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A warm welcome to the WDAC Game section. The Club has two beautiful dedicated trout venues, three lakes in total at Winterborne Zelston and Rawlsbury.

See below for details on how to buy your game tickets and for up-to-date game-related news.

MAY LAKES REPORT

Hello fellow game fishers,

May has been quite a dry month but with quite strong N and N Easterly winds and you have all reported good catches in spite of this. The growth in weed and reed mace in our lakes combined with cow parsley, hemlock and grass in the margins has indeed been remarkable and has necessitated quite a lot of work to ensure fishable areas. Our work parties continue to target these areas that require attention and we will be at WZ this Friday with our Neptune rake to take out channels of weed. All of you are welcome as it really is a case of many hands make light work!

On Saturday 13th May we held our annual Open day for beginners and newcomers. As I have mentioned before this a real opportunity for all ages, for anyone who want to try out game fishing for the first time or simply improve their skills in casting. My thanks to Mike Bilson who was our instructor on the day. All who attended were incredibly appreciative of his teaching and casting skills. After each session all were accompanied by one of our experienced members and I am very pleased to say everyone caught a fish!

We had some great feedback (See Below) and I am very grateful to all those who attended!

The session was beautifully organised and very informative. It was great to try our hand at the mystical art of fly fishing (not quite as mystical any more). We both felt the session was excellent and covered the essentials nicely and at a good level for beginners.

It was really good to have some tuition and assistance with casting and actually catching a fish (mostly Al’s work I think). I must apologise to Al for my repeated mis-casting and for seeming like I wasn’t listening to his advice (I was, but alas I seem to have the fly-fishing equivalent to 2 left feet). Although the occasions when it all seemed to come together were very satisfying.

Dylan and I both had a great time and will be back for more in the near future – I just need to find a field and practice my casting first I think.

Anyway, please pass on our gratitude for the session to all those who put in the hard work and time.

Your comments with your catch returns are always so valuable for us all so please continue to send them in:-

 I had my first trip to WZ on Thursday, taking a long-standing friend as a guest. The weather was utterly foul! Driving heavy rain & cold wind. It made no difference to us as we both REALLY loved the fishery! I was struck by the gorgeous gin-clarity of the water.....is it spring fed ?? Oddly, never saw a cruising fish all afternoon (1400 to 1700 fished), but they were head & tailing at buzzers all through the heavy rain and it was brilliant fun enticing them in the top 6'' on size 10 red buzzers amongst the ripple. I have had hundreds of trout on the fly & was pleasantly amazed at how those fish fought! They simply did not give up & one fit fish actually took line down to the backing .....fabulous fun. I took rainbows of 4lbs 6oz & 4lbs 10oz on buzzers & my friend had them to 4lbs 4oz & 4lbs 8oz...also on red buzzers.

Overall, very impressed with the fishery & the condition of all four fish we hooked......will return soon & also looking forward

My catch return for wed 3rd May was 2 fish at Rawlsbury, one of 4lbs from Chapmans and one of 3lbs from Cowleaze. Both on a small blue flash damsel. Wet day and nothing moving and the weed is growing fast in Chapmans. As always fish in v good condition.

2 nice fish 3 ¼ and 3.

Buzzer hatches, sporadic, just after each rain shower went through. Both caught on a size 16 pale buzzer fished quite shallow – about 12 “deep since a few fish were rising here and there. Fish actually contained slightly larger buzzers, and (darker). I would have changed or something like that, but stuck with what had caught already, so didn’t need to. Quite a few Daddies being blown onto the water, and again, had I needed to, that would have been the next line of attack.

I fished WZ yesterday afternoon and managed to winkle out two Rainbows, 4 lbs and 4 lb 8 oz both on a dark Green buzzer.

Lovely morning at Zelston today with a guest. 2 fish each 2 1/2, 3, 3 and 4lb. All usual top quality. All caught on dry flies.

Favourite Fly of the Month.

In the south of Britain, particularly in May, Pond Olives are found in about 70% of our ponds. Although they are mainly still-water animals, Pond Olives also live in some running waters and are found in about 10% of rivers.

If you have a favourite fly of the month or season you wish to share with other members, please let me know and I will include it in next month’s newsletter.

Tight lines

Paul.

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