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Limpet
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 Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:35 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Allrounder"]
The other was a post of Facebook this evening from BWF mentioned that an angler reported 6 fish from Woodford bank this morning. I KNEW I should have turned left at the T junction , not right!  
I'm not sure what part of Woodford that was Alan
I arrived a Chew on Tues at about 09.00 and was the first onto Woodford and fished off the stones at the end nearest the small car park. I was hopeful after a few minutes when I had a nice sized trout follow me in, then eye up my hanging fly before turning away. I stayed at that spot or near for almost 3 hours. A chap 100yds to my right had a pike and 1 trout, another chap to his right had a few pulls. A couple more chaps did fish nearer the lodge, so they may have caught.
I tried floater with weighted lures and small flies, intermediate with same and HD line along the bottom with boobies and Fabs. I had 2 more follows up to the edge but only 1 half hearted tug.
I left for pastures new just before 12.00. I was going to Walley, but a chap in the car park said he had just come from there and nothing was coming out!
I therefore opted for North Shore. I was amazed at the state of erosion since I haven't fished there for about 3 years, with the grass falling into the water in many areas. I did climb down, but with the high water level, it was easier to cast off the top. Visibility there was not as good as Woodford, but I persisted. I caught a 6lb pike on a white booby and lost my daiwl bach dropper to another.
A chap appeared from the bird hide end with just rod in hand, dropped down into the corner and started fishing with a floater and damsel nymph. With 10 minutes he had his first fish on! He said he had caught 4 in that spot earlier in the day. he had a few more on and off before he skipped off home again.
I eventually managed to pick up a fish - thinking it was the bottom, but another few taps and then a solid take at last. It was a fine fish which went 2-13. I had one more knock which I missed.
I tried in the hot corner after the chap left, but to no avail.
It was good to get out, weather was mild and I still can't cast straight!
'till next time (hopefully opening day 4th March on Chew and 11th on Blagdon 2021) if we are able
Stay Safe and Happy Christmas  |
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Limpet
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| Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Fish now filleted, dry rub in salt/dark sugar for a day, overnight in the fridge to firm up, 5 hours of cold smoke and pin-boned, just in time for Christmas
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:19 am Post subject: |
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| Limpet wrote: |
| I'm not sure what part of Woodford that was Alan |
I looked for the post from BWF again but couldn't find it so I may have been mistaken.  Looks like you did better than me and those smoked fillets look delicious!
Encouraged by Limpets report I decided to concentrate on the Woodford bank today. I arrived at around 11am to find another 6 anglers fishing and was told that the guy by the trees had caught 'a few' although the rest were struggling. I got in at the end of the line towards the Lodge end and was delighted to find the clarity was around 3 foot or more despite a slight 'tea stain'. Tactics were my usual floater with a Beadhead White tadpole on the point, a Cormorant on the middle and a red DB on the top dropper and the Fast glass with Boobies as a back up.
The wind was very friendly, coming directly from behind which helped my casting and turnover enormously and unlike last time, I didn't have to wait too long for a pull which resulted in a long, naturalised Rainbow of around 2-8 in the net. Another followed shortly after again on the White Tadpole, which made me think I might be on a roll but after that things calmed down and I had to change to the fast glass to pick up my next fish which turned out to be a 5lb pike!
Another naturalised Rainbow followed on the fast glass soon after to a Black Booby before that approach died a death so I then decided to try up by the Jetties with the floater. That resulted in my best fish of the day - a 4lb + Rainbow on the White Taddy and a surprise 3lb Brownie on the Cormorant. I then lost what I suspected was a decent Pike although the hook pulled rather than a bite off so I'll never know. 
It was turning into a really pleasant afternoons fishing but it wasn't to last. A call from 'The Grinch' (my wife ) reminded me that it was Christmas Eve and I had promised to be home by 4.00pm so as I had a couple of fish to prepare for the table, I gave it best at 3.15pm.
After my last outing it was good to get back on the horse again! I'm just hoping I can get in another trip or two before this fantastic season ends on 31st December. A few pics from the day....
Happy Christmas! 
Alan
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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Ian (Bovver) and I arranged a post Christmas visit to Chew today , meeting at Woodford for 8am. I wasn't quite sure what to expect this morning with possibly snow forecast but in the event all I had to worry about was scraping some frozen rain off the car windows. However there was a light dusting of snow on the surrounding hilltops when I arrived at the lake, and the day was as cold as it looks ... 
Ian was already fishing when I got there along with a couple of other anglers but the word was the going was slow despite the calm conditions and friendly wind direction. However that made sense when I saw the water clarity was a foot at best from all the rain and run off since my last visit but we gave it a good go. One of the guys next to the wood had a few pulls from pike and Ian managed to get one in his net but the most I could report was the slightest of tugs on my floating line set up which didn't develop. By 11 am we were both ready to move.
Next stop was North Shore which was quite busy when we arrived. Again the water clarity was poor at around a foot but we were told that most of those fishing had caught so we got in at the end of the line, fishing from the high bank. Clarity was a little better here but it didn't make any difference whether I fished the Fast Glass or floater. We never saw another angler catch while we were there and as they slowly started to depart Ian and I had a go in the vacated spots. I got in by the rushes by Picnic area 1 where I was told a couple of fish had been caught earlier but had no joy so as I had to leave at 3pm, I decided to spend the last 30 minutes back on the high bank.
I felt sure that casting a pair of Boobies out as far as possible on the Fast Glass, counting down then tweaking them back slowly would get some interest but nothing happened until my very last hang on my very last cast, when a nice naturalised Rainbow grabbed my fly as it started to ascend. To say I was stunned was an understatement but after a very spirited fight Ian successfully netted my fish which allowed me to escape a blank by the skin of my teeth!
Many thanks to Ian for netting my fish from the high bank for me and for being great company as always.
If you are thinking of getting out before the end, some of the colour should drop out providing we have settled weather and no heavy rain over the next few days. 
Alan
PS Pics on Facebook today show that both Blagdon and Chew are back at top level with water going over their respective spillways.
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tenet
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting Alan - did I see on FB a humungus brownie caught recently from Chew? You were lucky not to be snowed out, we had a few inches up here in the Cotswolds.  |
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| tenet wrote: |
| Thanks for posting Alan - did I see on FB a humungus brownie caught recently from Chew? |
You did ... and there is a story behind it.
The angler who kindly took the picture of my 4lb fish on Xmas eve (in the post above my last one) was fishing the North Shore when we arrived today and he recognised me as I walked past. He had caught a Rainbow and during our chat he asked if I had seen the pic of his Brownie on FB? I said 'What, that big one? he said 'yes - it weighed 14lb!
I wouldn't mind but he told me on Xmas Eve that he was a lapsed carp fisherman who hadnt fished for years and only took up fly fishing this year because of Covid! He said he caught it near Moreton Point so fair play to him as I don't think anyone is fishing that area with the water levels currently so high. He struck me as a nice lad though so I hope he sticks with it.
In the meantime anyone want to buy some trout kit? I'm thinking of taking up Golf.
Alan
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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As it was the last day of the extended season on Chew I had to fish it although it could have been a warmer day! The temperature gauge in my car didn't read higher than -3 C all the way to the lake and it was decidedly white and crunchy underfoot as I made my way to North Shore at 9.30am. There was also ice in the margins although the wind was non existent and the clarity was better than last time at 3 feet plus. Despite the bitter weather I felt confident that I would get something but by 11.30 I hadnt seen any action at all so I decided it was time to move.
Next stop was going to be the Oak Tree but the car park there was full so I continued up to Nunnery Point. I quite fancied that fishing deeper water might do the trick but I had exactly the same result - or rather the lack of it - despite fishing all the spurs with my normally reliable floating line and fast glass tactics . With time running out I decided to walk down to to the Oak Tree where I met one of the top guys on the lake. I knew he was good but you could have knocked me down with a feather when he told me he had 9 so far on a washing line with nymphs and just to prove his point, he then released another 5 while I was there before he packed up just before dark! Not bad going for the end of December!
I got in next to him and tried to copy his tactics but failed miserably so as the sun was about to set, desperate measures were called for. A change from the washing line to my 'get out of jail' fast glass with two boobies did the trick and over the next 30 minutes I netted two Rainbows averaging 2-8 and a similar sized jack Pike all on a White Booby to dodge the blank.
It good to see a number of anglers out on all banks I looked at today which certainly suggests that over the Christmas period at least, anglers are willing to fish for trout on the reservoirs if given the chance. I have certainly enjoyed my December fishing and hope that in the future it will become the norm.
A few pics from the day ...
A few cars at Nunnery!
My net agreed it was cold!
Top water at Oak Trees
Blank buster! My first fish as the sun went down ...
Well that's it from me for 2020. I'll get the new Bristol Water Reservoirs 2021 thread up by the weekend and in the meantime, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!
Alan
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codfather
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| Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:39 am Post subject: |
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Happy New Year to all. Did everyone have a good season? I think I had one of My best seasons ever, regularly catching over 10 fish,
sometimes many more. I fished a few new marks at Chew and Blagdon and had a go at boat fishing, which I really enjoyed. I learnt
a lot this season, My first as a season ticket holder and can't wait until next season. Happy New Year. |
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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Best ever fly fishing season on the Bristol reservoirs for me too and by a long way.
I caught more fish last season that the previous two seasons combined but I also fished twice as often thanks to my season ticket. However the thing that pleased me most was that for the first time ever I didn't blank once during a 'normal' season, although my good luck didn't extend to the December extension when I blanked twice!
Any more observations on the previous season before we close this thread and launch the 2021 version?
Alan
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codfather
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| Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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Alan, BW haven't put up the opening dates yet. Are They usually consistent with the opening dates, ie Chew Valley 1st Thursday in March?
Lets hope Covid is under control by March, not just for the fishing but for living normally. I did like the booking online though and hope it
stays. Without it I probably wouldn't have fished the boats. Stay Safe everyone and tight lines for the coming season. |
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| codfather wrote: |
| Alan, BW haven't put up the opening dates yet.. |
They actually announced them a week or so ago but they are not easy to find on their website . Here you go ... https://www.bristolwaterfisheries.com/events/
I would like to think Covid 19 will be under control by March but I fear we will have to wait a little longer than that before the vaccine and the warmer weather hopefully turns things around. 
I agree that the online booking system is a big step in the right direction and I'm sure it will stay and be improved further. However I hope they will also reinstate other ways of obtaining a permit too as 'online only' doesn't suit everyone.
Alan
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Allrounder
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| Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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Many thanks to everyone who uploaded fishing reports and other posts related to the Bristol Water Reservoirs during 2020. You make this the place to go to for trout fishing reports on the Bristol Water reservoirs.
A new Bristol Water Reservoirs thread has been started for reports and contributions during 2021.
This thread is now locked.
Alan
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