The Complete Fisher Forum

[Allrounder]

With my wife going away for a few days with her friend it seemed the perfect opportunity to book a few days fishing a little further afield. I have a soft spot for upland reservoirs particularly when the water temperatures increase on Chew and Blagdon so when my kids agreed to pay for the overnight stay as an early birthday present, two boats on Wimbleball with an overnight stay at The George were quickly arranged.

The first day was last Wednesday and after a pleasant journey down I arrived shortly after 8am. The Ranger on the jetty warned me that the fishing of late had been hard and suggested that I try the Upton Arm where he pointed out one or two spots where I might find fish. The Upton Arm was where I was planning to fish anyway as I really wanted to catch some wild Brownies for a change. The lake level was lower than I expected with the bare rocky bank exposed below the tree line so I made my way right to the top of the Arm with the intention of fishing my way back down. The conditions were good with an overcast sky all day and the water clarity must have been 10 foot or more although the steep bank dropped off sharply within a rod length from the edge. I started with a floating line fishing a small beadhead Tadpole alternating with a Gold Humungus on the point with a black DB on the dropper and the tactic I employed was to anchor tight to the bank and fish down the edge no more than 10 foot from the bank, drifting down and re-anchoring every 20 minutes or so. However apart from a single tug from what I suspect was a small Brownie my efforts came to nothing so I decided to move further back down the Arm to one of the areas recommended by the Ranger which turned out to be an outcrop which offered shallower water further out into the lake.

I decided to drift over this area at first and was annoyed when I hooked the bottom... only for the bottom to wake up! I was praying it was a Brownie but it turned out to be a fit stocky Rainbow so I decided to anchor in close to explore the area further.

That turned out to be a great idea and when I had double figures by 1.30pm I decided to leave them alone in order to explore other areas . The other areas like this one below turned up the odd fish or two before the lure of an evening meal and few refreshing pints got the better of me so I came off at 5pm to book into the pub.


After a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast it wasn't long before I was casting off from the jetty again. The conditions were still overcast but the wind had dropped so I decided to explore the other end of the lake, drifting in Bessoms, Cowmoor and Valentines Bay. Unfortunately this proved fruitless so I decided to move back to the Upton Arm again. I noticed that my 'hotspot' from yesterday had been taken, probably by the angler I was chatting to in the pub the previous night but I wasnt that bothered as I could fish the other spots where I found fish from the previous day. These produced a Rainbow and a couple of 'on offs' but it was clear there was not a concentration of fish in these ares so I decided to spend some time further up the Arm to concentrate on catching a Brownie. My timing could have been better because at this point the clouds parted and the sun broke through but I surmised that shaded areas close to the bank might provide a fish or two. It took me a good 2 hours to get my first pull which was obviously a small Brownie about 8oz but I was still gutted when it came off on the way to the net. I carried on drifting and re-anchoring close in to the bank and then it happened. A cast no more than a foot from the bank was met with a pull and then solid resistance as a good fish plodded off. It took me into my backing before eventually coming to the net, leaving me elated . Not huge by stocked reservoir standards at 2lb 9oz but I'm pretty sure it could be my PB for a truly wild Brownie


I had no more luck with the Brownies after that so when I saw the other angler depart the 'hotspot' further down I decided to have a look myself. At first nothing happened then I saw some bigger fish than the usual fry in the clear water. The next 30 minutes or so was an education as two or three fish would follow my fly back most casts, almost egging each other on to have a go until one of them would suddenly dart forward to grab my fly! I missed a lot but managed 5 before the shoal realised what was happening and moved off. One of them was a Blue which really stood out from the pod but unfortunately I didn't catch it.

I came off the water at 'last knockings' which at Wimbleball is 7pm at this time of year, but as the bright conditions had driven the fish into the deeper water I could have come of a few hours earlier. No complaints from me though, and if the Ranger calls that 'hard fishing' I can't imagine what it is like when it is fishing well!

I don't think it will be the last time I will be arranging a short fishing break at Wimbleball and staying over at The George ...

Alan
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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!

[BristolFlyer]

Amazing - great report and that fish equates to at least a 6 pounder from the stocked population!

[lakefisher]

A very good report which goes into your usual very helpful details Alan

Beautiful Brown your cuddling there ........ Tony
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.