First Browns of the Season

fossil-fish · First Browns of the Season

Managed to get a few hours at Woodburn reservoirs today. It was a grey dismal day with very strong and gusty winds, not the best conditions for my casting, but it was my first chance of the new season. Parked the car at Lower South about 10am and fished my way along the near bank. I tried several different black or white lures on the point with a zulu varient (green tag instead of red) on a dropper. Line was a clear intermediate. About 11am I noticed a very sparse hatch of quite large black buzzers, but I saw no fish rise and had no bites.

About twelve I walked up to the middle dam and fished along the south (black path) side. In the near corner I hooked and landed a beautiful brown of 2lb which took the zulu varient. I dispatched it and spooned it. I found a handful of small hog lice which were very fresh. Off came the lure and on the point went a hare's ear type nymph. (Actually made with hares body fur with a red rib and tinsel wingcase). Had a cup of coffee and then after another couple of casts hooked and landed a much similar lengthed fish that was much leaner. It took the nymph. When I spooned it I also found fresh hog lice.

When I gutted this fish at home I found that it's stomach was full of frog spawn and the semi digested remains of an adult frog. This is the second time I have found this at this dam.

Another bite, which I missed, and then a few casts back on the lower dam with no further fish.

A good day in all, but still the usual problems with these places. Litter is disgraceful, and the fly only rule on the middle is still blatantly ignored. On my way back on the lower passed two guys with a pair of cheap spinning rods EACH propped up on sticks. Should be such great places but as usual the complete and utter lack of baliffing lets them down.

FIREY BROWN · woodburn dams

Fossil

excellent report mate from the woodburn dams,,as you say still the same old cr*p from people ignoring the fly only rule and its not as if there isn`t any other waters where they can bait fish...thats the very thing that puts me off buying the DCAL permit

anyway two lovely fish there,,looks like the bottom one of the two in the photo is pretty much full tailed or at least well mended,,shame you didnt take some photo`s of the stomach contents ie the hog lice they would`ve been interesting to see on the screen,,maybe next time....

Regards
FIREY BROWN

adriany

Firey he prob battered the Hog Lice and scranne dthem aswell lol only joking fossil mate...or am I

tack4

top report fossil m8 well done and why spooning is such a good idea when not c&r Cool

fossil-fish

fossil-fish

Firey,
Just for you here's one I prepared earlier.

Watty's Rock

Great report ff and a great result for a hard day. Cool

troutsbane

Like wise great catch on an otherwise hard day!!! but if you are not out it's hard to catch sitting on your ass. Where else would you rather be but frezzing your nuts off.

fossil-fish

adriany

Well done fossil very good report and 2 nice looking fish for the pan there. I tried to get there today but the top of that road is blocked off for tarmacing.

adriany

Fossil I fished the Middle today by god thats some walk down from the carpark lol. First cast I rose a fish second cast I nailed the begger, a lovely fish of close to 2lb 8oz which took the hares ear. The wind was bloody awful so I decided after 30 mins to call it a day then the long walk back to the car...

Without your report Fossil I'd never have caught that fish so many thanks.

Adrian

fossil-fish

Adrian,
Wow, that is a compliment indeed. According to DCAL's website recent stockings were of 1lb fish. 2lb 8ozs, is likely to be an over wintered fish. It just shows what these places are capable of. In another month the banks will be lined with the remains of fires, bank side vegatation will be set alight and piles of broken bottles and beer tins will be left at some dirty lazy b@$t@rds backside. It really is a shame, but as in previous years, bugger all will be done about it. The proper, serious and law biding anglers will once again be the ones that suffer.

You are also right about the access. Once again it is the law biding who are inconvieniced because of the actions of low life thugs and theives.

I go through the same process every year trying to deciede whether I actually want to spend my hard earned money on something that I have to share with free loading vandals, litter louts and thieves who pay nothing for it. Sometimes I look round and think, "Christ, this actually costs me money, I actually choose to pay for this, am I wise?"

Up until now what has swayed my deciesion is the oppertunity to fish with my father, but I am sure I will go hrough the whole mental argument next year. It will be interesting to see where my first full year as a fly angler takes me.

If nothing else, at least the middle dam in summer is agreat advert for Straid. You can see why you pay to fish in such a beautiful, well kept a well run fishery. It really is time that DCAL woke up and smelt the coffee.

tack4

Watty's Rock

Ditto!