Black Fritz works well for Webster at Knitsley Mill

Jan 10 2008 by George Maintyre

IT WAS a great week’s fishing at Knitsley Mill with the rod average hitting 4.1 and fish from 4lb 8oz to 9lb brought to the net.

Bill Webster of Consett, fishing a sporting permit, took fish of 10lb 4oz, 9lb 4oz and 8lb 2oz on a Black Fritz and S Johnson, fishing a Cat’s Whisker, had four fish, the best at 9lb 8oz.

Newcastle’s Jim Foster had one of 8lb 8oz on a Buzzer and Langley park angler Dave Cuthbertson had fish of 7lb 4oz and 6lb 12oz on a Cat’s Whisker.

The year at Jubilee Lakes ended on a high note, although the trout were certainly much less predictable.

Recently they have been settled on black patterns – Bloodworm, Zonkers and Fritz patterns – and Cat’s Whisker. This week, however, they have taken a wide range of patterns including buzzers, Dawson’s Olive, Damsels and a variation on Phil Totten’s Sexy Black Bloodworm has worked well.

Harry Freeman tied his Totten variant buzzer style – using the red grub hook with a black flexifloss body with no tail but with the two long ‘horns’ that you would normally have on a flexifloss bloodworm cropped to about half an inch.

In addition to returning several good quality fish to this fly, Freeman also brought a hard-fighting rainbow of 16lb 9oz to the net.

Paul Tweddle, from Weardale, pipped him for heaviest fish of the week, with a 17lb 7oz rainbow taken on a black gold head lure, bringing another double of 10lb 10ozto the net on a Dawson’s Olive.

Nicholas Hart, from Stanley, landed a 14lb 13oz on an Olive Zonker and Keith Stephenson from Great Ayton landed a 14lb 7oz on a Goldhead Mini Cat’s Whisker. The fishery and tackle shop are now closed until Thursday, January 31.

The changeable weather with strong cold winds one day and warm calm days the next has made for some difficult fishing at Lockwood Beck, with bait rods taking fish in all conditions and fly rods doing best when the winds weren’t as strong.

Simon Purves, fishing a £5 sporting ticket, had the week’s best rainbow at 8lb.

On one visit, Gary Varlry, fishing Buzzers under an indicator, caught seven, keeping four, the best at 4lb 8oz, for 12lb 8oz. The following day, using the same tactics, he had five, keeping two, the best at 5lb, for 7lb.

Mark Walker used a Cat’s Whisker and indicator to catch a fin perfect 7lb rainbow from the moor side and Colin Lynas had fish on Olive Dawson’s Nomad.

S Thomas caught 15 rainbows and safely returned five out of season brown trout to 7lb on maggot over two days.

Anglers can use fly, worm and maggot at Lockwood until January 31. Prices are: fly only £10, keep four fish with catch and release after that; fly only £5 sporting permit no fish to be kept; bait £10 for four fish, no catch and release. Juniors 12 to 16 years £8, four fish no catch and release on bait. Juniors under 12 can share the four-fish permit of an adult.

The fishery opens at 10am and closes at 4.00pm.

Martin Ruddick, fishing the Doxford Lake at Sharpley Springs, safely returned 26 fish including two at 10lb 6oz and a 10-pounder. Brian Corkhill took a rainbow of 13 lb and D Joyner netted nine to 10lb. David Storey safely returned 10, several in the 8lb to 9 lb range.

Mid-afternoon often sees a midge hatch, with rising trout in the flat water and at the ripple edge.

Tiny CdC dries or palmered gnats can be used for some unseasonal top-of-the-water angling. More usually though bloodworms and black buzzers, very slowly presented and fished three or four feet under an indicator, are taking good numbers of fish. Lures of all sizes are also working with white definitely the best colour.