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Catch Returns
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Catch Returns and monthly reports for 2011
|
|
No. of Anglers |
Year to date |
Fish Caught (Monthly) |
Fish Caught Year to Date |
Rod Average (Monthly) |
Fish Taken
|
Year to date |
Fish Stocked Lake |
Year to Date |
River Fish Caught |
Year to Date |
|
March |
|
|
|
863 |
4.2 |
|
|
1300 |
1300 | - |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
1773 |
|
|
|
|
1930 | 1R/B.5 BR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2649 |
|
|
|
|
2380 | 6R/B.11BR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3168 |
|
|
|
|
2910 | 4R/B.17BR |
|
|
|
|
1053 |
|
3469 |
|
|
|
|
2910 | 0.R/B.17 BR |
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|
|
|
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3629 |
|
|
|
|
2910 | Nil |
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|
|
|
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4183 |
|
|
|
|
3490 | 0.R/B 10BR |
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|
|
|
|
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4749 |
|
|
|
|
3970 |
Nil |
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4961 |
|
|
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3970 | Nil |
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AV. 3.2 |
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Many thanks to Robin Hill for compiling the monthly returns.
The Season
So thats another season gone and all in all a good one.Over 150 more visits with some 900 more fish caught in the Lake and a great improvement on the river with some 50 more Browns being caught than last year. But as they say....there's more to fishing than just catching fish.
Have a good Christmas and may Father Christmas bring whatever you have wished for.
October 2011
Another very good month as far a numbers go but most members would agree that it certainly would be better if the fish were more widely distributed over the Lake. Just how this could be done is a quandry caught in an enigma, in other words we haven't a clue. The fish are stocked up the far end of the Lake but speed down to the Bay in next to no time, no doubt for the oxygenated water coming over the weir. However there is no doubt that the situation has got worse in recent years and older members (ie most members) can remember that fishing up the far end was usually very good towards the end of the season. This year it has been a waste of time. No doubt the Chairman and Committee would welcome suggestions at the AGM on the 15th November.
Best flies in October were somewhat irrelevant,it was mostly a case of finding the large shoals of fish and away you go, although the fish were mainly high in the water, and the Canada Geese congregating in the Bay did not help.Towards the end of the month when the wind switched to the North for a day or so fishing did go off for periods, but a monthly average of four per angler speaks for itself.
Perhaps if the wind switches around the fish may move out of the Bay but anyway November should fish well in view of the number of fish still in the lake.
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September 2011
Tis the
season of mellow mist
and fruitfulness, so I am told. Unfortunately
it is also the season for Canada Geese and at end of the month I counted ( Yes.I
know.It is sad ) over two hundred of the buggers on the Lake, almost all in the
Bay where of course the fish were. Happily they don't seem to have had a
negative effect on the fishing as members have had an excellent month, although
it would be nice if more fish were outside the Bay. The fish have been mostly
high in the water with flies such as Hoppers and Shipmans Buzzers catching well
and hopefully this will carry on to the end of season.
On the river, overall 68 Browns
have been caught which is probably the best for many years and although some
members have doubted the value of the improvement work it does seem to be
working.
With the resumption of stocking it was good to see that catch returns were back to that seen earlier in the year and although some weed is coming up in the Bay it is late in year so this should not be a problem .Water clarity has remained good.
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Well, another hard month, but slightly better than August last year if that's any consolation. During the day it was really difficult but some good fishing was to be had in the evening however now that stocking has recommenced and with cooler weather we should be able to look forward to some good Autumnal fishing. Very little surface activity was apparent during the day in spite of some good Damsel hatches, and still hardly any weed growth. The Canada geese have arrived in force.
Not a lot of water coming down the river and levels in our stretch of the Darent are very low but the Lake is now clear having lost the algae tint.
Best flies over the month were pretty much the same as previous months.
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July 2011
Well as expected fishing became harder in July as a combination of no new fish and the warm weather kicked in.Water temperature on several occasions reached 72F which is far too warm for trout but we do not appear to have lost any fish. At the start of the month the Lake had a distinct green algae hue made worse by the field run off up the valley which ended up in the Lake. Most of this has now washed through and water clarity is reasonable, better outside the Bay. Little sign of weed growth which is a mixed blessing as a good weed growth would help to combat the algae.
Best flies, pretty much as previous months, Damsels in all their variations, Buzzers and at times Emergers and we have again had some very good Damsel hatches but with little evidence that fish are taking the adults on the surface.
The river continues to fish well,although not many members have given it a try. The best fly on the river continues to be a simple PTN.Not included in the returns, but some good sized Chub have also been caught and one member reported that he had seen an eel more than three feet long( remember he is a fisherman).Several Kingfishers have been seen along the river has as a Muntjac deer
York Hill Farm....only three anglers have fished there in the last two months so it is hard to give a reasonable report.Two of them caught six each and the other Zilch!....So it was a hot day, what do you expect.
The Club has had no response as to whether the stocking dates should be shown on the web site. Perhaps no one reads the web site! If you do, please go to the Latest News page where there is some important news about Cormorants and poaching.
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June 2011
As one would expect catch returns have fallen back with the warm weather as have the number of visits.Being realistic with the next stocking not taking place until September we can expect a further decline over the next couple of months. This does not mean that fishing will always be hard as ever a lot will depend on the unpredictable English weather and a further stocking could be arranged if fishing is poor and conditions allow. At the end of the month the Lake had taken on a nasty greeny browny colour and there was a scum coming over the weir and running along in front of the house.No doubt caused by run off up river but it did not seem to be having an adverse effect on the fishing.
Still very little sign of any weed growth, but there have been some tremendous Damsel Fly hatches although little sign that the fish are taking near or on the surface, still the Damsel Fly has probably continued to be the "fly of the month".
The river, which had a small stocking of Brown Trout has fished well with the best fly still a small PTN.
I have not fished Yorks Hill of late so if any one has any information as to how it is fishing I would be pleased to hear and will update the report.
Several members have expressed concern over the stocking dates being shown on the web site suggesting that it gives information to poachers and should not be shown. A personal view is that it makes little difference on the Lake but on the River where the fish are enclosed in a much smaller space it may be sensible not to give an actual date but simply state the month. Members should know when fish are being stocked not just for so called stockie bashing as it works both ways in that some members do not want to go soon after stocking....Honest! However we would like to have members views on this and if you could email either Tom Lee or Mick Lee...contact details are on the Home Page...it would be helpfull
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May 2011
Well the unseasonal weather continued throught the month but suprisingly there is as yet no sign of a weed explosion although in some parts of the lake there is a covering of blanket weed over the bottom. Fishing has been maintained at a high standard with as expected the more natural flies continuing to take good bags. Damsels have been seen hatching but not in the numbers seen some years back and the so called Damsel Nymph (Lure?) has continued to catch well. Good to see that fish are still well distributed around the Lake with some good catches coming from up past the stocking point. Hopefully this will continue.
On the River, whilst it is not exactly fishing its head off, fish are being caught and some of the Browns are quite small, not what we stocked and we are not sure if they have come down from the Darent Valley Fly Fishers stocking up river through the Lake and into our stretch of the Darent.
Yorks Hill Farm is fishing well with a rod average for May of 4.5....however just four anglers fished in May and caught 18 fish. it is a shame as this is a good fishery that produces some excellent fishing in beautifull and peacefull countryside.Why not give it a crack.
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April 2011
April turned out to be the warmest on record with almost no rain which could cause problems later in the year. However the Lake continued to fish well although as one would expect the number of fish caught was down from the opening month bonanza, and there was the odd week when fishing did become a little difficult mainly due to poor water clarity caused by the normal early season algae bloom. The fish were starting to feed more naturally and good catches were made on Buzzers, PTNs, Crunchers, and some Damsel nymphs were seen but it is a bit early for the Damsels to be hatching however Olives are certainly coming off. Fish are still well distributed around the Lake.
On the river a few Browns were caught on a size16 GH PTN which seemed to be the best fly.Some Chub and small Perch were also caught. Two Browns were also caught from the Lake ,one of around 2lbs.
The Swallows and Martins have returned and could often be seen swooping at the Midge and Olives as they hatched off.
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March 2011
The season got off to a great start with a high rod average as you will see from the above figures. March itself was apparently the driest for some fifty years but in spite of this water levels were good, as was the clarity. Towards the end of the month there was some discolouration due to alage but this is quite normal at this time of the year before the underwater plants have really started to grow. No doubt we will see the algae crud coming up over the next month and discolouring the water as it breaks up.
Best flies were the usual early season culprits, Damsels, Black/Green Tadpoles, Yellow and Orange lures but we would hope and expect the more natural flies to start to catch in the coming month. It was good that contrary to recent years fish were holding all over the Lake and not just in Bay, although as ever a good many fish were caught off the Point.
On the banks a number of the pale yellow Brimstone Butterflies were to be seen, these are true harbingers of Spring being considered to be the first butterfly to take flight in the Spring. Also, a number of Grass Snakes were seen both on the Bank and in the Lake, they are quite harmless so don't panic if you see one.
Unfortunatly, other snakes were in evidence down the river with signs that poachers had been had been cooking baked beans but other than Chub it is unlikely that they would have had fish to go with the beans and Chub are reputably horrible to eat.
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