I headed to Murloc today with my mate Peter. We arrived at about 9.15am and where warmly greated by James. We settled up for our fishing and decided to set up on the lake, we set off to the far side, with the wind blowing into the bank it was gona be hard to get a cast out but would be good for letting the flies drift. The sun was also out and was quite bright so I opted for the old faithfull moorbrook bloodworm 5ft under the indicator. I hit a number of fish and at 10am I got my first fish to the bank and then next cast I got another one. At this jetty I got another 2 fish to the net. In this time Peter got 4 on the bloodworm after trying buzzers for most of the morning. I moved around the bank to the area without jettys after seeing some fish move, managed to wrangle another 4 fish out of this spot til about 2pm. The sun disappeared and a few fish began to move and I got another few takes but lost the fish. I then decided to switch onto the diawl bach/buzzer combo that has been working for me and went back to my original spot after no takes around rest of bank with the buzzers/diawl bach. First cast and I was letting the flies sink and BANG fish hit me like a bullet but after a good fight I got him in and he had swallowed the diawl bach, much to my annoyance as this was the only 1 I had left, but thats the way it goes so I cut the line and let the fish go. It also had a montana foulhooked in the cheek, so removed it with relative ease before returning it safely to the water. I switched then to a size 12 Olive buzzer and a size 12 Firefoil Buzzer and after a few crosswind casts I had a fish on, I thought it had taken the olive but when I got it up in the water so got him netted. Peter got another fish on a cormorant and also managed to sleep for an hour on the jetty. At about 3.30pm we decided to call it a day.
Overall I got 10 fish, must have lost the same and Peter got 5, Biggest was about 3lb between the pair of us. The weather stayed nice and the forcast showers never appeared. We left happy and you can't ask for more than that.
Friday, 17 October 2008
Woodford Fly Fishery - 8th October 2008
Arrived at woodford just after 9. After a quick chat with Ted and ordering lunch I got set-up. Michael had already arrived and was set-up. After a wee chat we headed out onto the water. The wind was blowing from the north west meaning that we had to contend with the high bank which meant the possibility of catching the bank behind us. I started out with a bloodworm on and cast it out and let it sink and retrieved in a slow figure 8. After about 30mins and no takes i switched to a diawl bach on the point and black buzzer on the dropper using 6lb Airflo G3 fluorocarbon. No touches for about 20mins, and then i decided to switch to an olive buzzer on the dropper due to past success at Woodford. Next cast and fish on, very subtle take resulting a beautiful fully finned rainbow of about 2lb. I thought to myself the olive buzzer had done the trick but the diawl bach had actually done the business. I moved about the bank with the wind to my back but no more touches. At around 12 Ted shouted "GRUBS UP" and it was time for a fry, and then i got a bite just as I was reeling in, but what can you do.
After a very healthy fry we headed back out. I fished for another hour with the buzzers and diawl bach on but to no success. After seeing a couple of fish rising I switched on to a CDC hares ear emerger with 6lb Airflo G3 fluorocarbon tapered down into 4lb Fulling Mill Co-polymer to help with presentation. Nothing would look at the emerger and Neil, one of Woodfords members pointed out the hatching sedge so after carefull deliberation through my dry fly box, I decided on a CDC bibio hopper, the CDC mainly because I didnt have any gink left. Cast it out and watched a couple of fish move and then a boil under the hopper, just nosing at it, I twitched it a little bit but to no avail. I decided to switch back to the buzzers/diawl bach for the last few hours before I went home. Neil had mentioned that some anglers had been using goldhead vibrators to great success on floating lines, he wanted to try it on a sinking but didnt have any, luckily I had so gave him a brown one. Id say about 10mins later BANG and he is into a fish and it jumps out the water, me and fossil looked at each other and said it looked a big fish. I grabbed the net and Michael grabbed his scales.
Neil could not do anything with the fish, line stripping off the reel soo fast the back was out on the water. After a good fight the fish made for the weeds and wedged itself under a large clump. This is wear some teamwork came in handy, as Neil tried to coax the fish out of the weed, I got into the water with the net, after about 5 mins the fish showed and he was bagged. A quick weigh of the fish said it was roughly 8lb 4oz, nice fish by any standards and fin perfect. We then found the reason why it gave such a fight and why Neil couldnt turn the head
Overall it was a hard day, with few fish being caught and we all did well to catch the fish we did.
After a very healthy fry we headed back out. I fished for another hour with the buzzers and diawl bach on but to no success. After seeing a couple of fish rising I switched on to a CDC hares ear emerger with 6lb Airflo G3 fluorocarbon tapered down into 4lb Fulling Mill Co-polymer to help with presentation. Nothing would look at the emerger and Neil, one of Woodfords members pointed out the hatching sedge so after carefull deliberation through my dry fly box, I decided on a CDC bibio hopper, the CDC mainly because I didnt have any gink left. Cast it out and watched a couple of fish move and then a boil under the hopper, just nosing at it, I twitched it a little bit but to no avail. I decided to switch back to the buzzers/diawl bach for the last few hours before I went home. Neil had mentioned that some anglers had been using goldhead vibrators to great success on floating lines, he wanted to try it on a sinking but didnt have any, luckily I had so gave him a brown one. Id say about 10mins later BANG and he is into a fish and it jumps out the water, me and fossil looked at each other and said it looked a big fish. I grabbed the net and Michael grabbed his scales.
Neil could not do anything with the fish, line stripping off the reel soo fast the back was out on the water. After a good fight the fish made for the weeds and wedged itself under a large clump. This is wear some teamwork came in handy, as Neil tried to coax the fish out of the weed, I got into the water with the net, after about 5 mins the fish showed and he was bagged. A quick weigh of the fish said it was roughly 8lb 4oz, nice fish by any standards and fin perfect. We then found the reason why it gave such a fight and why Neil couldnt turn the head
It was foul hooked in the anal fin, is there not a rule that foul-hooked fish don't count? lol As you can see it was a whopper of a fish.
Overall it was a hard day, with few fish being caught and we all did well to catch the fish we did.
Monday, 22 September 2008
Murloc Angling and Rural Pursuits - 22nd September 2008
Arrived just before 10am and after a quick chat with Fred I got set up, opting initialy for an olive buzzer on the point and a small black and red buzzer on the dropper after Fred mentioning claret had been working well. I set off around the lake to the far bank. The weather seemed to be against me with bright sunshine and not much of a ripple, thus not many fish where moving but I cast out the buzzers in anticipation of a take but no, nothing so i switched to a claret buzzer and again nothing so after 45mins I put a diawl bach on the point, a couple of wee tugs but nothing to write home about.
I switched to the old faithful, Moorbrook Bloodworm, fished 4/5 ft under an indicator. This resulted in 2 top quality fish in 2 casts. I fished the bloodworm for another hour or so, missing plenty of fish. I then hooked a lovely fish about 2lb 8oz. It was just before 2pm and I fished for another hour, missing at least 10 more fish but that is the nature of the game. I was working at Tildarg at 5pm so I packed up and headed home.
I switched to the old faithful, Moorbrook Bloodworm, fished 4/5 ft under an indicator. This resulted in 2 top quality fish in 2 casts. I fished the bloodworm for another hour or so, missing plenty of fish. I then hooked a lovely fish about 2lb 8oz. It was just before 2pm and I fished for another hour, missing at least 10 more fish but that is the nature of the game. I was working at Tildarg at 5pm so I packed up and headed home.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Tildarg Fishery - 18th September 2008
I woke this morning with the intention of heading to either Murloc or Movilla, at 9 am i phoned Movilla and got the usual "its fishing brillantly" response which i know from experience means it aint lol I hadnt slept well the night before, I was still tying flies at 4am so I decided to fish TIldarg instead, and another bonus is that I get to fish it for free. I quick run to Woodford to pick up some supplies and I was at Tildarg for 11am.
I initially set up with a diawl bach on the point and an olive buzzer and headed off up the bank, with a couple of fish rising but no takes or bites so thought I might have a better chance in the boat. I anchored up along the far bank quite close to the weeds, a couple of casts and a smashing take on a black buzzer (see pic below). With the fish landed, I fished for another 20 mins or so and moved on bottom corner of the lake beside the dead trees, I had a bite here and had a fish on that went down into the weeds and I had to snap the line and sacrifice 2 flies, all part of the game.
I moved the boat to near the middle of the lake after seeing a couple of fish moving. I anchored up and changed to a size 12 black buzzer on the point and a size 16 black buzzer with red head(also in pic below). BANG!!! fish on the dropper, it gave me a good scrap. Fish netted and it was back to fishing, 2 casts later and I wasnt paying attention and SMASH, a fish hit me like an express train and broke my dropper off. With a new cast tied up, I fished on for another 30 mins with another bite but nothing else. 
A wee bit of clay pigeon shooting and it was back to the fishery at about 5pm. I had another bite to eat and headed up the bank with the buzzers on again. With plenty of fish moving at this point I thought buzzers would do the trick but no it fell to the trusty Moorbrook bloodworm on a 14 ft leader fished with a slow figure 8 retrieve. 2 fish hit me like express trains and with them safely landed and releashed, another fish hit me and got off and then the rain forced a halt to play so I packed up and headed home.
I initially set up with a diawl bach on the point and an olive buzzer and headed off up the bank, with a couple of fish rising but no takes or bites so thought I might have a better chance in the boat. I anchored up along the far bank quite close to the weeds, a couple of casts and a smashing take on a black buzzer (see pic below). With the fish landed, I fished for another 20 mins or so and moved on bottom corner of the lake beside the dead trees, I had a bite here and had a fish on that went down into the weeds and I had to snap the line and sacrifice 2 flies, all part of the game.
I moved the boat to near the middle of the lake after seeing a couple of fish moving. I anchored up and changed to a size 12 black buzzer on the point and a size 16 black buzzer with red head(also in pic below). BANG!!! fish on the dropper, it gave me a good scrap. Fish netted and it was back to fishing, 2 casts later and I wasnt paying attention and SMASH, a fish hit me like an express train and broke my dropper off. With a new cast tied up, I fished on for another 30 mins with another bite but nothing else.
At this point (3pm) my mate, Marty had arrived and after a bite to eat and not much happening fishing wise he talked me into going to his hide and having a pop at some crows with the shotgun. I got the only crow of the day which wasnt bad for my first time.
A wee bit of clay pigeon shooting and it was back to the fishery at about 5pm. I had another bite to eat and headed up the bank with the buzzers on again. With plenty of fish moving at this point I thought buzzers would do the trick but no it fell to the trusty Moorbrook bloodworm on a 14 ft leader fished with a slow figure 8 retrieve. 2 fish hit me like express trains and with them safely landed and releashed, another fish hit me and got off and then the rain forced a halt to play so I packed up and headed home.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Murloc Angling and Rural Pursuits - 12th September 2008
Arrived at Murloc at 10am, with so much buzz about the fishery I was excited to get set up and chuck a fly or two. Firstly I was astounded by the lodge, it is fantastic. When I got out of the car I was greated by an energetic springer by the name of Fly. Upon entering the lodge I met Fred the owner and also Paul from our very own forum. I filled out a wee detail sheet to be put onto the Murloc waiting list and then Fred ran over the rules and also what flies had been working.
I moved round to a jetty and got set up, Fred has said that fish had been taking apple green buzzers so I set up with a size 12 olive buzzer on the point and a size 16 lime green buzzer on the dropper. I had a couple of bites and then a very subtle take resulted in a fish of about 2lb weight that shot off into the centre of the lake, great fight and not a fin out of place. I got 3 fish on the olive buzzer and a couple of bites on the small buzzers.
I moved around to another spot, with a few more bites a moved round the the bank opposite the lodge and set up with the olive buzzer on the dropper and a size 12 diawl bach on the point. great fun on this jetty, a further 5 taking the diawl bach. Paul managed to get 1 fish beside me on the diawl bach. With the sun shining brightly the fish stopped moving on the surface, at this point I put a size 12 moorbrook bloodworm 5 ft under an indicator, the fly was out 2 mins and big take that broke me, and again the next take broke me so set up another bloodworm, this take was more solid and I landed a lovely 3lber. I caught a further 8 fish on the bloodworm. Paul landed a further 3 on a bloodworm i gave him.
Things went quiet and is started to rain and the fish decided to go deep, I fished the bloodworm for another wee while and then changed back to Diawl bach and buzzer combo but opted for a red headed buzzer as the olive buzzer was in a fish's mouth at the bottom of the lake. I fished the buzzers and diawl bach's on a very slow figure 8 retrieve and BANG fish on but it got off so flies back out again and another fish took the buzzer, at this point the rain was pelting down so I decided to tackle down and head home, as did Paul. We headed back to the lodge and had a chat with Fred and let him know how the day had gone.
So overall a throughly enjoyable day with 17 excellent fish (a personal best for me) and Paul ended up with 4 but sure who's counting...... lol.
Here are a few pictures of fish from throughout the day
I moved round to a jetty and got set up, Fred has said that fish had been taking apple green buzzers so I set up with a size 12 olive buzzer on the point and a size 16 lime green buzzer on the dropper. I had a couple of bites and then a very subtle take resulted in a fish of about 2lb weight that shot off into the centre of the lake, great fight and not a fin out of place. I got 3 fish on the olive buzzer and a couple of bites on the small buzzers.
I moved around to another spot, with a few more bites a moved round the the bank opposite the lodge and set up with the olive buzzer on the dropper and a size 12 diawl bach on the point. great fun on this jetty, a further 5 taking the diawl bach. Paul managed to get 1 fish beside me on the diawl bach. With the sun shining brightly the fish stopped moving on the surface, at this point I put a size 12 moorbrook bloodworm 5 ft under an indicator, the fly was out 2 mins and big take that broke me, and again the next take broke me so set up another bloodworm, this take was more solid and I landed a lovely 3lber. I caught a further 8 fish on the bloodworm. Paul landed a further 3 on a bloodworm i gave him.
Things went quiet and is started to rain and the fish decided to go deep, I fished the bloodworm for another wee while and then changed back to Diawl bach and buzzer combo but opted for a red headed buzzer as the olive buzzer was in a fish's mouth at the bottom of the lake. I fished the buzzers and diawl bach's on a very slow figure 8 retrieve and BANG fish on but it got off so flies back out again and another fish took the buzzer, at this point the rain was pelting down so I decided to tackle down and head home, as did Paul. We headed back to the lodge and had a chat with Fred and let him know how the day had gone.
So overall a throughly enjoyable day with 17 excellent fish (a personal best for me) and Paul ended up with 4 but sure who's counting...... lol.
Here are a few pictures of fish from throughout the day
Woodford Fly Fishery - 5th September 2008
Woke up this morning at 9am and nearly fell back asleep and then I remembered I was planning on going fishing, quick phonecall to Darren to see how the weather was and then it was all stations go. I arrived a Woodfrod just after 10am. A warm greeting from Darren and a cup of his finest tea and i got set up, opting for a buzzer on the dropper and a diawl bach on the point. Met Alan (AMC) and after a quick chat I set off up the bank. Also met Michael (Fossil Fish) away, another quick chat lol and it was time to fish. A strong NE wind was blowing, forcing my line into the weed beds along the bank, fustrating me a lot. Moved back round to the towards the lodge and saw a couple of fish moving on the surface, fished this spot for about 30 mins and cast over a rising trout and hooked the wee blighter, a subtle take and a good fight. The fish was approx 1lb 8oz and fully finned and fell to the diawl bach. I fished on for an hour or so and changed my black buzzer to a size 12 olive buzzer and BANG a solid take and a super fight from a 2lb rainbow again fully finned. With the fish netted we went for a bite to eat of Darren's "Healthy" Fry's lol with the rain and wind getting worse, we decided to brave the elements. Michael hit into a fish with a buzzer under the indicator and then he had to go to work so Alan and I headed into the lodge and grabbed a drink, Alan was quick to head back out, I was not lol after a chat with darren and davy I went back out for a few more hours, a couple of touches on the buzzer and no results i tried a daddy on the surface, no interest so I switched to the intermediate line, with a cormorant and then a hot head damsel and a zonker, no touches at all. I decided to call it a day and headed into the lodge and tackled down. Alan got a fish and lost 1 before he left. It was a pleasure to meet Alan and Michael and thank you Darren for an enjoyable day despite it being so wet lol.
Tildarg Fishery - 20th August 2008
I was working tonight and it was a nice evening with plenty of fish moving just under the surface, there where a couple of daddies flying along the banks and a lot of buzzers in the air so I decided to set the rod up for half an hour and set up using a 15ft leader of 6lb Airflo Sightfree Fluorocarbon with a dropper about 10ft from the braided loop with a size 12 Firefoil Buzzer (wee pattern I made up one night) and a size 12 Craig Barr Diawl Bach with a luminous yellow head on the point. First fish fell to the Diawl Bach with the next 3 taking the buzzer to my delight. So in half an hour I ended up with 4 beautiful fully finned rainbow. It was a good night for me lol the flies I used are in the pictures below .
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