Fernworthy

[Pete Tyjas]

Mark and I popped down and had a fish today. I rigged up with the usual intermediate and tadpole and we headed off. Mark had a floater and dry and it proved the right choice as we found some slack water on the edge of a ripple with a few risers. I followed suit and we had them throughout the day on dires up until 2 ish and then we hung some buzzers under the dries and picked up a few this way. It was nice seeing a few other fisherman take advantage of the settled weather and hope they had as good a time as us. We managed 10/12 fish between us all around 10 to 12 inch size. Mark said he saw a good sized fish moving in a slick lane and I got wrapped in some weed by a fish that felt a little bigger but all in all a really nice day.

Pete

[loopy]

Fernworthy I have never seen so alive with fish. All around me on the southern shore by the fishing hut and round to the dam on the right as you look out the fish were rising and even jumping (clue there I suppose)! But could I catch one - no. I went through at least twenty different flies and fished from lots of different angles. Even slipped on a rock and took a soaking. At one point when resting up on one of those picnic tables nearby I had five different species of insects buzzing around me including a few mayflies which I have not seen here before and obviously early ones too. The catch returns for the past week suggested that fishing was difficult. Oh well just have to visit here again! I spoke to a guy last year on one of my trips and he confirmed that he had been fishing here since he was fourteen a good many years ago. He told me that he had seen fish to 7-8lb in this reservoir. Upon being questioned (rudely in hindsight) he confirmed it was from the sighting of the dorsal and tail fins of the fish feeding off the surface. Mmmmmmmmmm! I'll definitely be back again.

[troutbum]

Hi Loopy

I used to like Fernworthy a few years back when it was a mixed fishery (Browns/Rainbows/Brooks). It always seemed to be a cut above other stillwaters somehow. I always did well on dries especially those of the klink variety.If not on the top then small buzzer patterns always took fish especially when fished around the breeze and fairly shallow. If in doubt small and black for all the above (but hey I always say that !!)

Mark

[grhe]

Just come back from a couple of days in Devon and as there were so few rises on the CFFC beats, I went to Fernworthy for a day.

I've always liked this water; it's quiet, in a beautiful setting and there is good fly life. I had one of my first casting lessons here from Roddy Rae and went on to catch my first Brown from Fernworthy that evening during a massive hatch that had so many trout cavorting about that one of them eventually tripped over my inexpertly cast fly.

Anyway, the wind was pretty light for Fernworthy and there were plenty of fish rising, although I could see that many of them were very small. I moved along the south shore, fishing mostly dry flies and changing frequently as nothing was provoking a take. Finally, I had a couple of takes using a small Yellow Humpy (one of Roddy Rae's Westcountry Selections, incidentally) but could not connect.

I tried a couple of subsurface flies, a green Montana and then a Zulu but nothing so back to dries. I could not stay for the evening, when things might have picked up. There were 2 other guys fishing as well and they had no luck either.

From reading the catch returns, it is clear that the fishing can be very good but I've never had more than 1 fish per trip at Fernworthy. Nevertheless, I'd rather have 1 fish from Fernworthy than a bagful from a put-and-take stewpond so I'll persevere. Has anyone else had much experience of Fernworthy and care to share any tips?

[terry]

Hi Grhe,

I,ve fished Fernworthy on and off for nigh on thirty years and it is always my first choice if the rivers are out of sorts. I'm afraid it seems to fish well or it does,nt but I suppose that could be me.
What I have found is if the bank by the lodge is not producing I walk round to the other side and often this bank will fish OK. I normally fish traditional wets without too much colour.

I'm glad you had a good day and met Roddy he was a very special guy and is still sadly missed by all of us who had the pleasure in knowing him.

Terry

[loopy]

Fished it Saturday just gone for an hour or so. Very windy around 20 mph but from the ticket office I did manage to get a rise but missed it. That was the only rise I saw during my short trip.

[Pete Tyjas]

I had a quick cup of tea with Chris Hall yesterday and he said he was there early this week and there were quite a few fish rising....there's still time!

[troutbum]

Took advantage of the settled weather on Monday and paid a visit to Fernworthy. After a breakfast stop off at the Roborough Cafe for bacon egg sausage etc it was a beautiful drive across the moor. The Reservoir was looking great with a ripple on the water and some cloud cover interspersed with warm sun. the level was down a bit from last I was here (about 20 years ago) but it made fishing any part on the bank v easy. Fish were taking off the top from the off and I managed a quite a few fish on a black klink with a pink post. Looks cool !!

About 8 other anglers there most of whom were wading and fishing a bit on the heavy side. I resisted the temptation to wade out and stuck to fishing about 2 rod lengths out with the klink. It went a bit quiet around midday so went for a black hopper and that got em interested again. Stuck to fishing quite close in and did not go further than 15-20 yards out. Ended the day with about 10 fish up to a beaut of around 18inches. Oh before I get too cocky I missed loads as they are very quick!!!

All fish came off the top on either the size 16 black klink or the size 14 black hopper. Nice day all round and I wont be leaving it so long to go back.

Mark

[flyboxfan]

Well done seems like a successful day