Toft Newton On The Buzzers
Posted by Craig Barr on
Finally, the lock down has been lifted, and we can all go fishing again. I have never been so keen to go fishing in a long while.
Not only are we all in partial lock down, we have also experienced the driest, and possibly warmest May for a long time - just what we wanted on our return to fishing !
With all the Anglian Water's not open at the time,(they are now) I decided to pay a visit to Toft Newton Trout Fishery, near Lincoln. When a youngster, this was the first fishery to open, so I visited here every February to cast my first line of each year.
So, blue skies, hot sunshine, normally we would reach for our sinking lines, however I was determined to enjoy my first day back, so decided i was going to fish a floating line all day, with a team of mixed nymphs, Buzzers, Diawl Bachs and Crunchers.
With my son Oscar in tow, we headed for the bank with the wind off our backs. We were greeted by 7 other anglers braving the heat, and as things went, it seemed to be getting off to a slow start. Undeterred by this, I continued to set up my floating line, with a team of buzzers.
It wasn't long until the line pulled tight, and we had landed our first fish, soon followed by and 2nd. The water at Toft Newton is pretty deep all the way around, and the fish, at times, do come close in, so close, you can sometimes spot the odd ones swimming by ! With this in mind, and the bright sun, i found myself kneeling down a lot, to keep me out of view of the fish, as I had taken caught several fish only 15 feet out from the bank.
It was obvious at times the fish were moving up and down in the water, as sometimes we used a Fab to keep the flies suspended higher in the water, and when this slowed, we removed the Fab and replaced it with a grub sized 8 buzzer. The fish will move up and down through the depths, throughout the day, and its important you identify this, and react accordingly, if you want to continue catching.
As the heat intensified, the fishing slowed somewhat. Undeterred by this I soldiered on with my floating line and nymphs approach. Oscar wanted a go, so I set him up with an indicator, and 3 buzzers. Within the space of 5 minutes I watched his indicator sail away twice, and both times Oscar didn't react fast enough. My mind is now twitching, as I hadn't had a take in a while, yet Ocar's indicator had flown under twice in 5 minutes!! Naturally, I just had to have a go, and I did. You guessed it, it wasn't long and I was in.
Presenting the flies in this different fashion, can make a huge difference, and I know the indicator, or bung fishing isn't everyone's cup of tea, it can however, certainly have its day !
Above, Oscar playing and netting his own fish.
We ended the day with 11 trout, and a 3/4lb perch. It was certainly a day of perseverance, but I guess 11 fish, considering the conditions, was pretty good.
I shall certainly be back here, as the top of the water sport can be fantastic, and with some pretty big fish included in the regular stockings, I can't wait to see one or two role over a dry fly!!
Tackle used, Wychwood RS rod, 7# Wychwood Rocket Floater, and 8lb Ghost Mode leader.
The links below show the 3 best flies of the day.
We hope you enjoyed the read.....Next stop is Rutland Water, 3rd of June, so keep an eye out for the days report, right here. Wherever you maybe fishing, enjoy, and be safe !
Craig Barr
www.flashattackflies.com