25 April 2006

I was in the Midlands for a few days and thought I’d stop off to fish Draycote reservoir on my way home.

I was going to have breakfast at the Visitors Lodge in Draycote, but they don’t open until 10am, so instead, I headed for Willoughby, 3.5 miles south-east of Dunchurch on the A45 towards Daventry.  After a hefty breakfast at the Pantry I was ready for a few hours fishing.

At the fishing lodge I tried to buy some heavy black buzzers in a size 10 straight hook, as the naturals were all over the windscreen, but could only get 12s. I got talking to an old chap in the lodge and gave me a size 10 of his own tying and a couple of other patterns he had tied himself. Actually, we chatted for quite a while and it was 11am before I got out in the boat.

A couple of people reckoned the natural bank had been fishing its socks off and I headed there, although the old chap reckoned it was a bit rough today.

I could see what he meant as I approached the far bank. It was pretty blustery and not unlike being on the sea with some hefty waves crashing into the bank. I anchored up broadside on at first, but the boat was getting a battering and dragging the anchor, so switched to anchoring from the bows which made for a much easier ride.

I started off with a team of buzzers, with the #10 heavy black buzzer on the point. It took a fish 10 minutes after starting. I had another 20 minutes later on the same fly, but conditions were getting so choppy, it became almost impossible to see any takes, so I moved back up to the sheltered bank by Rainbow Corner.
Views from the sheltered bank
I continued to fish the buzzers there until 3.20pm and then noticed a boat trailing lines behind them and catching three fish in less than 10 minutes. I surmised they were using nymphs or tube flies and thought I'd give a black damsel and a couple of small nymphs a try out. Drifting and casting a relatively short distance ahead, I’d only cast twice when I felt a knock and then a hard pull, but nothing connected. Possibly a fish nipping the damsel’s tail. I had no more takes after that.

By 6pm I decided I ought to pack up and head back on that longish drive South. The sun was making a comeback and I felt the buzzers or even dry fly sport might have produced a few fish after that.

There was a good hatch of big black buzzers by the natural bank, but by the lee shore, there was a consistent hatch of small dun coloured flies, but I’m not sure what.

Back at the lodge, I found my vehicle covered in the big black buzzers. I’d like to fish the place when the wind is a bit gentler. It is a wide expanse and not set in a valley, so gets no shelter when it blows.

The fish are well conditioned and fight hard too.