A last minute check of the weather forecast - wet & windy - meant a change of day to fish at Hawkridge. Unfortunately that also meant that Pat & Bob couldn't make our meet at the reservoir. The day turned out to be a 'window in the weather' - dry all day with sun before lunch and increasing high level thin cloud in the afternoon. I took the water temperature at 8C while the air was around 10-11C with a multi directional breeze eddying around the valley. There had been a lot of rain recently and the water was running over the dam.
I think the cool water slowed things down and despite lots of anglers fishing both on the bank and from boats we did not see much action in the morning. My brother, Chris, & I had booked a boat and we used my electric outboard to fish various spots on the 32 acre lake which is managed by Wessex Water. The permits were £20 each (concession) and a boat permit £15. Parking near the boats is quite limited and the main car park is near the reservoir entrance off the road (Lawyers Hill). We dropped all the gear, motor & batteries at the permit/Ranger's hut just above the boat pontoon and while Chris parked the car and walked the 400yards back to the pontoon I got the boat ready.
We fished mostly towards the top end away from the dam. Even so, the water is still quite deep with about 70' near the dam and still perhaps 30-40' off the pontoon. Chris used a sinking line - either fast sinker or an intermediate line - and stuck with his favourite fly for Hawkridge, a white & lime green Cat's Whisker. I had my two trout - both Spartics - on a floating line with one of my own tied black & green Kennick Killers (very like the Nomad) weighted with a 3.8mm gold bead. The biggest was about 4.5lb the other around 3lb. The Spartics were a first for me. Chris had four trout - three rainbows and a blue. Again the blue was a first for Chris.
Although it is about 85 miles from Plymouth most of the drive is on dual carriageway and motorway with only the last few miles on backroads. It is a very popular fishery with good bank fishing and boats usually available - book with the ranger in advance.
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The boat pontoon |
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Chris & I at the top end of the lake |
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There was a delivery of trout during the day |
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Chris into his first trout of the day |
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The previous line of buoys near the dam had been replaced by much bigger ones |
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Me into my first fish - a Spartic |
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At around 4.5lb it was a nice fish |
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The Spartic variety is a cross between a Brook Trout & an Arctic Char |
Was this a club event as I don't recall seeing any information on it - I'd have come along. Don
ReplyDeleteHello Don
ReplyDeleteNo, this was not a club event but some of us in the BFFA do like Hawkridge!
Tony