Week 22 Fly Fishing Report – Ladybower Fisheries
Season Total stocking to date: 20,219
Weekly Rod Average: 6.64
Once again, we’re experiencing large numbers of anglers in boats and on the bank alike, from hardened veterans through to absolute beginners. We would like to thank all those who filled in their catch returns, a percentage that increases weekly, helping us judge the correct amount of fish to stock and when. This week gone has seen some weather fluctuations from fairly bright through to pretty heavy rain, often in a single day, making fishing a little unpredictable although the fish remain in the upper reaches of the water which thankfully has seen a stalwart increase in rod average over previous weeks. Boats have had the advantage over bank anglers again as the margins warm somewhat although we are now seeing some of the deeper drop offs well within casting distance giving a more optimistic outlook for those preferring to remain ashore. Foam Detached Body Daddies as well as a plethora of other large bushy dry flies appear in catch reports as the most popular choice of our anglers and remain the best fish takers.
Stocking for the season to date 20,219 blue and rainbow trout, which includes some recent additions of 20lb and above specimens as well as some bonus wild brown trout that managed to find their way into one of our stock areas from the feeder streams, growing large in the standard Rainbow feeding regime. Once again, and we keep on saying it, come and have a go for the beasts…
Anglers are still favouring floating line with dries and nymphs but heavier sinking lines as well as long midge tips and intermediates are scoring when the surface action abates. Fish generally continue to hold in the first couple of metres. Raspberry Bay, the Dam wall and Main Basin feature most in the reports with the Derwent Arm still producing.
Notable catches this week:
• Jack Westbury of the DCAC scoured the basin and Crook Hill Meadow by boat with a floating line armed with Daddies and Shipman’s Buzzers to finish with a highly commendable 35 to the boat, all released.
• Nick Halstead once again graced us with his presence and a usual ‘Twenty plus’ on Daddies, CDCs and other dries.
• Noah Tyson makes his first appearance in dispatches with a boated 16 but pulling lures such as a white snake and liberal use of the bung with pink worms.
• Ian Sharman makes regular visits to Ladybower and inevitably does rather well because of it, this time also managing 16 up the Derwent Arm and near the Ashopton Viaduct on a Robjent’s Daddy
Marvellous, so once again well done one and all!
Don’t forget to submit your catch photographs to: ‘ladybowerfisheries@gmail.com’
Fish caught and safely returned please!
Top lines this week:
• Floating Line
• 12’Slow Sink Tip
• Fast sinkers.
Best flies:
• Daddies
• Robjent’s Daddy
• Various traditional wets
• Snakes
• CDCs
A note to add that Severn Trent Water are still conducting pump installation works for a few weeks in Ladybower Bay and will be using the fishery frontage as a stores area for a period of time during this process. This area will be cordoned off and regulated so that our anglers can access the boat jetty but do please take extra care when walking to and from the fishery from the office.
There is now a 50m exclusion zone around the new cages indicated by a perimeter of buoys. Please respect this perimeter and do not cross into it. This applies to everybody.
Ladybower Fisheries would, once again, like to remind all our boat anglers that standing up in the boat to fish or motor is strictly prohibited. Safety on the water is of paramount importance to all of us. Please, follow the rules (they’re there for a very good, and sadly tragic reason) and remain seated.
Many thanks.
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