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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.

APRIL LAKES REPORT

Hello fellow game fishers,

It’s been a cold and wet April and I am sure we are all waiting for those halcyon spring days when blue skies and a gentle breeze gives us perfect conditions for fly fishing. At WZ yesterday the sun stayed out so we cut the margins and cleared surface weed we even had a hatch of pond olives so it may be a sign!

Some of your reports are as follows:

• Fished at WZ today, 2 fish,  4lb 5oz and 4lb 8 oz, both faught extremely well, difficult conditions but great fun.

• I had a terrific morning at WZ today and grassed two fish @ 4.3 and 3.12 lbs/oz on a small white thingamy - sort of larger white nymph. Seemed to do the business quite quickly. Both fish stuffed with nymphs and hog-lice. I must say, the fish are as good as one can get anywhere and fight with great gusto and energy. We are indeed privileged!

• Great fun at WZ  Easter Monday.

Myself and a guest arrived early doors and were quickly into some fast and furious action. The lakes are in A1+ condition and we were unhampered by weed anywhere around the well kept banks! Screaming reels provided the soundtrack to battling trout. Two brace of fin perfect rainbows weighing from two and a half pounds

 to a ounce short of 5 lbs. Flies were imitative rather than flashy which may indicate a change in weather is imminent...we can but hope!

All the best

• WZ I have been a fly fisher for about 60 yrs, and honestly I have never seen a stillwater so clean & clear as Zelston, a jewel in the clubs crown without a doubt! Had a good morning, 5lb 2oz & 3lb. 6oz, all on a --------------

• One deep on a sunk line and black snake booby. Ashamedly I have to admit to resorting to a blob to take the second. Apache, and a Diawl Bach did for the last.

Funny old day – a bit on and off, but the fish were there. If I were doing it again, I’d start on a Diawl Bach.

Usual collection of hoglouse, and buzzers and small I don’t know whats!

• Today I spent the morning at Rawlsbury on a two fish ticket before the rain hit with a vengeance at lunchtime.

I managed to land 4 fish, one from each of the four lakes. Three were around the 4lbs mark and the other about 3lbs. Orange was the favourite colour today.

I took a brace of four pounders, one from Chapmans and one from Cowleaze.

Most fish activity was seen in Chapmans with several topping between the two pontoons and a few following the fly but not taking. In Cowleaze I had a few pulls but just the one hook up and in Sandy I did lose another

fish near the net. Viners was the quietest with no other action beyond the one fish caught and returned

• Cold windy and miserable, it has to be said. Wasn’t, at home, which is why I went. Nothing on the surface, so I assumed they would be deep.

Went up just beyond the 1st jetty, and chucked a long cast out across the LHS of the sandbar.  First cast, fish took on the drop.  This was a black “Apache” variant. In that the mink is tied as a collar on a very long hook, to try and get the thing to hook well. Quite a heavy fly on an intermediate.

Nothing much after that for 15 minutes.  Moved up near the second jetty, where I could cast right across into the deep channel. Changed to a sinker with a black booby and 24” leader. Had a pull 1st cast. Landed 4 ¾ lb on the second.  Neither fish contained much – just a few water fleas.

• Catch return for last Friday at Rawlsbury. Four fish all from Chapmans, 4.8 lb, 3,8, 3 and 3. 3 on red dial bach and one on black Apache. 2 were caught by my grandson (his first trout). a great afternoon all round.

• One Rainbow of 3-0 from Chapmans & then 3 fish from Sandy’s

1 Brown & 2 Rainbows all around the 2-8 mark. All returned of course!

• I went to Chapmans today. A nasty cold Notherly wind but there were some fish showing. I got one on a white Apache and one on a black . 4 1/2 and 3 1/2. I lost another at the net after a tremendous fight which came off just as I was thinking I really wouldn’t mind losing you after such a fight!

I tried a floating line , dries and buzzers but no good, unlike other rods who succeeded. I think I must take more care to match the hatch.

• I had an entertaining few hours at Rawlsbury  last week. The highlight of which was a clonker of a rainbow up at Viners. Unhooked it in the net of course, but I reckon it was around 6lbs. There was a hatch of small sedges in all the lakes and this fish was moving around on and off. I waited quietly for 10 minutes until it reappeared and second cast with a buzzer it was on. It took plenty of line and at one stage got snagged in some dead reed mace. Just did the usual and gave out some slack line, untangled the line and when I tightened up it was still on! I went for a cup of coffee after that.

On Chapmans I had a number of takes and fish slipping the hook but ended up with my two fish, one at 4Lbs 6oz and the other was 3Lbs 12 oz. Both on the same red buzzer, drifting a tight line and waiting for any slight movement. Again, the little devils fought like demons and I'm glad I opted for an 8lb leader.

A really nice trip on lovely spring day.

• A good start to the month at WZ - You were right, last night’s rain pleased the fish.

14 lbs 4oz and 5lb 4oz.

All the lakes at Rawlsbury are fishing well and its particularly pleasing to have brownies being caught in Sandys. Must have been there for at least 3 years or more. Finally, can I remind everyone to sign in at Rawlsbury, Its important to the farm manager that he can account for all those on the lakes.

Tight lines and good fishing!

Paul

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