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[codfather]

[Bongoch]

Once again managed to get out on the banks of Chew yesterday. Looking at the forecast and the prospect of another Southerly I decided to head over to Wick. On arrival around 7.30am, the first thing I noticed was that the water level had definitely risen since last Sunday as several of the dead tree stumps which were exposed last week were now either nearly or completely submerged. The second thing I noticed was a slightly brown tinge to the water which I put down to a combination of run-off from the exposed banks and fresh water having come in from the upper Chew. Undeterred I got setup and rather than fish at the usual spot in front of the hide I decided to walk north round the shore to the exposed spit with the dead tree stumps on it. On the way there's a few places were the mud is a bit problematic but once you get there the ground is fine and the wading easy on a firm bottom. Setup with a hot pink FAB on the point (very visible in the tinged water) and a couple of Crunchers on the droppers. The water out from the spit is quite shallow and you can wade a long way out into the lake from here. Having waded just over knee depth I got down to work. At this point the lake was flat calm and fish were occasionally head & tailing, sometimes close enough for me to cover them. Didn't have anything for the first 45mins before a fish latched onto the UV Cruncher on my top dropper completely out of the blue. After an acrobatic fight a lovely silvery fish slipped over the net. Buoyed by that I got back to work and shortly after a fish head & tailed close-by. I got the flies ahead of where I thought it was going and after short figure of eight it latched onto the hot pink FAB. After releasing this fish things went quiet, though the sun decided to make an appearance and the warmth on my back was most welcome. Unfortunately, it didn't last! Around 10am the forecast Southerly arrived and the skies started to darken. As I was turning my head to see the Mendips disappearing as rain moved in, my line went tight as another fish took the hot pink FAB on the point. Another acrobatic fight ensued and after netting the fish and releasing it I decided to turn tail and head home as the first drops of rain stated to fall. By the time I got back to the car it had turned torrential and I was mightily glad to get back into the car as the rain poured down!

As I was getting back to the car 4 other anglers had just arrived and were starting to fish in front of the hide. Hopefully they managed a few fish during the day but given the rain I was glad I decided to call it a day when I did!

Looking out toward Heron's:



First fish of the day:

[Allrounder]

Excellent report, Bongoch!

You certainly did better than me on Friday ! It is good to see fish coming out of the top end of the lake near Wick given these never ending Southerly winds which make many other areas difficult to impossible to fish. It is also good to hear further confirmation that the lake is starting to recharge.

You obviously know the lake well, but many years ago when the lake was as low as it is now I had the bright idea of wading out from between the Wick car park and the point you fished on a bright, still, Autumn morning. The water was very shallow a long way out and it was easy to avoid the softer dark mud by sticking to the lighter coloured clay bottom which was clearly visible. Once up to my knees at least 100 yards offshore I started to fish but nothing happened and when the wind picked up I decided to wade back to shore. That's when I realised I was in trouble! Although gin clear on the way out, the wind had coloured the water and I couldn't see the lighter hard bottom. Luckily I had my long handled landing net but it took a long time to feel my way back to shore as I had to retrace my steps a few times due to the presence of dead ends surrounded by deep silt. I admit I was scared and was so grateful when I reached terra firma again

So unless you know the area well, my advice to anyone thinking of wading on this side of the lake during low water levels is to take great care and use a long handled net or wading staff.

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

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[Bongoch]

[BristolFlyer]

I had no idea that there was a spit there, so thank you for that

[Allrounder]

Due to the reasonable weather and to avenge the blank on my last trip, I decided to have a short 4 hour session on the tanks this afternoon. I arrived at 11.30 in the main car park to be met by an angler coming back from No.3 who told me he was blanking so had decided to try No. 2. That was my plan of action too and before long I was at the top of the steps looking across the reservoir.

An early shower had cleared away and a light to moderate breeze was blowing from right to left on the roadside bank and it was noticeable that the water level was up a foot from last Friday, coming just below the top step. However the water was carrying a little colour from the fresh water entering the lake. I decided to start again on the natural bank opposite which would make easier casting and my set up was a sink tip line with a DB on the dropper and a White beadhead Tadpole alternating with a Black and Green beadhead Tadpole. Due to the water level I had no trouble with weed.

It took a while to get a pull and when it came it was a series of slight taps as the fish followed my slow retrieve in. At this time of year I feel the pressure as I know that pulls can be few and far between but fortunately the line stopped and I was in to my first, and as it turned out, only fish. It was a rather plump specimen and the spoon revealed that it had been gorging on sticklebacks and snails ..


Shortly after the guy I met in the car park came by and said he had two from the inflow in the corner. He said there were a few fish fry bashing but he gave his place up to an elderly gentleman and his wife. I had a look and there were indeed fish chasing the sticklebacks in the flow but the place was taken so I fished a little further along the bank instead before packing in at 3.30pm to avoid the traffic.

Here are a few more pics...

Water level on the natural bank on No.2 ... just how I like it to avoid the weed!


I also stopped by Walley bank on the way home. The pipe is starting to disappear under the water again.


Until next time...

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

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[Allrounder]

I had a short session on Walley bank today, arriving at around 10.30am. The wind was blowing across from Morton but I could still get a line out so I gave it a go. As winter draws ever closer I tend to go more 'dark side' with my fly selection and especially so when there is some colour in the water so I started with an Orange beadhead Fritz on the point and an unweighed Black and Green Tadpole on the dropper. Nothing happened for the first 30 minutes before I got a solid pull. It took some line and I wasn't sure if it was a pike or a trout but when the hook pulled free I thought that answered the question, but my fly came back intact.

Nothing happened after that despite trying various spots along the 'pipe' until I changed the point fly to a Cats Whisker. That produced another pull from a strong fish that I was sure was decent Rainbow until a butter yellow flank and a dark back covered in large spots rolled on the surface! I haven't had a Brownie since the 2019 season so I played it very carefully before netting it. Fortunately the only other angler on the bank came along to see my catch and kindly took a pic ...


I didn't bother to weight it as I wanted to get it back quickly and I'm pleased to say that after recovering it swam away strongly.

After that the wind picked up and the mucky water caused by the undertow gradually moved further out into the lake so I decided it was time to move. The other angler said he was going to try Wick which was probably a wise choice but I fancied fishing in some clear water so decided to try the Tanks. I gave No.2 an hour but my heart wasn't really in it so I packed up at 3pm to beat the Bristol traffic, but not before some of the Tanks locals showed me pics on their phones of some truly stunning grown on Browns and Rainbows that had come out recently.

Until next time ...

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

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[Allrounder]

Having looked at the weather forecast it became clear that today (Monday) and possibly Friday were my best chance to get out this week so I decided to try Chew again. I fancied Walley bank but forgot about the Pikers and sure enough the best spots were all taken when I arrived at around 10.30am. This mean that I had to look elsewhere and with a Southerly wind and low water, that didn't leave me many options. Moreton Point looked promising and the wind direction meant it was easy fishing into reasonably deep water with little weed so I gave it a go. I approached it the same as last Friday - a sink tip line with a Black and Green Tadpole on the dropper and a Cats Whisker on the point and it was comfortable fishing but unfortunately there appeared to be no fish in front of me, or at least none that wanted my offering so after an hour or so I decided to look elsewhere.

I could see a few cars in the car park across at Wick to I decided to give it a try next . There were two guys fishing to the left of the car park and two more further up to the right by the 3 tree stumps so I decided to go in between them. Water clarity wasn't as good as I hoped at around 18 inches but apart from that it was possible to get a good line out so I was quietly confident I would get a pull. However nothing happened and when the wind picked up and turned to a more westerly direction my confidence started to drain away ... and then it started to rain so I decided it was time to go.

As I drove up the lane to the main road I was thinking of going home but as it was only 2pm I decided to have a look at Blagdon instead. I'm not sure why I chose to go to Blagdon or to look at the North shore, given the wind direction, but when I arrived at Rugmoor gate I was surprised and delighted to find that the wind had died down, so I decided to try the North bank at the top of the track. I have often done well in this area in the past so bearing in mind previous reports on here I started by the reeds on the left. It took a while to get some interest which at first I thought was the bottom before it started plodding out towards the middle. Unfortunately the hook pulled free and I am almost certain it was a decent Pike despite getting my fly back. I thought that might be it for the day so I was more than happy to catch an 8oz Perch shortly after ...


... and then later on the smallest Pikelet I think I have ever caught. If it bumps into the pike I lost earlier then I don't think it will see next Spring!



Although I was happy to catch the Perch and Pikelet I was surprised that I hadn't had a pull from a trout so far but that changed when something hit my fly and rolled on the surface. It gave a very good account of itself and although I had my suspicions, I was gobsmacked when I realised it was another big Brownie! This one took the Black and Green Tadpole and my scales confirmed that it weighed 5lb 8oz . After a quick pic (thanks to an angler who was passing by) it was safely released.


I carried on for a while after but nothing else happened so I packed in as the light began to fade. I'm looking forward to next time already!

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

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[Allrounder]

I've been taking advantage of the breaks in the weather this week so I have a couple of short sessions to report on ...

Wednesday 16th November
After Mondays session I was itching to get out again on Blagdon so when an unexpected window in the weather arrived I was happy to take advantage of it. I arrived at around 11pm to find a lighter wind than expected and although it was coming from the South East I had no trouble getting a decent line out. I fished my usual winter set up of a sink tip with a White beadhead Tadpole on the point alternating corixa and DB patterns on the dropper and started in front of the top car park but nothing happened until I moved around the point facing towards the dam. That was easier fishing and I lost a small Rainbow but that was it despite the favourable conditions. I then worked my way back along the bank towards the the reedbed on the left and then on up to the next point where I eventually got a solid pull which resulted in a 3-8 Rainbow which took the White beadhead Tadpole on the point. The spoon suggested it had been feeding on Corixa ...



I was hoping that would herald more action but that was it and I packed in at 3pm, more than relieved to avoid the blank!

Friday 18 November
I made my way to the North shore on Blagdon again this morning but was met with white crested waves so I decided to try Chew instead. According to the chart issued by BWF there were no Pikers on Chew today and that indeed proved to be the case so I decided to have a look at the 'Pipe' on Walley bank. On arriving the first thing I noticed were the Gulls mobbing the water about 20 yards out from the outflow and it soon became clear that this was due to larger 4 to 5" Roach fry being flushed into the lake. Some were obviously dead and floating on the top but I strongly suspect there were live fish too as occasionally the Gulls would suddenly go mad as the fry were chased to the surface ...



There was one other angler fishing on the pipe who told me he had one just before I arrived on a Damsel so given there was little wind and reasonable clarity I was quite confident I would get a pull but it took more than an hour for that to happen. It was a decent Rainbow that made a series of very strong runs before throwing the hook and yes, I did turn the air blue! It took the best part of another hour to get my next pull and fortunately that one stayed attached all the way to the net.



It took the White beadhead Tadpole and my scales said it weighed 3-15. After that I had a short purple patch lasting around 30 minutes during which I lost one that I suspected was a trout, then another I wasn't sure about and then another that was definitely a Pike as it bit off the fly before I netted my final fish that weighed 4-1 on the White Beadhead Tadpole. But after that things went very quiet so I packed in at 3.30pm.

When I cleaned my fish later this evening I found one of them had been feeding hard on Roach fry. That in itself was not surprising but the size of some of the fry was! I have found fry in Rainbows at this time of year before but not as big as these!


Proper fry feeders!

Until next time...

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

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[Fryfishing]

Have any of the trout anglers at B.W tried the new wire available to avoid the bite offs?
The technology of producing trace wire material has come a long way, on my BFS/micro light perch lure outfit I tie the wire direct to the main line ( no swivels) then a loop knot to the jig head ( no snap link).
It makes a much less obtrusive set up with zero twist in the line, but I have never tried it fly casting with this end tackle.
There are no doubt B.W rules about wire traces being used and a grey area between avoiding bit offs and pike fishing

Have you herd of pike being caught with various flies embedded in their mouth? I have only ever found/ caught one pike with a lure left in it.
P
_________________
Floating Lines, buzzers, nymphs, stick floats, maggots and throwing lures at bitey things.

https://youtube.com/channel/UCi3uvEhBwv-hz0eGtrNtQgw

[lakefisher]

Pre Covid, when I was regularly fly fishing for Pike at Chew, I would always carefully (but quickly) check any pike I caught for hooks/flys other than my own.
Most had none, a few had up to 5 trout flys in their mouth or externally embedded in the outside of their jaw. The long nosed pliers I carried quickly taking care of the removal of the offending hook.
Only a few times did I come across snap tackles or treble hooks, but these always had one thing in common - they were tied to nylon !!

I cannot blame anglers who accidentally hook Pike on tackle intended for trout - but those anglers who go after pike intensionally should know that nylon will NOT withstand a Pike's teeth..... Tony
_________________
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

[Fryfishing]

[Allrounder]

[BristolFlyer]

Alan, do you know where that outflow on Walley comes from? Were those fry congregating in that area or were they sucked down the pipe from another lake/pond?