Total Flyfisher Magazine

On Wednesday I visited Thornwood, a smallwater fishery in Essex. This time the cameras were firmly in my face rather than the other way round. Although fairly new, the lakes do not follow your usual ‘hole in the ground’ puddle one has come to expect from a bit of diversification these days. Two lakes and a Stalking Pool make up the complex, and, although not the prettiest or best appointed you’ll ever come across, the quality of the fish makes up for those inadequacies. Fish were rising all over the first lake, most, well over the 2lb stamp. Lake two, and newest of the two, is to be truthful rather featureless at this moment of time. However, the quality and size of the resident rainbow and brown trout is second to none. The stalking pool is more akin to a small stream, albeit one with a couple of 23ft deep pools. And, although coloured from the persistent rain the country has experienced over the last couple of months, looks and fishes like it has the potential for some serious summer high jinks.

The Bob Church Classic was held at Rutland Water on Wednesday and I had to make a mad dash back from Essex to make the weigh-in and presentation. It was great to see my good friends over from Belgium for the event, fishing well and getting three of their number into the top ten finishers. Top Scottish team Change Flyfishers also made the long trip down to Rutland and had several team members in the top ten. If they qualify for the Anglian Water Airflo Final this year I can easily see this team doing well in the overall result. However, on a sad note, it was disappointing to see only a fraction of the 92 competitors turn up for the presentation dinner at the Greetham Valley Golf & Country Club. I fully appreciate that being a mid week event many anglers have to return to work the following day. A little trimming down of the speeches by the organisers would help matters considerably. How many times do Anglian Water have to be thanked? Don’t get me wrong, they do a fabulous job at Rutland and at all their other fisheries, but I truly believe they all would be perfectly satisfied with a ‘thank you’ from Bob.

On a brighter note, Iain Barr’s bank competition – the title is too long to mention in full - comes to its climax this Sunday at Ed Foster’s Elinor Trout Fishery in Northamptonshire. Should be a cracker with over 100 anglers taking part, many, competition fishing for the very first time. Sky television will be covering the event so you’ll be able to watch the action on ‘Tightlines’ soon. Iain tells me it’s been a huge success and he is very pleased that it’s attracted some new blood into the sport of competition fly fishing…hear, hear. The report, result and pictures will be on: www.fishypics.co.uk on Sunday evening.

Cliff Waters
www.fishypics.co.uk