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I hold many fond memories at Toft Newton Reservoir, as this was the first water I always used to fish at the start of the season, when I was a teenager.(Some time ago now!) Last weekend was the Fur & Feather match, and it was not about numbers, but about the heaviest brace of fish at the end of the day, allowing for anglers to seek the bigger fish. As I arrived at the lake at 7.15am, I was surprised to be greeted by 8 or so cars in front of me at the gate. Toft offers a good depth...

Rutland Water offers such a diverse way of fishing at any one time. Whether you want to fish a dry fly, or fish a DI-8 with a tube fly, the odds are you will catch a fish, and as some people have found out this last week, it could be 2lb, or even 10lb !! My first day of 3 in a row, was with Warwickshire's Andrew Wheildon. Andrew had visited Rutland 3 previous times, and hadn't landed a fish. We were greeted with a bright day, and at times, flat calm conditions. . We started at C3 Buoy, located 200...

It was a pleasure to share a boat with Drew Mcintosh recently on Rutland, however the weather on the day was not so pleasurable, blue skies, accompanied by a strong Easterly wind. This certainly wasn't going to hamper our enthusiasm. Drew is part of the RAF fly fishing team, and wanted to learn a trick or two.....though the conditions restricted the presentation options, I'm sure he picked up a tip or two. It is no secret that the basin at Rutland at this time of year tends to hold a big number of fish, and this was recently aided by...

As the water temperatures rise, Rutland's Basin comes into its own, as the fish head here for the deeper cooler water. The latest stocking of 4,000 fish were all released around the shores of the basin, adding to the larger numbers already resident there. Easy fishing you could think? Think again, as  friend Trevor Gibson and I found out at the 'flick of a switch'. As we headed for the North shore, Sykes lane to be precise, the wind was coming straight off the shore - a Northerly wind. Our first 20 minutes we hadn't moved a fish, so I...

Rutland can be a test at the best of times, however it can also harbour some magnificent times, as well as magnificent fish! Friday saw me afloat with a local angler, Sam Smith who wanted to learn a few tips on boat fishing. Rutland is still at that pivotal point where it is still getting over the previous warm weather, and the raised water temperatures, though there are now signs, as the water temperatures are clearly dropping, that the fishing is coming to life. A daddy sits on the water.....a great pattern to be using now. . We headed to...