Complete your Catch Returns online.

Please send any photos to [email protected].

Thank you all very much for the detailed catch returns we've received this week, and the fantastic photos! Just a polite reminder, particularly to season permit holders and groups who won't receive reminders via email, to please submit your catch returns each time you fish as this does form part of the terms of fishing on our lakes. 

I look forward to reading them.

Tight Lines!

 

Wistlandpound

Wistlandpound Reservoir has been producing some stunning catches of wild brown trout with small dark flies fished on floating lines working well. North Devon Angling Correspondent Wayne Thomas fished the reservoir with Rodney Wevill who travelled to the lake from Cornwall where they shared a catch of nineteen brown trout. 

     

Rodney shared his account of the day:

‘I have fished the SWLT Reservoirs on Bodmin moor, Dartmoor and Roadford, but today it was a trip to the edge of Exmoor and Wistlandpound.

After seeing a few encouraging posts about this place I thought I would take a look. Wistlandpound is a good 90 minutes drive for me and the Reservoir isn’t a stocked lake but wild browns, I expected a few fish and probably in the range of 6” to 10”.

I pulled up in the car park and started my way to the water when Wayne Thomas pulled up, With Wayne being a good supporter of the Fluff Chuckers events I stopped and had a chat and went off together to find some fish.

It was good to have Wayne there today as he lives fairly close and has good knowledge of this water.

Within the first few cast I hooked a really nice fish only for it to come unstuck seconds from the net.

Wayne soon had his first fish to the net; a lovely coloured brown.

We fished on and covered a bit of water and had 19 fish to the net with many more missed takes and dropped fish.

The highlight was a cracking 15 1/2” fish for Wayne around 1 1/4 lb  and many more just shy of a pound and a double hook up that gave my 5# a good work out.

These browns really put up a good account of themselves with good hard takes and hard pulling runs.

I will definitely be back. All in all a very good day with some good like-minded company.

Roll on the next time.’

  

Peter Duckett also had a fantastic days fishing landing 46 browns: ‘Had a fantastic days fishing at Wistlandpound landing 46 browns, hooking and losing just as many, and can't even begin to count how many takes I had. There was a big rise in the morning and again in the afternoon and they were taking on every cast. Even when the fish dropped down in the middle of the day they were still taking deep. Most of the fish were between 6oz and 12oz with a few nudging a pound. Lovely little wild fish though. Fly fishing for wild browns is one of my favourite types of fishing so yesterday was a special day. I've hit Wistlandpound on good days before in the past but this was the most browns I've landed in a day. A good few years ago now I had 28 browns in a day and 55 rudd!!’

    

Photos: Wayne Thomas / Rodney Wevill

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Kennick  

 

Rod Average: 5.49

Kennick continues to deliver some fantastic fishing with a whopping total of 324 trout caught through the course of last week, owing to the plentiful buzzer hatches and subsequent rises. Boat anglers were particularly successful. Eddy carter from Starcross caught 16 to 3lb 8oz on a montana fly, while Michael Pepit from Newton Abbot managed a further 15. Meanwhile, Brian parry from Newton Abbot landed 10 rainbows on a damsel nymph just below the surface, taking steadily throughout the day, and Paddy Talbot-King from Hampshire caught 16: 'Weather throughout the day ranged from sunny to mild rain but nothing that spoiled the day. All fish were caught at depth, between 15-20ft, on a tequila booby (predominantly orange in colour) using a slow retrieve. There was a lot of surface activity with fish feeding on a surface hatch - dry flies (incl. elk hair caddis), Buzzers, black Montana (tadpole imitation), green Montana and a number of other naturals were all fished on a floating line, but no interest was shown by the surface feeders. Anglers fishing from the bank did not seem to be having much luck, so the boat was definitely worth hiring. A lovely day out in a great location.'

      

  

Photos: Alan Lawson

Thank you also to Mike Herring for his report and photos:

   

‘It was 8C and foggy when Mark and I arrived just before 8am.

The day soon warmed up into sunshine, a brisk SE breeze and temperature reaching 16C. No-on was having difficulty catching rainbows. Four boats out and 5 bank anglers (and two more arrived when I was leaving at 3pm). The anglers from both shores of The Narrows must have bagged up (when I drifted though I was getting takes on nearly every cast through there!).

  

I caught only one on a buzzer today, all the rest via floating line, 12ft cast with a Damsel on the tail, ending up with 8 rainbows (4 of them returned). None of the spooned rainbows contained a single buzzer!'

The current season record is 7lbs, which was matched (possibly the same fish?) on Thursday by Darrel Jones from Teignmouth:

‘Having fished successfully 2/3 weeks ago with a blue flash booby on an intermediate line, I started with this casting and working my way down to Clampitts. Apart from a couple of brief pulls nothing doing and I felt fish were probably higher in water so swapped the damsel for a small white booby with a bit of biflash which i pulled just below the surface. Second cast everything went solid like I had hooked into a snag then the snag started moving and stripping line. 10-15 mins later I landed what is definitely the most beautifully conditioned and solid looking rainbow I have ever caught. Having fished Lake of Menteith every year I have caught a few big rainbows but this fish was special. A passing angler spooned the big rainbow and came out with buzzers. All went quiet after that so swapped rods to my Snowbee 5wt with a French leader and couple of buzzers and was into another fish on first cast, the French leader making a perfect indicator for the take. Had two more fish each, one taking the copper john on the point so these fish were definitely feeding deeper. Not long before I left I saw two fish porpoising out in the bay so grabbed the other rod cast out the booby and was in within seconds. A great end to a fabulous mornings fishing. All the fish fought hard and were in great condition a great place to fish.’

Wildlife sightings include a Swallow, ducks, an adder, House Martins and Crested Grebes.

View the full Catch Report here

Check out the Kennick fishing map here

The Kennick fishing guide is here

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Siblyback

Rod Average: 6.65

Plenty of insect hatches and fish activity produced consistent catches for anglers throughout the week, resulting in a good rod average of over 6 fish per angler. Ian Page from Yelverton caught 12 rainbows to 2lb on a floating line with 5 foot sink tip and 10 foot leader, while Leighton Carhart from Bodmin caught 7 to approximately 5lb (new season record) on a floating line with single fly.

  

Photos: Leighton Carhart

Wildlife sightings include 6 Canada geese and a Mallard with 4 ducklings.

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Siblyback here

Check out our Siblyback fishing map here

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Burrator

Rod Average: 1.07

Fish found in the top 3-5ft of water last week and fighting well resulting in some aggressive takes that failed to reach the net. William Gee from Tavistock had up to 20 takes before 1pm but landed 5 trout to 2.5lb on an orange and yellow FAB on intermediate line. Pete Laidlaw from Plymouth unfortunately had a Nil return but did have 4 takes throughout the day from some small brownies, perhaps enjoying the sport!

Mark Sinclair from Horrabridge enjoyed more success, landing 6 rainbows to 3lb:

'Cloudy breezy morning just the one fish on a buzzer drifted in deep water. Sun appeared in the afternoon with small Brown trout seen rising with increased insect activity after rise in temperature. Caught first fish of the season off the top on hopper, bang on 3lb. Look at the size of that tail fin! Great battle to land it.'

Wildlife sightings include Woodpecker (heard), geese, mallards, and a pair of Crested Grebes.

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Burrator here

Check out our Burrator fishing map here

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Stithians

Rod Average: 2.00

Fish were found in the top 2-3ft of water last week with anglers finding a floating line with slow retrieve worked best. Simon Peters from Frogpool caught 7 rainbows to 2.5lb on a floating line with droppers and a slow retrieve, and another 10 on a floating line fished washing line style in an earlier session.

Photo: John Head from Helston, 2lb rainbow, floating line, 9ft leader, slow figure of 8 retrieve.

Wildlife sightings include a Grasshopper Warbler, with reports suggesting 2 nesting pairs on site.

 

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Stithians here

Check out our Stithians fishing map here

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Fernworthy

Rod Average: 3.67

Some good rises early in the day from fish feeding on emergers and so not responding to dry flies. Patrick Murphy from Plymouth caught 5 to 1.5lbs 'superbly marked and coloured and very good condition as usual.' Rodney Wevill from Lifton caught 4 on a tadpole and a scruffy tiger: 'Fish rising until 10, I couldn't get them to move for dries. I suspect they were on emergers. Breeze got up at 11 and overcast sky, then managed 4 on wets at almost a dead drift.' Mark Mcilwaine from Shaldon caught 6 browns and had some great wildlife sightings: 'Excellent day at Fernworthy, warm, sunny, moderate breeze. Fish rising early. Most fish taking close in on floating line. Biggest fish was a wildie too. Saw an adder, slow worm, lizard, grebes doing courting dance, swallows, kingfishers, buzzards and ponies.’

 

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Fernworthy here

Check out our Fernworthy fishing map here

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Colliford

Rod Average: 4.43

Nice, consistent fishing at Colliford last week with nearly all anglers achieving a full bag or more. Nick Odle from Looe caught 8, while Dean Boucher from Gunnislake landed 6 brownies on a white-tailed zulu and black tadpole on floating line. Chris Tilyard from Fraddon caught 4, missing several more takes, all on pulled flies with the best caught on a hoglouse in the shallows. Mick Dodkins from St Germans landed 8 brownies to 12oz, pulling a team of traditional wets on a floating line: 'Good start with a double hook-up of 10oz fish near the dam. Made our way as far as Gillhouse bay with no particular hotspots but a regular interest from the fish. The colliford brownies were in no mood for getting hooked and I missed as many as I caught. Ended up with 8 fish to 12 oz by the time we reached Gillhouse bay. By then the sun had come out and I put two dries on to fish my way back to the dam. Raised about 10 fish and hooked none! Really enjoyable day.'

 

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Colliford here

Check out our Colliford fishing map here

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Roadford

Rod Average: 2.33

 

Fish were reluctant to rise last week and opted to stay in central waters a long way off the bank. Rodney Wevill from Launceston caught 5 brownies over 2 sessions, on a floating line with 16ft leader, letting the fly sink for 20 seconds and retrieving slowly. Nick Forrester caught 2 on a floating line with black gnat dry fly.

 

View the full Catch Report here

Read our guide to fishing at Roadford here

Check out our Roadford fishing map here

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Without your catch returns these reports wouldn’t be possible, and they also enable us to gain a clearer picture of our lakes and stock levels which in turn will help us to continue to improve our Anglers experience, so do please keep sending them, even if they’re nil returns! Complete your Catch Returns online here.

Don’t forget to include any wildlife and nature sightings – we love to hear about them and they are a great help to our Environment Team!

Please continue to send us any photos of your catches, the lakes or any wildlife/nature that we could utilise for press articles and social media. We are also keen to see any clear, close-up photos of any flies used, particularly home-tied ones. Please send any photos to [email protected].

 

 

DAY AND SEASON PERMITS

Permits are no longer available on-site at the permit huts, please purchase your day and season permits here or call one of our team on 01566 771930.

BOATS 

 We currently have four boats available at Kennick, three at Roadford, two at Siblyback and one at Stithians. 

 To book a boat for the fisheries please click here.

 

 

 

 Bag, Catch & Release limits:

• Rainbow Trout- Bag Limit is 5 fish. Catch & Release limit is 10 fish per day – we would kindly ask that all anglers purchase a further ticket if they would like to continue fishing.
• Brown Limit– Bag Limit is 4 fish. Catch & Release is unlimited (if you’re lucky enough to catch good numbers of our Brownies then we feel it’s well deserved!)