All of the South West Lakes Trust trout fisheries are now open for the new season (with the brown trout waters opening on 15^th March). In spite of some cold conditions, the waters have fished well, with both good numbers and some fine fish being caught. Most fish are still mainly holding in the deeper water, with little surface activity yet.

 

Kennick

Rods averaged over 3.5 fish per angler during the month, with the trout being well spread out around the lake, and most banks producing exciting sport. Both boat and bank anglers enjoyed success, with Sinking, Intermediate lines, or floaters with a sink-tip all catching fish, which generally were feeding in  the deeper water. Fish were eager to feed, and not too fussy about fly patterns – both nymphs (Damsels, Montanas, GoldHead Hares Ears, and Buzzers) and lure patterns (Boobies, Cats Whiskers, Blobs, Vivas, Tadpoles, and Humungous) proved successful. During warmer sessions, a few buzzers emerged, when an emerger pattern fished on a floating line produced results. The best fish caught during the month included a 4lb 8oz rainbow, caught by David Thorne, while Jerry Hiscutt, Fred Brown, and Russell Bridgerton caught rainbows at 3lb 15oz, 4lb, and 4lb 4oz respectively. A beginners’ taster day was organised by the Lakes Trust on 15 March, when Andy Knight and son Isaac caught a beautiful 3lb rainbow.

Photo: Isaac/Andy Knight

Siblyback

The season continued with some superb sport at Siblyback, with anglers averaging 4.8 fish per visit, and the most productive banks included Stocky Bay, Two Meadows, Crylla, and the North Shore. Floating, sink-tips, and intermediate lines, as well as Di3 sinkers, fishing with a variety of retrieves proved the most successful tactic, with sub-surface patterns – either nymphs (Montanas, Bibios, Diawl Bachs, and Damsels) or Lures (Orange Fritz and Blobs, Tadpoles, Green and Black Boobies, Cats Whiskers, and Cormorants) proving the most successful, although the occasional fish did rise to take a foam hopper during the warmer sessions. Andy Cottam (from Plymouth) caught the best fish of the month – a superb rainbow of 5lb 10oz, caught on a Tequila Blob.

Photo: Andy Cottam

Burrator

Anglers averaged 2.9 fish per rod over the month – this improved to 4.6 fish towards the end of the month, as the weather and water temperatures started to rise. Longstone, Sheepstor, Pig’s Trough, and the Point produced the best sport, with most anglers using a floating line to catch fish. Sub-surface patterns proved to be the most successful approach, with fish taking both lure patterns (Orange Blob, Cats Whisker, and Black Tadpoles) and nymphs (Damsel, Montana, and Hares Ear). The occasional trout did rise to a dry daddy when emergers were hatching (generally the overwintered fish tended to stay in the deeper water). Gordon McLeod (from Tavistock) enjoyed a successful evening session, catching eight rainbows to 2lb 8oz using floating line tactics.

 

Photo: Andy Lawson

Stithians

The sport picked up at Stithians as the month progressed, with anglers averaging just under three fish per rod. Pipe Bay, Goonlaze, Hollis Bank, and the deeper water by the dam all produced good sport, with floating lines (sometimes with a sink tip) and a slow or medium steady retrieve proving to be the method of choice. Sunk patterns – Nomads, Black and Green Spiders, Bibios, Damsels, Diawl Bachs, Zulus, Vivas, and Orange Blobs all fished well, with the occasional fish rising to a Hopper on the surface.

Colliford

The fishing improved as the month progressed (weekly rod averages rising from 2 to 4.4 fish per rod), with most fish being found near the surface, and floating or sink-tip floaters fished with a variety of retrieves, from a slow figure-of-eight to a stripped roly-poly, all caught well. Lords Waste, Stuffles, Pines, and Kilns banks all produced good sport, as did the deeper water by the dam. A few buzzers started to hatch when the sun shone, but few fish were as yet rising to feed.

Photo: Roger Truscott

Fernworthy

The colder, harsher conditions at this high Dartmoor lake meant that fish were slower to become active, with anglers only averaging 0.7 fish per visit. Those browns that were caught were taken on floating lines, with a fast retrieve often producing the best results. Fish were caught by the boathouse, below the picnic area, and along the south bank (often in the shallows), as well as in the deeper water by the dam. The trout took both lure patterns (mini Cormorant, mini Scruffy Tiger) on a fast retrieve, and nymphs (Diawl Bach, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, and Blue Zulu).

Roadford

All anglers caught fish in the opening weeks, with rods averaging 3.6 fish per visit. Most fish were found further out from the banks, requiring a longer cast, with Davey’s Bank proving to be the most popular location. Most fish came to a selection of nymphs, Deer Hair Sedges, and mini Scruffy Tigers, fished on a floating line and a slow-medium retrieve. Rodney Wevill enjoyed an excellent three hour’s fishing, catching eight browns (including a fair share of resident browns) on a mini Scruffy Tiger – while none of the fish were particularly large, the fish were very acrobatic and hard-fighting, as well as in superb condition.

 

Photo: Julian Gostling

Please see the website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events.

 

Chris Hall (March 2025)