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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.

NOVEMBER LAKES REPORT

Dear Game fishers,

November has been one of our wettest months on record, we have had snow, low temperatures and today 15°C, so we have had the lot! That hasn’t stopped our hardy members though.

RAWLSBURY

As you can see below Sandys Lake at Rawlsbury has completely drained out in the last few weeks probably because the monk operation has failed. We have assurances that this will be repaired during the closed season. The lakes at Rawlsbury provide us with a fantastic array of fishing both catch and release and catch and take and yet there is no doubt that we have had problems with this venue during the season. On a positive note, the silt trap leading into Chapmans has been repaired and as you can see in the photo a lake has formed – I wonder if there are any trout in there?

Those few that have fished Rawlsbury have reported catches in all the lakes including Viners with Bowns and Rainbows.

Sandys Lake

Chapmans Lake

Silt trap

WINTERBOURNE ZELSTON

Most of you have fished WZ this month and there have been some interesting reports some of which I have set out below: -

• I fished WZ this eve. Flat calm and only a couple of rises seen though there was briefly a hatch of tiny mosquito sized bugs. I tried the smallest dry in my box but that didn't work so I fished a #14 black midge just under the surface and at last light a 3 1/2 lb was tempted. Of interest, its stomach was completely empty.

• Fished last Friday along with Chris and three others, one of whom was a young man who quickly caught his two fish and departed. A lesson for us old codgers - mind you he was fishing into the top left corner where the trout had congregated to the extent that even Chris managed a couple (bitchy). I had tugs but only managed to hook one which quickly threw the hook in the weed, fortunately. I totally agree with your policy of encouraging barbless hooks. I have always crushed the Barb but I find that nowadays using manufactured barbless hooks I lose more fish (which suits me) than previous. I invariably give them slack line which no doubt contributes but hopefully any trout which snap the leader can more easily get rid of the hook- which is a bonus.

I fished WZ yesterday, a lot of fun if a wee bit on the windy side, two fish both 3 lbs.

• Paul – some fish moving near the surface. Earlier I had tried. Not interested in a Diawl Bach or Woolly Bugger from the right hand jetty. Moved to the far jetty (back to the road). By this time I had changed to a corixa/shrimp. Two fish took pretty much immediately. First at 7lb: hell of a run before I could stop him. Second about 3lb. Both full of corixa. So, they are feeding naturally. Quite shallow – there is not a lot of depth of water above the weed, so one has to come somewhat higher in the water.

• I went to WZ this afternoon arriving at about 1345. I was on my own although I was aware that other rods had fished in the morning as Meyrick had warned me that a traffic accident had made access difficult. Luckily it had cleared by the time I got there. It was bright sunshine and a good breeze so perfect conditions to see into the gin clear water. I fished initially from the first platform on the right but no luck. I saw a good rise in the middle but just in range of the next platform so moved round. I cast out a white Apache and almost immediately got a take. This continued to attract and I ended up with three wonderful rainbows of 4.4, 3.12 and 3.8 pounds. All fought exceptionally well and were your usual fin perfect fish. I went home at 1500.

As it was such a lovely day I went to WZ today for a quiet fish, PayPal receipt for ticket is below. I was the only one there through from mid-morning to 13.30.

When I arrived a cormorant flew off, and when I went to my car parked in the paddock, after catching my first fish two cormorants were on the water, when I got back to the lake and this time one of them did not want to leave and I chased it around the lake for about 20 minutes until it finally flew off. I will take the gun tomorrow, as Jim wants me to take off the metal plate. upon which the padlock was fixed to enable it to be welded back again. I will put a temporary lock on the hut and move that lock across.

The lake was in good heart but I was concerned about the cormorants and the absence of swans and indeed ducks and moorhens as well. I did wonder about whether an otter had been about and I will look for signs tomorrow too. I expect we are missing fish as a result of the black birds. [Thinking about this problem, a suggestion would be stocking fish of over 1.5 kilos only for the next few months would reduce losses].

To my surprise there were fish high in the water and it was almost as if they were sun-bathing. I saw none when walking around or when standing on the platforms except for the movements on the surface towards the centre of the lake. I lost my first take that simply went off like an express train and also a further one later in the morning that simply did a cartwheel and threw the hook. However, I did manage to land one from the west platform that was three pounds and then, after the chasing cormorant episode, got a fish of just over 4lbs from the bungalow platform. The latter fish ran me ragged and only came to the net after taking me down to the backing, and I was glad I was on my 6 weight and not something lighter. The fly used for both fish was a size 12 hares ear with a flashback. The second fish took as the fly was still sinking within seconds of it hitting the water so I must have cast close to it.

Yuletide greetings to you all.

Best wishes,

Paul.

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