Daddies are the daddy despite wind

Oct 28 2009 by George MacIntyre, The Journal

DURING November Northumbrian Water fisheries will open from 9am to 3pm and permits will be reduced to £15 with no limits.

Kielder Water closes on November 13. From November 1 fishing will be from the banks only.

Daddies provided excellent sport at Hury this week as the varied winds blew them on to the water from all directions and anglers have done very well using both sunk and dry imitations.

The most popular approach has been to use a foam or deer hair daddy on the point with a wet one on the dropper washing line style. Season ticket holders Malcolm Gowland and Derek Carr used this tactic midweek to land 14 blues and rainbows to 4lb. The first frosts triggered the fish at Grassholme into feeding harder with some very nice specimens weighed in. D. Ellison took a superb 8lb rainbow while regular Ray Baker tempted an equally impressive 6lb 8oz rainbow. Both fell to ledgered Powerbait Eggs.

The fishery is giving all anglers free entry into the Golden Trout sweep during November.

Anglers have enjoyed the most productive week of the season so far at Derwent Reservoir. The mild, cloudy weather with fish feeding hard before winter have led to tremendous sport.

There have been a number of reports of many double-figure fish feeding in the margins on roach fry. Try Cat’s Whisker – renowned as one of the best fry imitations – on an intermediate line. Edward Murray used this method to catch and return 11 in two hours on the south side.

There have been several 20lb-plus limit catches of quality fish. T Shield, fishing Yellow Powerbait Eggs at Pow Hill, had eight for 26lb, including fish of 6lb 8oz and 5lb 8oz.

The rain and strong winds at Scaling Dam kept some anglers at home but those who braved the conditions were rewarded. Fly man Derek Ogden of Redcar landed 11 rainbows on various lures. The best rainbow at 5lbs taken from the first bay on the south shore by local angler Tony Shaw from Loftus, fishing a black goldhead lure.

For the second week in a row, the golden sweep has been claimed at Fontburn with Ian Garrett from Throckley, fishing Orange Powerbait and worm cocktail, tempting a quality fish from the top end of the north shore.

In general, sport has once again been very good for anglers prepared to move around. Jack Vout caught two cracking 3lb-plus blues from the north shore while from the south shore, R Marshall landed a fine 5lb rainbow. W Smith took the best eight-fish catch from the north shore of 18lbs, including a 4lb rainbow.

Edwin Johnson’s eigh-fish limit at Tower Knowe near the sailing club on Kielder Water had rainbows of 4lb 8oz and 3lb 2oz.

R Pender of Stannington took 4lb and 3lb 4oz fish from Belling Crag on a red and black Mepp spinner, while T Horton at Lewis Burn caught a limit catch for 16lb on ledgered worm.

There will be two more stockings before the season ends on Friday, November 13.

From next week there will be one game angling every Thursday until the new season on Northumbrian Water fisheries starts in March.

FLY BOX

Derwent: Cat’s Whisker, Black Fritz, Dawson’s Olive.

Fontburn: Dawson’s Olive, Consett Budgie.

Grassholme: Cat’s Whisker, Orange Nomad, Black Fritz.

Hury: Various daddy patterns, Humungus, Cat’s Whisker, Invicta.

Kielder: Orange Nomad, Cat’s Whisker, Dawson’s Olive.

Scaling: A variety of fritz lures, Cat’s Whisker

BAIT BOX

Derwent: Yellow Powerbait eggs.

Fontburn: Orange Powerbait.

Grassholme: Yellow or Orange Powerbait eggs, Ledgered Worm.

Kielder: Worm, Green Powerbait.

Scaling: Worm and Powerbait cocktail.