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Trout Fishing update

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Trout Fishing Update – July and August 2023

In very moderate summer temperatures, often with a fresh SW breeze, fishing remained good well into the third week of July when it began to tail off. Not surprisingly August was quite difficult throughout. July rainfall was high at 79ml over 11 days (0ml 2022) and August had 36ml over 10 days (35ml 2022), which maintained the lake at a reasonable level.

Water temperatures “offshore” have remained well below 20c and hopefully with the longer cooler nights, the much warmer weather forecast for early September will not have too much effect.

Across the summer months a number of pods of Trout (Rainbows and Browns) can be seen near the surface. On some days they will readily take a fly, on others refuse absolutely everything. When caught, some are a little slender, but generally in decent condition.

The most popular flies in July, often in smaller sizes, were: Sedges, Adams, Daddies/Hoppers, GRHEs, Damsels, Green Nymphs, Spiders, Buzzers and Black Ants when they blew onto the water.

There were not many successful flies in August but the stand outs were: Klinkhammer, CDC Nymphs, Gold Head Daddies, GRHE and Damsel nymphs. I did see Liquorice written on one card. I assume this meant “All Sorts”!  

Weed cutting/clearing has continued as necessary in the moderate temperatures and some of the Reeds have been trimmed back from the waters edge. We will reduce the size of the Reed beds next year to preserve the quality of our bank fishing, whilst leaving plenty for the wildlife.

The autumn stocking is due on 14th September subject to the water temperature being satisfactory. We will advise you by email if there is any change. There are a lot of course fish fry present at the moment, so it will be well worth trying Fry patterns as autumn advances.

The banks are ablaze with colour at this time of year with most plants in full bloom. Areas of Fleabane seem to expand each year, alongside Hemp Agrimony, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Angelica, Wild Carrot and Water Mint. On the surrounding grassland, Creeping Cinquefoil, Birds Foot Trefoil and Gypsy Wort are abundant.

Very pleasingly, our Great Crested Grebes have raised 3 chicks this year (1 last year) and they are still around. The Swans originally had 3 Cygnets, none of which unfortunately survived for long. Rarely a day goes by without seeing a Kingfisher and the Green Woodpeckers have clearly had another good year. The musical song of Reed Warblers is wonderful to hear along with Black Caps and Willow Warblers in the trees and bushes surrounding the lake. I saw a Wheatear with its distinctive white rump in late August on the track leading down to the lake, which must have been on passage. I wonder if we will be visited by an Osprey this year?

That reminds me. I was fishing the other day with an old school pal of mine Jean Pool, who went on to become a Biology teacher in India and reminded me of this story. Mahatma Gandhi walked barefoot everywhere and as a result developed callouses all over his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail, while his odd diet gave him bad breath. He was indeed a “super calloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis”.

That’s all folks!  

I look forward to seeing you on the bank, and it’s always worth remembering that you can’t stop growing older, but you don’t have to grow up.

Tight lines,

Lucius Pike

Trout Fishing Update – May and June 2023

May’s weather continued where April left off, overcast with fresh East/North East winds day after day, with temperatures rarely above 15c. The galling thing being that in many parts of the Country it was sunny and warm. It wasn’t until the second week of June that there was a significant improvement with some very warm days close to 30c, before temperatures moderated to an average of around 20c for the remainder of the month. There were some Thunderstorms in June but the rainfall was very localised and Roxton seemed to miss out on a lot of it. The water level of the lake is holding up well so far and the water temperature has not risen above the high teens centigrade.

May saw quite a few Hawthorns near the entrance gate, but few seem to reach the water. Alders and Sedges of various sizes and colours were about in good numbers and our normal good hatches of Mayflies took place from mid-month onwards. Only a few Pond Olives have been seen so far. Buzzers of all sizes and colours continue to hatch in numbers including the large “Grey Boys” which can produce good sport on the surface with an Adams or Rat faced McDougal.

Most successful flies in May on the surface were:

Mayflies, Grey and Royal Wulffs, CDCs, Klinkhammers, Daddies, Hoppers, Yellow Humpies, Adams and Black Gnats.

Sub-surface: Buzzers, Damsel Nymphs, Hares Ears, Montanas, Spiders, Gold Head Daddies and Diawl Bachs proved very effective. A fly apparently called “Co....ant” has also caught fish, but I cannot bring myself to use it’s full name.

June brought a myriad of Damsels, their discarded nymphal skins at times virtually covering the jetty. Some of the larger sedges including Great Reds were also in evidence. In addition to successful flies in May, not surprisingly Blue Damsels took a number of fish in June along with Daddies and Hoppers. Mayfly patterns took good numbers of fish until the middle of the month when hatches ceased.

Return Cards confirm the good average size of both Browns and Rainbows and we did stock an additional 25 large Browns in the June stocking. I did see “Not a Pluck” written on one card. At least that’s what I think it said, the writing wasn’t very clear!

Weed growth has been remarkably slow so far this year, possibly due to a higher water level combined with generally cooler temperatures and of course the annual application of our non-toxic blue dye to limit photosynthesis. Weed cutting/clearing will continue when necessary and although we try to keep this to a Tuesday, it may take place on other days.

A couple of general points:

 Please keep the door of the Lodge closed on windy days to prevent the Posters tearing off the walls.  

 Please continue to note any Cormorant damage to fish caught on the return cards, as it assists us with our license application.

 Security of the site is very important. Please remember to lock the Lodge and Gate if you are the last to leave at any time during the day.

Turning to Wildlife, our Great Crested Grebes have had 3 young which are now virtually as big as their parents. Great news as they only had one last year and none the year before. They sometimes have two broods – so fingers crossed! The Swans had 3 Cygnets, quickly reduced to 2, who so far are doing OK. The Cuckoo has been a constant companion and a Black Cap sings regularly right by the Lodge. One Hobby has already been seen and Terns can be seen diving for Fry most days. Swallows and Martins are around, but not in any great numbers.

As well as Common Blue Damsel flies there have been quite a number of Banded Demoiselles with their distinctive dark wing patches. Dragon Flies have so far included Common Darters, Black-tailed Skimmers, Brown and Southern Hawkers. The cool weather has not been good for Butterflies but Orange Tips, Brimstones, Commas, Red Admirals, Holly Blues and Large Whites have all been on the wing.

The flowers of the heavily scented Water Mint are still a little way off but Purple Loostrife is already in full flower. Around the banks there are some large patches of Creeping Cinqfoil, Meadow Cranesbill, Birds Foot Trefoil and Ladies Bedstraw, but many of the high summer flowers are still to come.

That reminds me. My wife Lynne surprised me as Wimbledon fortnight arrived by telling me that there were 14 reasons why she might divorce me, not including my obsession with Tennis. I replied, “that’s 15 love”!

That’s all folks!  

I look forward to seeing you on the bank.

Tight lines,

Lucius Pike

Trout Fishing Update – End April 2023

Welcome all members to the 2023 season at Roxton Park!

God Save the King!

Following a very wet March it has certainly been a cold, late spring with winds being predominantly from the East/North East. Very cool and showery with a fresh breeze would summarise most days. Despite this, 8 brave souls fished on opening day with very positive results, the fish being taken mainly on black patterns. Fish from the first stocking often had leeches on them and a number contained bottom dwelling cased caddis when spooned, not surprising in view of the weather.  

Stockings have proceeded as planned and some very good fish have been taken, with large Browns showing particularly well. I know for a fact that a couple of leviathans, veritable sockdolagers of brobdingnagian proportions have been seen but not yet caught. We recommend minimum 6lb leaders to avoid disappointment! Many members have reported how hard our fish fight which is always good to hear; but with some reported positive and some negative outcomes!

It is interesting to note that with slightly warmer days an increasing number of members are using Dries with excellent results to our free rising fish. The most successful patterns so far have been CDC Emergers, Yellow Humpies, Black Gnats, Black Hoppers, Adams and Rat Faced McDougalls.

Sub surface, Buzzers and Damsels top the list, with Montanas, Black Spiders, Crunchers and Black/Olive/GRHE Nymphs  also featuring strongly. Pitsford Peas and Diawl Bachs so ubiquitous last year, seem to have fallen out of favour. Overall there have been 188 fishing efforts in April which I’m pretty sure is a record.

Important points to note:

 A significant number of fish have been seen dead on the bottom. At this time of year, the only likely cause of this is fish being “released” when they are not going to survive. In line with the rules, we strongly recommend barbless or squeezed down barbs for catch and release, but most importantly the fish should be unhooked in the water wherever possible and given time to recover before being returned. Fish that have been flapping about in the boat are very unlikely to survive. If in doubt, dispatch the Trout! Many thanks for your cooperation.  

 Please remember to put the chain around the gate and attach the padlock, without locking. If you leave the padlock hanging on the end of the chain it is obvious that the gate is open.

 Please complete all cards fully for every visit– Dates and Names have been omitted on a number of occasions.

 We do ask that you wear life jackets in the boats; if you forget yours there are some spares in the lodge.

 Thankfully few problems arise at our fishery, but if anything should occur that you are not happy with, please address the situation at the time or phone one of the emergency numbers in the Lodge if necessary. Problems are much more easily solved at the time they occur.

Feedback has been positive on the new anchor ropes (with chain) and also on the cleared channel between Coot Island and the Lodge bank. Non-Toxic blue dye has been applied as normal to hopefully prevent Algae blooms and suppress weed growth.

Turning to wildlife, an Osprey joined us briefly just before the start of the season and Chiff Chaffs and Willow Warblers are both now singing strongly. Sand Martins were as normal the first of the hirundines to return, closely followed by Swallows and House Martins. Our Great Crested Grebes are back and let’s hope they breed successfully again this year. The Cuckoo returned on the 26th, four days later than last year and is surely the most joyous sound of spring. There are already some Grey Lag Goslings and a good number of Mallard Ducklings. Butterflies have been scarce in the cold weather but Brimstones, Peacocks and my personal favourite Orange Tips have all been seen around the lake. Probably the earliest harbinger of Spring that we have is a lovely patch of Coltsfoot on the far bank opposite the lodge, but they are virtually finished by the start of the season.

That reminds me. I was fishing the other day with an old school pal of mine Isabel Wringing who as you might expect has a keen interest in Campanology. She told me that all her local Churches were practicing very hard prior to ringing on Coronation Day. Someone suggested that they had a competition judged by a Tower Captain from another area, to determine who was best. It was all agreed and the judging was arranged for the week preceding the Coronation. The first Tower got 7/10, the second 8 and the third 6. The judge arrived at the fourth Tower and went inside where he saw the ringers going through the motions but there was no sound. “What’s going on” he said “why is there no sound”? One of the ringers replied “unfortunately the Bells have been taken away to be repaired”. “Why on earth did you enter the competition then” said the judge? The ringer replied, “we were hoping to win a Nobel Prize”.

That’s all folks!

I look forward to seeing you on the bank.  

Tight lines,

Lucius Pike

Trout Fishing Update – September to Seasons End 2023

September was the warmest month of the summer with water temperatures rising rather than falling in the first half of the month! There was a mini heatwave from the 4th to the 11th with temperatures into the 30’s centigrade and very little breeze. As the SUN would say “Phew What a Scorcher”!  Late in the month the water temperature finally began to cool and our autumn stocking of 300 Rainbows went ahead on 4th October, with the season being extended to 20th November to reflect this essential delay.

Prior to restocking fishing was very slow in the hot weather and with the fish shoaled up and in sulky mood, very few fish were caught. In these circumstances the peaceful surroundings and general ambiance of the place were clearly the main attraction for the members I spoke to.

With cooler water after the stocking, it was a very different story with not only the recently stocked fish being caught but also a good number of Browns and established Rainbows. Although not happy, Browns generally seem to do better than Rainbows in warm water conditions. A few argulus (fish lice) could be seen on some fish, but generally they were not too badly affected. Roach, Rudd, Perch and a couple of decent Pike were also taken.

The level of the lake has risen considerably following several periods of heavy rain, which is encouraging as the level had dropped pretty low. The Banks have been cleared of “Scrub” Willows and the Reed Beds will be reduced in size next year as they would soon surround the banks if no action was taken. Our Cormorant Licence has been renewed and control is continuing, alongside non-lethal methods

The most successful sub surface flies in October and November were Crunchers, Damsels, Black and Green nymphs, Diawl Bachs, Spiders and Gold Head Daddies. Pitsford Peas (several colours) made a strong comeback together with Muddlers and Cats Whiskers to tempt “Fry Bashers”. Dries were still effective with Daddies, Sedges, Adams and even Grey Wulffs scoring.

An Osprey was seen very briefly in September on migration to West Africa, but sadly did not stay. Kingfishers are still seen most days and our wintering Little Grebes have returned. The first Fieldfares have arrived, but I have not seen a Redwing as yet. A Waxwing “invasion” is forecast, which I very much hope comes to fruition, as they are a truly spectacular sight feeding on winter berries.

Ah now, I’m glad you asked me that. We have a new boat next year to replace Damsel. I’m sure many of you will remember a long-time member Brian Meredith who sadly died just over a year ago. He usually fished with Barry Hall. Brian’s widow asked if she could have one of our boats that Brian had spent such happy times in and put it on a small lake on her property. To cut a long story short, we now have a new boat courtesy of Brian’s widow and Damsel having been re-furbished, has gone to Brian’s widow. Our new boat has a plaque in it “In Memory of Brian Meredith”. Please take a moment to remember him and enjoy the lake as he did, when using the new boat.

As usual Pike fishing is available to members over the winter. All legal methods may be used, but to protect our overwintering Trout, please do not use small lures or spinners. Any Trout caught should be returned, if they are likely to survive. All sizeable Pike should also be carefully returned. The last day for Pike Fishing is Friday 15th March 2024. The Lake will remain closed every Tuesday as normal.

That reminds me. I’ve read some good books lately which I thought I would share with you, in case you are interested in reading them:

 A History of Dog Treats - By Nora Bone.

 Cliffs of Southern England - By Eileen Dover.

 Fishing for Beginners - By Willy Catchone.

 Dream Analysis - By Edna Clouds.

 The anatomy of fish – By Finn McGill.

 Yorkshire Philosophy – By Harry Stottle and Archie Medes.

 A Guide to Suspense Thrillers – By Hugh Dunnit.

 Match the Hatch – By Rose Freely.

 Nuclear Physics – By Mel Town.

That’s all folks! I look forward to seeing you at our Social Meeting in the Spring. Details to be advised. In the meantime, it’s always good to remember: “Time is precious, spend it fishing”.

Tight lines,

Lucius Pike