Saturday 25th May - Afternoon session on Chew Valley Lake

With the wife working late lates on the Saturday, a family and friends BBQ arranged for Sunday and a day out on BH Monday an afternoon session somewhere was on the cards. I had thought about Plantations, Bullocks, Apex or going back down to Hawkridge where I had success last week. I still had not got around to sorting out my top kits and most of my rigs needed attention, Kev Perry spoke to me about Hawkridge on Thursday night at a Clevedon Committe Meeting he was thinking about going down on the Friday and suggested to me the BH Traffic would be murder to get through over the weekend. I did not make a decision until Saturday morning around 11:00, even then I was considering Barrow Tanks but made a phone call to Chew Valley instead to enquire about a boat. They were all booked but when I asked how the bank anglers were doing a positive reply came back, so that was it, even though I have never fished from the bank at Chew before.
I got up to the Lodge which is only 15 to 20 mins from home around 15:15, an afternoon ticket from the bank is £15 and you can take 4 fish plus catch and release as well, bargain. I went into the Lodge to get a few more bits of information and who should be working there but Paul Barnfield. Paul fished the Bristol Avon a lot the same time as me, we used to meet up when fishing the Avon Commercial League (formally Post Office and Telecomms League) between 1978 and 1990. He was a very good river angler and later went on to fish for the Amalgamated Fisheries Match Team.

Paul is bottom row second in from the left.

I know he still does a little bit of match fishing with the Coffin Dodgers on the odd Thursday at Hunstrete Lake (controlled by Bathampton AA) but due to being an employee of Bristol Water gets free fishing so does a lot of fluff chucking now. So whats working I says to Paul, 'booby on the point and a couple of buzzers fished washing line style' he says, guy had an 8 fish limit on this earlier today from the lodge bank. Well that was it a nice 2 min stroll from the car park.

Washing line method, basically keeps the flies up in the water.

I walked across the grass down to the lake shore just to the right of the boat jetty, about 5 other anglers were already there and one came along after me, none had caught yet. The bank was excellent and was composed of stones in wire cages, there looked to be about 6 foot of water in the margins which deepened to about 15 foot 30 meters out I saw a couple of fish rise but they were too far out, still I had until about 8 p.m. so plenty of time.

Lodge bank at Chew.

I set up using the washing line method as advised with a black buzzer and a diawl back as droppers, the booby on the point was bright orange to attract the fish. The wind was a bit awkward at times with the odd gust from right to left but manageable. After about an hour not a pull and it was a little chilly so I took the booby off the point and put on a red diawl back. After casting out and about 10 meters of a retrive I had a pull which caught me out, a quick draw on the line moving the flies about 2 feet I had him go for me again but very finicky and I did not connect. 15 mins later though I did connect and soon had a rainbow of just under 2lb on the black buzzer. This brought a couple of visits from the other anglers enquiring what I had caught on etc. Another hour passed an a better fish this time, just under 3lb, again another visit from the angler to my right, no one else had caught yet. I had a text message from the wife and will I was replying had the rod between my legs after a full cast and I had a pull but missed it. Straight out on the same line and instantly connected with a cracking fish which took me all over the place. There was nood weed about so was able to enjoy it and take time. This fish weighed 4lb 2oz. I had another couple of pulls but no more fish and decided to pack up just before 8 p.m.

My 3 fish for around 9lb.

Really please with my first session from the bank at Chew and will be hard push to go back to Barrow Tanks, although they are closer to home if I am in a rush.Will definetly be sorting out my pole and rigs this week.



Sunday 19th May - Hawkridge

I could have gone to a Clevedon Club Match which was being held on Woodland Lake at Trinity Waters but needed a bit more time to re-elasticate some of my top sets and tie some rigs, I have not done that well on this venue either for about a year and you do get some venue experts join the Club simply to fish a match here. I know Paul Nicholls (long time Club member) won the match with 153lb so well done Paul.
Kev Perry another Clevedon Club stalwart does a bit of fly fishing in and out and had mentioned to me before about Hawkridge Res which is run by Wessex Water and located just outside Bridgwater near Spaxton, I had been meaning to get to it for some time now so decided to pay a visit this weekend. There were up to date reports on their website along with current successful methods. If you are interested here is the link to the site, an informative video can also be viewed.

http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/recreation/threecol.aspx?id=538&linkidentifier=id&itemid=538

After a 45 min journey I arrived via sat nav at just before 09:00, the Ranger was in the Lodge so I gleaned soe more info from him, basically orange blobs, buzzers and diawl bachs fished just below the surface was the 'in' method.

orange blob

buzzer



diawl bach

While I was talking to him there was a small competition going on (8 anglers) just in front of the Lodge and one of the guys landed a fantastic rainbow of 9lbs plus, happy days could not wait to get started.

I was directed around to a part of the lake, the opposite end of the dam where I could park and simply step over a small wall. There was a fair bit of marginal weed but luckily I brought waders so this was easy to overcome. I set up a floating line with a 15 foot leader, orange blob on the point and a diawl bach as a dropper. After about 20 minutes I had my first pull which I missed, then another on the same retrieve so things looked promising. There were a few other anglers around but I only saw one fish being caught, anglers walking the bank reported that the fish were being very fickle and many had not caught, a boat with 2 anglers also were blanking after 3 hours.

This is where I started

I decided to move around to the bank opposite the Lodge, this was the wider part of the reservoir.

I walked up the far side and decided on a spot more or less opposite the Lodge, a few fish were rising as well, the first ones I had seen in any number.

A few casts with the blob and diawl bach did not produce anything and the were still rising so I tied on an ornage booby on the point and a buzzer replaced the diawl bach.

orange booby

This would ensure the flies were kept up high in the water. Afer about 4 casts I had my first fish, caught on the booby, it was now just after 12:00. 4 more followed at intervals during the afternoon, my last one coming at 16:00, the last 4 were all caught on the buzzer. I also had a number of takes which I missed but I had a great afternoons sport. 5 is the limit here and there is no catch and release.

my limit bag on the 1st visit to Hawkridge

I weighed the fish on return to the Lodge, top individual fish was 3lb 8oz and the total weight for all 5 was just under 15lb so not bad. I will return soon, it's a great setting with good bank access.

So... trout for tea this week, neighbours have also benefited.

Not sure where I will go this coming weekend but will venture out somewhere, need to sort out the elasication of the top 2's this week.

Good to be back.

Sad times but fond memories

For those of you who know me or read my blog will know that I have not fished for a few weeks. I have been travelling backwards and forwards from N Ireland for the last 5 weeks as my brother was diagnosed with cancer less than 6 weeks ago. Sadly he passed away on the 10th May, my prayers were answered as he went peacefully and without pain. He was a great trout angler and we enjoyed quite a few trips to Dungannon Lake in Co. Tyrone when I went to visit him and his family.

Last year I took him up to Chew Valley Lake and he could not get over the size of it, more trips were on the cards this year but sadly this will not happen. Hopefully his son Matthew will be able to join me instead and who knows he may well end up representing N Ireland in the Trout Masters Final like his Dad.

As for me I hope to get back out on the bank somewhere this weekend, there is a Clevedon Club Match at Trinity but I don't fancy it just yet but I will be at the following match.

So I am still around and will continue with the blog.