The Complete Fisher Forum

[Limpet]

I had my opening day yesterday, starting on Blagdon as per normal, with my Dad, and his mates Don and Mike.
In recent years we have changed from North Shore to Butcombe, mainly due to the ease of fishing into deep water without having to wade.
Fish are normally present from the off, but yesterday was a little bit different. It's never good when you have to compete for bank space, but this normally means that the fish are present. Yesterday however we were on our own for good reason! We had one pull between the 4 of us after 2 hours, so decided it wasn't us!

We ventured over to North Shore, but the wind was getting up and after a difficult attempt with nothing to gain we went to Oak Trees on Chew. All the season ticket boys were in the car park with their nets still out, but said it was hard and so we moved up to the stones at Nunnery (they all said you should have been here yesterday, as normal!)

An angler on the 2nd point had caught quite a few trout but they were moving out. I managed to hook my first of the year when reeling in my lure rod to go onto a floater! Don had one too, but that was all we caught. I also saw my one and only fish on the surface. Me and Dad moved down to Oak Trees which was now deserted save one determined angler. Nothing showed here either.

By mid-afternoon the old boys decided to call it a day and left me to it. Talking to the ranger, he said that Walley and Woodford were fishing well, so I upped sticks and drove over. I squeezed in a space one in from the car park end, between 2 season ticket holders. There weren't so many anglers there at this point. The chap in the corner next to me had been there all day and caught quite a few, plus had some lovely 3 and 4lb fish overwintered fish on a floating line. I caught and lost my 1st on a booby but then went onto a sink tip with a damsel on the point and a diawl bach on a dropper. Over the next hour and a half fish were being caught up and down the bank, me landing 3 myself, but then it went quiet. My fish ranged from 1-6 to 2-2, plus one nice overwintered 2-9 bar of silver. I finally packed up about 5.30 after landing one more to the booby stripped back. It was good to chat to the chaps either side me too.

I didn't recall seeing you Alan, as I would have said hello.

In the end an enjoyable day, even though I had to work for it, showing we shouldn't take opening days for granted.

[Allrounder]

Great report, limpet. I enjoyed reading that and I'm glad you managed to find some fish in the end. Strange how Blagdon has started so slowly although I heard that some lucky anglers have managed to find the fish.

When I arrived on Woodford late on Friday afternoon Les Toogood was fishing in the corner below the car park and Clive Blacker was the other angler I spoke to. Not to worry, I'm sure our paths will cross soon!

Alan
_________________
Member of ...
The Angling Trust
BRFFA
B.A.S.S.
Pike Fly Fishing Association

If you see me on the bank, say hello... from a safe distance!

[Limpet]

[Bongoch]

Was out myself over the weekend visiting both Chew & Blagdon. On Saturday rocked up early at the Oak Tree and fished there until approx 10.30. Had 3 in that time, all on the same DB on my middle dropper. Being honest, it kinda felt like after the lord mayor's show here. Fish were coming out occasionally but I got the strong impression that they had been hammered from bank & boat over the preceding week and were very finicky as a result. The fish I did get were all crackers, the first was around the 4lb mark.

On Sunday, ventured over to Blagdon's north shore. I'd heard that it'd been tough going and so it proved. Fished various points between Peg's and the north shore car park at the end between 7-11am. Managed 4 in that time, again on DBs and again it was bloody cold!

Great to be back out again and hopefully easier and warmer days to come!

Couple of pics:

1st from Chew:



1st from Blagdon:

[Bongoch]

Forgot to ask in my post yesterday but what's the story with parking at Walley? Is the old car park back open or have we to continue using the new car park via the sailing club entrance?

[Allrounder]

I was busy this morning but given that the weather was much kinder than expected I decided an afternoon session would be in order. The sometimes blustery wind was coming from the South so my brain screamed 'Blagdon South Shore!' but I am a Chew man at heart so I elected to fish behind Bob's House instead. I arrived at 2.30pm to find an empty bank although there were a few boats in Herons which was a promising sign. Even better, the wind was in a friendly direction and quite reasonable so I elected to fish my 10 foot #7 with the same set up as I have used on previous trips this season - a floating line and 3 flies - a green DB, a Black Buzzer and a beadhead Green and Black Tadpole on the point.

Nothing happened at first but after around a dozen casts my line pulled tight and after a good scrap a decent Rainbow approaching 3lb was in my net. Around this time I was joined by another angler called Dave who had come over from Blagdon after catching 3 fish in the morning. He got in next door and soon his net was going out to net a nice fish which took a Diawl Bach. We both continued to pick up the odd take but they were reluctant to commit, despite slowing my retrieve right down to almost static, letting the wind do the work. Fortunately we had a a brief Buzzer hatch which persuaded the fish to show more commitment and when Dave left for home we had both caught 5 fish each from our respective spots. I decided to stay on but the nibbles and taps dried up so I decided to try the Point. It was hard to believe that it was wadeable in March but it was and it gave me my 6th and final fish which came to a Black Buzzer. Apart from my first fish, all the others were smaller stockies of around 2-0 to 2-4 and each fly took 2 fish each with the Black Buzzer and Green Diawl Bach coming into their own during and after the buzzer hatch. The key though was the retrieve ... dead slow to almost static got interest, any faster got none at all.

[Bongoch]

Thanks Alan, helpful information. Basically old car park but new entrance.

[Allrounder]

[BristolFlyer]

Nice one Alan! An overwintered 5lb fish might even make me fish in the rain.

I hope you catch it again once it has fattened up on buzzers

I'm hoping to get out somewhere this weekend. It has been a long windy winter!

[JCP]

Good to read folks are having fun and catching some good fish.Apologies for missing the salute to Mick Bell and his Bloke Fly Rods.Mick is a top bloke excuse the pun as are his rods.Just recently a 9ft 5wt XL50 I had loaned out which was was broken late summer I think trying to take it apart.Have had the rod for years from when Mick was in Surrey.He fixed it with minimal drama seemingly for free.Might even be another rod knowing Mick but It arrived back at my home here in Dorset ready to fish.
Keep up the good work and enjoy it because when you reach my age you will wonder where the time went...

Good fishing JP

[arkle]

JCP (A.O) Mick Bell, retired a few months ago & after a while sold his business on, to Alan Tait of Reid River Products, who trade on ebay. I and many others, I gather, use quite a few of Alan's fly hooks. They are well priced & equal to many of the top namers out there. He's started to expand his range of other tying products & exactly the same applies.
_________________
Hi there, I have around 40 yrs exp. of tying flies, incl. some semi-pro work. I've taught at adult evening classes, written for and supplied photos for most U.K. fly magazines. Given talks/slide shows/lectures/demonstrations etc. Am founder and life pres. of local Fly Dressers Guild (27years), our members have won more prizes for tying than any other similar club, we've also won several national flyfishing comps. I look forward to both learning from and contributing to this highly respected forum.

[arkle]

Just seen this on fbk... https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221529698666213&set=gm.2371597276346391&__cft__[0]=AZU3GnUmdSDH4vfYr8axhboCrtAFoGrFhWTL4lM9JAyywKBwUHND1AHnUeMe1sbLiwjyoRDvmKpsvyeAs10isOYOKjATD-7P5_U7yAZvnhQUVFocXM7UZJSwgTIcdh1kQLQb8SPXLNA24_dQz9PsJIZJupVu4eZPQsALn_cmEhXSl4wOd7UFA6EJGDFP83jSpxM&__tn__=EH-R
_________________
Hi there, I have around 40 yrs exp. of tying flies, incl. some semi-pro work. I've taught at adult evening classes, written for and supplied photos for most U.K. fly magazines. Given talks/slide shows/lectures/demonstrations etc. Am founder and life pres. of local Fly Dressers Guild (27years), our members have won more prizes for tying than any other similar club, we've also won several national flyfishing comps. I look forward to both learning from and contributing to this highly respected forum.

[Bongoch]

Once again was out on Saturday & Sunday with both days seeing me on Blagdon.

Looking at the wind direction on Friday night, decided to head to Bell's bush though with some nice fish being caught from there I wasn't sure how busy it would be. Arriving just before dawn I found 2 anglers just getting set up so I slipped in to the left of them. Started off with the usual DBs on the droppers and a viva cruncher on the point. Midway through the retrieve on my first cast the line went tight and a spritely stockie was netted and returned having taken the top dropper. The guys to my right were consistently taking fish using damsels fished quite quickly. I managed another fish on the same DB before things went very quiet for both me and the other anglers. Around 10am I decided to move so went over to North Shore and parked on the right as you go in the gate. Got chatting with 2 anglers who were packing up having done very well by wading out toward Rugmoor Pt and fishing back into the bay. I decided to do the same so waded out to roughly were they had been. The boats in the area were doing really well, in fact quite a few times both anglers were playing fish at the same time! Things weren't quite so hectic for me but I did manage to pick up 4 fish in about an hour. Having done ok I decided to change banks and fish from the north shore. Slipping in to the left of a couple of anglers who'd been catching well on damsels I changed over to a hothead damsel and caught consistently for the next hour. Around 2pm I called time and must've returned over 10, couldn't give an accurate number.

On Sunday I headed back to the North Shore at Rugmoor bay as I was interested to see if the fish were still holed up there. Went with the same initial cast as the day before (2 DBs and a Cruncher). I started at approx 6.25am and by 7am had released 8. It's always nice to catch fish but this was far to easy for my liking so I decided to leave them and head to a few places on the South Shore which I hadn't fished yet. First was Rainbow Point but although it looked great and the flies were fishing well I didn't get a touch. Next I went along to Green Lawn and fished in front of the bench as the bank bends into Long bay. Managed a couple from here on a bibio DB. A shoal must've gone past as the next hour passed without incident. At 10am I decided to head home, a shortish session but good fun!

Already looking forward to next week which looks set to be brighter and warmer!

View from Bell's in the morning:

[tenet]

A 90mile round trip to Chew or Farmoor is now going to cost me £20🤬😡

[Allrounder]