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Smash & Grab Trout
Its quite possible that people driving over the bridge yesterday, in Exe Bridge, may have thought that some kind of madman had been set loose on the lakes. In fact I was fully expecting to hear sirens, prior to being carted off to the funny farm or possibly a cell. I am sure that they were wondering why on earth the few brave souls who had turned up to endure the cold were there in the first place, especially as they had been joined by a spade swinging, pickaxe throwing lunatic. Was this some kind of new "extreme" fishing?
Of course the answer is no. I do not have shelves stacked full of spades or pick axes on buy one, get one free. There is no blue tow rope on offer either. The reason behind the strange looking spectacle was of course ice. All week we have been relatively ice free and then when Saturday arrives …. -6 and half the lake is covered. I saw red … or rather mist through the "cold" lens of my Costas. Venturing out of the cosy hart flyshop office clad in a multitude of layers and armed with many heavy implements I decided to wreak havoc on the surface of Exe Valley. The anglers who had made the effort were going to catch some fish, but the ice would have to go first.
I must admit at this point that I had no idea if my plan could backfire, resulting in several "bodies" floating to the surface after my blitz. Setting to work with "Ice Breaker – Mk 1", (a spade attached to the rope) I tried some tentative throws resulting in a few holes before pulling the rope back to cause stress fractures. Having created half a dozen or so "softeners" I waited a while to see if anything happened. Nothing did … no dead Trout so far. At this point you may have been forgiven for thinking that I was training for London 2012, as the Saturday morning peace was shattered (literally) by my grunts and the sound of a spade (pickaxe or club hammer) swooshing through the air. "Different" in approach this method maybe but the result was incredibly satisfying as the ice began to shatter into hundreds of little pieces. On one occasion I got quite carried away and even managed a war cry before Ice Breaker Mk 1 died. Ditching my cheap and nasty plastic spade, "Ice Breaker Mk II" was born, sporting a hard wood handle and super heavy head. Not so great for distance but the ice was not liking it one bit.
The spade sliced through the ice surprisingly well
A few hours went by and slowly but surely little gaps began to open up, allowing a fly to be fished in previously frozen water and before long one of the anglers had hooked a Trout. I had also been joined by John who had arrived expecting to enjoy a days fishing but got roped in to my hair brained scheme. Little did he know that within a few hours he would be more than rewarded for his efforts! But before that there was a lot more ice to be broken, especially as the low temperatures were causing some of it to freeze once again. We did not give up, especially when the sun began to shine. By breaking the surface layer up it should defrost faster and then the natural current in Exe Valley would begin drawing the ice away from the corner … or at least that was the plan.
Strangely enough we experienced no takes on the hand lined pickaxe!
As we continue our mission a fish is hooked
Although the ice was becoming badly damaged I was beginning to question my sanity a little as only a few major holes had appeared. That was until Alan Jukes turned up in the corner we had been working on to give it a go. A few of the others had been mumbling about the commotion but Alan took notice of my advice that the majority of the fish had been sat in the deep corner covered in ice. He began prospecting with a lure through a few of the gaps … little did we expect what happened next!
Mind that Leader - Alan hooks a Trout through a hole in the ice
Tense moments as a hole is cleared to land the fish
I was just chuffed to see Alan hook a fish from the previously impenetrable corner, but after a few minutes and by the tense look on Alan's face I knew that not only had he managed to hook a Trout but that it was a decent size. A few weeks ago he bought one of the excellent McLeans nets from the shop which I usually use for Salmon and what a good job as the frame is very tough enabling us to clear some ice in readiness to land the fish. There were several heart stopping moments as the fish used its weight and power to charge through several broken layers of ice which at any moment I expected to slice through the leader. Thankfully the leader held and …
Alan banks a stunning 11lb 10oz fish!
What a buzz! A beautiful conditioned winter fish that almost certainly wouldnt have been caught unless the ice had been broken. Not much more than an hour later Alan appeared with his full bag limit of 5 fish which also included another specimen of well over 5lb. Meanwhile the other anglers had all begun to catch fairly frequently as the sun defrosted the broken ice. Evidently the fish were not bothered that we had spent the morning hurling blunt implements at them! And remember John? …. he is in the background of this picture.
The broken corner - by late afternoon the lake was almost free of ice
And ten minutes later he was stuck into this beast. His first ever double figure Trout caught on a sinking line and landed using a 5 weight set up. What a brilliant way to finish the day. But will I be doing it again? Well today despite very cold temperatures last night the ice receded rapidly, even though it is overcast and the air temperature low. Usually the ice will begin to thaw and then refreeze, which increases the density. However by smashing up the ice I think that today the ice was much thinner which has meant good fishing once again in the now ice free corner. But no, I wont be doing it like this again because 4 hours of work based on per kilo fish weights and the market price of a ticket does not stack up. However, it has made me realise that all I need is Ice Breaker MK III in the form of a boat powered by an electric engine which should reduce the time taken to clear the ice immensely although if I am honest … I don't think it will be so much fun!
Rewarded for his efforts - John Yianni with a personal best 10lb 3oz winter Trout
Fly Fishing in January
I don't know about you but I am no fan of January. Granted this year has been mild (very mild) so far, but generally it has been wet, grey and yuk. There is light at the end of the tunnel. January has flown by and in the next few days we begin the count down to March, the new river season and reservoirs opening their gates. But I cant wait for March, there is all of February to get through yet! So is there anything viable to chuck a fly at? Here are a few ideas.
On the reservoir scene Farmoor has enjoyed quite a renaissance and the good news is that it remains open throughout the year. Its a concrete bowl (comprising 2 separate lakes), so perhaps not every ones cup of tea, but if you want the chance of a full tailed, over wintered Rainbow this is definitely the place. Boats are available on Farmoor 2 and it sounds like it is going off. I have just spoken with one of the rangers and the boat rod average is over 18! Currently typing with one eye on the diary! There is also a catch and release lake, Farmoor 1, that is home to some monsters which just love a Buzzer swung on the wind, a Cruncher twiddled back slowly or an ultra slow fished Blob. Sunburst Yellow is a favourite. By the way if you like fishing Booby style tactics then F2 is just brilliant. Check out their fly fishing section on the Farmoor website
Farmoor Reservoir - open all year for fly fishing
But what about the rivers? I get several calls a week about the Exe and its population of Grayling. It is of course possible to catch these fish at this time of year but the major hassle is water height. The Grayling also seem to hide themselves away very well and the only way to extract one is by going super deep with heavy bugs, fished with an indicator of sorts and possibly a Czech/French style leader. This latter approach certainly provides a great deal of sensitivity and the ability to offer the most natural of presentations. A friend of mine did just that a couple of weeks ago in fairly heavy water conditions and managed one Grayling although I think it was the mended Salmon Kelt that snaffled a rubber leg nymph which surprised him most of all! If you are tempted then my advice is to keep checking the network of Farson Digital watercams for water conditions. You can see the Exe camera here
Or you could head to a chalkstream. Many have closed their doors for Grayling fishing by this time of year but John Aplins beautiful stretch of the Frome is still taking bookings and judging by his twitter post this morning it sounds like conditions could be just right. They also have a camera here.
The River Frome - Early Season
I have a few more hardcore days in the office to finish and then I have got to have a crack at one of these although there is something else. Fly Fishing for Pike. As we move towards spawning I guess our chances might diminish somewhat but there is always the chance. And even if now is not quite the right time, I have had some brilliant sessions by early March. Intermediate fly lines and highly mobile streamers proved irresistible to fish like the one below during a hectic session in early 2011. This is also budget priced sport which has to be a consideration after the expense of Christmas and now yet another hike in fuel prices on the horizon!
And I do believe the sun is shining through my office window … the season is on the way!
World Bank Masters Competition
It is with great pleasure that I can announce that the new World Bank Masters Competition will come to Exe Valley Fishery on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th March. Organised by Iain Barr, this is a national competition with a major sponsor in Airflo. If you have ever been interested in fishing a match then this is your chance to take part without the daunting prospect of heading to a reservoir to try and secure a place in the final. Nobody will leave empty handed as free fly lines and flies will be presented to all competitors paying the relevant entrance fee.
We will peg each of our competition heats by draw at the beginning of the day, with anglers moving around the lake in a clockwise direction every 30 mins to give all competitors a fair chance to fish the hotspots. The bag limit will be 5 fish, but after the limit has been reached anglers will be able to continue fishing on a catch & release basis with points scored per fish caught. There will be prizes at the heats but the main objective is to reach the final being held on 20th May at Elinor in Northamptonshire. The winners prize is £2000, with various other tagged fish and spot prizes!
The amount of places available at each heat, going through to the final will depend on numbers who enter, but there is a good chance that the top 4 to 6 rods at each of our heats could go through. The heats will be be based on fishery rules with the exception of catch & release which we are offering on the day to provide an exciting competition, barbless or debarbed hooks will be obligatory. We are also providing a special 5 fish limit at £25.00, which is based on the usual price of 4. The entry fee for the first heat is £25.00, although further heats can be attended for a reduced fee of £22.00 All forms should be sent to the organiser including a cheque for the entrance fee, fishery fees to be settled on the day of the heat. We have entry forms available at the shop, but you can also download one by clicking here. And for further details including rules for the final which will be entirely catch & release please see this page.
We already have quite a few entrants but places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. So if you fancy the chance of a lovely day out on Exe Valley, a new fly line, some extra flies for your box and even the chance of winning yourself £2000 should you make it to the final … please enter, we would love to see you. And of course we will also stock one or two specimen fish, see here for our latest catches. So those dates for your diary again, Airflo World Bank Masters Competition Heats at Exe Valley Fishery on Sat 3rd & Sunday 4th March 2012. We hope to see you there!
