I always try to stick to the old close season, but the River
Torridge was up and very coloured so there was no chance of fly fishing, the
mullet haven’t arrived yet, so I decided I had to fish a Stillwater and went to Darracott Reservoir.
With Torridge up and
coloured making it impossible to fly fish and the mullet not yet in, I had to
get out fishing and went to Darracott Reservoir just up the road from here
after the shop closed.
I took a can of sweetcorn and fished next to the Canadian pond weed off the
dam. After having a few small rudd I started catching roach on a single grain
of corn. As I loose fed 3 or 4 grain each cast the roach just kept coming and I
had between 40 and 50 y the end of the session. most between 6 or 8 oz. The best
was about 1.25lb. This must rate as my best day ever.
However, South West Lakes Trust has really spoilt the water. They started
taking a few trees away several years ago that offered protection from the
westerly wind off the sea which you can easily see off the dam. Then, wind
turbines were erected nearby. At the council hearing they didn't attend. I was
bailiff at the time and they refused to give me data to protest at the meeting,
then the energy company listed how many annual tickets were sold. Clearly they
had been given the data. Now if the wind is in the wrong direction you don't go
there.
Then the carp averaged 11 lbs with a couple of 20's and the fish were growing
steadily. Now they had supplemented the stock with little ones hampering the
growth of the big ones which carp anglers don't like, and I catch too many when
I am roach fishing which I don't like.
Now they have had the diggers in and made big platform areas for bivvies, why?
there was room before and they have denuded a stretch of the bank. There are
too many average carp puddles in Devon already
and they have savaged what was once one of the most attractive fisheries in the
area.
It seems a perfect example of how not to run a fishery. I go less and less
having not fished there for a about a year after having a season ticket, and
I'm afraid despite the roach I won't become a regular again. What a shame.