etc and return any found immediately to the Fishing Lodge as they must be checked before they go back into use.

Water temp. 13.5c water level

EXTREME Fly Fishing at Bewl Water

Well we knew the weather would be wet, so we had the right gear on but it was still a bit challenging and when the heavens opened (which it did every time I said "I think it has stopped raining) it really poured and I ended up operating the bilge pump!
The good news was that Rob Barden (fishery guide/ranger and team England fisher) was on the water planning to fish,  and he offered to show us where it had been fishing well.  He also said the fish were on black buzzers. So we started at the top of Hook Straight.
I learnt a lot just watching Rob and how close he fished to the bank from the boat on the drift. We all found that strong winds and heavy rain put the fish down, but that as soon as the wind dropped and the temperature rose a degree or two, the hatches commenced and the fish were showing on the top.
Rob found it hard too and after a couple of hours he had touched several but only landed one. He had to go but we worked our way around the water looking for signs of fish. By this time we were really damp and a bit despondent. However as the saying goes "failure cannot cope with persistence" and we found fish off of Chingley Wood. So Malcolm caught his first trout from a boat and then got smashed by a monster and I came home with a brace of beautiful fish feeling shattered but pleased I had endured to the end!

Tough Day at Bewl

Well the company was good, Malcolm, Bryant and Gerald, the latter being a seasoned fly fisher.  It was Malcolm's first bank session at Bewl (he boat fished last week)  and the waders I loaned him fitted a treat.  It was Bryant's 3rd fly fishing session and his first on a big water.  He found out the snag of trying to wade deep whilst wearing my thigh waders!!  Fortunately he is a tough cookie and didn't complain about his wet foot.  The weather was over cast and cool but mostly the water was flat calm.  We fished both banks at Rosemary's Lane and right round into Tinkers Marsh with hardly a touch.  The only action was Malcolm pulling in a pike.  There seemed to be a lot of fry disturbing the slight ripple about 40 yards off of the north bank of Rosemary's but there were no trout disturbing the fry!

 

One chap had a pull whilst dragging a lure along the bottom but didn't keep it on.  We saw another catch a trout from a boat but apart from that it was very quiet. We started a bit late (10:00) and finished around 16:00. 

 

The night before I had been watching the World Fly Fishing Championships on You Tube and was amazed to see that even the experts sometimes "blank"! So that's why they call it fishing and not catching.

 

Now that's a nice Pike Malcolm!!!!!

BEWL WATER FISHERY WEEKLY REPORT week ending: 27-Mar-14

Janet in the Fishing Lodge has kindly sent me the weekly report, so here it is.

The 2014 fishing season - Bewl Water's 37th - got off to a good start on Friday 21 March, with many anglers catching their limits and very few nil returns. Rod average for the week is 4.86.

A weather change and colder winds just hours before the season started meant some areas on the north shore, such as Seven Pound Creek and in front of the playground - usually opening day "hot spots" - proved to be rather more challenging this year. However sheltered areas such as Rosemary Lane, Goose Creek, Dunsters and Overys Farm have fished consistently well from bank and boat. The far end of Hook Straight is also worth a go. Fish have been feeding on midge and top flies have been Cormorant, Viva, Montana and Damsel.

6000 of the popular Bulldog Trout Farm 2lb rainbows were stocked pre-season to add to a good head of overwintered fish and a further 1500 went in this week. A system has been set up where fish delivered from external farms can be loaded into a holding net allowing us to distribute to all areas of the lake as we always have done and this worked well.

The usual reminder: The more returns we receive, the more accurate the fishing report, and of course the chance to win the monthly prize draw for permit and boat hire vouchers up to the value of £79.50.

 

I plan to be there Monday!                                       

Report on this years first outing to Bewl Water

 

Well I could not wait, so I just had to go to fish Bewl a couple of days after the opening of the new season.  I had three pals, two of whom I had been teaching casting on grass, who I had promised some serious fly fishing.  So Malcolm, Niel and Reece (the latter two from the USA) joined me on a cool but bright morning.  Having given Malcolm and Reece a brief demo of what to do, with their boat moored to the jetty, I let them loose.  When Niel arrived he was glowing having just passed his driving test and we set off after the others. Having been briefed at the lodge and jetty we knew where to go.  Fishing on the drift was a bit tricky because we wanted to be close to the banks and were hindered by the wind shifting all over the compass!

 

 

Still cats whiskers, gold headed daddies (with rubber legs) and even a minkie booby did the trick.  The boys learnt all the things not to do, like fishing slack lines and lots of fish were touched and lost but eight did come to the boats and boy did those fish go.  The fish were nearly all 2lb plus and some were nearer 3lb.

 

 

Let the pictures speak.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know about the others, but I just cannot wait to get back!  As we are all doing voluntary work at the London Temple, near East Grinstead, we will have to wait till next Monday, as Mondays are our one day off.  Roll on Monday.

 



Boat fishing Bewl, last days this year: The where and the how!

Yes the boats come off the water at the end of November but there are still a few days remaining to hook up from a boat.  I went down today and caught 3 beauties, the largest of which I thought was going to disappear over the horizon! It weighed in at 3lb 8 oz and was perfect in every respect.  The where is: around the cages.  The how is: Cats whisker or simillar lure.  It was overcast and calm and the fish were near the top but only showed when they were on the chase.

 Just look at that perfect tail!

The head looks pretty too.

 

I understand that bank fishing will be available right through to February.  You can always check their website (see link at side of page).  Why not join the Bewl Bridge Fly Fishing Club, brilliant value for money and you get the famous magazine with all the marvelous tips.  See the link for that as well.

 

A big thank you to everyone who follows the blog and sends me e mails and comments.

Bewl Water:Temperature dips so change of tactics required!

My friend Rowland and I were fishing Bewl and I thought that the floating booby and hopper techniques of a few days earlier would still work.  However, after an hour on the water drifting over the recent "hot spot" there was no sign of action.  So we motored round to the upwind side of the cages and tied up to a buoy.  We soon noticed that another fly fisher was hitting fish.  Not being proud and wanting to make sure Rowland connected I called across and asked what they were on.  He kindly replied that it was gold head daddies a few feet down. 

I switched immediately and on my third cast was rewarded with a fish.  Then I went on to have some more takes and I got broken and lost my last Daddy.  Rowland kindly gave me one.  I think he gave it, but he might only have lent it!  Anyway I have still got it! 

 

This is the gent who kindly tipped me off as to what to use and how to fish it.  By this time another boat had moved on to a buoy the other side of us and they were immediately into fish. Then a chap with his girl friend turned up.  She must have been very devoted to him because it was quite cool and a bit breezy and bumpy!

 

I came away with four good fish and Rowland had his share.  Back at the car I spoke to the guys from the other boat, one had eight fish using a cats whisker and the other had four.  Thinking back I realised that the fish I had caught had all taken the daddy when I was retrieving quite fast.  I think if you retrieve a daddy fast it tends to look more like a lure imitating fry, so maybe I could have caught simply using lures.

 

A cats whisker fly

Latest Fishing News and Action from Bewl Water

My old fishing pal Richard suggested we fished Bewl together today, so how could I refuse having remembered how well it fished this time last year.  He kindly offered to provide the transport so we had a good catch up chat on the way down. 

The great thing about fishing with Richard is that he just loves being there and doesn't complain if he is not catching.  The challenging thing, for me, is that he sometimes out fishes me!

 

In preparation for the trip I had read the latest fishing report from Janet in the Fishing Lodge.  Here it is:-

Fishing has been a bit more difficult this week . Very strong winds and heavy rain have made conditions on the water uncomfortable.  However, rod average for the week still a reasonable 2.34.

The fish have remained in the top 1-2 feet of the water. Best areas for boats have been Chingley, the Main Bowl and Hook Straight and for bank fishing have been Bramble Point, Ferry Point, Ward's Lane and Chingley. Successful flies are again Minkies, Minky Boobies, Cormorants and Daddies. (We have sold out of all Minkies and Minky Boobies in the Bewl Fishing Lodge).  Vince Brooks' Annual Charity Competition took place on Saturday in high winds. 83 anglers caught 168 trout giving a rod average of 2.02. The winner was Keith Lawrence with 7 fish weighing 13lb 1oz.  £1,307 was raised

for Fishing For Forces.  Boat fishing runs to end of November but part of fleet is now off the water for winter maintenance so a reduced number are available. To avoid disappointment and a wasted journey, prior booking, especially at weekends, is strongly advised. Lodge open through November 0830-1030 only.

So I imagined the fishing would be a bit challenging, but having been briefed on a few tips by my personal Bewl mentor (RB) I switched to fishing a minky booby and a couple of black hoppers on droppers using a 6lb leader.  I was still tying on my droppers when there was a tremendous splash and Richard was into his first fish.  Sadly after a brief encounter it shot away to live for another day.  Shortly after that I took a fish on the minky booby and having played it very carefully coaxed it into the net.  It's rainbow colours were stunning.  We motored the boat round to drift over the same spot.  I like to drift from a known position, usually a buoy, so if I find fish I can repeat the drift and hopefully find them again.

 

I then experienced a savage take, so savage that the line parted at one of the dropper knots and I said farewell to fish and most of the leader!  Fortunately I had used the dodge mentioned in a recent Bewl Angle Magazine and brought with me some fresh leaders, complete with flies, carefully wrapped around a length of foam pipe insulation as shown.  Well actually not as shown because I used the flies and leader!

 

 

Within a minute or two I was back in action.  We both rose several more fish and had "takes" but we did not hook up and then the breeze dropped and the surface activity stopped.  We did all the usual things, changed location, Richard used an intermediate line with lures and all the time we were watching the other boats.  Then we did a bit of a tour, got drenched by the odd shower and even tried the dam where the waves were a bit uncomfortable.  Finally we went back to where we had started and as the sun dropped towards the horizon the fish started to move again and we had some swirls and follows.  Sadly we had to be off the water by 3.30pm as we are now on GMT and it gets dark quite early.

 

Walking back to the car we chatted to another boat fisher, who said in the afternoon he had seen 15 fish showing on the top.  Using a single sparkling booby on a 15 foot leader he had managed to catch 5 of them!  So obviously Richard and I just need more practice!

 

Osprey seen at Bewl Water?

See the osprey top right. We do get ospreys at Bewl Water as they migrate through but I must own up to the fact that I scanned this picture from the front of the latest Bewl Angle magazine.  Ray French, the editor, always manages to photoshop in an osprey in somewhere on the front cover of the magazine.  I must confess that he had me fooled the first time I saw it.

 

On a more helpful note here is the latest fishing report.  Please note that boats will be available for use on the water till late November.

BEWL WATER FISHERY WEEKLY REPORT week ending:  10-Oct-13

The good fishing has continued for another week. Conditions haven't really changed since last week. The fish are still high in the water but do need a bit of work to catch them at times. This week's rod average is a very good 3.99 and average fish weight up to 2lbs 2ozs.

Best areas for boats - from the dam across the Main Bowl and into Hook Straight . The cages and further down Hook Straight. Bank anglers are catching well from the dam wall. There are also plenty of fish at Chingley and Bramble Point which are starting to come in closer as the water cools.

Successful flies have been Minkies, Minky Boobies, Sparkler Boobies , Cormorants and Hoppers. All fished on a floating line.

Request from Vince Brooks: Please could anyone wishing to take part in Vince's Annual Boss's Day Charity Competition on 26th October, and hasn't yet done so, please give him a ring on 07955 174210, so that he has a reasonably clear idea of numbers.

Water temperature 14degC - water level (now falling quite quickly) 65%

I like to fish Bewl this time of year when the fish are on the top and hunting the fry, but I will have to wait as I am off now to a La Gomera a small unspoilt island in the Canarys.  If I get a chance to fish I will give you the full report.

Some tips on boat fly fishing for trout at Bewl Water, Kent, UK, and success with a magic Booby!

Let me start off by saying the best thing you can do is to join the Bewl Bridge Fly Fishers Club (see link at side of page) where you will get loads of help especially via their bi-monthly magazine the “Bewl Angle”.  As you will see if you stagger to the end of this post it was through reading the magazine that my trip yesterday went from failure to success.

On the practical front here are some suggestions you may already be aware of or you might like to try.  Firstly the whole object of having a boat is to have the ability to be mobile (like the fish) and to be able to cover the whole water (except the bird sanctuary where the really big fish hang out)?  If you’re not seeing fish, and catching, then move.

So you have hired a boat and been given a boat number, before you set off, check it out.  The staff are very good but they often get to clean and check the boats just as it is getting dark. 

Look for an anchor (it is attached to a red buoy so that if you get it caught on the bottom you can untie the anchor rope and leave the buoy marking the spot where the anchor and rope are.  The rangers can then try to recover it.  Oars are a useful plan B, although most of us have the fishing lodge number in our phone which is a better plan B.  Many years ago as dusk was falling at Rosemary’s Lane I foolishly let a beginner operate the engine to take us back to the lodge.  John tried the other way of stopping and sheered the pin that holds the prop on, then he announced that he couldn’t row.  Exhausted, I slept well that night!

 Note the small G clamp I have attached to the edge of the front seat, with the drogue rope attached to it (more about drogues shortly).   Note the landing net with the long handle, I got that idea from the competition boys.  If I am on my own in a boat I usually set up two rods (you are only allowed to fish one at a time).  I will set them up with different lines (say a floater and an intermediate) so I can quickly change my method if required.

 

The drogue is an underwater parachute enabling the boat to drift down wind slowly.  It is called loch style fishing and it means that you are covering fresh water all the time and hopefully another pod of fish.  If you don’t have a drogue then you have to anchor, tie up to a buoy (if it’s allowed) or drift free (a problem in strong winds).

The orange bailer is essential for fellers fishing as it enables you to discretely urinate whereas the ladies have to grit their teeth or motor back to the lodge.   The red cord is the “kill cord”, solo anglers are encouraged to attach the end of it to themselves so that in the event of them falling overboard the engine is killed and they a) don’t get chewed up by the prop and b) have a chance of swimming to the boat and hanging on.  I don't have a fancy armchair type boat seat.  What I do have is a foam one that velcros to the wood seat.  An occasional boat fisher could use an old cushion from home in a strong plastic bag.

The bilge pump (black handle on the left) is useful especially after a heavy downpour. You can also see the second G clamp for the drogue in the left hand corner.

So yesterday, having had a chat with Janet in the lodge, paid my dues and been assigned my boat I had a helpful chat with James, one of the fishery rangers.  He suggested I drift from Beaumans to the cages and used very small flies.  He said the fish were on the top swimming around in small shoals and that I should watch for any disturbance of the ripples and cast to them.  I thought that given the time of year the fish would be on hoppers and daddies so I spent the first few hours fishing them to no avail.  Eventually I gave up on what James had suggested as it got quite wet and windy.  I motored over to the corner of Chingley Wood to get out of the wind.  Within a few casts I had my first pluck on the daddy or hopper but did not hook up.  I tried a number of different drifts and even the corner of the damn, where I saw the odd fish.  Eventually as the weather improved I decided to try round the fish cages.  Whilst drifting between the cages and the grass at Ward’s Lane, right in front of me half a dozen fry leapt out of the water followed by a big rainbow and I realised the fish were on the fry!.

It was then that I remembered that Ray French had written in the latest edition of the Bewl Angle that competition anglers were having good success using tiny booby flies.  I also remembered I had tied 2 the night before.  So out they came and on they went and I came away with three nice 2lb rainbows.    Thanks Ray!

 

If you look closely you can see the tiny Booby in the corner of the fish's mouth. Now I am going to try and tie some more.

 

Fly Fisher Back at Bewl Water and some thoughts on tying knots

So to celebrate BT finally getting my Broadband back up and working I decided I needed to check on the trout fishing at Bewl Water personally. I shelled out on an eight fish ticket and an evening boat (£40, say $60).  Spoke to Rob Nixon on the jetty who said try the area near the dam.  It was 3.30pm before I started fishing but it was over cast with a nice breeze producing a ripple and I could see fish moving on the top.  I had a floating line with a long leader and a team of three flies.  Small booby on the point, hopper on the middle dropper and a daddy (crane fly) on the top dropper.  I had put the small white booby on because in the August Issue of the Bewl Angle, the Editor, Ray French had mentioned in one of his brillant articles that competition anglers were finding them very effective.  Well my third cast proved that to be true as the booby disapeared in a splash and I knew I was into a good fish.  It rapidly stripped loose line back onto the reel and then went seaching the depths.  Eventually I got it to the top and was glad I had my long handled landing net with me.

As you can see it was a lovely 3lb blue trout, in tip top condition.  Sadly he had destroyed my one and only small booby, but I solved that problem by taking my scissors to a larger booby, snipping away at the boobs!

 

It was half an hour later before I hooked my second fish, a 2lb rainbow also on the booby.  Then the sun came out and the wind veered and things went quieter.  There was still the odd fish showing, sometimes right next to the boat, when my flies were 30 yards away!  Eventually, and rather belatedly, I decided to fish sub surface and put a cats whisker on the point but I did not get any further action and time ran out.  I also got rather cold. I am a fool, I know it is always worth wearing plenty of layers when you out on the water.  So now as I write this I am developing a sore throat!  Still it was great to be out on the water and feeling a couple of good fish pulling a bend into the rod.  I shall be back for more as the autumnal sport hots up.

 

Footnote:  As I get older I find my fingers seem thicker and my eyesight dimmer.  This makes tying knots more challenging especially with the fine tippets I use on the streams.  This summer, I saw Rowland, one of my former fly fishing pupils, quickly tie a knot using a pair of small long nose pliers.  This reminded me that I had inherited from my American stepfather an old original Orvis Cinch Tie (a rather clever knot tier). See picture.

 

I checked the Orvis catalogue and they show a different version called a "Winder" which comes with a DVD presumably to show you how to use it.  It is priced at £22.50. Remember time spent messing about with knots means less time that your flies are doing what they are meant to be doing i.e. attracting and connecting with fish!

 

BEWL WATER FISHING WELL: THE FISH ARE ON THE TOP TAKING DRIES!

 

 

This is the news we have all been waiting for.  Having exhausted myself on the chalk stream over the last two days I thought I would check on Bewl.  I spoke to Rob Dixon, one of the fishery managers and he said a change in wind direction has brought the food and the fish to the top of the water and anglers are catching on dries! Apparently the best action is along the dam and both bank and boat fishers are getting pleanty of action.  My guess is that hoppers and daddies will do the trick.  You heard it here first, now I need to get down there before you do!

Lovely company and dragon boats, but frustrating fishing at Bewl Water.

My internet access at home is down and I am trying to post this from the local library pc. They have just up dated their systems and now I can add pictures.

Tony Hern of Fishability and Ian Thomas of Telereal Trillium



Last Saturday I had an interesting but frustrating day at Bewl Water.  I was supporting a “Fishability” event organised by Tony Hern, the Fishery Manager from Albury Estates (a splendid fellow).  Fishability is an organisation that supports people from the military services who have suffered trauma resulting in mental or physical challenges.  Tony had a dozen or so military or ex-military folk sharing boats with an equal number of experienced guides. 

I drew the long straw having Martha, a charming military nurse, assigned to my boat.  (This was a far more attractive proposition than sharing the boat with some tough and rugged squaddie!) 

 

Having had a bacon bap for breakfast we loaded up the boat and set off, conditions looked perfect, overcast, reasonable breeze rippling the water the temperature of which had dropped to 17 C.  However, Rob Dixon, one of the Bewl staff had warned me that the fishing would be hard.  Apparently, there was a tremendous amount of aquatic insect life in the water and the fish were stuffing themselves with naturals and avoiding anything suspicious!   This was confirmed by the number of house martins working the water.  Rob recommended drifting between the cages and the dam, so that’s what we did.  The good news was that, in spite of it only being her second go at fly fishing, Martha, who was bursting with enthusiasm, could cast quite well, certainly well enough to cover fish on the drift.

Well Martha maintained her enthusiasm and we fished our socks off and all to no avail.  At one point Martha spotted a pike on the top of the water right in front of her, when she moved her rod it spotted her and did an impressive “crash dive”.  We saw fish but in spite of changing flies, lines, locations and speed of retrieve we didn’t even get a touch.  The trout definitely had other things to distract them.

 

However, entertainment was provided by the dragon boat races down by the dam.  We must have heard the Hawaii Five O theme tune five hundred times!  Lunch was excellent, and the whole event was kindly financed by Telereal Trillium, with Ian Thomas signing the cheque and him and Richard Becksmith both from TT also acting as fishing guides.

 

Desperate to provide some excitement for Martha I asked her if she would like to drive the boat.  Well she jumped at the chance and we did a grand tour of the lake at full speed.  She even brought us into the jetty with finesse!   I was sad I had failed to deliver the goods, and get Martha hooked up with bar of pink or blue silver, but she did not complain once.  She has a bright future as a fly fisher.

Bewl Water Fishing Report 1 August 2013

Having been away from Bewl for over 8 weeks (mainly in the USA) and knowing the weather in the UK has been warm I read last weeks fishing report with interest. I reprint it here as I know fishers from across the globe are interested.

Picture courtesy of "fishactive.com"

"Cooler weather over the last week has improved the fishing at Bewl. The fish are not as deep and have spread out across the water. Anglers have been catching at a depth of about 10ft rather than the 25 ft during the last few weeks.

This week's rod average is an excellent 3.58. Brown trout are beginning to show, especially at the end of Hook Straight. A brown of 6lb 8oz was caught and released.

Best areas for boats are the Main Bowl, the cages and the end of Hook Straight. Bank fishing is still challenging and the deeper water off of Chingley is the best place to try.

 

Successful flies have been Buzzers, mini lures, Cat's Whiskers, Minkies, Minkie Boobies and Sparkler Boobies.

An early reminder that no boats are available on Wednesday 18 September when the Annual Grand Max competition will be taking place.
Water temperature 20 degC, water level 85.5%"

So I might be tempted to give it a go!