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July 23rd - 29th 2012
127 anglers caught 238 fish of which 113 were returned
Best Fish
5lb 3oz William Clarke, Cambridge, damsel, boat
4lb 8oz Chris Redhead, Whittlesey, black buzzer, boat
Best Areas
Bank - Coarse bank, east arm, pensioners point
Boat - East arm, down middle
Best Patterns
Damsel, daddies, red Diawl Bach, olive hopper, white/green fritz
A very hot week really slowed down catches, especially from the bank. It’s the first time this season that the rod average has dropped below two. However it seems like only a temporary blip as since Sunday 29th the fishing from bank and boat has greatly improved coinciding with cooler conditions. Bank anglers are doing well on dries and washing line. Boat anglers are catching well down the middle with an intermediate or Di3 line with damsel or white/green fritz lures. Buzzers on a long leader and floating line are also taking fish from the boats. Fish are rising throughout the day feeding on damsels, corixa and on damp days, daddies. Many of the fish taken are between 2 - 3lb 8oz.
Next Stocking: August 2nd, 6th, 10th.

July 16th - 22nd 
144 anglers caught 453 fish of which 259 were returned. 
Best Fish
5lb 9oz Dave McEwan, Sandy, olive buzzer
5lb 6oz Steve Johnson, Raunds, Diawl Bach, boat
5lb 3oz David Wilson, Worcester, damsel
Plenty of fish between 2lb and 3lb 8oz 
Best Areas
Bank - east arm, coarse bank, gravel bar, dam
Boat - all areas holding fish 
Best Patterns
Wet or dry daddy, big black, big red, olive shipman’s, black buzzer, damsel, red Diawl Bach, tequila blob. The great dry fly sport continues at Elinor. Fish are rising throughout the day, especially in light winds. Bank fishing is still much better than normal for July but a prolonged hot spell will see the boats have an advantage. Spooned fish have been feeding heavily on damsel nymph, adult damsel, corixa and buzzer. Good hatches of sedges in the evening. 
Next Stocking: July 23, 27, 30.

July 9th - 15th
158 anglers caught 604 fish of which 347 were returned
Best Fish
9lb 1oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, green dancer
5lb 14oz Carl Wilson, Devizes, daddy
5lb 4oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, green dancer
5lb 1oz David Humpherson, Oundle, red diawl bach, boat
Best Areas
Bank - coarse bank, east arm, lodge bank
Boat - all areas holding fish
Best Patterns
Wet or dry daddy, olive or brown hopper, big black, damsel, red diawl bach, orange blob
Elinor's trout are in a surface feeding frenzy! On many days last week days dries are taking the most fish. The cool summer has kept the fish feeding throughout the day especially when there is a light wind and cloud cover. The rain has meant there are plenty of daddies about very early this year, some are the full size crane flies and some are smaller with amber bodies. In warmer conditions there are still plenty of damsels hatching. Washing line method with a cruncher booby on the point and Diawl Bachs and hares nymph on the dropper is also working well. Otherwise an orange blob pulled through the surface should get a response. Fish are still well spread over the whole lake.
Next Stocking: July 16th, 20th & 23rd

Two weeks June 25th - July 8th 2012
272 anglers caught 886 fish of which 503 were returned.
Best Fish
7lb 6oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, brown shipmans
7lb 3oz John Barrett, Wakerley, diawl bach
7lb 0oz Ray Ward, boat
6lb 4oz John Barrett, Wakeley, red buzzer 
Best Areas
Bank - east arm, coarse bank, gravel bar, pensioners point
Boat - east arm, down the middle 
Best Patterns
Hoppers, daddies, shipman’s, damsel, red Diawl Bach, red apps 
Unsettled weather has kept rod numbers down but those who did venture out have been enjoying great top of the water sport with dries taking plenty along with washing line and Diawl Bachs. Geoff Makin and Matt Tuck fished from a boat on Sunday and caught 35 between them, mostly on small olive Klinkhåmer’s. Despite the heavy rain the water is still very clear and well oxygenated for the time of year which is keeping the fish feeding for long periods. Bank anglers have lots of rising fish to target especially when the damsels are hatching. Buzzers and sedges are abundant in the evening. 
Next Stocking: July 9th, 13th, 16th.

June 18th - 24th
153 anglers caught 413 fish of which 251 were returned.
Best Fish
6lb 11oz Dennis Wright, Nottingham, damsel, boat
6lb 7oz Jason Cozzi, Cambridge, boat
6lb 0oz Mr Horne, Cambridge, boat
5lb 9oz Jim Boag, Over, egg fly, boat
4lb 12oz John Barrett, Wakerley, Montana
4lb 8oz John Newton, boat
Best Areas
Bank - lodge bank, dam
Boat - all areas holding fish
Best Patterns
Damsel nymph, daddies, black or brown hopper, black buzzer, grhe, orange blob. Whatever the weather has done there are plenty of fish surface feeding at Elinor. However they were harder to tempt in a strong wind from the boats when presentation was difficult. Catches are steady from the bank and greatly improve when there is cloud cover. It is the boats though that are getting the best success. Dries or wets fished right in the surface are doing well with wet or dry hoppers worth a try. With the surface layer cooler and more oxygenated than usual for the time of year the fish are staying in the top three foot for most of the day. Warmer conditions will see the damsel take over as the main food source for much of the day. The evening rise brings sedges onto the menu as well as the tiny olive midges that the trout have been fixated on in recent weeks.
Next Stocking: June 25th, 29th, July 2nd

June 11th - 17th
127 anglers caught 404 fish of which 216 were returned
No monsters this week but 8 fish over 4lb were caught.
Best Areas
Bank - gravel bar, dam
Boat - anywhere down middle
Best Patterns
Black buzzer, small damsel, red or green Diawl Bach, cruncher, black or brown hoppers. A wet and at times very windy week kept anglers away or restricted to shorter sessions. However the rod average still crept over 3. Great top of the water sport all over the lake with fish rising throughout the day and evening in all but the breeziest conditions.. Hoppers, shipman's, big red and big black are all worth casting at moving fish. If the sun comes out then the best method is still a team of straight lined buzzers. Otherwise a damsel on the point with a Diawl Bach on middle dropper and cruncher on top dropper. Expect a large damsel hatch over the next couple of days as temperatures increase. Water levels are high but clear despite the recent rain.
Next Stocking: June 22, 25, 29.

May 28th - June 3rd 2012
140 anglers caught 486 fish of which 198 were returned. 
Best Fish
10lb 8oz Ken Waller, Long Sutton, boat
9lb 2oz Derek Hiscocks, Cardiff, black buzzer, boat
7lb 8oz Ken Waller, Long Sutton, boat
7lb 7oz John Dawson, Nottingham, damsel 
Best Areas
Bank - all areas holding fish
Boat - down middle 
Best Patterns
Black buzzer, cruncher, Diawl Bach, grhe, damsel, olive shipman’s, orange blob. 
Boats are still taking the best catches but bank anglers did ok when the cooler cloudier weather arrived. Buzzers are still taking the big bags but the fish are noticeably higher in the water now with plenty of fish rising on less windy days all over the lake. The evening rise from 9pm onwards has been spectacular but the fish have been tricky to tempt while gorging themselves on tiny olive hatching buzzers. Lots of fish in the 2lb 8oz to 3lb 8oz range being caught that are fighting very hard. 
Next Stocking: June 4th, 8th.

May 21st - 27th
182 anglers caught 612 fish of which 367 were returned
Best Fish
10lb 0oz Mike Duxbury, Wadenhoe, claret shipmans, float tube
9lb 2oz Mike Duxbury, Wadenhoe, spider, float tube
9lb 0oz Phil Caress, Stanground, black buzzer
8lb 10oz Mark Footitt, Colsterworth, black buzzer, boat
Best Areas
Bank - lodge bank, coarse bank
Boat - down middle
Best Patterns
Black buzzer, goldhead damsel, olive shipmans, white/green lures 
Boat anglers have had much better results than bank anglers during the mini heatwave. The deadly method has been buzzers under a bung at 4 to 8 foot during the morning then 10 to 14 foot in the afternoon.
Plenty of damsel hatching now the water has warmed up.
The evening rise in the last hour has been spectacular but the fish are not easy to tempt while they are feasting on tiny olive midges.
Bank fishing will improve when we get some cloud cover.
The recent World Bank Masters final held at Elinor will be featured on "Tight Lines" on Sky Sports 3 at 7.00pm on Friday June 1st.
Some superb photos of the event can be found at www.fishypics.co.uk.  
Next Stocking: May 28, June 1, June 4.

May 14th - 20th
368 anglers caught 1092 fish of which 717 were returned
Best Rainbows
6lb 12oz Dave Miles, Wellingborough, boat
6lb 6oz Marcus Ainsworth, Market Harborough, float tube
6lb 3oz George Brock, Corby, montana
6lb 0oz Trevor Partridge, Corby, orange blob, boat
Best Brown
4lb 10oz Peter Thurnall, Llanelli
Best Areas
Bank - coarse bank, lagoon
Boat - west arm, gravel bar
Best Patterns
black or olive buzzer, damsel, grhe, big red, claret shipmans, white/green lures
Cold NE winds slowed the hatches of buzzers and their were less fish on the surface than is usual for this time of year at Elinor.
The forecast increase in temperature this week should the send the fish into a feeding frenzy!
There are still plenty of olives hatching so its worth having a small hares ear on the top dropper with a couple of buzzers.
Dry fly should at last give consistent results especially in the evening.
Its been a busy week with many anglers practicing for the bankmaster final. Most anglers had a good day on Saturday with the lighter winds switching the fish on.
Sunday May 20th Iain Barr/Airflo World Bandmasters Final
105 anglers fished the final on a cold, windy day. Anglers had to work hard for their fish and the top three anglers all finished on 13 points. Many congratulations to Chris Jones from Wales who walked away with the £2000 first prize. Chris fished a weighted damsel on an Airflo fast glass line. Sky Sports filmed the day for Tightlines which will be screened in the next couple of weeks.
1. Chris Jones 9 fish from 4 pegs 13pts
2. Andy Mclellan 9 from 4 13pts
3. Andrew Scott 7 from 6 13pts
4. Howard Croston 7 from 3 10pts
5. Andy Grabham 6 from 4 10pts
6. Davie Parker 6 fish from 3 9pts
7. Kevin Andrews 5 from 4 9pts
8. Paul Sharp 5 from 4 9pts
9. Mark Postles 5 from 4 9pts
10. Paul Haskey 4 from 4 8pts
11. James Atkinson 4 from 4 8pts
12. Rob Clarke 4 from 4 8pts
13. Stephen Cowan 4 from 4 8pts
14. Mark Harrison 5 from 2 7pts
15. Jim Tomlinson 4 from 3 7pts
Next Stocking: May 25th

May 7th - 13th
162 anglers caught 551 fish of which 316 were returned 32 fish over 4lb.

Best Rainbow
8lb 2oz Jim Nixon, Kettering, black buzzer

Best Brown
4lb 9oz Steve Lane, Peterborough, boat

Best Areas
Bank - all areas holding fish
Boat - west arm, gravel bar

Best Patterns
black or olive buzzer, Diawl Bach, damsel, black hopper, orange blob
A good week with the weather gradually improving. Plenty of fish rising when the wind abated. Large hatches of buzzers along with pond olives and hawthorn.
The 2lb+ fish are going like rockets when hooked in shallow water!

Competition
SUNDAY 20th MAY - Elinor hosts the Airflo/Iain Barr World Bank Masters Final.

No bank fishing will be available to non competitors but boat fishing will be available as normal. Please book them in advance.

Next Stocking: May 14th, 17th.

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April 30th - May 6th 2012
143 anglers caught 511 fish of which 325 were returned.
Best Rainbows
·9lb 1oz Dennis Footman, Kibworth, red diawl bach
·6lb 11oz Mr Lane, black buzzer
·6lb 6oz Chris Darwin, Brighton, black buzzer
·6lb 2oz Steve Quartley, North London, diawl bach, boat
·5lb 0oz David Humpherson, Oundle, black buzzer, boat
Best Browns
·5lb 4oz Michael Donagher, Corby, black nymph
·5lb 0oz Barrie Jones, Towcester, boat
Best Areas
Bank - lodge bank, coarse bank
Boat - gravel bar, west arm
Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, damsel, black fritz, black and green lures, shipman's, black hopper
Water levels are still high but clarity is getting better by the day. While the water was coloured black based lures and nymphs with a slow retrieve worked best.
Most fish were caught between 2 and 6 foot down although when the wind dropped there was some terrific hatches and rises with fish taking adult buzzers, pond olives and hawthorn. Best dries have been black or claret shipmans and black hopper.
Fish are well spread around the lake.
Competition Results
Saturday May 5th
Iain Barr World Bank Masters heat
13 anglers fished this match with 3 places up for grabs to the grand final at Elinor on May 20th.
Anglers fished eight pegs for 30 minute sessions. A total of 56 fish were caught for a 4.3 rod ave. A good result for a 4 hour match.
1. Ed Foster 18 points, 11 fish from 7 pegs (floater, black lure and buzzers) 
2. Ed Upton, Telford, 15 points, 9 fish from 6 pegs (floater, buzzers)
3. Paul Haskey, Rugby, 13 points, 8 fish from 5 pegs (floater, apps, black/green lure, buzzers)
Sunday May 6th
Alex Booth Fly Fishers held their annual bank match
12 anglers caught 39 fish with Dennis Footman catching a 9lb 1oz fish to help him to victory, as shown in the photograph on the right.
1. Dennis Footman 17lb 6oz
2. Ian Footman 12lb 15oz
3. Vic Byrne 11lb 11oz 

The Tommy Wood Memorial buzzer only match
Despite the less than ideal coloured water 12 anglers caught 39 fish.
1. Pete Welch, Boston, 10lb 14oz
2. Gordon Anthony, Whittlesey, 9lb 15oz
3. Dave Jarrett, Whittlesey, 9lb 14oz
A fantastic £519 was raised for Sue Ryder, Peterborough.
Next Stocking: May 9th, 11th.

April 23rd - 29th
133 anglers caught 410 fish of which 291 were returned
Best Fish
5lb 6oz John White, black buzzer
4lb 14oz David Ross, Peterborough, black buzzer
4lb 11oz Simon Church, Enfield, damsel 
Best Areas
Bank - coarse bank, lodge bank
Boat - gravel bar, west arm 
Best Patterns
black buzzer, grhe, olive nymph, goldhead damsel, black/green lures 
Another unsettled week with less anglers than usual fishing. Buzzer fishing continued to be excellent until Sunday when the rise in water level coloured some areas of the lake. The coarse bank is clearer and still fished well to nymphs but in other areas a black or black/green lure fished slow on an intermediate worked better.
The sediment should clear by the day so we can get back to normal. As well as buzzers there are good hatches of pond olives and plenty of hawthorn on warmer days. 
Next Stocking: May 4th 
Forthcoming Events
Saturday May 5th: The success of the competition in March had encouraged Iain Barr to hold an extra heat of the Airflo World Bank Masters at Elinor. As well as prizes anglers have the chance of winning a place in the televised grand final held at Elinor on May 20th with a first prize of £2000. Please enter direct with Iain at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk or pick up an entry form at the lodge.
Sunday May 6th is the date of the Tommy Wood memorial trophy. 9am - 4pm. This friendly roving bank match is free entry to everyone. As usual in memory of Tommy competitors may only use buzzers and a floating line. Its a fun day with all proceeds from the raffle going to Sue Ryder, Peterborough.

April 16th - 22nd
127 anglers caught 487 fish of which 292 were returned
Best Fish
7lb 8oz Mark Britton, Brington, damsel
7lb 0oz Mel Gloster, Stilton, bloodworm
6lb 8oz Roy Swinfield, Oadby, buzzer
6lb 2oz Mike Creamer, Oakley
6lb 2oz Mark Britton, Brington, cruncher
6lb 2oz Graham Kempton, Wellingborough
5lb 8oz Bill Stewart, Corby, damsel
5lb 6oz Graham Kempton, Wellingborough
Best Areas
Bank - coarse bank, pensioners point
Boat - gravel bar, boat bay, Brookside bay

Best Patterns
black buzzer, olive buzzer, red Diawl Bach, small damsel, white/green lures. Not so many anglers ventured out last week with rain falling most days. There were still some terrific buzzer hatches in between the storms. Most fish are now being caught anywhere between 2-6 foot down. Plenty of fish rising when the wind dropped down. Sunday saw the first of the hawthorn fly appear, especially along the coarse bank. A black hopper fished dry or damp usually works well for fish taking these. Late April usually sees a good hatch of pond olives at Elinor. A size 12 dark olive nymph or hares ear usually does the trick. 

Forthcoming Events
Saturday May 5th: The success of the competition in March has encouraged Iain Barr to hold an extra heat of the Airflo World Bank Masters at Elinor. As well as prizes anglers have the chance of winning a place in the televised grand final held at Elinor on May 20th with a first prize of £2000. Please enter direct with Iain at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk or pick up an entry form at the lodge.

Sunday May 6th is the date of the Tommy Wood memorial trophy. 9am - 4pm.
This friendly roving bank match is free entry to everyone. As usual in memory of Tommy competitors may only use buzzers and a floating line. Its a fun day with all proceeds from the raffle going to Sue Ryder, Peterborough.

Next Stocking: April 26th.

April 2nd - 15th
314 anglers caught 952 fish of which 541 were returned.

Best Fish
Rainbows
10lb 2oz Mr Campeon
6lb 0oz Alan Brighton
5lb 8oz Derek Coombs, St Ives, black buzzer, boat
5lb 5oz Brian Dayton, Nottingham, goldhead damsel
5lb 0oz Mr Powell, Raunds, boat
4lb 10oz Fred Martin, Oundle, black buzzer, boat
4lb 8oz Peter Shaw, Peterborough, boat
4lb 7oz Mr Hosmer
4lb 7oz John Gardener, Cambridge, olive buzzer
Browns
4lb 9oz Tom Kelly, Burton Latimer
3lb 4oz Phil Caress, Stanground, white/green lure
All areas are holding fish

Best Patterns
Black, brown or olive buzzers, damsel, Diawl Bach, white/green lures, orange blob. A mixed couple of weeks at Elinor with the fishing quite tricky on some days when there was a cold wind.

On frosty mornings the excellent buzzer fishing didn't get going until the middle of the day. Although there are a few fish moving the best catches are being taken 4-6ft down. Nearly every fish that has been spooned has contained large numbers of buzzers along with a few immature damsels. Anglers have been remarking on the size of some of the buzzer shucks. A size 8 hook would be about the right imitation!

Nick Marcovic (right) had a surprise when he thought a record brown had taken his black buzzer. It turned out to be a 22lb pike. Cracking fish though!

Best method on calmer days has been a team of buzzers and Diawl Bach's on a floating line with a fluorocarbon leader. On rougher days its worth trying an intermediate or midge tip with a damsel on the point and either a cruncher or orange blob on the dropper.

Forthcoming Events
Sunday May 6th is the date of the Tommy Wood memorial trophy. 9am - 4pm. This friendly roving bank match is free entry to everyone. As usual in memory of Tommy competitors may only use buzzers and a floating line. It’s a fun day with all proceeds from the raffle going to Sue Ryder, Peterborough.

Next Stocking: April 17th, 20th.

March 26th - April 1st 2012
231 anglers caught 1062 fish of which 652 were returned.
Best Fish 
Rainbow
7lb 5oz George Brock, Corby, Blakestone buzzer
6lb 12oz Stuart Jones, Cambridge, black buzzer
6lb 7oz Jim Graham, Melton Mowbray, damsel 
Brown
4lb 2oz George Mosser, Peterborough, black buzzer
3lb 8oz John Mills, Northampton

Best Areas
All areas holding fish now

Best Patterns
Black buzzer, brown buzzer, damsel, white/green lures

Fish are being caught all around the lake now. The warm weather has seen some impressive buzzer hatches. Most fish are being caught 4 - 7 foot down. The best method on calm bright days is to use an indicator with buzzers at both 4 and 7 foot. On days with a light breeze straight-lined buzzers with a Diawl Bach or cruncher on the top dropper has also worked well. Only a few fish are rising daytime but in the evening a few fish are showing on the surface in the shallow bay/gravel bar area. Elinor's spectacular evening rise should be underway by mid-April. If we get more wind then the daphnia feeders can be caught with an intermediate line and white/green or orange lures.

Sunday April 1st saw Mid Northants Trout Fishers hold their early season bank match at Elinor.
A frosty morning gave way to a lovely sunny but calm day. Not ideal fishing conditions but the 22 competitors fished well and caught 116 fish.

1. Simon Lehane 12lb 3oz
2. Barry Jones 11lb 10oz
3. Stuart Eggleton 11lb 0oz
4. Steve Johnson 10lb 13oz
5. Tim Barley 10lb 9oz

Next Stocking: April 2nd, 5th, 6th.

March 19th - 25th
236 anglers caught 1149 fish of which 725 were returned

Best Fish
8lb 11oz Graham Pollard, Nottingham, black buzzer, boat
7lb 6oz Brian Wright, Leicester, black buzzer

Best Areas
Bank- Brookside, coarse bank
Boat - west arm

Best Patterns
Black or brown buzzers, red Diawl Bach, goldhead damsel, white/green lures.

A lovely settled week of weather. The light winds encouraged some large buzzer hatches. All areas of the lake are holding fish now. Small lures and damsels are worth trying early morning but as soon as temperatures reach double figures then switch to buzzer patterns either under an indicator at 3 and 6 foot or a team of straight lined size 10 or 12 buzzers. On sunny days the big catches came from boats. Mark Footitt from Colsterworth and boat partner Julian Barker anchored their boat in the West arm on Sunday and caught 55 between them! The early season evening rises will be starting very soon as long as the wind is not too strong.

Competition Results
Wednesday March 21st
The Troutmasters fish off was won by Phil Wagstaff from Eye who caught 6 fish for 11lb 7oz. Best of luck to Phil who will represent Elinor at Grafham on May 14th.

Sunday March 25th
44 anglers fished the Airflo World Bank Masters heat and 112 fish were caught and many more lost on barbless hooks. The fishing was harder than expected but in a close but fair match plenty of local anglers featured in the top 9 who will fish the final at Elinor on May 20th for the £2000 first prize.

1. Harvey Mobbs, Castle Ashby, 7 fish from 5 pegs 12 points
2. Adam West, Castle Ashby, 6 from 4 10pts
3. Brad Gifford, Kettering 6 from 4 10pts
4. Roy Swinfield, Oadby 5 from 5 10pts
5. Bob Barr, Peterborough 6 from 3 9pts
6. Ian Pow, Milton Keynes 5 from 4 9pts
7. Tim Joyce, Essex 5 from 4 9pts
8. Matt Tuck, Huntingdon 5 from 4 9pts
9. Geoff Makin, Leighton Buzzard 5 from 3 8pts

Best Patterns on the day were black buzzer, damsels and apps bloodworm. Cliff Waters dropped in to take some photos of the action. They can be found at www.fishypics.co.uk.

Forthcoming events
Sunday May 6th is the date of the Tommy Wood memorial trophy. 9am - 4pm

This friendly roving bank match is free entry to everyone. As usual in memory of Tommy competitors may only use buzzers and a floating line. Its a fun day with all proceeds from the raffle going to Sue Ryder, Peterborough.
Next Stocking: March 26th, 28th (browns), 30th.

March 12th - 18th
221 anglers caught 1063 fish of which 652 were returned.

Best Fish
15lb 7oz Colin Graham, Brigstock, red Diawl Bach
10lb 1oz Mr Thompson, Barnet
8lb 3oz Jim Wood, Stevenage, black buzzer
6lb 0oz Alan Weatherley, Kettering, damsel
5lb 11oz Mark Footitt, Colsterworth, black buzzer, boat
5lb 8oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, white/green lure
Browns
4lb 10oz Mr Thornton, Bedford, goldhead damsel
3lb 4oz Mr Bradbury, Kettering
36 fish caught over 4lb

Best Areas
Bank - whole of Brookside, dam
Boat - lodge end, gravel bar

Best Patterns
Black buzzer, red Diawl Bach, grhe, apps bloodworm, damsel, yellow dancer.

The most productive method was determined by the weather. On cold days the fishing was much harder and the fish stayed deeper feeding on immature damsels, shrimp and hoglouse. During milder weather there were some large hatches of small black buzzers which the fish immediately switched on to. Bank anglers generally caught more than boats. There is no need to wade out far at the moment. Mid-morning onwards has usually seen the best fishing.

Next Stocking: March 19th, 21st, 23rd, 26th.
 
March 5th - 11th
209 anglers caught 1107 fish of which 682 were returned

Best Rainbow
11lb 0oz Mr Allan, Spalding
10lb 4oz Mr Jacobs, Barton Seagrave, fritz damsel
9lb 11oz Tony White, Oxford, black buzzer
 43 fish over 4lb caught
Best Brown
5lb 0oz Phil Caress, Stanground, goldhead damsel

Best Areas
Bank - dam, brookside, boat bay
Boat - lodge end

Best Patterns
cats whisker, yellow dancer, goldhead damsel. bloodworm, black buzzer, red diawl bach. Lures worked well on an intermediate during the morning especially when there was a ripple.

On calmer days the fish were much trickier in the gin clear water. Black buzzers with red cheeks under an indicator was the best method with fish taking at between 2 and 6 foot down. During warm afternoons there were even a few fish feeding on the surface with a red cdc or claret hopper both taking fish. Buzzer fishing should be superb in the next few weeks. Make sure you use a fluorocarbon leader as it makes a huge difference.

Next Stocking: March 12th, 16th, 19th.

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February 27th - March 4th 2012
228 anglers caught 1340 fish of which 883 were returned 48 fish over 4lb
Best Fish
13lb 8oz Matt Harris (photograph to the right), Cambridge, Cruncher
10lb 1oz Graham Wright (photograph shown below), Deeping Gate, cruncher
9lb 0oz John Allen, Spalding, tequila blob, boat
8lb 9oz David Wilson, London, pheasant tail
8lb 4oz George Brock, Corby, gold head damsel
7lb 8oz Phil Cross, Northampton, bloodworm
7lb 6oz Mel Dunn, Eye, damsel
6lb 6oz Dave McEwan, Sandy, black buzzer
6lb 3oz Mr Thomson, Spalding
6lb 0oz Peter Bridges, Market Harborough
Best Areas
Brookside, dam, boat bay, goodfellow bay, gravel bar
Best Patterns
Godhead damsel, cats whisker, orange blob, black buzzer, red Diawl Bach, cruncher, olive ptn, apps bloodworm.
A busy week with the weather enticing plenty of anglers until it turned wet and cold on Sunday. The lodge end of the lake is still best but the fish are spread over a reasonable area. On most days, especially in calm conditions nymphs out fished lures. Best method was either a floater or slow intermediate with a damsel or black buzzer on the point and Diawl Bach/ cruncher on the dropper. Lures are working on rougher days when large clouds of daphnia are getting pushed close to the windward shore. As well as daphnia, spooned fish have been feeding on small black buzzers, hog louse and immature damsel nymphs. Bank fishing has generally been slightly more productive than boat this week. There are still some places left in the Airflo World Bank Masters heat at Elinor on Sunday March 25th. Entry is £25.00 and competitors receive a fly line and fly selection worth £50.00 for entering! Full details at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk. Ex World Champion Iain will be at the heat to give advice. There are plenty of anglers entering who have never fished a competition before so don't feel intimidated and give it a go.
Next Stocking: March 5th, 9th, 12th

Opening Weekend February 25th & 26th 2012
135 anglers caught 1215 fish of which 692 were returned.
Best Fish
13lb 0oz Tony Pointer, Corby, black cat
11lb 6oz Geoff Scane, Peterborough, dawsons olive
9lb 9oz Phil Wagstaffe, Eye, damsel
8lb 1oz Geoff Scane, Peterborough, dawsons olive
7lb 8oz Fen Oakley, Sudborough, black/green booby
7lb 4oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, black/green fritz
7lb 0oz Mr Akam
6lb 14oz Nick Rowan, Brampton, black/green lure
6lb 14oz Khurram Rana, Whitton, boat
6lb 8oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, black/green fritz
6lb 6oz Dave Dakers, Langham, black/green lure
64 fish over 4lb caught
Best Areas
Bank - dam, boat bay, Brookside
Boat - lodge end
Best Patterns
Assorted black/green lures, gold head damsel, cats whisker, red or pink apps, red Diawl Bach. The weather was fantastic for the opening weekend and the fish played ball. Nearly half the fish caught were over 2lb and fighting fit. Black and green was easily the best colour combination and it took stockies and overwintered fish. Most fish were caught 2-4 foot down apart from the dam where some were caught deeper. Anglers who persisted with nymphs caught well but not as quickly. This will soon change as the fish wise up to the lures in the extremely clear water. It will be worth trying buzzers from now on, black with red cheeks being the favourite early season. Unusually for February the boats did nearly as well as the bank as long as you found some water of 10 foot deep or less. The deep areas didn't produce. Water levels have come up in the last three weeks and Elinor is now less than a foot off normal levels.
Next Stocking: Feb 27th, March 2nd, 5th.