THAMES VALLEY

FLY DRESSERS

BRANCH OF FLY DRESSERS GUILD

Our Secretary’s Annual Trip to Wimbleball Lake Exmoor 2017

On Thursday we met a Gordano Service station on the M5 John A,John W and Richard E. We ate a Harry Ramsdens Full English breakfast served by a pasty faced youth with black rings under his eyes.

Together of we set off with John W in his silver bullet estate car and Richard E and John A in Richard’s Fishing Hut on wheels resembling a blacked out CIA snatch vehicle. We proceeded at a leisurely 90mph towards Exmoor.

We reached our first venue of the day Clatworthy Reservoir. To our dismay all the parking facilities were fully taken. This normally is a quite venue. Judging by the contents of one mans car boot, ice bucket with white wine and  picnic basket. They were  set for the day. John W’s home made rock cakes and black tea were no match . We decided to continued on to Clatworthy Lake a 25 minute drive away.

Weather wise it was a sunny cloudless day with little wind. At John W's recommendation we fished at the Rugg's Bay end of the lake where on the previous June we had caught a prodigious amount of Rainbow trout and John W had befriended a Lady Potter who lived in the nearby defunct BT exchange.. Unfortunately we had no contact with any fish that afternoon or the Lady Potter for that matter.

Late afternoon saw our arrival at Holdworthy Farm located at the side of Wimbleball Lake. To be greeted by the farmers wife Gillian. The tea trolley was at the ready with freshly brewed tea and home baked cookies. Later that evening  we sat down for our 4 course dinner  accompanied by 3 bottles of red wine(3 bottles at Richard E's insistence.)

The following morning we awoke with clear heads to a Farmhouse English breakfast served by fresh faced Gillian(not a pasty youth in sight). Decided to fish the lake at the bottom of farm lane for the day. It was another sunny Spring day with little wind. We fished about ¾ mile of the foreshore Dry Fly,Damsels,Buzzers and various colour of Lures but to no avail. There were fish but way out of our casting range. Richard E had one contact. Zzzzzz's were had by all in the afternoon at the side of the lake.

No fish contact was no real surprise to us. Wimbleball Lakes had stopped stocking the lake last September and there was to be no stocking in 2017. So we relying on over wintered fish.

Late afternoon we returned to the farm for our afternoon tea. Sat down for another 4 course dinner joined by another guest at the farm. Rob who  was a 6ft 5 ins ex submariner. On enquiring how he got on when submerged he used one word "duck".

Dinner was again accompanied by fine wine and fishy tales. Rob was so engrossed by our remissness he retired early at 9pm.

Saturday saw our return to Clatworthy Reservoir another glorious sunny Spring Day with little wind. The reservoir has its own fish farm and is well stocked. The fish were deep down so sinking lines were the order of the day attached to Buzzers ,Cat Whiskers Damsels and Booby's . Seven trout were caught in all.

All in all it was a most enjoyable weekend with companions. What did we miss besides more fish? Soup! Owing to one of our companions dislike of the product a request had to be made for this delectable item not to be served for dinner.