Friday the 13th - A Day on Burrator in the Boat

I booked the boat through Richard a few days ago.  The forecast for Friday 13th May was favourable but with possible thundery showers during the day.  Sue came with me but wasn't fishing.  We arrived at the new boat pontoon around 10am.  There was a stiff breeze from the northeast and threatening clouds headed our way.  I fitted the electric outboard and we set off to fish the bay between the Sheepstor dam and Longstone Point.  The rain wasn't long in coming and it was on with the waterproofs.  There were a few other anglers on Longstone and one shouted out that he had seen some trout rising along the shore.  I alternated between a dry fly and a lure fished deep.  I saw very little surface activity all day. 


Around midday the rain stopped, the wind died away and it became quite warm.  The first brew with the Kelly Kettle was on the south shore between the two dams. While we were there I saw the Evenden's from Milemead Fish Farm delivering a load of trout over at Longstone.  Richard later told me that there were about 180 trout that included around 50% blues.


I motored up towards the north and much shallower end of the reservoir.  I had nothing show any interest in my dry fly - a biggish black gnat - but hooked and lost three brownies or rainbows on the white Cat's Whisker or a black Nomad.  Later, I netted and returned two lovely brownies on a small Cat's Whisker with a sinking line just off the shore below the Burrator Discovery Centre.  I saw a few trout landed by anglers  fishing the shore at Longstone.   In the afternoon there were eight of them lining the shore but they had all gone when I went in.


In the evening I had some casts close to the shore between the two dams.  The Cat's Whisker on an intermediate sinking line was snatched by a slim but feisty blue trout that was an ounce over 2lb.


Richard has done some great work with the pontoon and boats.  Currently with the water level still quite well up it is not necessary to use the running mooring.  When I passed Richard in the Wheelyboat I noted that he was sitting in one of those 'director's' chairs that has a handy lift up table attached.  I guess the Wheelyboat would not be easily rowable but with an electric outboard it is a very stable platform.  Don't forget the chairs, though!

Ashore for lunch and the first brew

The Kelly Kettle in action again

Milemead delivering more trout at Longstone



Glassy calm but nothing rising



Ashore for another tea break opposite Longstone

2lb 1oz blue trout on a Cat's Whisker

Richard was out in the evening on the Wheelyboat

BFFA Competition Saturday 23 April 2016

Eleven BFFA members gathered at Longstone to fish the 'Three Fly' competition.  Two other members arrived later - Mark & Jon.  The breeze was very much from the north and the air temperature was only 6C while the water was a chilly 8C.  It was sunny with a clear sky up until the weigh-in at 3pm when it became increasingly cloudy. The flies had been tied by Pat - a Diawl Bach, Jon - the Kate McLaren which can be fished wet or dry - and me - a Black Nomad.


I gave it a go on the north side of the point while Bob fished right on the end in the wind and choppy waters.  I saw nothing at all and moved back to the lee side after a while.  Bob had one of 1lb 6oz before losing a much bigger fish that threw the hook.  I landed a stockie of 1lb 10oz and also lost one that threw the hook almost at the net, both on the Nomad.  Peter had the only other rainbow, one of 1lb 8oz.  We saw very little surface activity and I guess the cold water and bright sun kept most of the trout in deeper water. 


TonyH fishing the north side of Longstone



Ken & Pat

Peter also fishing the lee side

Kelly Kettle producing a welcome brew of tea

Across the reservoir from Ken a lot of tidying has been done around
the Discovery Centre 

 

Big fish as March ends

In recent weeks there have been some big (or bigger) rainbows reported from Burrator and elsewhere. However the last week of March seems definitely to have been 'Big Fish Time'. It began with an email from a friend of mine, Peter Reilly, with whom I worked for a number of years at Mount Gould Hospital. He is not a BFFA member but occasionally lets me know what he has been catching. Anyway on 29th March he sent me an email in which he described the capture of his biggest ever fish from Burrator. He wrote:
'I had just cast and was mending the line and felt just a faint pull before the line seized tight. The fish took a deep run and I was nearly down to the backing by the time it stopped. I never saw the fish for thirty minutes although it was all over the place and it was only later when it came into the shallows that it was visible in the very clear and calm water. The fish never jumped at all. I was using just a five pound tippet so didn't want to play it too hard. In all it took me about forty-five minutes to get it to the net. The killing fly was a small black gold-head nymph and I fished quite close to the old stone drinking trough on Longstone Peninsula. The photograph is one I took on my very low-tech phone so it is not the greatest. However the priest in the picture is a hammer handle eleven inches long so that gives some idea of the length of the fish. It weighed 5 lb 2oz.' 

Peter Reilly's best ever fish from Burrator - 5 lb 2oz.

The next report I received was from our own Ken Hindley who emailed me on 31st March to say:

'I was out at Burrator today and caught a 5 lb 8oz rainbow. I was fishing in the bay right next to the point at Longstone. In five hours of casting and retrieving it was the only take I had. It took a sparkle green fly with a white marabou tail, and took me about twenty minutes to land.'

One take one fish for Ken Hindley - 5 lb 8oz.

Our trip to Blakewell Fishery
In the meantime an outing to North Devon on 30th March proved to be a bit of a big fish bonanza for Kelvin Nikulin, David Lye, Terry Denley, Tony Vallack, Stuart Payne, Peter Phillips and me. The fishery, just outside Barnstaple, has a reputation for better than average sized rainbows and according to Peter and Kelvin who had fished there on a previous occasion the sport could be very good indeed. While Blakewell is far from being 'wilderness' fishing and has none of the beauty or ruggedness of Burrator it is nevertheless a very charming, well run, and pleasant venue, and the fish were certainly worth catching. In  the end we had twenty-six rainbows and two brownies between us. Not a one was under two and a half pounds and the best, which fell to Terry's rod, was over five. Here are some pictures from what was by common consent a lovely day out. Not the place perhaps where one would want to fish every day but great fun nevertheless. The bacon breakfast and afternoon tea were the icing on the cake (if you will forgive the mixed metaphors).

Some of the group and all of the fish

'Pedro' looking pleased.

Terry with the first fish of the day.

Remains of breakfast

'Everything stops for Tea' - a nice way to end the day.

March Competition & Boat Fishing Update

The Competition
15th March used always to be the opening day of a new fishing season at Burrator and this year like any other Tony Vallack, our competitions and socials coordinator, arranged for us to have our first Burrator event on that day. We had not bargained for SWLT opening the reservoir three days early which, of course, they can do now that it is primarily a rainbow trout fishery and all brownies are to be released in any case. So while some members had already paid one or possibly two visits some of the rest of us gathered at 10.00am on Tuesday 15th for our first Burrator experience of the season.

'...gathered at 10.00am...'

It was a lovely bright day, with the weak sunshine glinting off the water and a chilly easterly wind giving a constant ripple to the water. Though it was by no measure difficult to fish. I fished halfway along the Longstone Peninsula with the breeze from my left and was able to fish my four weight rod a floating line, a 12-14 foot leader and two small flies; a Diawl Bach on the dropper and a small gold head Montana Nymph on the point.

Terry and his first three fish

The assembled company were Linda James, Stuart Payne, David Lye and his son, Pat Power, Terry Denley, Peter Macconnell and Peter Phillips.

Early on it was quite cold and once hands got wet they were soon chilled but it was not so cold  that wading became a form of self inflicted 'torture', which has sometimes been the case on opening day in years past. Nevertheless fairly frequent breaks to fire up the Kelly Kettle and wrap hands around a good hot cup of builder's tea (Twining English Breakfast actually) helped bring circulation back to one's fingers.

The fishing was quite good and almost everyone caught a fish or two, and I was lucky because I not only won the competition but also caught a very nice rainbow of 4lb 12oz which put up a very decent show on my four weight.

In  the end the results were:
Peter Macconnell three fish for 7lb 9oz.
Terry Denley five fish for 7lb 4oz.
David Lye four fish for 6lb 3oz.
Stuart Payne three fish for 4lb 5oz.
Peter Phillips three fish for 4lb 3oz.
So I won the bottle of wine and the 'Sweep' for the best fish. And about time too!

A 4lb 12oz rainbow for Peter

Boat arrangements for 2016

The new rolling ramp

Those members who were at the club meeting on Monday 14th March, and those who have subsequently read the minutes of that meeting will know that the boat fishing arrangements for this year have changed. The key features of the changes are as follows:

• Richard Peel has taken over from Peter Macconnell as the coordinator/booker of the boats. So anyone wishing to use a boat should contact him.
• There is a dedicated email address for booking. It is bffa.boats@gmail.com
• Anyone who doesn't have email address can be given a mobile phone number to text a booking to.
• The water level deemed safe for the boats to be taken out has been revised. It is now half a metre below the top of the slipway. This will mean that the boats can come into use at least a month earlier than was previously the case. In  fact by the time you read this they may be operational.
• If you have used the boats before or have had the brief induction you can go ahead from now. If you are new to using the boats contact Richard and he will meet you and give you the induction immediately before your first trip. 
• Members can book by email up to 48 hours in advance of when the want to go.
• There will be an evening boat ticket this year at the cost of £5.00. This will only be available if the boats are not already booked for a full day.
• The boats are now secured on a running mooring some way out from shore. and there is a new rolling pontoon to aid embarkation and disembarkation.
• Permits and signing in forms will be in the Anglers Permit Hut in the yard by the Iron Store (big green corrugated building). 

Ramp in the foreground and boats on running mooring in background

Good fishing in 2016.

BFFA February 2016 Competition at Newhouse Fishery

Wednesday 24 February saw a small group of six members gather at Newhouse Fishery for the monthly competition.  The weather forecast was giving a frosty start and some sunshine but in the event there was no frost and a few drops of rain dimpled the surface of the lakes as we were tackling up.  A cool north easterly breeze blew down the lake and raised a small ripple.  The late winter sunshine was warming in any sheltered spot, though.

The competition began at ten o'clock  and PeterM was into a rainbow on virtually his first cast.  Sadly it slipped the hook as it neared the net.  A short time later three of us were into fish simultaneously with David's being by far the biggest at 5lb.

Several members had their bag limit - 3 trout - by lunchtime and the results at the 3pm weigh-in are below:

1) David, three trout for 10lb 2oz including one of 5lb, the best fish of the day.
2) PeterP aka *Pedro (Rooster) - see below*, three trout for 6lbs exactly.
3) TonyH, three trout for 5lb 13oz.
4) PeterM, three trout for 5lb 9oz.
5) Pat, one trout for 2lbs exactly.
6) TonyV, nil return.

So David gets both the bottle of wine at the next meeting and the £6.00 in the Sweep. He also gets a further bottle of wine from the nice lady at Newhouse the next time he goes. She was quite disappointed not to be able to present it this afternoon.

*Pedro (Rooster)* refers to Peter's very recent trip to Costa Rica where he boated a superb Roosterfish and an equally superb sailfish. Fantastic fishing!

Peter's Sailfish - Costa Rica

And Peter's Roosterfish

Pat tackling up at the hut

PeterM waiting for the start

David into his first and winning 5lb fish

PeterP (top left) lands his first trout

Pat prepares to net David's five pounder

A very pleased David holding his five pounder - also his personal best

TonyH fishing the channel by the island

David landing trout number three

David's bag limit of three fine rainbows

TonyV casting from the end of the wooden jetty

Looking down the valley

Newhouse fishery

BFFA Visit to Milemead Fishery on Saturday 20 February 2016

In 2015 I spoke with Paul Evenden of Milemead Fisheries about the BFFA visiting the fish farm to see where the stocked trout in Burrator came from.  He and his brother Andrew had been at Milemead from the mid eighties and had gradually expanded the trout side of the business along with a very successful coarse fishery.  Paul & I arranged a day for the visit - 20 February 2016 - which turned out to be a wet and dreary day.   Seven BFFA members met at the fishery  and my wife, Sue, also came along.  Sue & I had owned a small trout farm - Woodley - less than a mile away from Milemead in the eighties and some of our equipment went to Milemead.  Indeed, Paul said to us that we might recognise a delivery tank that was beside one of the ponds.

Paul gave us the background of how and when he & Andrew purchased the 22 acres in the 80's.  He told us about the rearing of the trout from fingerlings to the size required for stocking in the many reservoirs and lakes they supply.  We saw trout from about 4oz up to 6-7lbs, mostly rainbows but also including blue trout and brown trout.  Some were destined to be stocked at Burrator including a few of the very big rainbows.

Paul was able to answer the broad range of questions that we put to him and we all agreed that the visit was very interesting and much appreciated by the members who came along.

Paul started the tour with a rundown of the operation at Milemead



One of my old delivery tanks from Woodley Trout Farm

As Paul lifts out a net full of fingerlings, Sue reflects that she no longer has to get wet & cold dealing with trout!



David asking Paul a very trouty question 

Paul explains the feeding regime for various sized trout

Paul feeds the trout in one of the ponds

Some of these rainbows are destined to restock Burrator in a few weeks

Meeting on Monday 8th February 2016

Dear fellow members

This  just a brief reminder that our first ordinary general meeting will be on Monday next 8th February.  This meeting and the subsequent ones in March and April will start at 7.00pm (not 7.30pm as was previously the case). This earlier start time was voted for at the January AGM and will be trialed for three months. We will vote again on the matter at the April meeting.

There is quite a lot of information about Burrator and other fishing to be discussed so please come along to the meeting if you can. The venue is, as usual, at the Meeting Room at the Travelodge Hotel by the Jack Rabbit Pub just off the Derriford Roundabout in Plymouth.

We look forward to seeing you there.

The season to come...