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July 27th - August 2nd

129 anglers caught 484 fish of which 310 were returned.

Best Fish
4lb 10oz Trevor Maycock, Northampton, damsel
4lb 8oz Laurie Jeynes, Hertford, cruncher, boat

Best Areas
Bank - creek, coarse bank, east arm, boat bay
Boat - east arm, west arm, pylon point

Best Patterns
Blue damsel, damsel nymph, grhe, olive CdC, olive or black shipman’s, green Diawl Bach, daddy, white/green lure.

Another decent week for the time of year with fish rising most of the day. The fish continue to feed on damsels, both adults and nymphs. A couple of days saw large numbers of flying ants descend on Elinor. Dry fly continues to be the best method. White/green lures also scored well. Bank anglers are advised to bring waders to combat weed growth around the margins.

Next Stocking: August 5th

July 20th - 26th

104 anglers caught 359 of which 268 were returned.

Best fish
• 5lb 1oz Trevor Maycock, Northampton, damsel
• 5lb 0oz Jim Nixon, Kettering, Shipman’s
• 4lb 8oz Brian Crowhurst, Wellingborough, black buzzer, boat

Best areas
Bank - creek, coarse bank, east arm
Boat - east arm, pylon point, down middle

Best patterns
Damsel, GRHE, red or green Diawl Bach, amber, brown or claret hopper, CdC buzzer, orange blob

A cooler week with plenty of rain and cloud cover helped the rod average push over 3, well above normal for July. Plenty of fish on the surface taking damsels during the day and a good hatch of small sedges in the evening. Bank anglers are advised to bring waders to combat the weed beds around the margins but are enjoying good sport on dries at the far end of the lake. Boat anglers continue to do best on a washing line set up near the surface or buzzers and lures fished deeper down the middle. HALF PRICE BOATS WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE WHOLE OF AUGUST!

July 13th - 19th

130 anglers caught 355 fish of which 255 were returned.

Best Fish
• 5lb 2oz Alan Rennocks, Kettering, red Diawl Bach, boat
• 4lb 5oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, big red
• 4lb 5oz Peter Dixon, Luton, damsel, boat
• 4lb 0oz Dennis Shannon, Wellingborough, Montana

Brown
• 4lb 0oz Bryan Swain, Brampton, green Diawl Bach

Best Areas
Bank - east arm, creek, coarse bank
Boat - east arm, pylon point, down middle

Best Patterns
Damsel, daddy, CdC buzzer, red or green Diawl Bach, black or claret buzzer

Fishing is still difficult but not impossible. The water hasn't got too warm so the fish are still feeding, mainly to damsels but also corixa and snails around the weed beds. Bank anglers are advised to bring waders otherwise the weed can make fishing tricky in some areas. Dries continue to be the top method from the bank. Boat anglers are doing well using a buoyant pattern on the point with Diawl Bach's on the dropper or heavy buzzers on a long leader in the deeper water down the middle. Half price boats for the whole of July.

Next Stocking: July 23rd

July 6th - 12th

108 anglers caught 304 fish of which 215 were returned.

Best Fish
Rainbow
• 5lb 2oz Barry Parsons, Kettering 

Brown
• 5lb 7oz Will Childs, Lowick, black buzzer, boat


Best Areas
Bank - east arm, coarse bank, boat bay
Boat - east arm, pylon point, down middle

Best Patterns
Damsel nymph, adult damsel, CdC buzzer, shipman’s, daddy, black buzzer, red or green Diawl Bach, red apps, orange blob or booby.

Trout fishing in July and August is usually much harder than other months of the year. Warmer water holds less oxygen and the fish seem to feed in shorter spells. However, apart from one really hot week the weather has kept the fishing above average for July with a respectable rod average of 2.8. Bank anglers are having their best chance early morning, fishing the far end of the lake with assorted damsel imitations and dries. Boat anglers are catching on a variety of methods. Washing line with a daddy or damsel booby on the point and Diawl Bach's on the dropper. A team of buzzers on a long leader fished deep and slow or a Di3 and lures. Don't forget it's half price boats for the whole of July.

Next Stocking: July 23rd

June 29th - July 5th

109 anglers caught 287 fish of which 228 were returned.

Best Fish
• 4lb 10oz Kevin Sheehan, Wellingborough, black fritz, boat
• 4lb 7oz Peter Morris, Welwyn Garden City, daddy

Best Areas
Bank - east arm, coarse bank, boat bay
Boat - east arm, pylon point, down middle

Best Patterns
Olive or hares ear CdC, black buzzer, red or green Diawl Bach, daddy, damsel, tequila blob.

The hot weather slowed up sport dramatically with even boat anglers struggling on some days last week. Best method when the sun was out was a team of buzzers fished deeper down the middle. There was an improvement in catches on Sunday 5th in the cooler temperatures and the few bank anglers out today, Monday, did well on shipman’s, daddies and CdC buzzers. As long as we don't get another heat wave then the fishing should be good considering the time of year. The evening rise didn't really happen last week with the trout unwilling to enter the warm water near the surface. However some fish are feeding on the top early in the morning. Don't forget that all boats are half price for the whole of July.

Next Stocking: July 10th

June 22nd - 28th

165 anglers caught 669 fish of which 480 were returned.

Best Fish
• 8lb 9oz Will Childs, Lowick, black shuttlecock, boat
• 7lb 1oz Andrew Munro, Kettering, hothead damsel, boat
• 6lb 4oz Mike Bownes, Wilsthorpe, GRHE


Best Areas
Bank - east arm, coarse bank
Boat - east arm, pylon point, down middle

Best Patterns
Dry daddy, olive or hares ear CdC, red or green Diawl Bach, damsel, tequila blob or booby.

Last week was very good for boat anglers and even the bank anglers had decent sport especially on dry fly if they were prepared to walk to the far end of the lake. This week’s hot weather will undoubtedly slow things down although there will still be fish feeding near the surface on damsel nymphs and adult damsels. With water temperatures rising anglers are requested to be extra careful when releasing fish.

June 15th - 21st

167 anglers caught 696 fish of which 488 were returned.

Best Fish
• 7lb 4oz Trevor Partridge, Corby, red CdC, boat
• 6lb 5oz Robert Lenton, Milton Malsor, damsel
• 5lb 8oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, olive shipman's
• 5lb 3oz Peter Walker, Norwich, olive CdC, boat
• 5lb 0oz Mr Caine
• 5lb 0oz Matt Evans, Towcester, muskins
• 5lb 0oz Kevin Sheehan, Wellingborough, boat
• 4lb 11oz Mr Brittain, orange fritz, boat
• 4lb 9oz Trevor Griggs, Rushden, GRHE
• 4lb 8oz Mark Kirkland, Rushden, green Diawl Bach, boat
• 4lb 5oz Mr Oliver, orange blob, boat

Best Areas
Bank - gravel bar, lagoon, coarse bank, boat bay, east arm
Boat - west arm, east arm, down middle 

Best Patterns
Olive or hares ear CdC, damsel, daddy, olive cruncher, red or green Diawl Bach, shipman's, red apps, orange or tequila blob.

Another good week for dry fly sport at Elinor with fish being taken on damsel, hatching buzzer and sedge imitations. Other methods worth a try are washing line with a damsel booby and Diawl Bach's or a red apps/blob on the point with hares ear and crunchers on the droppers. On most evenings there is a spectacular rise which has been starting around 9.15pm. Providing there is not a prolonged spell of hot weather Elinor should continue to fish well.

Next Stocking: June 26th

June 8th - 14th

206 anglers caught 634 fish of which 407 were returned.

Best Fish
• 7lb 2oz Derek Coombs, St Ives, gold head damsel, boat
• 7lb 0oz Mr Wallace, black buzzer, boat
• 6lb 0oz Paul Mortimer, Thrapston, green Diawl Bach
• 5lb 12oz Mike Creamer, Oakley
• 5lb 8oz Alan Mason, Holme, boat
• 5lb 8oz Mr Hales, Sawtry, blue damsel
• 5lb 3oz Mike Bownes, Wilsthorpe
• 5lb 1oz Barry Chillingworth, Northampton, orange blob, boat
• 4lb 12oz Dick Gooch, Upwell, hothead damsel, boat
• 4lb 10oz Alan Veal, floating fry, boat
• 4lb 8oz Mr Evans, Towcester, red Diawl Bach
• 4lb 6oz Paul Laundon, Milton Keynes, olive nymph

Best Areas
Bank - coarse bank, East arm, boat bay, dam
Boat - down middle, East arm, anchored off dam

Best Patterns
Damsel, daddy, CdC buzzer, GRHE, olive buzzer, red or green Diawl Bach, olive cruncher, red apps.

Plenty of fish rising in the morning with fish being taken on dries or washing line technique. Most afternoons are slower with the fish having filled themselves on adult damsels or nymphs. However a great evening rise from 9pm onwards sees the fish back on top taking emerging buzzers and sedges. Water remains superbly clear with fish fighting extremely hard. I've lost count of the number of anglers who got broken last week! Boats continue to get the good bags although plenty of bank anglers are managing 3 or 4 fish during the day, more if they stay for the evening rise.

Next Stocking: June 15th & 19th

June 1st - 7th

184 anglers caught 728 fish of which 435 were returned.

Best Fish
• 8lb 6oz Nik Montali, Rushden, blue damsel
• 7lb 2oz Dave Miles, Wellingborough, fritz damsel, boat
• 7lb 0oz Jean Clark, Wellingborough, blue flash damsel
• 6lb 6oz Bob Beardsley, Kettering, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 9oz Tony Blann, Wellingborough, yellow owl
• 5lb 4oz Pete Gomez, Kettering, boat
• 5lb 3oz Robert Lenton, Milton Malsor, damsel
• 5lb 2oz Robert Lenton, Milton Malsor, damsel
• 5lb 0oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, damsel

Best Brown
• 4lb 2oz Mike Creamer, Oakley


Best Areas
Bank - boat bay, East arm, lagoon
Boat - down middle, East arm, west arm

Best Patterns
Damsel nymph, red or green Diawl Bach, olive cruncher, olive buzzer, red apps, tequila blob, red apps, olive or black hopper, olive or black shipman’s, dry daddy, big red, big black, CdC buzzers.

Strong winds and a changeable wind direction caused sport to be slightly slower last week although the rod average was still a respectable 3.9. Most fish are feeding on damsels during the day, predominantly nymphs although a few are taking the adult. From the bank try a small unweighted damsel on a floating line with a jerky retrieve or a washing line with a damsel booby on the point and Diawl Bach's on the dropper. Boat anglers are catching at varying depths. Mainly near the surface in the morning, deeper in the afternoon then off the top again late evening. On most evenings we are seeing an excellent evening rise as long as the wind is not too strong although the action is mostly 9pm onwards. Fish are taking emerging buzzers and small longhorn sedges.

Next Stocking: June 12th

May 25th - 31st

194 anglers caught 859 fish of which 501 were returned.

Best Fish
• 9lb 5oz Tom Finney, Sandy, black buzzer, boat
• 8lb 12oz Steve Johnson, Raunds, white/green lure, boat
• 7lb 8oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, small damsel
• 5lb 12oz Colin Harvey, boat
• 5lb 8oz Scott Bowman, Nether Heyford, boat
• 5lb 6oz Mr Oram, Aldwincle
• 5lb 2oz Mr Boden, damsel, boat
• 5lb 1oz Bob McCarthy, St Albans, 
• 5lb 0oz Derek Coombs, St Ives, green/white lure, boat

Best Areas
Bank - brookside, boat bay, gravel bar, dam
Boat - west arm, down middle, East arm

Best Patterns
Damsel, GRHE, red Diawl Bach, red apps, black or olive buzzer, shipman's buzzer, CdC buzzer, green/white lure. Another decent week with plenty of surface feeding and some big fish being lost as well as landed. On warmer days there have been large numbers of damsels hatching. Try using a s10 or s12 un-weighted damsel with a long marabou tail with a jerky retrieve to keep the fly just under the surface. Otherwise a small damsel booby on the point with Diawl Bach/cruncher on the droppers has worked well. Boat anglers are still catching down the middle with a team of buzzers fished deeper or a sinking line and mini lures so there are plenty of methods worth trying including good sport on dries especially in the evening. The water clarity is superb so bank fishing is best in cloudy conditions or late in the day.

Next Stocking: June 4th

Sunday May 31st Scierra Pairs Boat Match
10 pairs entered the Elinor heat of this popular competition to try and win one of 3 places in the September final at Rutland. Conditions were breezy but cloudy and not much rain. 20 anglers weighed in 97 fish with anglers getting a 2lb/hour time bonus if they got their 12 fish boat limit early. First to bag up were Steve Johnson/Phil Wagstaff who used mainly damsel imitations in the West arm. They arrived back before 12.30pm.

An hour later Bart Farmer/ Charlie Abrahams finished using red apps and damsel boobies from the same area. The winners however waited for the big fish to play in the afternoon with Tom Finney/Ollie Jenkinson getting a limit just before 4.30pm but included a couple of 4lb+ and a cracking 9lb 5oz rainbow.
1. Tom Finney/Ollie Jenkinson 12 fish 37lb 14oz
2. Steve Johnson/Phil Wagstaff 12 fish 37lb 5oz 
3. Charlie Abrahams/Bart Farmer 12 fish 34lb 8oz
4. Graham Inwood/Graham Palmer 12 fish 31lb 8oz
5. David Winser/Jim Parr 12 fish 26lb 2oz

Scierra Pairs 1st - Tom Finney & Ollie Jenkinson Scierra Pairs 2nd - Steve Johnson & Phil Wagstaff
Scierra Pairs 3rd - Charlie Abrahams & Bart Farmer Scierra Pairs Qualifiers
Steve Johnson, Raunds, caught and released this
8lb 12oz Rainbow on a white/green lure while practicing
for the Scierra Pairs competition.
Tom Finney, Sandy, caught this 9lb 5oz rainbow which
helped him win the recent Scierra Pairs heat at Elinor.
The fish took a black buzzer in the West arm.

May 18th - 24th

183 anglers caught 888 fish of which 627 were returned.

Best Fish
• 7lb 5oz Gary Martin, Corby, black/green lure, boat
• 7lb 0oz Andrew Metcalfe (right), Sawtry, black emerging buzzer
• 7lb 0oz Andy Lane, Hammersmith, claret hopper
• 6lb 8oz Bryan Swain, Brampton, black/green lure
• 5lb 9oz Bob Thomas, Penarth, red owl, boat
• 5lb 8oz Derek Benamore, Finedon, black/green lure

Brown
3lb 6oz Mr Martin, Foxton, black gnat

Best Areas
Bank - Gravel bar, boat bay, dam, East arm
Boat - all areas holding fish

Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, small damsel, olive cruncher, red Diawl Bach, olive or black shipman’s, small red CdC shuttlecocks, black/green or white/green lures, red apps.

A great week for top of the water sport with the mainly cloudy conditions keeping the fish near the surface for most of the day as well as a spectacular evening rise. The buzzer fishing continues but the main summer food source, damsels, have now started to hatch. Boat anglers are catching in all conditions. Bank fishing is much better on dull days or late evening. The water remains crystal clear with plenty of fly life.

Next Stocking: May 29th

May 11th - 17th

184 anglers caught 939 fish of which 701 were returned.

Best Fish
• 8lb 4oz Trevor Partridge, Corby, red CdC, boat
• 5lb 14oz Ray Ward, Olney, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 6oz Paul Mortimer, Thrapston, hares ear, boat
• 5lb 4oz Ray Ward, Olney, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 1oz Tim Ward, Norwich, damsel

Best Areas
Bank - brookside, gravel bar, shallow bay, east arm, boat bay.
Boat - all areas fishing well

Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, red Diawl Bach, GRHE, red dries, small damsel, tequila blob, shipman’s.

Elinor is fishing superbly well. Good bags of fish are possible in all weather conditions from the boats. Bank fishing has picked up again apart from on windy, bright days. Good hatches of buzzers and pond olives have kept the fish near the surface for most of the day. Fantastic evening rises too. Dry flies are taking more and more fish with size 14 red CdC, s12 black or olive shipman’s doing best. Anglers fishing a floater with a hopper booby or tequila Fab on the point with red Diawl Bach, hares ear or small buzzer on the dropper continue to catch. There are also fish being caught deeper using a team of buzzers or a Goldhead damsel.

Next Stocking: May 19th, 22nd, 29th

Sunday May 17th
15 members of Alex Booth Flyfishers held their Presidents cup bank match.

Top 5:
1. Vic Byrne 12lb 15oz
2. Mike Smith 11lb 8oz
3. Ian Footman 9lb 10oz
4. John Marshall 8lb 14oz
5. Roy Lewin 8lb 10oz

May 4th - 10th

156 anglers caught 809 fish of which 601 were returned. The Top 3 anglers (shown below) in the Tommy Wood Memorial:

Best Fish
• 8lb 2oz Khurram Rana, London, red buzzer, boat
• 6lb 2oz Matt Skinner, Rushden, dry mayfly, boat
• 5lb 12oz Bob Walmsley, Desborough, damsel
• 5lb 3oz Matt Skinner, Rushden, buzzer, boat
• 5lb 0oz Khurram Rana, London, green lure, boat
• 4lb 12oz Richard Pelly, Potterspury, big red, boat
• 4lb 12oz Scott Bowman, Nether Heyford, fritz damsel
• 4lb 12oz Brian Carter, Peterborough, damsel
• 4lb 11oz Geoff Makin, Leighton Buzzard, green buzzer
• 4lb 10oz Ray Ward, Olney, olive buzzer, boat

Browns
• 5lb 6oz John Wildman, Peterborough, s14 black buzzer
• 4lb 10oz Greg Potts, Whittlesey, olive shipman’s, boat
• 3lb 5oz Dennis Wildman, Peterborough, buzzer

Best areas
Bank - brookside, East arm, coarse bank, shallow bay, gravel bar
Boat - all areas holding fish and fishing well
Best patterns

Olive or black buzzer, red Diawl Bach, olive nymph, GRHE, small damsel, brown hopper, brown bobs bits, big red, shipman’s, orange blob. On the not too windy days Elinor was on good form last week with the boats having consistent sport and the bank fishing better than two weeks ago. Many more fish are being taken off the surface with dries the best method especially in the West arm. Along with the prolific buzzer hatches there are plenty of pond olives now. It is worth keeping an eye on the Terns to find where the biggest fly hatches are happening. The trout won't be far away! Although most fish are being taken on imitative patterns some good sport is to be had by fishing orange blobs in the rougher water for daphnia feeders. The water remains incredibly clear and the fish are in superb, hard fighting condition. The evening rise is in full swing now if the wind is not too strong.

Next Stocking: May 13th, 18th

Wednesday May 6th

Elinor held its Troutmasters fish-off. All 3 participants managed to catch there 6 fish limits despite the strong SW wind:
1. Scott Bowman, Nether Heyford, 14lb 4oz
2. Gavin Cairns, Newmarket, 12lb 5oz
3. Shaun Marriott, Market Harborough, 11lb 0oz
Good luck to Scott Bowman who will represent Elinor at the Grafham final on September 21st

Sunday May 10th
Elinor staged the 8th Tommy Wood Memorial bank match. Anglers were restricted to using buzzers on a floating line. 6 fish limit, no time bonus. 10 anglers caught 29 fish.
1. Geoff Makin 5 fish 14lb 10oz
2. Tom Finney 5 fish 12lb 12oz
3. Gordon Anthony 6 fish 10lb 9oz 
4. John Wildman 3 fish 7lb 0oz
5. Steve Parker 3 fish 5lb 9oz

A total of £452.00 was raised for Sue Ryder Care. Many thanks to everyone who supported this event.

Sunday May 31st
Scierra Pairs heat at Elinor. There are still a few boats left for this competition. Enter at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

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April 27th - May 3rd

146 anglers caught 615 fish of which 399 were returned.

Best Fish
• 10lb 2oz Bob Walmsley, Desborough, black buzzer
• 9lb 10oz Matt Tuck, Huntingdon, black buzzer, boat
• 9lb 1oz Tim Wadwell, Northampton, red blob
• 8lb 0oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, black spider
• 7lb 5oz Keith Fairey, Duston, orange lure, boat
• 6lb 11oz John Dixon, Banbury, red cruncher, boat
• 6lb 8oz Mike Bownes, Wilsthorpe, black buzzer
• 6lb 0oz Mr Wallace, boat
• 5lb 14oz Nick Fletcher, Leicester, orange hopper, boat

Brown
• 4lb 8oz Will Childs, Lowick, shuttlecock CdC, boat

Best Areas
Bank - brookside, east arm, coarse bank, gravel bar
Boat - all areas of the lake producing fish

Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, red Diawl Bach, cruncher, small damsel, hopper boobies, shipman’s, CdC buzzers.

The bank fishing has certainly improved now the wind is back to a normal SW direction. Plenty of rising fish are in range of the bank during the day and especially the evening. Fish continue to feed heavily on buzzers of all sizes. Finally there is some consistent dry fly sport. Otherwise a washing line with a hopper booby on the point and crunchers/Diawl Bachs on the dropper. Boat anglers are taking good bags of fish all over the lake. Deep buzzers working well in bright conditions but you need to be prepared to follow the fish to the surface when conditions allow.

Next Stocking: May 4th, 8th

This Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations on a floating line only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

April 20th - 26th

171 anglers caught 961 fish of which 742 were returned.

Best Fish
• 7lb 0oz Fred Eardley, Northampton, black buzzer, boat
• 6lb 8oz Mr Drew, black buzzer, boat
• 6lb 6oz Fred Eardley, Northampton, black buzzer, boat
• 6lb 5oz Derek Coombs, St Ives, white lure, boat
• 5lb 2oz Mel Gloster, Stilton, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 2oz Reg Hawes, boat
• 4lb 11oz Mr Hatfield, Presteigne, boat
• 4lb 10oz Ray Ward, Olney, blue flash damsel, boat
• 4lb 8oz Brian Carter, Peterborough
• 4lb 8oz Nigel Hewlitt, Ramsey, black buzzer, boat
• 4lb 6oz Matt Skinner, Rushden, red buzzer, boat

Brown
• 4lb 10oz Nigel Wells, Peterborough, black buzzer, boat
• 4lb 8oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden


Best Areas
Bank - brookside, coarse bank, boat bay, dam
Boat - all areas fishing well

Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, damsel, red Diawl Bach, black shipman’s, red hopper

Another great week for boat anglers with fish being taken all over the lake. Anglers fishing down the middle continue to catch by fishing buzzers deep and slow. In the shallower water, especially the West arm, fish are being caught on or near the surface using washing line with a hopper booby on the point and small buzzers or Diawl Bachs on the dropper. Otherwise, emerging buzzer imitations such as shipman’s, small hoppers and CdC are taking rising fish. Most spooned fish have been feeding on buzzers or small immature damsels.

Next Stocking: April 29th

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

April 13th - 19th

257 anglers caught 1255 fish of which 1025 were returned.

Best Fish
11lb 8oz Rex Barton, Sutton Bridge, brown buzzer, boat
9lb 2oz Khurram Rana, Twickenham, black lure, boat
6lb 8oz Derek Lenton, Roade
6lb 2oz Alan Steels, Peterborough, black buzzer, boat
6lb 0oz Khurram Rana, Twickenham, black fritz, boat
11 other fish over 5lb

Best Areas
Bank - brookside, dam, boat bay
Boats - fish being caught from everywhere

Best Patterns
Black or olive buzzer, Diawl Bach, bloodworm, ptn, damsel, sunburst blob.

Despite some cold winds the boat fishing remains superb with anglers taking good bags of fish in most condition. Size 10 or 12 buzzers fished deep and slow is still the best method. Bank fishing has been much more inconsistent. The water is incredibly clear at the moment so a combination of bright sun and wind pushed the fish out of reach apart from early mornings and the last hour. Fish are rising when there is not much wind, once again taking large adult buzzers. There should be some hawthorn fly around anytime now. This should bring more trout up during the day. The fish are in superb condition and a minimum of 6lb breaking strain leader is recommended.

Next Stocking: April 24th

Competition Results

April 12th, 16 teams of 3 fished the Greys Team Final.

The wind was extremely strong but from a better Southwest direction than the previous days individual final, for the morning at least.
1. Loomis (Andrew Scott, Phil Dixon, Simon Robinson) 20 fish from 13 pegs= 33pts
2. Triple A (Peter, Glenn and Dean Appleby) 20 fish from 10 pegs = 30pts
3. Elinor (Paul Haskey, Richard Slater, Ed Foster) 10 fish from 8 pegs = 18pts
4. Catton 9 fish from 8 pegs = 17pts
5. Jubilee 10 fish from 5 pegs = 15pts

April 19th Iain Barr/Airflo World Bankmasters
All banks of Elinor were pegged for this final with anglers doing a complete circuit fishing 10 half hour sessions. Once again it was a cold wind but from a NE direction but at least there was good cloud cover. Match average was a respectable 2.9. At the halftime break it emerged that Peter Appleby had caught a superb 13 fish from 4 pegs and many thought that Peter would be winning for the second year in a row.

However he blanked on his afternoon pegs and was overtaken by Kenny Ferguson from Northern Ireland who steadily caught on buzzers to take 2nd place and Glenn Appleby who mainly used damsels on a floater to snatch the title and keep the £2000 in the family! Many thanks to Iain Barr for running this friendly event with some great prizes for the top ten and anglers who caught a tagged fish. Sky Tightlines will be showing footage of the day soon.

Top 10:
1. Glenn Appleby 13 fish from 5 pegs = 18pts
2. Kenny Ferguson 9 fish from 8 pegs = 17pts
3. Peter Appleby 13 fish from 4 pegs = 17pts
4. Keith Jones 9 from 7 = 16pts
5. Andrew Scott 9 from 5 = 14pts 
6. Peter Mathews 9 from 5 = 14pts
7. Kristian Davies 9 from 5 = 14pts
8. Richard Cooper 6 from 6 = 12pts
9. Dean Appleby 7 from 5 = 12pts
10. Paul Haskey 8 from 4 = 12pts

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. A roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. See full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

April 6th - 12th

335 anglers caught 1895 fish of which 1516 were returned.

Best Fish
• 10lb 0oz Steve Cracknell, St Neots, black/green lure
• 8lb 1oz Bryan Swain, Brampton, black buzzer
• 8lb 1oz Paul Dunstan (right), Towcester, quill buzzer, float tube
• 6lb 3oz Ivor Fisher, Yaxley, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 12oz Vince Sparrow, Aldwincle, boat
• 5lb 12oz Clive Doutre, Letchworth, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 4oz David Robus, Wellingborough, boat
• 5lb 4oz Clive Doutre, Letchworth, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 2oz Ray Ward, Olney, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 2oz Tim Kirk, Luton
• 5lb 2oz Ivor Fisher, Yaxley, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 1oz Fen Oakley, Sudborough, black buzzer, boat
• 5lb 1oz Andy Hake, Leighton Buzzard, black/green lure, boat
• 5lb 1oz Ivor Fisher, Yaxley, black buzzer, boat

Browns
• 6lb + Fen Oakley, Sudborough, black buzzer, boat
• 4lb + Paul Dunstan, Towcester, buzzer, float tube


Best Areas
Bank - most areas holding fish. Hotspots - dam, boat bay, brookside
Boats - good bags being taken all over the lake

Best Patterns
Black buzzer, olive buzzer, Diawl Bach, damsel, sunburst blob, black/green or white/green lures, apps bloodworm.

A very busy week with all the boats out on most days and plenty of bank anglers having a go before upcoming competitions. The first 5 days were very calm and the boats had some stunning catches. Buzzer imitations were easily the best line of attack. Numerous double figure bags were recorded including plenty of quality rainbows and a few nice overwintered browns. During this period the bank fishing was good but much less productive than afloat. Most fish were taken at range with the very clear water and calm conditions pushing the fish out. Both straight lined buzzers/nymphs or under an indicator have worked well. All sizes of buzzers are hatching, some real monsters! Dries are taking fish late afternoon/evening with shipman’s and CdC best. At the weekend the temperature dropped and the wind really got up, especially Sunday. The rod average nose dived as bank anglers found it impossible to present buzzers properly and boat anglers found it trickier unless fishing in the West arm.

Next Stocking: April 16th & April 18th (tagged fish for Iain Barr competition)

Competition Results

April 11th, TEFF National Final Individuals. 48 anglers fished this final to select 6 anglers to represent England in the bank home internationals in October. The wind was strong and from an unhelpful Westerly direction. A big drop in temperature from the preceding few days also lowered catches. Anglers fished 8 x 40 minute sessions moving along the whole match length. Best method for the winners was floater or intermediate with damsel, apps bloodworm, sunburst blob. A few fish were taken on black buzzers in the slightly calmer areas. A disappointing total of 85 fish were caught.
1. Craig Barr 8 fish from 6 pegs = 14 points
2. Dean Appleby 8 from 4 = 12
3. Phil Dixon 6 from 3 = 9
4. Simon Robinson 5 from 3 = 8
5. James Stephenson 5 from 3 = 8
6. Connor Metcalf 4 from 2 = 6
7. Peter Appleby 4 from 2 = 6
8. Richard Slater 3 from 3 = 6
9. Ed Foster 3 from 3 = 6
10. Andy Cotton 3 from 2 = 5

April 12th
16 teams of 3 fished the Greys Team Final.
The wind was much stronger but from a better Southwest direction for the morning at least. Full results next week but top 3:

1. Loomis (Andrew Scott, Phil Dixon, Simon Robinson)
2. Triple A (Peter, Glenn and Dean Appleby)
3. Elinor (Paul Haskey, Richard Slater, Ed Foster)

Elinor will be hosting the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight lines' programme. Bank fishing all booked. Boats are available, so please book in advance.

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

March 30th - April 5th

149 anglers caught 966 fish of which 677 were returned.

Best Fish
• 12lb 0oz Mike Bownes, Stamford, red buzzer
• 9lb 0oz John Lashbrooke, Corby, yellow buzzer
• 7lb 6oz George Brock, Corby, black buzzer
• 6lb 13oz Neil Johnson, Melton Mowbray, GRHE
• 6lb 6oz Dan Smith, Bozeat, black buzzer
• 5lb 14oz Mr Baker, Glatton, red buzzer, boat

Best Areas
Bank - Most areas holding fish now
Boat - Most areas fishing well

Best Patterns
Black buzzer, Diawl Bach, damsel, cruncher, red or yellow apps, small black/green or white/green lures. Since last Thursday the fish have really switched onto buzzers. Numerous double figure bags from the boats boosted the rod average. Bank fishing still good unless it was flat calm or very bright. Plenty of the big fish continue to be caught by bank anglers. The best method from the boat is a team of three buzzers or a buzzer on the point, Diawl Bach in the middle, cruncher on the top dropper. For short periods when conditions allow there are fish rising with shipman’s, CdC buzzers and hoppers scoring well. There are a wide size range of buzzers hatching so anglers are using size 10, 12 and 14 imitations. The majority are black with a few grey and ginger.

Next Stocking: April 6th, 9th

Please note that on Saturday April 11th and Sunday April 12th Elinor will be holding the Team England Bank final for individuals and teams of three. There will be only a very limited amount of bank space available to pleasure anglers. Boat fishing available as normal.

Competition Result

Sunday April 5th Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Heat. Flat calm conditions for most of the day moved many of the fish out of range of the bank so competitors had to make the most of their chances. In this 5 hour match, 21 anglers caught 60 fish. Buzzers and apps bloodworms caught most of the fish.
1. Mick Loy 7 fish from 6 pegs = 13 points
2. Trevor Wadds 6 from 5 = 11 points
3. Brad Gifford 7 from 4 = 11 points
4. Charlie Abrahams 7 from 4 = 11 points
5. Bart Farmer 4 from 4 = 8 points
6. Rich Haughton 4 from 3 = 7 points
7. Tony Smith 4 from 3 = 7 points
8. Lord Richard Dayman 3 from 3 = 6 points
9. Harvey Mobbs 3 from 3 = 6 points
10. Lee Cartmail 3 from 2 = 5 points
11. George Foster 2 from 2 = 4 points
12. John Stokes 2 from 2 points

Sunday April 19th
Elinor will be hosting the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight lines' programme. Bank fishing all booked. Boats available. Please book in advance.

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

March 23rd - 29th

192 anglers caught 814 fish of which 556 were returned.

Best Fish

• 9lb 0oz Chris Welford, Northampton, black zonker, boat
• 6lb 8oz Mrs J. Heyburn, Leigh-on-sea, black buzzer
• 6lb 7oz Robert Lenton, Milton Malsor, pink apps
• 6lb 5oz Ray Burt, Tunbridge Wells, black tadpole
• 5lb 8oz Mel Gloster, Stilton, bloodworm
• 5lb 2oz Richard Watson, Spalding
• 5lb 0oz Dave Fox, Stanwick, boat

Best Areas
Bank - dam, boat bay, brookside, gravel bar, shallow bay

Boat - anchored off dam, gravel bar

Best Patterns
Goldhead damsel, apps bloodworm, tequila blob, black buzzer, black Diawl Bach

It is noticeable that fish are being caught from more areas of the lake. It was the first week of the season when imitative patterns scored better than early season lures. Despite the poor weather the fish are being caught on buzzers, mainly black. When conditions allow the fish are also higher in the water. On the few days that boats were allowed out some double figure bags were caught straight lining a team of size 12 black buzzers and Diawl Bach's. On Monday 30th an Osprey put in a first appearance of the year and managed its one fish limit after only one attempt.

Next Stocking: April 1st & 2nd

Saturday March 28th
11 members of the British Float Tube Association fished Elinor.

A windy day made things tricky but at total of 42 fish were caught.

1. Gary Cragg 8 fish, 5 fish weighed 11lb 14oz

2. Andre Russell 8 fish, 6 fish weighed 11lb 8oz

3. Ric Dunnett 6 fish 11lb 7oz

4. Steve Frakes 6 fish, 5 fish weighed 9lb 12oz

5. Darren Lee 4 fish 8lb 1oz

Sunday March 29th

20 members of the Flydressers Guild held a spring bank match.

Gale force winds and occasional heavy rain was forecast and arrived. A total of 53 fish were caught.

Rules were a four fish limit then catch & release up to a further 8 fish.

1. Les Cook 9 fish, 4 fish weighed 7lb 9oz
2. Chris Reeves 8 fish, 4 fish weighed 9lb 5oz
3= R. Nicholls 5 fish, 4 fish weighed 7lb 4oz
3= G. Williams 5 fish, 4 fish weighed 7lb 4oz
Top teams of 3
1. Surrey 16 fish
2. Wilts 16 fish
3. Ringwood 7 fish 

Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters

Elinor will be hosting the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight lines' programme. The next qualifying heats at Elinor will be this Sunday, April 5th. Entry fee is £29 with all anglers receiving an airflo 40+ line and fly selection. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk. 

March 16th - 22nd

196 anglers caught 710 fish of which 494 were returned.

Best Fish
• 7lb 10oz Ray Ward, Olney, goldhead damsel, boat
• 5lb 13oz Chris McLeod, Cambridge, squirmy worm
• 5lb 12oz Peter Oldham, Saffron Walden, black/green cruncher
• 5lb 7oz Ray Ward, Olney, blue flash damsel, boat
• 5lb 6oz Tim Hill, Melton Mowbray, GRHE
A few nice overwintered browns are showing up. They are out of season until April 1st and should be carefully released.

• Phil Wagstaff (top Right) from Eye took this 3lb 12oz on a black buzzer.
• Dave McEwan (Below Right) from Sandy caught and released this 2lb 12oz brown.

Best Areas

Bank - dam, Brookside, boat bay, gravel bar

Boat - anchored off dam, Brookside

Best Patterns

Damsel, apps bloodworm, Montana, black Diawl Bach, GRHE, black buzzer

A busy week with plenty of anglers having their first trip of the season. Fishing was a little harder but the rod average was still a respectable 3.5.

A feature of last week was almost constant NE winds which kept water temperatures low and further delayed the buzzer hatches. Odd fish are rising but most are being caught at least 4 foot down.

Bank anglers are doing well with a floater or slow intermediate with a bloodworm, weighted hares ear or damsel on the point with a black junglecock Diawl Bach on the dropper. Otherwise an indicator with bloodworm or egg flies have done the trick.

Boat anglers fishing open water have generally found the fish even deeper with Di3 sinkers favourite or a floater with a long leader and a weighted damsel or black/green lure.

Next Stocking: March 23rd & 27th

Elinor will be hosting the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight lines' programme. The next qualifying heats at Elinor will be on April 5th. Entry fee is £29 with all anglers receiving an Airflo 40+ line and fly selection.
Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

March 9th - 15th

166 anglers caught 849 fish of which 663 were returned.

Best Fish

• 12lb 2oz Henryk Pycz, London, black muskins
• 12lb 0oz Mr Anderson, Scotland, damsel, boat
• 11lb 1oz Jim Nixon (Right), Kettering, white/green lure
• 10lb 2oz Trevor Partridge, Corby, cats whisker, boat
• 8lb 6oz Rex Barton, Long Sutton, bloodworm, boat
• 7lb 8oz Derek Benamore, Finedon, green/white lure
• 7lb 4oz Chris Redhead, Whittlesey, white/green Minkie, boat
• 7lb 2oz Phil Wagstaff, Eye, red buzzer
• 6lb 4oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, olive Emerger 
• 6lb 2oz Roly Stanford, Finedon, black/red buzzer, boat
• 6lb 0oz Roly Stanford, Finedon, black/red buzzer, boat

Best Areas

Bank - dam, Brookside, boat bay

Boat - anchored off dam, Brookside

Best Patterns
Red or yellow apps, white/green or black/green lures, damsel, GRHE, orange blob, black buzzer. Despite the cold winds it was generally a good week at Elinor with boat and bank anglers catching equally well. No major hatches yet so lures are catching as many fish as nymphs although this will change with the forecast milder weather later this week. The fish seemed to be slightly higher in the water with good catches being taken 2 - 3 foot down. Just a few fish rising when there was very little wind. The Iain Barr Bank masters heat fished on Saturday saw 14 anglers catch 187 fish! An amazing 13 fish rod average for just a 5 hour match. Results below.

Next Stocking: March 20th, 24th, 27th.

Competition results:

Saturday March 14th Iain Barr/Airflo Bank masters heat. A small but good class field of 14 anglers turned up to fish the first Elinor heat on a cold day with a modest NE wind. Competitors were pegged on the dam and Brookside bank, fishing 10 sessions of 30 minutes. Rods were bending everywhere and the controllers were kept warm running to sign scorecards before the fish were carefully returned. An amazing total of 187 fish were caught.

1. Dean Appleby 30 fish from 9 pegs 39 points
2. Glen Appleby 23 fish from 9 pegs 32 points
3. Peter Appleby 21 fish from 9 pegs 30 points
4. Rich Cooper 18 fish from 8 pegs 26 points 
5. Brad Gifford 18 fish from 8 pegs 26 points
6. Henryk Pycz 18 fish from 7 pegs 25 points
7. Ian Watts 11 fish from 7 pegs 18 points 

Elinor will be holding the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight Lines' programme. The next qualifying heat at Elinor will be on April 5th. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

The top 7 anglers in the recent Iain Barr/Airflo bank masters heat at Elinor.

Left to Right: Rich Cooper, Glen Appleby, sponsor Iain Barr, Henryk Pycz, Dean Appleby, Peter Appleby, Brad Gifford, Ian Watts.

March 2nd - 8th

141 anglers caught 623 fish of which 482 were returned.

Best Fish

• 13lb 4oz Bill Stewart (right), Corby, white/green lure
• 10lb 1oz Derek Benamore, Finedon, green pea
• 9lb 0oz Steve Lane, Spalding, white/green tadpole
• 7lb 3oz David Watson, Birmingham, GRHE
• 7lb 0oz Graham Clarke, Caldecott, cat booby
• 6lb 2oz Phil Rennocks, Kettering, apps bloodworm
• 6lb 0oz Mr Oram, Aldwincle, cats whisker

Best Area
Bank - dam, boat bay, Brookside.
Boat - lodge end

Best Patterns
Black/green or white/green lures, apps bloodworm, small damsel, GRHE, black buzzer, tequila blob.

A windy week which made the fishing challenging. When the wind eventually dropped as it did on some late afternoons the catches have been excellent. Most fish are still being caught near the bottom with a slow retrieve although later in the day there are fish being taken in the top 3 foot. From the bank, an indicator with flies at 3 and 6 foot has worked well or a team of flies on an intermediate. When conditions allowed the boats to venture out they found fish in front of the boat bay and near the dam. Once again, slow and deep was the key. Numerous 4lb+ fish continue to be caught.

Next Stocking: March 11th, 13th.

Elinor will be holding the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight Lines' programme. Qualifying heats at Elinor will be on March 14th and April 5th. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk. The first heat is this Saturday. All entrants receive an Airflo 40+ fly line and a selection of Iain Barr flies

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

Feb 23rd - March 1st

121 anglers caught 605 fish of which 439 were returned

31 fish over 4lb

Best Fish

• 7lb 4oz Ken Nicholls, Farcet, cats whisker

• 7lb 2oz Ken Nicholls, Farcet, Okie Dokey

• 6lb 9oz Mr Carpenter, Clipston

• 6lb 7oz James Carver, Barnet, damsel

• 6lb 2oz Brian Carter, Peterborough, damsel

• 5lb 7oz Mr Spratt, Corby, boat

• 5lb 5oz Graham Martin, Ely, Montana

• 5lb 2oz Ray Ward, Olney, boat

• 5lb 1oz Ray Ward, Olney, boat

• 5lb 0oz John Sutton, Newport Pagnell

Best Areas

Bank - dam, boat bay, Brookside

Boat - anchored off dam

Best Patterns

White/green or black/green lures, damsel, GRHE, bloodworm, black buzzer, cruncher. A five fish rod average over the last week although fishing was much harder on windy days. Fish continue to be caught 3 - 4 foot down on mini lures with a slow retreive. The lodge end of the lake seems to be holding more fish. The milder weather at the end of the week should see more fish caught on buzzers. The fish are in excellent condition right now and fighting hard. A few browns were caught and released last week. They are out of season until April 1st.

Next Stocking: March 3rd

Elinor will be holding the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight Lines' programme. Qualifying heats at Elinor will be on March 14th and April 5th. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk.

Sunday May 10th
Elinor will be holding the Tommy Wood Memorial Trophy. Roving bank match using buzzer imitations only. 9am - 4pm Free entry. All money raised by the raffle will go to Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs boat competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.


Feb 16th - 22nd

160 anglers caught 895 fish of which 704 were returned

Best Fish

• 9lb 8oz Olly Jary (below bottom), Narborough, goldhead viva, boat

• 9lb 0oz Joe Grundy (right), Stevenage, cats whisker

• 8lb 4oz Bernard Robinson, Duddington, Montana

• 8lb 4oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden, Montana

• 7lb 8oz Peter Oldham, Saffron Waldon, black lure

• 7lb 6oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden

• 7lb 4oz George Brock, Corby, green/white dancer

• 7lb 1oz Jim Nixon, Kettering, black buzzer

• 6lb 10oz Ian Martin, Market Deeping, black/green lure

• 6lb 8oz Derek Benamore, Finedon

• 6lb 3oz Rob Jordan, Lutterworth, black lure

• 6lb 2oz Finbarr McSweeney, Rushden

• 6lb 2oz Noel Duigenan, Wellingborough, black/green lure

Best Areas

Bank - dam, boat bay, Brookside bay, shallow bay, canal

Boat - anchored off dam, gravel bar

Best Patterns

Black/green or white/green lure, damsel, GRHE, cruncher, black buzzer, bloodworm

Fishing conditions were mostly difficult with strong winds. On the better weather days the rod average was excellent but anglers had to work much harder when there was a combination of sun and wind. Lures fished slowly on a floater or intermediate line continue to fish well but when the wind is lighter black buzzers or a plain cruncher are deadly. The best depth seems to be 3 - 4 foot. Fish are being found in all parts of the lake although the lodge end is generally best. Bank anglers are still doing better than boats.

Next Stocking - Feb 27th & March 3rd

Elinor will be holding the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight Lines' programme. Qualifying heats at Elinor will be on March 14th and April 5th. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk.

Sunday May 31st
Elinor will hold a heat of the popular Scierra Pairs competition. You get to fish with your partner and qualifiers will go through to fish the final at Rutland. Full details at www.scierrapairs.co.uk.

February 14th - 21st

88 anglers caught 714 fish of which 522 were returned.

Best Fish

• 10lb 8oz Paul Gillies, Desborough, white/green lure

• 10lb 2oz Barry Read, Northampton, damsel

• 9lb 11oz David Cheesley, Cambridge, bloodworm

• 9lb 7oz Sean Roe, Kettering, white/green lures

• 74 fish over 4lb with Twelve year old George Foster (right) from Ringstead who caught & released 9 fish including this 4lb 12oz rainbow. The killing method was a small green pea on a floating line and a slow retrieve.

Best Areas

Bank - all areas holding fish especially dam, Brookside, shallow bay

Boat - anchored off dam, gravel bar, shallow bay

Best Patterns

Green pea, Montana, cats whisker, small damsel, orange or tequila blob, bloodworm, GRHE, black buzzer. A fantastic opening weekend with reasonable weather and a rod average of over 8.

Bank anglers did better than boat anglers with most fish being caught within 15 yards of the bank. Fish are being taken from all areas and are in fantastic condition. Quite a few overwintered fish were caught including a superb 9lb 11oz rainbow. Many anglers used small lures and caught well if they used a slow retrieve. Buzzers, hares ear and small damsels also scored.

Elinor will be holding the final of the Iain Barr/Airflo Bank Masters Final on Sunday April 19th with the chance to win £2000 and many other prizes. The final will be filmed by the Sky Sports 'Tight Lines' programme. Qualifying heats at Elinor will be on March 14th and April 5th. Full details and entry forms at www.iainbarrflyfishing.co.uk.

10lb 8oz Paul Gillies (below), Desborough, White & Green lure.
10lb 2oz Barry Read (below), Northampton, Damsel.
9lb 11oz David Cheesley (below), Cambridge, Bloodworm.
9lb 7oz Sean Roe (below), Kettering, White & Green lure.