[Rob Edmunds]

Flat calm and 28c greeted me at Draycote Water today. Still I was the first boat out at 08.15am and headed up to Y bouy area and the sunken islands.

3/4 of an hour in and nothing, so I decided to drop back to the wall just outside the harbour...a couple of other boats were fishing there but had caught nothing fishing buzzers

(there were quite a few buzzers hatching though)

I dropped deep on a Di-5 sweep and a black booby and was rewarded with a cracking overwintered rainbow a touch over 7lb

An hour later and nothing further, not even a follow. Boats were congregating off S bouy, the Cornfields and Lin Croft Point. We popped over and saw most anglers were again fishing buzzers on floaters catching the odd fish (all stockies)

20 - 25 seconds down on the Di-5 Sweep and it was carnage....a pull or take every 6 casts or so... an hour later and we had put 16 stockies in the boat all 1.5lb - 2lb.

I put a 6ft tip on and buzzers, attempting to fish the same depth I was previously catching on the Di5 (approx 12 - 14ft down) ...I picked up a couple more stockies but sport slowed up dramatically for me.

My boat partner put on an intermediate line and a small black tadpole and continued to catch more consistantly.

Stockies were not really what we were after, so I decided to move and hit the Tower, Dam and Inlet on the Di-5 and Di-7 picking up just the odd stockie for my efforts which was surprising....

In all a reasonable day 24 stockies to the boat and 1 good fish. Not the number of large overwintered fish I expected, but conditions were definately against us.

Talking to others on the jetty they only caught stockies.

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Another Day on Draycote

I hit all the sunken islands plus the Tower, Inlet, Outlet, Y buoy, S Bouy, Farnborough Spit, and Boils in the morning on Di-5's and a Di-7 with snakes and Hummungus's for a single 3lb silvered up rainbow.....very disappointed as the wind was 12 - 15mph and the bigger fish should have pulled back.

Around 12.30 we fished Dunn's Bay to Toft. 12ft Slow tip or 6ft Fast tip, 3 x black buzzers and a Black booby on the point was all that was needed....40 x stockies to the boat by 4.30pm all 1.25lb - 2.25lb.

Fish have come up a lot in the water, I'd say most are 6 - 8ft deep.

Buzzers are hatching in numbers at the top of the wind (Dunns/Toft) but the resident fish just arent showing.

Back to Rutland and Grafham now for some serious fishing.....24 days out of the next 30 🥵....think I'm going to be totally kn@ckered🤣

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Draycote is closed to the public until Monday - no fishing or public access at all.

Unfortunately an angler is still missing, with another in hospital.

Nothing more I feel, I can or should say as its not right to speculate or gossip about such things.

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Anyone been out on Draycote lately ?

Have the fish dropped deep yet ?

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Well we fished Draycote all weekend...Saturday I popped the Booby Basher on and dropped it right down 45, 60, 120, 130 seconds off the best deep water marks, A bouy, B bouy and C bouy.....1 small 2lb rainbow was it for my lads and my efforts..the fish clearly were'nt deep despite the hot weather

Sunday we all fished Tip lines and wet hoppers or dries l as it was overcast..my lad had 7, wife 6, me 5. All good quality grown on fish between 3 and 5lb...and lost as many.

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Ohhh...its brutal to be honest

First plumb the depth with a measure...so you know the depth of water you are actually fishing in - it makes a difference

We then cast a full Basher or as far as you can....behind it we have 30m of an old 40+ running line or simular, lift the rod tip and flick 3 to 4 rod lengths of the additional line out.

This will then let your cast sink on a level plane ( to a certain degree) without hinging and basically fishing vertical......it allows you to fish longer at the required depth.

In truth 90% of takes come on the ' change of angle' as the fly lifts from the bottom and starts its upward trejectory.....its the change of direction & angle and change of speed that induces the take.

We actually time the cast sinking on a watch to ensure its accurate.

This chart also helps with depth control.

Left hand column should read

Slow glass
Mid glass
Fast glass
Di-3
Di-5
Di-7
Di-8

Based on WF#8 lines

 

[Rob Edmunds]

I agree,i really expected the fish to be on the deck - higher water temperatures in the surface layers means less dissolved oxygen .....they should have been deep this weekend but they weren't.

The only fish we could catch were in the top 4ft of the water.......the fish didn't do as they should 🤣🤣.

 

[Rob Edmunds]

It will be one of 2 things.....

Fast sinking lines and a single booby on a 8 - 10ft leader around A, B, C bouys, 20 - 30ft down

Or Dries .

I'll stick my neck out here and say a size 12 black hopper and a size 12 claret hopper or foam daddy will work best....just 2 flies on a 12ft leader

( or a single size 12 hopper on a 8 -10ft leader)

Start literally on the bank and drift out, there are often 2 bands of fish. Those right on the weed beds and those out in open water

For Dries :

• Rainbow Corner, Inlet to A buoy area
• J, X, F, bouys over the Middle shoals

See map for areas.

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Are you taking the p!ss 🤣🤣

There is a plastic bailer in the boat...wee in that and tip it over the side and wash out with water....

Just don't do it facing the Dam or Bank as there will be lots of women and children walking by....thats the normal method.

The only other option is to motor back to the lodge, which unless you are in the immediate area is pretty pointless

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Head is 55ft long and is designed to be cut to suit your individual rod and the anglers ability.


Cut to 38 - 43ft for a #7 rod depends how much line you arielize and the action of your rod.

Fast or Tip actioned rod (the vast majority of modern rods are Fast or Tip actioned now) and someone who holds more than average line in the air go for 43ft (so cut off 12ft of black line)

Average caster go for 40ft ( so cut off 15ft of black line).


Do not cut more than 18ft in any circumstances without casting for at least 15 mins .....

 

[Rob Edmunds]

I dont cut mine down either but put them through a Loomis GLX- D #8 which it powerful

Personally I would have thought you are overloading a #7 a bit.....what rod is it ?

As regards braided loops Roman Moser ones are small (thin diameter) ..but I just make my own from braid

 

[Rob Edmunds]

I've no idea as regards Roman Moser

Rio are also good but go for the loops for #3 -6 lines on account of the B.basher being so thin.

Draycote lodge should have them in stock.

If not just strip 6 or 7 inch of the coating off and tie a knot in the white braid core, its not ideal but its good for 6 or 7 trips ( its what i do in a match if the loop frays)🤣

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Nothing wrong with Shakespeare rods, for 20 years the Radial Glider and Radial Carbon were my go to rods....I still got them and dust them off once in a while.

Needle knot looks good 👌

Hope the fish appreciate your efforts today, please give us an update.

Best wishes R

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Tell you what, if you fancy a day in September or October let me know and i'll take you out on Grafham or Draycote.....

Busy fishing in Wales every weekend until then🥰

 

[Rob Edmunds]

No worries, October should be good for dries and fry feeders.. i'll drop you a pm with my contact details

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Washing line or dries on a floating line was the method a week ago....even in this hot weather

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Rainbow Corner, Dunns Bay to Lincroft Point and Tower and along the Dam were fishing

 

[Rob Edmunds]

Excellent, glad you had a good day