Annual Fly Review 2011/2012 Season.
With 2011 at an end here is my annual fly review in place of fishing reports which will start again early in 2012. This will hopefully make for interesting reading over the winter months and also give a few ideas for the start of the 2012 season which for me will begin in March. After listing my best all round fish catchers recommended by me my review will feature:-
1. New patterns and best seasonal patterns
2. Top 6 for me personally in 2011.
3. Best selling NJAF patterns of 2011.
There are some great new patterns in this review with some I caught well with immediately and then continued to do well with but I know it is always the case that different anglers do better with different flies and because of this I often get feedback of great results from a pattern I do not do as well with and also some of my best selling patterns can also be patterns that others do better with than me.
Also a fly which has caught the most for me in a year is not necessarily one of my favourite patterns but as was the case this year it just happened to have a couple of days when fish really went for it and so caught a lot of fish on a couple of days rather than regularly catching fish throughout the year at lots of different fisheries. Because of this the following are flies which are my favourite patterns due to their success at many fisheries over the last few years and are ones I regularly put on my cast first and so can recommend them as proven catchers :-
NJAF Recommended Best All Round Fish Catchers
Mini Minky Special Black & Green, Flashback Damsel Green, White Fritz Redhead, Flashback Damsel Black, Flexi-floss Bloodworm Red, Bibio Hopper Popper, Flexi-floss Bloodworm Pink, Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldhead, Montana Nymph Variation, Magic Yellow Lure, Flexi-floss Bloodworm Pink Centre Bead, Cats Whisker Yellow Bead.
1. New Patterns and Best Seasonal Pattern.
Magic Yellow Lure.
I only added this to the site half way through 2011 but have been using it for a while before this and had promised to keep it to myself until then. I could not believe it would catch many fish when I was shown it and did not expect to sell many when I put it on site simple because it does not look flash or pretty and probably looks nothing like a fly you would expect to catch a lot of fish with. Perhaps though that is the reason it has worked so well because it is so different to anything else and as yet not many people are using it.
Strangely Browns go for this as well as Rainbows and I lost a Brown of about 5lb on it at Caistron Lake and had many Browns on it at Kielder.
Personally I have found it best on an Intermediate or sinking line with short quick jerky pulls which perhaps get the tail moving in the right way.
Magic Yellow Lure Goldbead.
This was the original pattern I was given and although I already knew it worked really well I tied one without the Gold head and found this worked slightly better for me.
This Gold Bead version is fished with the same retrieve but I have found this one better on a Floating line. It is fair to say that due to the material used both flies are not the best to cast but results are well worth the effort at times.
Cruncher Black.
Another fly which was added to site mid way through 2011 after I was given the pattern after it had been giving great results all year at Caistron Lake.
This was a fly which was then fished regularly by my Dad at Whinney Loch where he had great results and caught with it each day during a week long stay and also again on a later visit to the fishery including hooking some really nice fish with it. As it is still a new fly I look forward to testing this fly out around the fisheries next year.
Cats Whiskers Yellow Bead.
Cats whiskers have been a top pattern for many years now and each year seems to see a new variation. Probably not many have proved much better than the original but this is one I had instant success with and which continued to catch well for the few fishing sessions I had left simply because I only added it to site towards the end of the season but it did do exceptionally well at Caistron lake and Whinney Loch and I expect to do well with it in 2012.
Bibio Hopper Popper.
This has been my best seasonal pattern and is my favourite of the types of Hopper Popper due to the fact that a Bibio Hopper popper does so well across the North East into Scotland. Although the idea of suspending flies with foam has been about for many years now this is one of the few patterns that I find it works to great success with. On top of that although it can be used and catch well fished as a single fly I like fishing it in a style that I personally find both successful and a really enjoyable way to fish and this is with a team of 3 flies. With the Hopper Popper on the point and 2 wets or buzzers either hung static in the water or very slowly retrieved in results can be great as well being an exciting way to fish with any movement in the flies seeing the Hopper move or go under the water. Montana Nymph Variation are 2 flies which I did really well with fishing in this way in 2011 which helped push them into my top 6 catching patterns of the year.
Best results with this method are July to October when fish are feeding on or near the surface.
I also occasionally fish a small weighted fly tied to the hook bend of the popper and hung underneath it and although this gives results it is not a method I enjoy fishing as much.
CDC F Fly Grey and CDC Light Hares Ear
Only added these 2 in December ready for the 2012 season. They caught well in 2011 at Whinney Loch and Langley Dam where one competition saw everyone including the beginners there catching on them with the Grey one probably the slightly better of the 2.
Lots of CDC patterns are about a lot of which I have not found any success with so I know its not just the case just to have the CDC feather to make any one of them work. These are 2 simple looking patterns which will catch fish.
Killer Shrimp
Only just added this for the 2012 season. Despite the fact I have had the pattern since June a lot of different materials are used in it some of which I had difficulty getting hold of.
Although this was meant as a copy of the Killer Shrimp which at the moment has only invaded Grafham water it has caught really well elsewhere but only when fished under a strike indicator and as it does not have the same effect when fished in any other way this is a fly for anglers who fish with strike indicators
Top 6 for me personally in 2011.
Zonker U.V.Black
Although this is top this year it is down to the fact there were a couple of days when fish went mad for it rather than it regularly catching fish around all the fisheries. For some reason Knitsley Mill Fishery is a place where fish go mad for this and I certainly would not go there without one and I would say despite the fact that Black Fritz lures are not my favourite lures they often give good results from anywhere to being bumped across the surface to intermediate or sinking lines and in my opinion this pattern has the edge on any of the other Black Fritz patterns.
Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldbead
What a great fly the original Dawsons Olive was and there have been many adaptations to it over the years but this one has become my favourite over the last few years both because of the fact that I like fishing mini lures on a size 10 standard shank hook and because I have caught with it at every fishery rather than it only working at certain ones so it is one I can recommend for any fishery around the country.
Belises Blue
This is a fly which will make my top 6 depending upon how many times I fish certain fisheries as a few places I have found it fantastic at and others despite many attempts it does not work at.
I was given it many years ago where it was used to good success on private water in Northumberland but strangely I have found it not to work in this area but it is fisheries across the Scottish borders where I have fished it to great effect with the exception of Whinney Loch.
Watch fishery is where I have found it to be a special fly where I regularly catch really well with throughout the year and it also does well at Clerklands fishery and Whinney loch.
White Fritz Redhead.
The only white Fritz pattern I have done anything with is this one and it can catch fish anywhere. The 2 factors which I find make it really effective are the White Pearl Fritz and the Red Head which is painted on to get the right colour. The downside is that through time the paint comes off and needs touching up with red nail varnish but this is a price worth paying as the different shades of red beads I have tried have just not been as effective.
This is an especially affective pattern along the far bank at Langley Dam
Flexi Floss Bloodworm Red.
I have caught many fish fly over a good few years now everywhere I have fished but usually mainly on a floating or Intermediate line. I did find Pink Bloodworms out fished this one over a few years but this colour should not be forgotten about as they can be lethal.
This year I also had great success with it fished with a team and style using a Bibio Hopper Popper and certainly either fished this way or as a wet in its own right these Bloodworms will remain as one of my favourite wet patterns along with Montana Nymph Variation and Flashback damsels for the 2012 season.
Montana Nymph Variation.
I must have fished this fly for 30 years now and despite the many new patterns there have been in this time this has remained a s one of my favourite and best catching wet flies.
Along with the Red bloodworm it caught especially well for me this year fishing in a team of flies hung behind a Bibio Hopper Popper but it has probably been in my top 6 flies every year except one for each of the thirty years I have been using it either as a single fly at Whinney Loch or as a dropper of which I usually prefer it a s a top dropper.
Simple looking but that clear contrast of Black/green which just makes it a great pattern at any fishery.
Best Selling NJAF patterns of 2011.
As I mention earlier different anglers have favourite patterns they catch best with and do not rate flies others catch really well with so as an extra guide I will list the flies which have sold the best in 2011. Because this is for the current season only they may not necessarily show up on the home page of my shopping cart as a best seller over ones I have been selling for more years but here is this years ones. :-
1. Flexi Floss Bloodworm Pink.
2. Cut Throat cats Whiskers.
3. Minky Special Black and Green.
4. Cats Whiskers Gold Bead
5. Montana Nymph variation.
6. Fritz Goldhead U.V.Black
7. Cut Throat Booby
8. Flexi Floss Bloodworm Green
9. Dawsons Hot Tail Goldhead
10. Fritz Dawsons Goldhead.
2011Annual fishery reports
In conjunction with my annual fly review here is a run down of the 2011 season at the featured fisheries. It is worth bearing in mind that many had a tough year with the effects of the credit crunch far reaching and fisheries also feeling the effects of this with rising costs of fish stocks passed on by suppliers. Alongside this many anglers made less visits and some were reluctant to travel to the more remote fisheries due to petrol costs. This coupled with the fact that the demand for larger sized trout remains high and adds to the pressure on fisheries.
Here is a run down of the fisheries with some of the flies which stood out there:-
Knitsley Mill: - I started off with my first session of 2011 at Knitsley Mill and had a great days fishing. As with my fishing here in the previous year it was again a Zonker U.V. Black which the fish really did go mad for. Knitsley has only been on site as a featured fishery for a couple of years so I am still picking up flies for here but it is clear that Black Fritz catches fish throughout the year and this U.V Zonker for me is even better here.
All my fish here were between 2lb8 and 3lb and fighting fit but I saw a regular catch and return one of around 7lb when I was there.
Other patterns I caught with here in 2011 were Red Flexi floss Bloodworm and Damsel Flashback Black.
After enjoying my fishing here I did plan to fish a few more times starting with some summer evening sessions but unfortunately weed made the lakes virtually unfishable by late summer with the fishery manager unfortunately having to close and being unsure if this was to be permanent but fortunately he was given the backing to reopen at the end of the year and the lake was cleared of weed and restocked and as I have been looking forward to going back I think my 2012 season may well start again here.
Moffat fishery:-
As good a layout of a small fishery as you will see to maximise bank space and the fish are always fit and averaging around the 2lb8 to 3lb mark. The only problem which has affected Moffat has been the weed which has disrupted the fishing for a number of years. However this year the purchase of a weed cutting machine solved this problem and this enabled the fishery to again have its monthly fishing competitions and allowed anglers to fish weed free throughout the season. In fact I fished here in the middle of August and was able to fish right around the lake weed free which would certainly not have been the case here at this time of year in previous seasons.
I had some great fishing here particularly as I caught well on a method I really enjoy fishing and this was with a Bibio Hopper Popper on the point with a red Flexi Floss Bloodworm and Belises Blue hanging behind it which worked really well in a ripple with all 3 patterns catching well.
Usually I have always caught or seen others catch here when I am there on a Green Ribbed Diawl Bach and this was the case again this time as 2 anglers hit fish right from their first cast on this and a Yellow Dancer. Have to say with their Diawl Bach they caught few bigger fish and lost one off which was double figures.
Looking forward to picking any time of year to fish here again in 2012 knowing weed will be clear.
Caistron Lake: - I have really enjoyed fishing Caistron Lake since my first visit 6 years ago and can certainly say that the quality of fish over the last few years since a change of supplier has been top class. I love the setting plus you are not sure what you will get with some double figure fish stocked and some fine Browns in as well although these are usually clever and tough to get which makes it all the more surprising that I had one on of about 5lb this year on a Magic Yellow Lure.
Fish here as elsewhere go for the usual Blobs and lures after being stocked but I also like the fact here that when fish become settled here they feed on more natural patterns and a variety of patterns then work.
Strangely for the first few years I fished here I though I had a fail safe fly with the Pink Bloodworm and Pink Centre Bead Bloodworm which I always caught with and sometimes they would go mad for it but this year I had only one fish on them.
Fortunately I found 2 newer patterns to prove special here this year and these were a Hares Ear Gold Bead Buzzer and a yellow Bead Cats Whiskers but other flies I caught with this year were a Montana Nymph Variation which I find often works and a Dawsons Straggle Hot tail Gold Bead and Belises Blue.
A brief spurt of weed growth which appeared in August was completely gone by September and I have to say that during an evening session then I could have believed there were hardly any fish in if I did not know better and that during the last half hour of that session they came alive and it was easy as a take every cast.
Clerklands:-
Its good to see that after the fishery regularly changed hands almost every year that the recent managers are still in place and have given some stability and also some better fishing here.
When I fished here this year I caught on a Belises Blue which is usually the case for me here as Clerklands is a place where this pattern seems to often come up trumps especially when I am struggling. However it was a regular at Clerklands who was fishing from a boat when I was there who really showed how it was done regularly hitting into fish firstly on buzzers then especially on a Red Bloodworm. It was interesting to see that a lot of Bloodworms appeared in the water but this was only at the start of the fishery and in the middle but with the fish so keen on them it is certainly something I will watch for again.
Other patterns I have caught well with here have been Bibio Hopper and Hares Ear Goldbead.
Coldingham Loch:-
Out of all the featured fisheries this is probably the one I have fished and know best of all as I first started fishing it over 30 years ago now. That said though I have fished it less in recent years and 2011 was in fact the first year since 1980 that I did not fish it with the fishery up for sale and this finally went through in September.
Fontburn Reservoir:-
Some people love Fontburn and some hate it but that will always be the case here. It is mainly popular among bait rods and it is the main place in the North East which caters for anglers using worm, powerbait or spinners and has good stretches of bank fishing available for this. It is probably less used by fly rods.
Kielder:-
I first fished here in the year when Kielder first opened and although initially for the first few years it was for small Browns, Rainbows have been the main quarry for a number of years now and you always know what you will get with almost all the fish being around 1lb12 oz with a rare bigger fish introduced.
My early fishing here was always loch style either in some of the competitions organised here or in my club competitions and this is still the way I like to fish when I visit here. The only thing I would say has changed over recent years is that best results have been sub surface to lures rather than bushy flies on the surface which worked best and there is only a few of these I still do well with and the best of these are Bibio and Rob Roy. Fortunately I have found a few lures which have caught really well for me here over the last few years and these are Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldbead, Fluorescent Pink Tadpole, Magic Yellow Lure and Magic Yellow Lure Goldbead although it was the Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldbead which worked for me here in 2011. Most consistent boat spot again was Plashetts while friends who fished the bank found the bay up from Tower Knowe and also Hawkhope the best spots.
Langley Dam:-
This is one fishery for me personally where I always seem to have done well at as I have managed to find a number of good flies which I will catch on throughout the year. In fact this also seemed to be the case for my sons who have won or came runner up in there annual junior competition each year they fished before they became too old to enter.
Most fish average 2lb 8 to 3lb and are in great condition but there are also a good number of fish from 4lb up over introduced and I will always remember the 18lb rainbow I caught here last year on 5lb nylon so there is always a good chance of the better than average fish.
Although boats are available bank fishing is good right around the lake and this is the way I prefer here as I have some favourite bank spots.
From the start of the year until June as was the case this year I always catch along the far bank and into the bay on a White Fritz Redhead which is good along this spot only. Other flies I caught with here this year were a Red Flexi Floss Bloodworm, Magic Yellow lure, Pink Hot Head Hares Ear and a Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldhead. The Dawsons Hot tail is regularly a good pattern here but I have to admit it was one I have not used here recently simply due to new patterns but on my last visit here I put it on again after the only other angler on the day hitting into a lot of fish was using it.
Other flies I usually do well with here are Montana Variation, Damsel Flashbacks and also regularly pink flies with Pink Hot Head Hares Ear which I have not caught with at any other fishery and also Pink Bloodworms.
Sweethope Loughs:-
Fishing got off to the usual start here in 2011 but uncertainty about what was happening at the fishery had an effect on both the fishing and on angler numbers. Things did not look good and I cancelled plans for a session here early in the year and by August the fishery manager had left and this then led to Sweethope closing Mondays and Tuesdays in September then closing for the end of the season in October rather than December as is usually the case. Unfortunately at this moment things are still up in the air here and the owners are currently asking for any interested parties, syndicates or angling clubs who may be interested in running the fishery
Watch Reservoir:-
This is another fishery I first fished in 1980 and one which I have enjoyed fishing ever since. The setting of the fishery is Spectacular and almost worth a visit for the setting alone. Probably due to the economic situation the remoteness of Watch makes it a place which can suffer the most as anglers try to cut petrol costs and I was probably as guilty as anyone of this in 2011.
It is though a special kind of fishery and I hope to make a few visits in 2012 and would certainly recommend to others to travel that bit extra to Watch as there is nowhere else like it in our area. On top of that both myself and the anglers I was with had some great fishing here when we did fish this year.
A big investment by Bill Taylor who also runs Tweeddale Millennium has provided a good fleet of boats and is now able to cater for clubs although I personally love to roam right around the fishery with good weed clear bank fishing all the way around. Bank anglers who like to remain more static or are less mobile have easy access to a couple of consistent hotspots and these are at the gate by the road at the start of the fishery and at the start of the North shore and both of these places are where I personally caught really well at this year although I also caught at the roadside corner of the dam.
Dawsons Straggle Hot Tail Goldhead and Belises blue are the 2 flies I did particularly well with here this year and with the Belises I have to say fish at Watch love it for some reason and although it does not work at all at some fisheries I nearly always catch with it here.
Montana Variation is another regular favourite of mine here but strangely enough a Bibio and Rob Roy which I have fished for years with at Watch did not seem as effective this year.
Whinney Loch:-
As well run a small fishery as you will get and always well stocked. Good quality fish and you know that if you hit on a pattern which the fish are really going for on the day and you get a number of fish you are likely to get one of around 6 to 8lb.
I first fished here before it was developed as a fishery when you could only fish the dam wall and unfortunately for no particular reason I just never made it here this year despite the fact that my dad stayed here for a week on 2 separate occasions and my sons both travelled here and fished a couple of times so some of my old trusted and new patterns got a thorough try out.
It was a few of the new patterns which did especially well and in fact in both weeks a cats Whiskers Yellow Bead caught every single day while a Cruncher Black also did really well and big fish were lost at the net on both of these patterns. Montana Nymph Variation also caught well but this is a fly which I have had great success with over many years here now with a Bibio Hopper popper giving some great summer sport when fished in a ripple. For my sons the 2 flies in particular which worked for them here was a Magic Yellow Lure and again the Cats Whiskers yellow bead.
Other flies I have found highly effective here for a number of years now have been Pink Bloodworms and Mini Minky Special and Minky Special Black and Green.
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