Avingtons
Fishing Reports
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• Anglers are reminded that there is strictly no catch and release on the lakes •
August 2010..
August weather was really mixed up, several days of blustery showers or strong winds followed by just the odd sunny day. Towards the end of the month the weather finally settled down and we had some pleasant warm sunny days.
Damsels were again the most popular fly this month, mainly the goldheaded green variety fished deep with a fairly fast retrieve, although a change of colour to black also accounted for some good fish. Stalking bugs in various colours came into their own toward the end of the month when the weather was more settled and it was easier to spot the fish on the calm days in the clear water.
The month opened with a bang and produced the fish of the month, a superb rainbow of 22lb 10oz caught from lake two on a Charles Jardine black down & dirty damsel pattern by Avington regular Bryan (Plumtrix) Price. This was Bryans personal best by some way and follows his recent carp trip to Brittany Mills where he was also top rod! Well done Pricey!
Four nice 17 plus rainbows also came out this month. The best being 17lb 12oz to Tom Egerton from lake 1 on a Damsel. This was followed by a 17lb 10oz to another of our regulars Bill Marchant caught in lake 1 on a black and orange Montana.
Josh Wong had a 17lb 5oz from lake 2 on a Firebird and Graham Barker had a 17lb 4oz from lake 1 on a stalking bug. Mr J Williams and Mr Burnell both had fish of 16lb from lake 3 and lake 2 respectively also on Damsels. A large number of fish ranging from 10lb to 16lb were accounted for this month, many of them being personal bests for their captors. One of note was a 10lb 4oz rainbow caught by 11 year old Grace Jackson on a Damsel from lake 2.
Don’t forget Avington is not just about large fish. We have a very nice carrier stream with browns, rainbows and grayling that will test your casting skills and rivercraft and all this is in the price of your ticket.
If you do decide to fish the carrier it is worth having a word with Dorjee who is a grayling fanatic he will be able to advise you on choice of flies and tactics.
The shop continues top go from strength to strength and we carry a full stock of all you will need for a visit to us (even licences!). if you need any advice on tactics or fly selection feel free to ask any of the staff. The advice is free as is the abuse!
Please remember to give us a call or email us to arrange a booking for you as we can be quite busy and please do remember to fill in your catch returns before you leave. This is most important for re-stocking which is done everyday.
July 2010..
The weather in July was very similar to June with long hot dry spells and just the occasional shower that barely dampened the dust. Stalking tactics were the order of the day and produced some really superb fish that gave a very good account of themselves. There were quite a few comments on how well the fish fought even the smaller ones, this is mainly due to the superb water that flows through the fishery, the River Itchen, resulting in strong fully fit fish.
The stalking bugs, that we sell in the shop, accounted for several of the larger fish, cat’s whiskers and daddies also did the job in the clear water. The olive damsel in all its forms also works well and buzzers and bloodworms can be relied on in the afternoons during the hot weather.
Those anglers that tried the carrier enjoyed some good sport (remember this is included in the price of the ticket) especially with the grayling and the occasional brownie.
Plenty of ‘doubles’ came out this month the best being a 17lb 8oz rainbow from lake 1 by Neil Maidment on a black and orange stalking bug, closely followed by Steve Roddie with a 17lb 4oz rainbow from lake 2 on the same fly. Dr A Newman had a very nice brace of 16lb 8oz and 14lb 4oz from lakes 2 and 3 both on a firebird.
Other notable catches were a nice 15lb 8oz rainbow from lake 2 for Ed Lumley, Mr K Botwright had a 15lb 6oz cracker from lake 1 and Derek Omello had a 14lb 12oz from lake 3. Stuart bigley managed to land a good looking 15lb rainbow from lake 2 on a hare’s ear nymph.
There were a considerable number of fish in the 10 to 14lb bracket that gave good accounts of themselves during this month and some anglers even managed to bag a brace or in 2 cases a trio of doubles. All lakes continue to fish well, even in the hot weather although mornings seem to be best, buzzers and small nymphs are best in the afternoon.
We would be grateful if anglers would remember to fill in the catch returns - it only takes a minute and it enables us to maintain a healthy level of stocking in the lakes, SO HELP US TO HELP YOU!
Sam thought he would try his hand at carp fishing and went to Brittany Mills in France, he managed to account for 8 fish, the biggest being 41lb, lucky or what?!
June 2010..
The hot and dry weather continued through June with hardly a drop of rain. However the lakes remained crystal clear and the fishing brilliant. Sport was certainly at its best early in the morning on hot, bright days but those anglers that were prepared to be patient were rewarded with some cracking fish even during the hot afternoons.
Tactically speaking small lures (cats whisker, damsel and nomad) were working in the morning. If the fish became fussy changing to a small buzzer or small nymph would prove successful. Stalking was again at its best with the clear water and accounted for some large fish.
The carrier stream fishing was a bit tough during the bright conditions but anglers did catch some nice brownies mainly on small nymphs. Grayling fishing started mid month and some good fish were taken up to a pound, again mainly on small weighted nymphs.
There were a total of 80 double figure fish caught during June, with 17 being over fifteen pounds. Fish of the month was a tied contest with Mr R. Jones ( pictured above ) and Mr A.Toms catching rainbows weighing in at 19lb’s. Mr R.Jones tempted his fish on an orange daddy and Mr Toms on a Czech shrimp pattern.
Other notable catches were that Alex Hill, Mr G.Waters and Neil Maidment all caught 3 double figure fish in one day. Neil’s three fish weighed in at 17lb 4oz, 15lb 4oz and 11lb’s and were all taken on a stalking bug. Mr Waters fish weighed 12lb 9oz, 11lb 7oz and 10lb 4oz again these fish were taken on stalking bugs.
Alex Hill’s three fish were 12lb 8oz, 12lb7oz and 10lb’s and were taken on damsels. Other good fish were an 18lb 12oz rainbow for Graham Tuck taken on a stalking bug. Steve Moore landed his personal best rainbow trout of 16lb 12oz on a damsel ( pictured below ).
Prospects for the month look good, as the water remains crystal clear. Anglers should not be put off by the hot weather, as it will always fish well in the morning.
May 2010..
The warm dry weather continued through the month. Despite the hot bright conditions the fishing was top class with most people achieving their bag limit. The lakes remained in top condition with lush green marginal reeds, which provided the angler with some cover to stalk the fish in the gin clear water.
Tactically speaking there was an array of methods being used but the most exciting method was stalking, which accounted for a number of big fish. Stalking bugs in black and olive appeared to be most popular with fish taking them on the drop. The ever-reliable blue flash damsel accounted for large numbers of fish, as did nomads and cats whiskers. Buzzer fishing was effective on hot afternoons when the fish were reluctant to chase larger flies. It was pleasing to see some anglers trying the dry fly and being successful with a number of anglers catching their 4 fish limit all on the dry. Numbers of Mayfly were up on previous years and mayfly nymph and dry mayfly caught some nice fish.
The carrier stream continued to produce some quite sizeable brown trout up around the 3lb mark. These fish were mainly taken on small nymphs. Remember fishing the carrier is included in the price of your day ticket.
May certainly produced some big fish with a total of 73 doubles coming out and 17 of those being over 15lb. A number of fish in the 18lb class were caught, with the biggest being 18lb 12oz and was caught by Neil Maidment on a black and orange stalking bug. Neil also had a 13lb 8oz rainbow on the same fly and to top his day off he caught a beautifully marked 7lb 8oz brown trout ( pictured above ). Mr G. Simpson had a superb 18lb 4oz rainbow and was taken on a damsel. Mr S. Wykeham had an 18lb 8oz rainbow on a coral taddy.
Mr W. Orgee caught an 18lb 4oz rainbow on a stalking bug ( pictured above ). Regular Bill Marchant had a cracking 17lb 4oz rainbow on a gold head daddy. Mr J.Eames caught a 17lb rainbow on a red buzzer. Alex Hill impressed with his stalking techniques and landed a 15lb 14oz and 13lb rainbow on the same day using one of his weighted damsels. Regular Les Coombs landed his personal best fish to date and it weighed in at 13lb 2oz and was taken on a coral taddy. He was duly recorded in the “Avington Book of Doubles”.
Other news is that Bob Forsythe who qualified for the Grafham Troutmaster Final at Avington came in a very respectable 5th position. Well done Bob!
Fully booked days coming up include: 25th June 2nd July 16th July
April 2010..
A warm and sunny start to the month really encouraged people out fishing after a long and cold winter. However towards the end of the month it was much cooler and overcast, but still excellent fishing conditions. The lakes are currently crystal clear enabling anglers to stalk their fish. As far as tactics for the month are concerned anglers can use an array of tactics from working small and large lures quickly through the water.
Successful patterns for this method would be blue flash damsel, cat’s whisker and nomads. You can take advantage of the crystal clear water and stalk the fish using weighted flies such as stalking bugs, WAEF, pheasant tail nymph and hares ear nymph. More imitative patterns such as mayfly nymphs and buzzers should account for a lot of fish. The other method that is worth a go is the dry fly, which is rarely used but can be great fun, often with very aggressive takes.
Fishing on the carrier stream opened on the 3rd April and although lightly fished, anglers that did give it a try were rewarded with some nice brownies. One angler weighed in with a fish of 2lb 12oz, which was safely returned. Most of the fish were taken on small nymphs but looking into May we should see the fish start to look upwards for their food.
A total of 33 double figure fish were taken during April. Fish of the month was taken by Simon Pengelly and weighed in at 20lb (pictured above). Simon stalked the fish from lake 2 and the fly that did the damage was Mad Als Big Fish Bugger. He also caught a 11lb 4oz rainbow from lake 3 on the same fly.
Other big fish included an 18lb 12oz rainbow for 12 year old J. Woodham (who is pictured below) taken on a damsel from lake 2. Mr M. Thomas had an 18lb 5oz rainbow on a bloodworm from lake 2. Mr R. Cordwell caught an 18lb 4oz rainbow from lake1 on a damsel.
Avington regulars cashed in with some nice big fish. Leading the way was Bill Marchant with a superb 17lb 10oz rainbow from lake 1 on a G/H Daddy. Alan Drewitt also got in on the action with a 12lb 12oz rainbow from lake 3 on an orange fritz. Mike Evans had a superbly conditioned 10lb 8oz fish from lake 1 on a blue flash damsel.
Fully booked days during May are: 6th May, 7th May, 12th May, 14th May, 18th May, 21st May, 28th May.
March 2010..
Just when we thought spring had arrived, the end of the month threw some horrendous weather at us with some very wet and windy conditions. As I write this report (Easter weekend) prospects look good for the following week with warmer, more settled conditions. The start of the month was delightful with calm sunny days and crystal clear water meaning only one thing ‘stalking time’. Hopefully, looking forward into April we will get a sustained period of settled weather and stalking conditions will be excellent. We have a large number of big double figure fish to be stocked during the summer.
Mark Jones with a cracking 20lb rainbow
Tactics for the month are beginning to change from the colder winter months, with anglers now looking to use more imitative fly patterns rather than large bright lures. Buzzers should account for a lot of fish from now and throughout the summer. If the fish become fussy, switching to a buzzer will often put a fish or two on the bank. Don’t forget the fish will start to look up for their food, so give the dry fly a go.
Successful fly patterns for the month include blue flash damsel, nomad (in various colours) and gold head daddy longlegs.
Mr D. Broom with an immaculate 15lb 10 oz rainbow
The carrier stream fishing will open on the 3rd April for brown trout and it provides a nice distraction from the fast and furious action of the lakes. Small nymphs (GRHE and PTN) and dry flies should produce a fish or two.
Fish of the month was a cracking 20lb rainbow for Mark Jones who made the long journey from north Wales. It was Mark’s PB. His fish was taken on a black down and dirty damsel from lake 2. Other fish of note include an immaculate 15lb 10 oz rainbow for Mr D. Broom taken on a black fritz from lake 2.
Hugh Pollard with a 14lb 9oz rainbow
Hugh Pollard made a welcome return to the fishery and on his second cast of the day in lake 3 landed a 14lb 9oz rainbow. Mr C. May landed a 15lb 8oz rainbow from lake 1 on a green damsel. It was also great to see newcomer to fly-fishing Les Coombes land his first double of 10lb 4oz on a Viva. Alex Hill made his first trip of the year and was rewarded with a 13lb 8oz rainbow from lake 3 on a green damsel.
February 2010..
It was a mixed bag weather wise this month. We had some welcome rain that topped up river levels and ensured a nice push of water through the fish farm. If it was not raining it was cold with some very frosty mornings. Despite some cold weather the lakes remained ice-free and the water crystal clear. The low temperatures accompanied with a bitter wind kept the fish deep and they were reluctant to come up and take a fly. This meant anglers had to get down, either with weighted flies, intermediate or sinking lines.
Tactics for the month were to get down to the fish and a medium paced retrieve. Successful fly patterns were blue flash damsel, down and dirty black damsel, cats whisker and orange fritz. Also working buzzers around on the breeze provoked some aggressive takes and big fish.
Grayling fishing on the carrier was not effected by the cold weather and heavy nymphs and bugs worked well. The grayling season ends on the 14th March, however the new brown trout season opens on the 3rd April.
There were some big fish out during the month, the biggest being an 18lb 12oz rainbow caught by Mr A.Collins ( pictured above ) from lake 2 on a black nymph. Mr T. Daly caught a 15lb 12oz rainbow from lake 2 on a gold head daddy. Other fish of note were a 14lb 8oz fish from lake 2 on a green and black nymph. Friend of the fishery Paul Wheeler caught from lake 1 an 11lb rainbow on a green damsel.
This years Troutmaster fish-off was won by Bob Forsythe ( pictured above ) with a huge total of 39lb’s for 4 fish including a 15lb rainbow from lake 2 on a black nomad. Second pace went to Richard Martin with a 4 fish total of 30lb 8oz, including a 10lb rainbow from lake 2 on an olive nomad.
January 2010..
This month started off with the seasonal cold, frosty weather and the fishing was excellent for the first few days of the month. Then it hit us! SNOW, lots of it and it stayed, although the lakes remained ice-free and fishable, lake 3 did become frozen eventually. Lakes 1 and 2 remained clear.
Bryan Price ventured in during the snow and managed to catch his limit quite quickly and was able to get his photo taken with the snowman. Fishing picked up again with the departure of the snow but stalking was difficult due to poor light and colouration of the water mainly caused by melting snow and heavy rain.
Olive damsel flies accounted for the biggest fish this month but several were taken on Cats Whiskers. Other flies of note were daddies, buzzers and small heavily weighted patterns fished with a fairly fast retrieve. Martin Lane caught his personal best fish of 9lb 8oz from lake 2 and then immediately capped it with another of 12lb 4oz on a Montana. Well done!
The best fish of the month was a lovely 16lb 8oz rainbow from lake 2 on a dog nobbler caught by regular angler ‘Mad’ Al Drewitt (pictured above). Another beauty was caught by G.Hughes from lake 2. It weighed 15lb 8oz and fell to a damsel pattern. Other fish of note were a 12lb 8oz caught by G. Plunkett, 13lb by T. Crawford. 11lb 10oz by E. Jarvis, and a 10lb 3oz by T. Brewster all from lake 1.
Several other fish over 10lb’s were caught by, S.Curtis, D. Bryant and M.Standon. M. Seaman had an 11lb 8oz fish and J. Williams a 10lb 8oz from lake 3. This lake is not heavily fished but does contain some really good fish, which can be difficult to spot. Large fish continue to be caught on a regular basis from all three lakes and the best three fish of the month will qualify for the troutmasters fish-off.
This years fish-off will be on March 6th 2010 in which 6 juniors have qualified and 38 seniors, so we are looking forward to an exciting competition. May the best angler win! .
December 2009..
As I write this report (early January) the fishery is still covered with a thick blanket of snow and has been for almost a week. The fishery has been very quiet during the snowy period with only a handful of anglers willing to brave the conditions. However Bryan Price, with help from his ghillie, caught his two fish.
December’s weather started with mild, wet conditions, however towards the end of the month it turned cold. The lakes remained clear and the fishing was excellent. With little natural food for the fish they were more than willing to aggressively take the fly.
As far as tactics were concerned it was a case of getting the fishes attention by using a bright fly, like cats whisker, damsel or nomad. A floating line and longish leader was all that was required and a fairly quick retrieve.
Grayling fishing continues on the carrier and flies that will do the damage will be small gold head nymphs.
There were sixteen doubles caught during the month as well as plenty of 8 and 9lb’s. Fish of the month was caught by regular Richard Martin (pictured below) who after a bit of a doubles drought managed to catch a magnificent 16lb 4oz rainbow on a white humungus from lake 2.
Other fish of note was a 16lb rainbow caught by Mr T. Church on a damsel from lake 2. Mr Cockerton had a 12lb rainbow from lake 1. Mr King also had a 12lb rainbow from lake 2 on a damsel. Chris Weightman had yet another double of 11lb 12oz on a hares ear from lake 3, whilst stalking.
From all the Avington staff, Happy New Year and tight lines for 2010.
November 2009..
High winds and torrential rain hit the whole of UK during November. Avington and Hampshire was not hit as hard as other parts of the country but it did bring some welcome rain that topped up the desperately low River Itchen that feeds the lakes and fish farm. Although this was good for the fish it did deter some anglers. However those who ventured out in these wild conditions were rewarded with some good fishing.
Neil Maidment with his 12lb 12oz Rainbow from Lake
1
Obviously because of the conditions stalking was out of the question, so it was a question of “chuck and chance”. Popular patterns were gold head daddy longlegs, damsels and small buzzers and nymphs. With the fish being so aggressive at this time of year it is worth trying skating stimulator patterns across the surface. This method is best attempted when there is a lot of ripple on the surface and you can see the bow wave behind the fly. Nine out of ten times the fish will miss it but when you do hook one, hold on, it is great fun.
With grayling fishing becoming more and more popular anglers once they had caught their bag limit in the lakes they would switch onto the stream in an attempt to catch the lady of the stream, the grayling. Successful patterns were small GRHE and flashback PTN. If there is a little colour in the water try a pink shrimp.
Peter Tilbury with a beautiful 12lb 8oz rainbow from
Lake 1
Fifteen double figure fish were taken during November with the best being a 16lb 11oz rainbow caught by David Jennings who had four fish for a total of 38lb. The fish was taken from lake 2 on a damsel. On the same day Mr I. Dunkley had a 13lb 12oz rainbow from lake 1 on a damsel. Even Charles Jardine jumped on the big fish ‘band wagon’ landing an 11lb 4oz rainbow from lake 2 on an olive nymph. Peter Tilbury had a beautiful 12lb 8oz rainbow from lake 1 on cat’s whisker. Neil Maidment winkled out another double to add to his list with a 12lb 12oz from lake 1.
With Christmas approaching the Avington gift voucher is the perfect gift. The shop also has a wide range of rods, reels, clothing and nets.
From all the Avington Staff (Bob, Sam,
Dorjee and Cameron)
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Tight Lines
October 2009..
This month saw the first of the frosts, however the cold weather never set in as October was an extremely mild month for the most part. The fishery continued to fish well and angling pressure was high. As well as the excellent fishing the water remained crystal clear. Despite the clear water, the low light levels at this time of year make spotting fish a bit tricky.
Stalking the fish still was a reliable tactic but was at its best at midday when the light levels were at their best. Fishing the daddy longlegs both wet and dry was the highlight of the month with many fish caught on a daddy. The daddy longlegs fishing was also enjoyed by well-known angler Chris Sandford who with Keith Arthur from Tight Lines TV on Sky Sports did a very good feature on fishing the daddy. Other patterns that fished well were the blue flash damsel and various colours of nomads.
Trout fishing on the carrier has ended but continues for grayling and one angler who took advantage was Alex Jardine who caught 11 grayling in a short afternoon session on the carrier.
Again it was another good month for big fish, with 22 double figure fish coming out in October. Fish of the month was a cracking 16lb 8oz rainbow caught by Mr B. White from lake 2 on a gold head hares ear. Other good fish was a 15lb 12oz rainbow trout caught by Mr N. Mundy from lake 1 on a blue flash damsel. Chris Weightman managed to catch 2 doubles this month one of 14lb 4oz from lake 3 on a damsel and the other 14lb 8oz from lake 2, again on a damsel. Another familiar name on the monthly reports, Neil Maidmant caught two doubles on the same day, weighing 12lb 12oz and 11lb caught on a PTN and a buzzer.
With Christmas fast approaching our shop is the perfect place to buy someone a gift. November’s fully booked days are the 12th and 27th. Also when fishing the carrier for grayling at this time of year please do not disturb any breeding trout.
September 2009..
The month of September provided us with some lovely weather, with warm bright days. Combine this with the gin clear water, stalking was certainly the order of the day. Angling pressure was high with most days being very busy and the average number of fish being caught per day was around 60. The average size of fish was well above 4lb with a nice sprinkling of double figure fish.
As well as stalking, the dry fly sport was great fun with daddy longlegs and sedge patterns working well, especially if there was a little ripple on the surface. As well as dry daddies the gold head versions worked well in orange and black. Other patterns that scored well were blue flash damsel and cat’s whisker.
Fishing on the carrier stream came to an end at the end of the month, with again little angling pressure, but will remain open for grayling only. Over the winter we will continue improving the stream for fishing.
Another good month for double figure fish with 26 coming out. The biggest of the month was a cracking 20lb rainbow caught by Mr T. Burgess (shown above ). This fish was the biggest caught this year. It was caught from lake 2 and was taken on a PTN. Other fish of note was an 18lb 8oz rainbow for Mr A. Symes, the fish was taken from lake 2 on a damsel. Neil Maidment was back again and managed to do the double with a 14lb 4oz rainbow from lake 1 and a 17lb 4oz from lake 2. One of these fish was taken on a black and orange bug and the other a buzzer.
John “the human JCB” Gibbs managed his best fish to date with a spanking 13lb rainbow from lake 3 on a pink shrimp. Other personal best fish was a 12lb 4oz rainbow taken by Gerry Pomeroy from lake 2 on a buzzer.
Big fish stalker Alex Hill (above ) was back at the fishery and cashed in with a 16lb 7oz rainbow taken on a black damsel.
Octobers fully booked days are the
9th and 17th.
Remember ring us on 01962 779312 to book your days fishing.
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