BFFA Away Day Competition at Innis Fishery on Thursday 25 April 2019

After the gloriously warm 20C weather of a few days ago at the Easter weekend it was a bit of a shock when the forecasters were giving 10-12C and showers for our visit to Innis today.  In the event the southerly wind was definitely cool and gusty but few rain showers came over and in the afternoon it was more sunny at times.  The water temperature was 14C but I did not see any fly life all day and very few trout were seen rising.

Martin Winch collected our ticket monies and told us that Carbis Lake had been re-stocked the previous day.  Eight Burrator club members were fishing the competition and at the 10am start we were spread around Carbis.  At lunchtime owner Dave Johns arrived with our pasty order - what service! For those connoisseurs of traditional Cornish Pasties these were made by Pearce's Butchers in St Austell.

Don & I began by fishing the left bank of the lake (looking down from the car park) while the others were along the opposite bank.  The gusty wind increased and it became more difficult casting directly into it so eventually everyone was fishing the same shore with the wind at our backs. Peter had his three fish limit by lunchtime and I think most trout were taken earlier in the day although four of us still worked hard for our blanks!

The results:
Peter Shazell was the winner with a trout of 3lb.  Peter had 3 rainbows including another of 2lb 13oz
Dave Norman had two rainbows best 2lb 10oz
Don Brown also had two rainbows best 2lb 7 oz
Roy Whitaker had one rainbow of 2lb 10oz
Nik Tompkins, Tony Vallack, Bob Prout & Tony Hooper put in nil returns.

Above & Below Carbis was looking grey & breezy when we arrived

Don & I started on this bank but the strong gusty wind made casting difficult 

Don & TonyV

Don & TonyV stopped for a chat

Don into a two pounder 
Below Almost ready for the net

Nik lost several trout here

When we finished at 3pm it was quite sunny 

Peter had his three fish limit so got his Nikon camera out

Nik weighs one of Peter's three rainbows. 
Martin in the background while Don takes a video 

Martin took the photo of the eight of us at the weigh-in

Nik decided to carry on fishing after the competition and headed back down the lake

BFFA Competition at Burrator on 11th April 2019

A cool but fine morning greeted the 8 members who arrived for the competition. Bob and Kevin began fishing the Discovery Centre shore but found the cold wind made life difficult and later joined everyone else at the more sheltered Longstone Peninsula.

The day remained fine and sunny with a mostly light wind blowing down the lake from the north east although later in the afternoon there was a bit more east in it . As usual I took the water temperature which was 10C with an air temperature of 9C at 10am.

The recent stocking of the lake was evident in the number of trout netted and the amount of trout activity on and just below the surface during most of the day.  It was good to see so many fish over three pounds and the excellent quality of of trout supplied by Milemead Fisheries.  Anthony netted and returned the one brown trout that came to a fly during the competition.  We did note the shell remains of an invasive North American Signal Crayfish on the bank.

Kevin  won the competition and a bottle of wine with five trout weighing a total of 12lb 6oz.

Results were:
Kevin             5 trout for 12lb 6oz including one of 3lb 8oz and another of 3lb 6oz
Anthony         4 trout for 10lb 4oz including one of 3lb 11oz and another of 3lb 7oz
TonyH            3 trout for 6lb 7oz including one of 3lb 7oz
Bob                3 trout for 4lb 3oz
TonyV            2 trout for 3lb 7oz   
Peter               1 trout of 1lb 5oz
Maurice & Allan put in nil returns

Peter hooked several trout here

Anthony bending into one his four trout

TonyH into one of his three trout

Tony & Peter stop for a traditional Kelly Kettle brew

Tony with a 3lb 7oz rainbow

Anthony ready with the net

Anthony's best rainbow at 3lb 11oz

TonyV casting at Longstone Point

Maurice & Allan fishing below Longstone Manor

Bob waits with the net as Kevin brings in a 3+ pounder

Safely netted!

BFFA Away-Day at Siblyback on Saturday 30 March 2019

Eight members arrived at Siblyback for the 10am start.  We were greeted with a cool northerly breeze blowing down the lake.  I had not fished at Siblyback for some years and the sailing dinghies, kayaks & windsurfers that had previously used the water had apparently moved to Roadford.  There were still plenty of walkers and dogs around the shoreline, though!

Milemead had re-stocked with rainbows & blues on the previous Wednesday.  The air temperature was 10C and the water temp the same.  It became more sunny during the day with lots of buzzers about.  I fished the east shore but did not see many fish moving.  Some of our group headed up to the Marsh area at the north end of the lake which turned out to be a good decision as plenty of fish were landed there by BFFA competitors and local anglers.

The weigh-in was at the permit hut and Mike Ellis was declared the winner with a five fish bag weighing 9lb.  Runner up was Nik Tomkins with five fish for 7lb.  Mike won the bottle of malt whisky and the bottle of wine. 

Results:
Mike Ellis 5 trout for 9lb
Nik Tomkins 5 trout for 7lb
Kevin Sellar 3 trout for 4lb
Tony Waldren 1 trout for 1lb 8oz
Bob Prout, Tony Hooper, Roy Whittaker & Alan Bahan put in Nil returns

The slipway & boat pontoon

A cool breeze and patchy fog

Tony Waldren took his fish from the bay here

The Marsh where most of the trout were landed

Nik was runner-up with his bag of 7lb

Mike receives the bottle of malt whisky from Bob for his 9lb bag