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Lakedown Trout Fishery
9th December 2023 Fur & Feather Trophy · Report by Micky Heasman
Twenty members signed up for this final event of 2023. Having seen the weather forecast, all except the three wise men were in for a mighty soaking. It poured down! Lakes 1 and 2 were coffee coloured and almost unfishable; Lakes 3 and 4 offered the best chance and so it proved with all landed fish coming from these lakes. After welcome breakfast rolls and warming tea and coffee, well waterproofed anglers headed out into the downpour. Three wise men stayed in the lodge keeping Ted and Chef Cathy company and rumour has it, a glass of Lakedown’s finest ales. Fishing would finish at 13:30 so that we could all meet in the lodge for lunch and the enjoyment of each other's company. As usual Cathy looked after us all splendidly, serving a hearty beef and ale stew followed by sticky toffee pudding – all very delicious. A well supported raffle raised £200 for the Society and plenty of prizes were generously provided by members - thank you all for continuing to support our Society superbly
Our Chairman, Russell Bell, gave a short speech thanking members for their continued support and for maintaining the wonderful camaraderie that is such an important part of what TWFFS is all about. Russell wished us all a very happy Christmas and with very best wishes for 2024. Then onto the results with a well-earned double of best bag and best fish going to our 2023 Fur & Feather winner, Ian Watts. Well done Ian!
A well done also to the society's three wise men Peter Thomason, Ron Lewis and Alan Martin who stayed in the lodge and over a glass of something, chuckling at us nutters braving the elements
Final Results with top 5 placings are below
Our thanks go to Jamie, Ted and Cathy for another memorable day at Lakedown and we look forward to our return visits in 2024
Chalybeate Springs
Reg Littlechild Memorial Trophy 2nd December 2023 · Report by Simon Gregory
Nine members fished the Reg Littlechild Memorial event which had been postponed to this date due to November’s storms and heavy rainfall
We were welcomed by Jim and company with breakfast rolls and hot drinks, kindly covered by the society and gratefully received. Jim also generously contributed a fishing ticket to the raffle
While dry, the temperatures were frosty with the lake frozen in places around the shallower banks and a mist stretched across the water. The surface was flat with little or no ripple, yet the absence of wind was welcome considering the low temperature
Several members landed fish in the first hour or two, with some of us (me) taking extended breaks to warm our hands. Some adopted the roly-poly retrieve which was effective in luring the fish as well as increasing circulation to the hands! The freezing temperature also necessitated de-icing rod rings to allow the line to pass freely when casting
Lunch was called at noon gathering in the lodge around the fire. The raffle on this charity fund-raising day achieved a splendid £110 for Hospice in the Weald, contributing to a fantastic grand total of £500 raised through club and member donations. Well done everyone!
Fish were caught at varying depths, the majority of anglers using floating or intermediate lines on fast retrieve. Tequila Blobs, Black Fritz, Blue-Flash Damsels and Yellow and White Dancers were all successful flies
We finished the fishing at 3pm and completed the weigh-in to establish who would have the best bag and the best fish on the day. Micky Heasman caught the biggest fish on the day at 3lb 14oz. For every extra fish caught and released 2lb was added to the bag weight
The top 5 results were as follows:
TWFFS wishes to thank the club members for their charitable donations and Jim for his donation and participation in the raffle and for a wonderful day. We look forward to returning soon
Spring Hill Fishery
25th November 2023 · Report by Peter Thomason
Six members fished this event. A welcome breakfast roll and hot drink on arrival allowed time to admire the fishery in its autumn finery on a bright sunny day. Recent cold weather accompanied by a cold wind and bright sun kept fish low and slow to feed. Hard work by Mark Tremain-Coker won him the day with four fish taken on Snake flies and a Fast Glass line
The total group bag of only 8 fish included a well-conditioned brown trout of 1lb 15oz caught by Micky Heasman. This may well be the only fish entered for the Brown Trout Shield unless overtaken at the final two events of this year! A hard but enjoyable day!
The results were:
April Heasman and Buster Heasman worked hard for no fish to the net
Midland Reservoir Tour
18th & 19th November 2023 · Report by Ian Watts
With reports of dire fishing in many of the Midland reservoirs, three TWFFS members headed to Pitsford for Day 1 of the Midland Tour
The local Ranger suggested hugging the banks as the fish were feeding heavily on shrimp in the margins
The persistent rain and a strong wind gusting from 21 to 37 mph made drifting and thus presentation difficult but all of us had some action during the day with Hare’s Ear nymph and shrimp patterns catching most of the fish
At close, Ian Watts had 3, Nick Cox 2 and Alastair Garner 1
As this was a Championship match the points awarded were:
Day 2 of the tour saw a change of plan from Grafham, which recorded only 3 fish caught in the previous days GWFFA competition. The new choice was Draycote
The persistent strong wind continued on Sunday but overcast conditions helped the fishing with Ian Watts and Alastair Garner getting more action throughout the day. Ian's first fish weighed about 4lb but this was easily outdone by his second fish estimated at 5lb 8oz!
Keeping the flies in the top layers using Fast Glass and slow sink lines provided the most successful method
At around 4 o'clock both anglers had been battered enough over the weekend and decided to call it a day
At the jetty, Ian had 8 and Alastair 2 but both could have caught a lot more
Championship points awarded were:
Bewl Water - Boat
11th November 2023 · Report by Graham Morgan Plumb
Seven anglers travelled to Bewl Water to compete for the Nigel Turner Trophy (floating lines only). We were greeted with a gentle SW breeze, bright sunshine, high pressure, a full fleet of boats out and temperatures just nudging 10°C; not ideal conditions for a floating line competition but the sun was a welcome sight following the recent storms
After catching up and agreeing boat partners, we set off to see what the day would bring. For Neil Osmond and me, the day started extremely well with two fish caught and two fish lost on the first drift. Alas, we had the feeling that this would not last and this proved to be the case with only the rare sighting of fish. Catching up with the other anglers revealed a similar story – multiple locations tried and multiple flies tried but with only the occasional fish
Successful flies on the day were Cormorants and Fabs fished slow. The day concluded with a reflective pint in the Brown Trout
Results were:
Congratulations go to Neil Osmond on winning the Nigel Turner trophy for 2023
Bewl Water
Boat Pairs Trophy 28th October 2023 · Report by Ian Watts
This was a difficult day with wind and rain and fish in an unco-operative mood. Despite this all the action was at the top of the water and slow figure-of-eight or slow roly-poly retrieves accounting for most of the fish although Micky did catch by pulling. Most boats had caught ones and twos at lunchtime but the afternoon got harder still
The day was fished entirely on catch and release with a note of the time the first fish was taken – this being the decider in the event of a tie on numbers
The final Pairs trophy results were:
Lakedown Trout Fishery
11th October 2023 · Report by Simon Gregory
Six members attended this mid-week event. The morning was overcast with some spells of sunshine late morning and into the afternoon. There was a light south easterly wind and the water temperature was encouragingly cooler than it had been in recent weeks. After a quick cuppa, kindly provided by Ted, we set off and were on the water by 9 o’clock with anglers distributed between all four lakes. The first few hours yielded some success with a couple of us bagging up earlier than expected. Lunch was washed down with a pint of the Taproom’s best bitter and fishing for some members resumed until 4 o’clock. Methods included floating lines in the morning as well as slow sinking intermediate lines in the afternoon. The Blue Flash Damsel fly seemed popular amongst anglers
The results were:
Chalybeate Springs Trout Fishery
Chalybeate Pairs II 1st October 2023 · Report by Mickey Heasman
The second round of the Chalybeate Pairs Competition was fished at Chalybeate on Sunday 1st October 2023. The first round fished on 15 April with the following results:
Round 2 was fished in difficult conditions with warm weather and bright sun with very little cloud cover. Despite the competing pairs and Peter Thomason fishing as a single using all of their experience and skills the fish were not very obliging
Anglers followed the same format as in the first round with bonus weight added to the total bag for catch & release fish and any fish caught during the allotted Joker time slot. No team managed any C&R fish and only one team scored with a Joker Fish and it made the difference! On this occasion it was clear that the Chalybeate fish played their Joker round!
Bob Holland and Jim Streeter held a healthy lead after the first round with Keith Lawrence & Ron Lewis and Ian Watts & John Dunmall their nearest challengers. With 2 kg added to bag weight for C&R fish and another 2 kg added for any fish caught in the Joker slot the lead could easily change and so it turned out
Keith and Ron managed 4 fish on the day and crucially 1 of those was a Joker fish so added the critical 2 kg to their bag weight. Bob and Jim unfortunately only managed 1 fish for the day. Ian and John battled hard with 3 fish but none were Joker fish so no bonus weight. Mick Priest and Simon also landed 3 fish on the day but not enough to affect the final placings. Jo and Buster tried everything in their box of fishing tricks and nothing worked on a tough day. Peter Thomason fishing as a single saved the blank with 1 fish
Round 2 Results:
Overall Chalybeate Pairs Result
All in all, a close result between our top three pairs where a bonus fish adding 2 kg could have made all the difference. Commiserations to Bob Holland and Jim Streeter who were pipped at the post after a fine first round but well done on securing runners-up spot. Many Congratulations to our Chalybeate Pairs Winners Keith Lawrence and Ron Lewis
Looking forward to another close battle in the 2024 competition
Rutland Water – Boat
16th & 17th September 2023 · Report by Graham Morgan Plumb
Day 1
Four anglers travelled to a glorious Rutland Water to kick off the TWFFS autumn season. We were greeted with a brisk NNE wind, clear skies and cooler temperatures than we had seen recently. After agreeing boat partners and picking up as much knowledge as possible from the lodge, we set off. Ian and John heading for the main bowl and Alastair and myself to New Zealand Point and beyond. It soon became apparent that this was not going to be a picnic. Fish were there to be caught if found and that was the rub – finding them!
After trying New Zealand Point down to Gibbets Gorse, Alastair and I tried the deeper water in the main bowl and a lovely drift across the mouth of Whitwell Creek. The only thing missing were the trout! Back to New Zealand point to conclude the day
Ian and John had tried similar places but in a kind of reverse order. Successful lines were either floating or slow intermediates with black hoppers talking the largest percentage of fish. Although a tough day, fish were caught (by most!) with Alastair and Ian both catching good sized fish
The results of Day 1 were:
Day 2
The original plan was to fish Grafham on the Sunday but following feedback from friends who had fished Grafham on Saturday, we decided that a more productive option would be to fish Rutland again on the Sunday. We were joined by Nick Cox for the second day
The conditions were similar to Saturday although cloud was expected in the afternoon with the promise of bringing the fish up in the water. Once again, the fishing was not the easiest and we found that if fish were found on a drift they disappeared by the second drift: somewhat frustrating! The only areas which seemed to hold fish consistently was one of the boils and a wind-lane leading to the tower. Alastair did manage to find two good browns by New Zealand Point
Successful tactics were Boobies or Hoppers retrieved slowly on floating or slow intermediate lines. The more colourful flies being successful in the afternoon once we had some cloud cover
All in all a good couple of days with good company in challenging but not impossible conditions
The results of Day 2 were:
Congratulations to Ian on being top rod across both days
Elphicks Carp Fishery
17th August 2023 · Report by Micky Heasman
Our return visit to Elphicks and what a difference in weather – sunshine and plenty of it. Shorts weather! A good turn-out with nine anglers able to make the trip and once again we had exclusive use of Sandwich lake. The lake didn't disappoint with fish being taken all around. Excitement through the day with good doubles to the net. Mick Priest with another personal best of just under the magic 20 lb - so close Mick! I managed a 16 lb-plus fish as did Keith Nicholson. Junior member James Constantine struggled in the morning but enjoyed a wonderful afternoon landing a good few doubles - well done James! April Heasman and Jo Harris also enjoyed some good sport, each landing fish of over 10 lb. Buster Heasman couldn't join us until the afternoon and initially struggled but late in the day got some good fish to the net - Blank saved!
Some excitement late in the day when Andy Lush was surprised by a good take when baiting up his area. The take included his rod which went at high speed across the lake. A quick call to International Rescue and Thunderbird 4 (Elphicks rowboat) was launched and a successful rescue of the rod was achieved. Andy was berating himself for a momentary lapse of concentration meant the rod was unguarded for just a few seconds - sods law took full advantage. But no harm done and some excitement for the rest of us. Another most enjoyable day
Elphicks Carp Fishery
5th August 2023 · Report by Micky Heasman
Rain, Rain go away and come again another day! It didn't, so ten TWFFS soggy anglers 'enjoyed' exclusive use of Sandwich lake at Elphicks Fishery; frequently taking shelter in the onsite cafe where owner, Mike, did well. However, we did have dry spells and despite the less than ideal conditions the carp were in fine form and plenty of fish were coming to the net. We didn't get any 20-pound-plus fish but we had a good number of doubles with Simon Gregory achieving a personal best with a fish over 16 lb. Mick Priest also enjoyed a good day netting more than ten fish. Jo Harris had success too and sadly lost a very good fish later in the day playing it for a good 20 minutes before it escaped - Jo named the fish Oppenheimer - need to know more? Ask Jo. Despite horrible weather, with 50-plus fish to the group, a good day's sport was enjoyed
Wylands Carp Fishery
8th Juluy 2023 · Report by Micky Heasman
Unfortunately there was a low turnout for this enjoyable day: three members plus one guest (my youngest son, Phil) were booked in to fish House Lake at the lovely Wylands angling centre in Battle
The forecast was not great with thunderstorms forecast for late morning and into the afternoon. Maybe some of our members are better long-range forecasters than the four of us who ventured out. This did not deter us from the usual breakfast - big carp fishing needs a big breakfast! Before departing the water for breakfast we also made sure the carp had a good breakfast too so the water was well 'chummed' with the various dog biscuits – Wagg, Winalot, Kitty Cat; you name it and it was floating on the water whilst we ate our breakfast. The fish obliged too and when we returned there were plenty of carp moving in front of us
But boy were they fussy or so it seemed for me and Buster! Simon Grogory and Phil on the other hand who it has to be said were both first-timers had good fishing (isn’t that always the b---dy way!)
Thankfully, we didn’t get the forecast thunderstorms but we did get heavy rain interruptions but with the cafe close by it was easy to wait them out whilst having tea and cakes or a glass of ale
Simon landed 5 fish with a best ever carp of 18lb 12oz – a fabulous day!
Our guest Philip Heasman landed 3 fish with a best ever carp of 14lb 6oz
Micky Heasman had 1 carp but not weighed as foul hooked. (I also managed to rescue a carp that was pulling a 'spod float' behind it by casting a line across it and very luckily managed to get the hook through the ring at the bottom of the 'spod', landed the fish and unhooked the offending tackle along with a barbed hook (a rule breaking angler!) and released successfully – my good deed for the day.
Buster Heasman no fish landed but had 2 fish on and off so a little unlucky
A weather disrupted and shortened day but an enjoyable one. Great also that two novice carp fly fishers had great days and PB's. Well done Simon and Phil
The next carp day is on the 5th August at Elphicks
Draycote Water – Boat
24th June 2023 · Report by Graham Morgan Plumb
After several weeks of a pesky cold North Easterly wind, the weather had turned much warmer with a gentle South Westerly breeze blowing across Draycote Water. Four anglers had travelled to Warwickshire to sample the delights of this water in the June sunshine
Reports from the previous week were that the fishing was difficult without any one successful method. The best advice was to be prepared to keep changing depth and to keep moving
Ian Watts and Alastair Garner headed towards B & C buoys whilst Nick Cox and myself headed to Rainbow Corner for a drift out to A buoy. Seeing a fish caught and sign of fish around A buoy, our confidence did grow. However, such confidence was short lived as the trout proved very reluctant to take our flies despite offering a variety of delights at varying depths
At lunch, Nick was leading the way with a single fish caught on a buzzer with the rest of us blanking
The afternoon followed much the same pattern with Nick finding an additional fish on a Di7 and buzzer just out of Rainbow Corner, whilst yours truly struggled for even a touch
Meanwhile, Ian did find three fish from around the bubbles which were trickling out a half-hearted flow plus one fish from B buoy
Congratulations must go to Ian and Nick who did exceptionally well to catch on such a day
Brick Farm
18th June 2023 · Report by Micky Heasman
Seven members of the Society were able to attend this Championship event at Brick Farm Trout Fishery in the beautiful East Sussex countryside. As usual, we were warmly welcomed by Danni and Phil who was our chef for the morning providing breakfast rolls to set us up nicely for the fishing to come. Phil also provided useful information on how recent fishing had been and methods that might work for us, especially after the recent sweltering weather. There had been a good amount of overnight rain which had freshened the water a little. Getting fish early before the day got warmer (and wetter due to forecasted storms) would be key - and so it proved!
So off we went on the 'way out - wacky races' - not quite a rolling start but kind of. Peter Thomason - lets say Dick Dastardly and his 'Mean Machine' was off the start line rapidly! Having tried all the regular methods, the Daft Ada in him (Muttley’s idea!) took over and with 2 boobies down deep he had 3 fish by 10:15 (this included a double up but only 1 landed); the pedal then came off the gas to try different methods but without success. The Daft Ada rose within him again and the 4th fish came to another deep Booby and Peter's, sorry - Dick's fishing, was complete before lunch - getting a complete bag before lunch proved key and I'm sure I heard Muttley snickering somewhere!
So how did the rest of the field fare? Mick Priest - let's say Clyde of the Ant Hill Mob chased hard (in the Bullet Proof Bomb) but after a good start the engine failed and only 1 fish was landed by lunch. Things improved after though and a double up ensued but a net failure meant a rescue was needed and Buster - Rufus Roughcut, came to the rescue racing halfway round the lake to assist. One fish successfully landed and the other unfortunately lost. Mick Priest - Clyde of the Ant Hill Mob finished 2nd on the day and now off to make repairs to the 'Bulletproof Bomb' for the next event/race
Martyn Gray - lets say Red Max and the Crimson Haybaler, had a steady race without too much incident. One Fish by lunch and nabbing a second in the afternoon to take 3rd place
Micky Heasman - lets say Peter Perfect in his Turbo Terrific, didn’t have much turbo about him on this occasion but as in Wacky Races, was being the Perfect gentleman to Penelope Pitstop in trying to catch fish. One fish by lunchtime but also found the Daft Ada hard to resist but without success so a 4th place finish on this occasion
Buster Heasman - as already mentioned was Rufus Roughcut in the Buzzwagon, had 1 fish by lunchtime with no more added in the afternoon but takes the gent of the day award in helping fellow racer Clyde (Mick Priest) of the Ant Hill Mob after a net failure. A tidy 5th Place though
April Heasman - Penelope Pitstop in her Compact Pussycat didn't really get off the start line on this difficult racing day despite the help offered by Peter Perfect. Better races ahead I'm sure
John Dunmall - lets say Prof Pat Pending in his Convert-a-Car, also had difficulty getting away from the start line despite using all of the inventions at his disposal so a 'not to be day'. The Prof will be back in fine form in the next instalment of the 'Way out - Wacky Races'!
Final Placings
April Heasman (Penelope Pitstop) and John Dunmall (Prof Pat Pending) awarded 2 points each for competing in the Way Out - Wacky Races
A big thank-you is due to all the racers for contributing to the raffle at lunchtime and raising £50 for the TWFFS members’ pleasure funds
Bewl Water
10th June 2023 · Report by Ian Watts
After last weekend’s Bewl Bridge Flyfishers’ Club competition finishing with a rod average of only 2, it may have put some TWFFS members off this return to Bewl.
However, several TWFFS members did particularly well in that competition. The BBFC winners were our very own TWFFS members of Alastair Garner (11) and Graham Morgan Plumb (6), with Alastair taking the individual trophy. TWFFS member Ian Watts (5) pairing, came second overall. Congratulations to all concerned!
Apologies for sickness and even a bad back were received and finally, three members (Nick Cox, john Dunmall and Ian Watts) turned up at Bewl Water in the bright sunshine to be greeted with a temperature of 20 degrees C at 8.00 a.m. which gave the participants a sense of what was to co me. The recent cold North Easterly wind was replaced by a warm breeze which lifted temperatures considerably
Nick was keen to get away from the jetty and Ian and John followed soon. Most of the fish caught in the recent competitions had come from Brown’s Inlet and Hook Strait but armed with some insider knowledge of a recent stocking, Ian and John headed for Copen’s Reach but apart from observing a few fry feeders in the shallows, nothing came to the flies there. The pair then headed to the top of Hook Strait; but a quick diversion to Wards Lane on the way, saw Ian catch his first fish at 11.15!
John was still waiting for a take but Nick had found fish at Chingley Point and had three by then. A phone call to Nick to arrange lunch, resulted in the pair deciding to abandon Hook and they quickly motored to Chingley, hopefully to find some fish. Nick was located at the Playground. Just before lunch at 1.00, Ian sneaked his second fish and JD still remained fishless
A chance meeting with Adie Necci, who was just coming off the water after lunch, decided where everyone was going to spend the afternoon: Adie had nine by using a Di-3 with a slow figure of eight retrieve in the Main Bowl. Drifting from the Dam and out towards the Main Bowl provided two more fish for Ian. Nick showed his class, landing 8 more! John frustratingly still remained without a take, apart from a swirl to his flies as he lifted off to cast
At the finish, Nick had 11, Ian 4 and John 0
Final result:
Grafham Water
20th May 2023 · Report by Ian Watts
A cold north easterly wind and a clear blue sky greeted the four TWFFS members at Grafham Water, Mark Tremain-Coker, John Dunmall, John Hancock and Ian Watts. Mark drew John Hancock and the other John fished with Ian
According to the rangers in the fishing lodge, the recent spring weather was not ideal for big catches and their advice was to fish the North Shore
This turned out to be the case, as all the so called hot spots at Grafham failed to hold any quantities of fish
Searches of The Seat, Gaines Cove, the Dam, G Buoy, The Willows, Hill Farm, Sanctuary, Deep-water Point, Pig Bay, Church Bay, etc, often proved fruitless!
At the weigh-in, Ian Watts had 4; John Dunmall 4; John Hancock 3; Mark Tremain-Coker 3 (where there were equal numbers the time of the first fish caught was the decider on position)
The positions at the end of the day were:
It was great to see John 'Sooty' Hancock again, who, now that he lives in Yorkshire, obviously can't attend as many TWFFS events as he'd like!
Bewl Water
Corrib Cup 7th May 2023 · Report by James Dench
Four members had put there name down to fish the Corrib Cup at Bewl Water and then there were two
On a very windless, misty summers day, the two intrepid anglers of Nick Cox and James Dench met to agree the rules for the day. Catch and release and if a tie, then the first fish caught would win the competition. We both decided to stop for lunch to rest the water
So we tackled up and set sail. James opted for a fast glass with two Minkie Boobies 10ft apart and Nick opted for a floating line with a mixture of nymphs and Blobs
We headed to the “old cages” where Nick had success on the Friday. The water was reasonably clear and the trout where rising
Nick was quickly into a fish then followed by another: 2-0 to Nick by 9.30am. Then Nick got into a tangle and James managed to catch a fish: 2–1. The Cup Final was on
James managed another: 2-2; then Nick caught on a buzzer: 3-2. James lost a couple and so did Nick, so changed to a Di 7 sweep with a Snake. Bingo, method worked: 4-3 to James
At lunch it was takes between the two of us of missed opportunities, bites and lost fish
Fishing continued at 13.30 and the afternoon session proved good for James. Unfortunately, Nick had more tangles and a lost fish. I managed another four in the afternoon, with takes and more lost fish at distance!. We finished at 4 pm
A great day was had by both of us with good banter
The results for the Corrib Cup
Lakedown Trout Fishery
23rd April 2023 · Report by Simon Gregory
Thirteen members and one guest (Mark’s father-in-law John) attended this event. The weather was fair with sunshine, some cloud cover and a light wind providing a welcome ripple on the surface. The water clarity in lake 1 was muddied due to recent rains but this improved progressively towards lakes 2, 3 and 4. We commenced fishing after welcoming the members with breakfast rolls, teas and coffees and dispensing the rules and arrangements for the day. Several members on the lower lakes landed 2 of their 3 fish quota in the first hour or so, while those on lake 1 had more challenging conditions. By lunch-time many had bagged up and retired for the day taking pleasure in the warm weather, the surroundings, each others company and the Taproom beer and pop-up catering. James Gardner, Andy and Suzanne Stoner visited us for lunch and Andy fished in the afternoon. Over lunch we held a raffle which raised £80 for the club funds. Fishing that afternoon concluded with no blanks and 36 fish were landed in total. Successful methods were primarily using floating lines and ranged from nymphs to Fritz, Humongous, BFD and even the reputed Snake! Our members reunited beside lake 1 to enjoy the afternoon sun, another beer and the crucial weigh-in. Our thanks go to Jamie Daltrey for some top-quality fighting fish, to Ted and Cathy for hosting and providing a splendid breakfast and afternoon tea, not forgetting the Taproom staff, for all giving us another memorable day
Results for the day were as follows:
Total fish caught 36
Largest fish 6lb 6oz rainbow trout caught by Simon Gregory
The other attendees on the day were as follows;
Chalybeate Springs Trout Fishery
Pairs Challenge Round I 15th April 2023 · Report by Micky Heasman
What a day we had! A super turnout with six pairs and a singleton. The weather was mixed: chilly with some light rain in the morning and lovely sunshine with occasional clouds in the afternoon. The fishing was not to be easy after a lot of overnight rain had coloured the water
The competition was fished in the usual format with each pair drawing a starting peg and then fishing on the allocated swim for 40 minutes. This year however there was an added surprise for each pair. A Joker round had been randomly selected for each pair and this meant that any fish caught during the allocated Joker slot would add another 2 kg to that pair's total bag wait. Some of the Joker rounds were allocated to the first time-slot after lunch meaning pairs had to think about their tactics and perhaps not bag up too early. Interesting and fun watching the competitors thinking this through
Pairs for the day were as follows:
The fishing did indeed prove to be difficult even though fish were rising all over the lake in the early part of the day; finding out what they were taking proved challenging with fish coming to the net infrequently. Chalybeate became a little noisier when the Ian Watts and John Dunmall partnership landed two fish on their Joker round meaning another 4 kg to their bag weight and an early dash for the lead! Other pairs’ Joker rounds came and went with frustration evident when no fish were caught. However fish were being caught; Keith Lawrence and Ron Lewis were quietly but efficiently going about their business and Bob Holland and Jim Streeter had also landed fish
Lunchtime came and much banter was had with the new Joker concept and the use of a number randomiser app on my phone that was used to select the Joker slots - was it rigged? Had it been truly random? Did artificial intelligence or AI really know where the fish would be? The app became even more famous when I decided to use it for the raffle - why hadn’t we thought of this before? No more tedious tearing and folding of the tickets we just punched in the number range and let technology and the push of a button do the rest - the raffle organisers 'eureka!' moment! Joking and banter aside, the raffle raised a truly wonderful £110 for the TWFFS membership - thank you everybody
Lunch done and it was back to the fishing - Bob and Jim had their Joker round as did Keith and Ron. Bob and Jim made hay whilst Keith and Ron unfortunately did not. Bob and Jim took a magnificent three fish and gained them an extra 6 kg to their bag wait - new leaders perhaps? It was becoming evident that the lodge end of the lake was producing the most fish and the usually productive dam end was proving to be challenging. Keith and Ron continued to quietly land fish as did Ian and John. Mick and Simon had landed two and then Micky and April landed two on one swim but not a Joker round. Buster and Jo got into the action with two fish. It was pretty clear that the lead after Round 1 was going to be between three pairs - Bob and Jim, Ian and John or Keith and Ron. However this could all change in the Round 2 which will take place on 1 October. Other pairs can still enter and with a good Joker round who knows what display cabinet the prestigious trophy could find itself in. (No football jokes here!)
I must mention Alan Martin who had to fish as a single and fished his allocated swims. Unfortunately for Alan none produced fish for him (blame the AI Alan!) but he still enjoyed his day with us and hopefully he/we can find a partner for Round 2
I'm looking forward to it and hopefully dear readers I'll see you there. I'm certain there will be fun and perhaps a late run for the trophy!
Results of Round 1 and current positions
Brick Farm - Bank
8th April 2023 · Report by Neil Osmond
Thirteen members of the Society attended this event at Brick Farm fishery. Meeting at 08:00, fortified by coffee and tea from the lodge, we undertook the customary walk-off and were on the water by 08:45. Initially the weather conditions were cool with little wind but the weather warmed throughout the morning and the wind picked up to create a gentle ripple on the water - ideal for fishing
The first couple of hours fishing were a little slow, the occasional fish coming out of the water but nothing spectacular. All four lakes being fished but by mid-morning most anglers had gravitated to Spring Lake (the newest and deepest lake) and Brick Lake. A good hatch off what appeared to be early Pond Olives and Hawthorn flies started coming off Brick Lake from mid-morning and the fishing accordingly intensified. There were regular rises occurring with Buzzers, Diawl Bach and Cormorants amongst the flies that accounted for many of the fish taken
Lunch was taken at 12:30 with several anglers having caught two or three fish, but no one yet reaching the maximum four fish for the weigh-in. A raffle was held at lunch time raising £61 for Society funds, a great effort from all involved
Fishing resumed after 13:00, by which time the fishing had gone off. Whether it was the brightness, additional warmth or a drop in wind, it turned into quite a challenging couple of hours with little activity. A couple of anglers had bagged up, one even reverting to the dark side to complete his bag (shocking I know!). With the finish time of 16:00 rapidly approaching the water suddenly switched on again with several catches all occurring within minutes of each other
The final tally stood at:
From my perspective it was a good days fishing shared with great company, what wasn’t to like!
Bewl Water - Bank
Dave Clark Cup 1st April 2023 · Report by Ian Watts
A cold north-westerly wind greeted the seven competitors at Bewl Water for the Dave Clarke Cup
Whilst waiting for the launch, some fishery information was shared with the group regarding which bank was performing best. Ferry Point to Dunsters was quickly ruled out as TWFFS members Nick Cox and Alastair Garner fished there on the previous day without a fish! (Was this an April Fool? Ed)
Organiser for the day, Mark Tremain-Coker, decided that Goose Creek to Rosemary Lane would be more suitable and provide some protection from the cold wind and a choppy ride in the launch to the drop-off at Goose Creek was enjoyed by all
The field quickly split with some anglers staying at Goose Creek and the rest walking the few hundred metres to Rosemary Lane
There was no draw for a walk off and Alastair was away first with some insider knowledge of where was the best place to fish. (Nick headed to Rosemary after blanking at Ferry!) The sprightly Ian Watts, using his Vibram soles to great effect in the mud, quickly outsprinted the floundering Alastair in his felt soled boots to grab a spot next to the trees at the Goose Creek end of the Curved Bank. Ian was already into his first fish by the time Alastair and Mark had caught up! Alastair dropped in next to Ian (although a little too close for his liking at times, Ed!) with Mark continuing his solitary muddy stroll to Rosemary Lane
A mixture of intermediate lines and dark flies were required to catch the fish, which seemed to be higher up in the water than usual for an early season bank match.
It didn't take long for the anglers at Goose Creek (James Dench, Steve Mewett, John Dunmall and Mick Priest) who had been fishing into the cold biting wind, to join the others
At lunch, Ian was slightly in the lead with 12 fish with Alastair and Mark close behind
The late arrivals had missed the early 'fish party', as the action had slowed down during the morning session with the fish moving further out from the bank as a result of the angling pressure. However, a break in the thrashing of the water seemed to help the fishing in the afternoon, with the fish now moving along the bank in the warmer water and not just into the deeper areas
At close, Ian managed another 11, giving him the winning total of 23, with Alastair on 19 and Mark on 16
A quick warm up at the Brown Trout was gratefully received by the 4 who attended
The full results were:
Bewl Water - Bank
18th March 2023 · Report by Graham Morgan Plumb
Seven anglers travelled to Bewl Water for the Society’s inaugural 2023 event. Due to the forecast southerly wind, we decided to hitch a ride on the launch to Ferry Point giving options towards the nature reserve or along to Dunsters
The agreed format was two fish catch and kill and then catch and release. Given the reports since opening day on the preceding Wednesday, expectations were high. Justifiably for some of attendees!
Once tackled up, the members divided into two groups – the more astute electing to take some exercise by walking along to Dunsters Point, whilst the less vigorous choosing closer locations. At lunch, it was clear that Dunsters had been the place to be, with Nick and Alastair showing the way with totals in the mid-teens. I think that it is fair to say that us mere mortals had a somewhat more challenging morning. Boobies, Fabs and Blobs were the catching flies with the odd green and black lure proving successful too
After lunch, the majority of the group headed for Dunster’s albeit with less success than the morning. After a slightly delayed lift back to the lodge, the final result was:
Congratulations must go to Alastair and Nick who really did make it look easy All in all, a great start to the 2023 season
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