The boat fly fishing season is now over until 2015 and some super fish came out in the last few weeks. The pike trials continue until Friday next week and then all boat fishing will cease until next year.
Pike have fed well during this very mild Autumn with masses of roach and perch fry present. However, there are already over 300 cormorants present on Chew Valley Lake and they will feast themselves on the silver fish stocks during the close season. I hope that they do not obliterate them completely as they are such an important part of the food chain on Chew.
Since 17th October in the BLAC Lure Final on Chew, I have had Pike Trials boats and fly fishing boats and have landed 80 pike and countless numbers of perch during these sessions. There has been a true cross section of sizes of pike, proving that all year classes are present - despite claims to the contrary by the vocal misinformed!
IGFA Fly Tippet records
Richard Hart fished with me on the fly recently and claimed 4 IGFA perch fly tippet records. His best perch weighed 3lbs 10ozs. This was the first time I have ever had anyone fish for line caught records and it certainly made the day interesting. Richard's colleague Lloyd Morgan also caught plenty of perch plus pike to 13:08 which was his PB fly caught pike. Rich then followed that by catch and releasing a 4:08 rainbow and a stonking 6:00 brown trout!
Pike and Trout
Will Anderton came to Chew from Keswick and landed a PB pike and trout in the same day. Will's 6:00 rainbow was an absolute deep bellied beauty!
Barry Hawyes had an 18:00 pike with me on Monday this week, while John Synnuck boated pike of 27:04 and 17:00; losing another tail walking mid 20 while I was unhooking his first high 20!