WINDERMERE once a noteworthy wild brown trout water has declined rapidly during the past few years and the lack of brown trout has become a major concern.

Reasons for the decline including pollution; fish-eating birds, in particular Cormorants, the explosion of the roach population and the diminution of fly life which has has changed the trout's feeding habits their size and where they lie.

This is perhaps borne out by the very large brown trout being caught on sea deadbaits fished in deep waters by pike anglers.

Many of the regular fly fishermen have been out with only a couple of small browns, caught while in the Winder-mere Anglers' Maurice Martindale Fly Fishing competition eight anglers fished extremely hard in reasonable evening conditions over areas that used to be productive, without landing even one trout!

Yet it is a fact that char fishermen have caught a couple of browns.

Windermere, Ambleside and District AA, in conjunction with the Environment Agency have now created buffer strips by fencing off areas on Troutbeck. Already there has been a dramatic increase in the number of redds, but much more work is needed.

On Ullswater fly fishermen have been recording baskets of wild browns to wet fly tactics, despite the often unfavour-able conditions, but there are reports that the numbers appear to be falling although it is too early to say this with certainty.

There is also growing concern about a few anglers who keep trout of too small a size and that some are taking home large bags.

Ullswater is one of the best wild brown lakes in the country and if it is to remain this way then anglers must practice restraint by setting minimum size and maximum bag limits.

It has been suggested that the minimum size for browns should be 300 mm (about 12 inches) - somewhat above the legal minimum size of 200 mm (8 inches) - and maximum bag should be four trout per outing, although some argue that this is too high and it should be two.

It would be a tragedy if Ullswater followed the route of Windermere and it is possible that other lakes could have similar problems at a time when market research shows that more anglers wish to fish for wild brown trout.

ON STILLWATERS the picture is very different due to stocking policies for rainbow trout and some brown trout combined with rigid enforcement of bag limits.

At Kentmere boat anglers fishing the main lake are catching browns on traditional wet fly patterns and on east bay, rainbows on both buzzers and mini-lures.

Knott End Tarn is fishing well for browns to dry fly tactics and at this time of year the new growth and bird life is at its best.

Dubbs is still proving difficult with anglers catching rainbows to floating lines and black gnat patterns or intermediate lines with mini-lures. It is the same at Ghyll Head where there are also hatches of buzzers. When the weather warms up again there should be sparse hatches of olives and falls of bracken clock beetles.

The cold blustery weather has often made High Newton challenging, but there have been some good catches of rainbows to floating lines with hawthorn and black gnat patterns and intermediate lines with mini-lures.

The South Cumbria Fly Dressers' Guild competition was won by James Nixon with 22 rainbows followed by Don Lancaster with 14.

At Bigland anglers have been catching on black spiders during the buzzer hatches and Frazer nymphs during the olive hatches.

On Knottallow the wind has been severe, but those who braved the conditions have been catching browns - the water has been swarming with black gnats and it has been a matter of targeting trout with small black dries.

Esthwaite Water is fishing well from both boat and bank with the best recent catch by venue regular boat angler Keith Clarke, with 19 rainbows taken mainly on buzzers. Graham Bell and Steve Bland won the third heat of the Shakespeare Esthwaite Water 2003 Open Pairs, when they set a new record weight of 37lb 4oz, including time bonuses, for 12 rainbows. Second were Martin Watson and Austin Lowry with 12 for 27lb 5oz. Both pairs go through to the final in September.

Wych Elm continues to fish well to floating line and buzzers with the best recent catch of 16 rainbows taken

by Ian Murphy. At Farletonview Pete Metcalfe landed a 10lb rainbow on a small black buzzer pattern and Ray Taylor had the biggest recent bag with 24 taken on black tadpoles.

At Tewitfield, Ricky Nuttall recorded 32 rainbows to 5lb on deep-fished buzzers and suspender buzzers fished on top. John Mahon landed a 15lb 7oz rainbow on a suspender buzzer.

In Wales, on Llyn Brenig, Cumbrian John Martin captained the Environment Agency North West Region team, to finish second in the annual Water Industry Game Fishing Championships, with 22 rainbows for 45lb 4oz.

MANY COARSE fishing waters are producing good catches, despite the weather!

On Ratherheath bream and tench are being caught to pole with pellet over pellet or sweetcorn over pellet. As the fish are feeding sparsely ground baiting isn't necessary.

Holehird is also fishing well for tench and bream using similar tactics, with carp being caught on boilies.

Early and late has been the best time on Cleabarrow for carp. Both Bigland and Ormsgill Reservoir should start fishing well for bream to feeder with maggot

or sweetcorn. Ulverston Canal should start fishing well for tench. Fishing is slow on Loughrigg Tarn for roach to float tactics with maggots, but plenty of pike to 15lb have been taken on sea deadbaits.

Sandhall is also quiet with the occasional carp being taken on boilies.

On Windermere, pike up to 25lb are being caught on sea deadbaits. A woman angler visiting Grasmere landed a 21lb pike on a sea deadbait - her heaviest to date.

SEA ANGLING has been difficult. In the Furness Fishing Association (Beach Section) Heavies Fish Competition for the N. Palmer Memorial Trophy at the black wall, Walney Channel, 17 anglers weighed in only four flounders! Joint winners were D. Rigg and D. Wane with fish weighing 1lb 1oz. Junior winner was M. Bower with a 15oz flounder.

In the heaviest fish competition for the Ormsgill Trophy at the Deep Water Berth, 26 anglers recorded 10 flounders, M. Stamp won with one of 1lb 13oz. Crab and lug were the successful baits.

A few bass are being caught from the boats off Walney and also from the shore.

Flounders are being caught at Priory Point and Canal Foot where one angler also caught a bass.

Buzzer

May 16, 2003 09:30