John's Fishing Blog

On Saturday I guided 4 good friends and clients to 26 trout between them at an average weight of over 3lbs per fish.
Herriots was the top area and Diawl Bach Nymphs and Buzzers using floating lines was the winning method.

So far this season, April and May have been cold months, with high winds and up to 7 - yes 7, layers of clothing!

I have heard a cuckoo in Ireland and at Grafham Water, but so far, not at Chew Valley.  But our bird watching rose to unprecedented heights, when we watched a Marsh Harrier quartering above the reeds and trees along Stratford Bank - what a graceful bird - very dark brown with a golden head and enormous wingspan - just the 3rd such sighting I have ever witnessed.

Later that afternoon, a pair of Hobbies flew overhead toward their nest sight - then an Osprey also flew above us, constantly being mobbed by a herring gull.

We were discussing how rare it was to see 3 such rare birds of prey in a single afternoon, so I rang my mate Martin Cottis to tell him.  He told me he was watching a really strange bird in the middle of the lake, so as it was time to pack up, we headed out to see what it was.  A Pomerine Skua - pretty well off it's migratory course and having a rest on the water.  What a day for fish ..... and birds.

March and the beginning of April saw beautiful sunny days, gin clear water and the trout feeding with a vengeance on both Chew and Blagdon.
April and early May however has seen unprecedented levels of rainfall fill both lakes to capacity.
Litton is full and overflowing, with a current running through the lower lake!

I have never witnessed the lakes rise so quickly and at Blagdon, the sound of the water pouring over the bywash could be heard clearly from Blagdon Fishing Lodge.

BUT WE MUST NOT COMPLAIN - WE NEEDED THIS RAINFALL!

HOWEVER, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND WE NOW NEED SOME SETTLED, DRY, WARM DAYS.

Chew was coloured in many areas last week, as a combination of strong winds and rising water levels.  Thankfully, most of the colour has now dropped out and the fishing is beginning to improve.

Blagdon was dirty at the Top End where the River Yeo flows in, but the rest of the lake was clear.  I fished Blagdon for 3 consecutive days last week and we caught some superb rainbows - mainly from Polish Water and Green Lawns, although the bank anglers were catching well off Ash Trees, Pegs Point and Orchard Bay.  The fish were very high ikn the water and we casught on floating lines with either straight nymphs, or washing line with a black booby on the point.  Buzzers and Diawl Bachs were the top flies.

All 3 days were cold and at times I wore 6 layers!  When the winds dropped and the air temperature rose; the fishing improved instantly.  It was certainly more akin to early April conditions than early May! At lunchtime we had to light the fire in the Lodge to get warm!

Thomas, one of my guests at Blagdon last week, caught his 8 fish limit on only his 4th fly fishing trip.  His bag included 4 fish over 3lbs and they all are now fighting like demons.

I have not heard a Cuckoo on Chew or Blagdon yet, but did hear one at Grafham Last week and one in Ireland the previous week.  The swifts have now joined the house martins, swallows and sand martins on both lakes.  Ospreys have also been sighted, but sadly; not by me.  There are loads of ravens in the valley nowadays and they are true aerial gymnasts.

Pike hard to find.

I have had several guided trips for pike on Chew, but apart from John Synnuck's 8 pounder, we simply cannot get them on the feed.  Every time it looks like they will feed, the weather changes for the worst and nowt happens!

My best weighed 10lbs but took a diawl bach nymph while fishing for trout!

Still, I am out every day this week on Chew, so I am hoping things will now improve.  It was amazing seeing an Albino Pike under my boat earlier this season and when the water was crystal clear, I saw some real giants.

There have also been very few spawning mortalities this season, which is unusual.

Grafham boat damage.

It seems every major reservoir is having a tough time of it this season.  Rutland have been pumping full bore to get the levels up - that brings dirty water and difficult fishing.  Bewl has been incredibly low and is now pumping from the Medway. 

I was at Grafham last week running a Lexus Team Heat - the previous day, we had to call-off the Individual Heat due to high winds!  8 boats suffered damage that day and they were INSIDE the confines of the harbour walls!