Situated only a two hour drive from East London, Leeds from the North, Oxford from the South West and Norwich from the East.

One of  the most iconic images of Rutland Water is one of the most picturesque churches in the UK, Normanton Church. If you happen to be fishing from a boats you can get some great views of this amazing building perched on the causeway.

By surface area Rutland Water is the largest reservoir in England. Filled by the River Nene and Welland, this 3842 acre reservoir is one of Europe’s premier trout waters. The water is so vast that it even has a 37km track around the perimeter for walkers and cyclists. Don’t worry they are nowhere near the bank.

Fishing

The trout fishing season at Rutland Water runs from 13th March to 31st January and fly fishing can take place from either the bank and boat. I like to fish from a boat as there is so much water to explore. Anglian Water also allow predator fishing for Zander and Pike between October 1st and January 31st but only from a boat.

Price Guide

There are lots boats available for hire from the fishing lodge and a well stocked shop where you can buy your permits.  There are a whole host of tickets available but to give you an idea, an 8 fish ticket will set you back around £29 and boat hire for the day £27. The link here will take you to the website where you can see all the options available.

Fish

Rutland is renown for its quality stock of large Rainbow and Brown trout.  The fish are fighting fit with big powerful tails and can break you off if you’re using anything less than an 10lb leader.  Because of the strength of these fish I like to use 12lb fluorocarbon leader.

As with most reservoirs nowadays there is a large resident population of Cormorants. Some estimating as many as 250.  I have caught several fish with beak scars on their backs, but the trout are so strong, that a lot of fish manage to get away.

The birds stay well clear of fisherman and will not come within 200 meters of you.

Methods

Rutland is renown for being a versatile venue when it come to methods. You can fish dry flies when the weather is right, buzzers and nymphs and lures.

The most successful methods for me over the last decade have been;

BUZZERS ON THE BUNG

This exciting method was taught to me by Mr Rutland himself: Al Owen.  Al is a living legend on Rutland and knows every trick in the book.  The basic method is a floating line with a string of three buzzers suspended under a bung.  The bung is basically a strike indicator and is a great starting method for beginners and intermediates. The easiest way to explain the set up is in the diagram. If you are fishing over 14 feet of water, your point fly, (that’s the fly at the end of the line) should be around 2-3 feet off the bottom. The flies above should them be spaced 2-3 feet above that, all the way to the bung. 

Even though the bung is just a small float with a hook in it, the trout will still attack it so beware. Make sure you use a minimum of 10lb Fluorocarbon.  I have found 12lb is perfect. To fish “The Bung” as it is commonly known, simply cast out, keep a direct line and watch the bung. Once the bung vanishes just lift the rod into the fish.  Avoid striking as you won’t need to. You can occasionally pull back to allow the buzzers to lift up in the water.  This is very effective when the fish a wary. Quite regularly more than one fish can take a fly so keep your wits about you.

TUBES & SNAKES

When the conditions are too windy for the bung my favourite method is “On The Rudder” with tube and snake “flies”.  The principle is simple.  Fish a fast sinking line with 12 feet of 12lb  Fluorocarbon and a tube or snake fly with a double hook.  Let all the fly line out plus a little backing and hold the rod to the side.  The boat will be towed along by the wind and the fly dragged behind.  Get ready for some ferocious bites and don’t be surprised if you get a pike of two.

There are plenty of lovely bed and breakfasts around Rutland and some superb restaurants. If you want to stay on site you can stay at the Normanton Park Hotel. With grounds that extend pretty much to the waters edge, it is an ideal place to stay if you visit for a couple of days. Normanton Park Hotel

Have you ever thought about cold smoking your trout? If so take a look at how I do it. Cold Smoked Trout Made Easy

If you fancy getting involved in fly fishing Rutland Water then why not take a look at The Rutland Water Fly Fishers website click here https://rwff.org.uk/

The post Trout Fishing Rutland Water appeared first on Fishing Maverick.

What is cooking on a cedar plank?

Cedar plank cooking has been used by the Native Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest in the USA for over a thousand years. In that region there has always been an abundance of fish to eat including Salmon, Trout and Char. The barbecuing method of grilling on Cedar planks is one of the best ways to cook fish and other meats. As the Cedar plank is heated by the direct flames of a grill the moisture pulls wood flavour out of the wood and gently cooks the fish with a mixture of steam from the bottom while baking from the top.  It leaves the flesh moist and gives dishes a fragrant smoky flavour. You can also use this method to cook meat, other fish, shellfish, chicken, pork and vegetables.

step 1 – ingredients

• Cedar planks
• 2 Fillets or four steaks of trout
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Franks Hot Sauce
• Mayonnaise
• Soft Brown Sugar
• Fresh Coriander for Garnish

step 2 – Preparation

There are a whole host of cedar planks available online on eBay and my preference is a 14 x 37 x 1 cm boards.  This size is perfect for either trout steaks, whole fillets from a 2lb fish or portioned fillets.  The actual planks are not cheap, but who doesn’t love great tasty food once in a while.

It’s a very simple process to prepare the board.  Simply submerge the plank in warm water for around an hour until the plank is wet to the core. waterlogging the board serves two purposes. One it stops the wood from burning too quickly and two it helps steam the flesh from the bottom side. You may have to help keep the wood submerged as it will want to float.  I like to use a glass filled with water. The wife came up with that idea. Once fully wet it is time to prepare the fish.

step 3 – Seasoning your fish

For this recipe I used two tail fillets from a couple of 4lb trout I had caught at Rutland Water. After taking the skin off place the fish onto the soaked board. Season with some Kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper.  Any restaurant worth its weight will only use Kosher salt.  It is natural and free from iodine and any anti clogging agents such as Calcium silicate.  Freshly ground pepper is best as you release all the oils and flavours that have been tucked up inside each peppercorn.

Next take some hot sauce. I used a teaspoon of Franks Red Hot Sauce on each fillets and spread it all over the flesh. I just prefer Franks but Nandos or Sriracha will do just fine.  Or just leave it out.

Next take a teaspoon of full fat mayonnaise and spread it over the fillet using the same spoon so it mixes together with the hot sauce. Then sprinkle a level teaspoon of brown sugar all over the surface to finish off.  Your cedar plank trout is now ready for cooking.

step 4 – cooking

I use my gas BBQ to cook my fish.  I like the BBQ  because you can get the wood to burn and smoke and get that lovely smoky flavour.  You can use an oven but a BBQ is best. Light your BBQ with the lid down and heat to around 400F. Once it has reached its temperature place the plank in the middle of your grill plate, close the lid and turn down to a medium heat.  At this point it is always handy to have a spray bottle filled with water.  Because of the immense heat you want to avoid what’s called “flare ups”.  This is when the wood catches fire.  You can spray the flames to dampen down the fire and keep it under control with the sprayer.

step 5 – when is it ready?

As a guide I would cook two pieces of fish like this for around ten minutes maximum. You do not want to over cook the fish.  Remember fish keeps cooking after you have removed it from the heat. I would rather have slightly underdone fish than over done. I like the idea of using a fork and seeing if the fish flakes away to see if it is ready.  If it is really undercooked then just chuck it back on the grill for a bit longer.

Once the fish is ready, tear up some fresh coriander and sprinkle on top. I like to serve the fish on the plank.  Make sure you dip the plank in a shallow tray of water to extinguish the embers and to stop the house from burning down.

So there you have it, cedar plank trout. My suggestion would be is to serve it with some new potatoes and some green vegetables or a garden salad.

Why not take a look at my cold smoked trout two part series by Clicking here

The post Cedar Plank Trout appeared first on Fishing Maverick.

A lot of trout are caught on spinners especially on rivers and streams all over the world but in the UK they are mainly used for Pike, Perch, Chub and Zander. But there are some great any method trout fisheries where you can give it a go.

One thing that I have learnt that has improved my catch rate on these type of waters is that spinner size and hook choice are of upmost importance. I learnt this when I went and visited the reservoir just as Covid restrictions were lifted back in May 2020.  My son Jordan and I were busting a gut to get out fishing after being locked down for weeks on end and had booked some tickets for that first Saturday in May.

research

As I always preach, it is so beneficial to get as much information as possible on a new venue or method before you fish. So, I decided to drive the hour and half round trip see what was happening o the reservoir.

I got down at 4pm and the whole of the dam wall was heaving with people, nearly all of them ledgering with Berkley Powerbait but I noticed two eastern Europeans spinning and instinctively knew they knew what they were doing.  Sitting behind them for half and hour I just watched and made some notes.

I watched the equipment they used and the rod action. The speed of the retrieve, the distance they cast, how long they waited before retrieving and what they caught.  I had a good idea what they were doing but I couldn’t see what type of lures they were using.

quizzing reveals all

They caught four trout in that half hour and missed a few takes.  They must have hit their eight fish limit as they climbed the bank towards me to pack up.  I courteously ask them how they had got on and we got talking.  He showed me his lures, which were Mepps Comet spinners and gave me a run down on what they had done.  He was an absolutely smashing Eastern European guy who did not hold back any information. The one thing he did tell me was that they were hitting the lures but the fish were coming off.  I asked him if I could hold the spinner and noticed a couple of things.

Firstly the Mepps they were using looked great but I couldn’t believe the size of the hook.  It must have been a size 4 or 2 treble.  Surely far too big for a stock trout’s mouth. On inspection of the trebles I notice that they were a little on the blunt side and looked like they had been on the spinner for years. He had also painted the blades white and put red spots on them and swore this was the killer colours. I believed we could maximise our hit rate if we had new ultra sharp hooks and smaller hook size that the fish could engulf. A quick paint down the shed wouldn’t be hard either to achieve that pattern.

The plan

We said our farewells then I spent the next forty minutes analysing what I had seen. On arriving home I downloaded my brain and came up with a plan.  I dug out some Mepps spinners that looked similar and decided I needed to change the trebles. This was a feat in itself as they are manufactured in such a way that you can only cut the hook off. There is then the problem of connecting the wire eye on the spinner and the eye of the hook.

Doctoring the spinners

I dug deep into my hoard of bits and pieces and luckily had some small split rings and a selection of trebles I use for Pike and Zander fishing. I had to use my Fox Pike wire cutters to cut through the eye of the treble in two places to release it from the spinner.

It’s not until you take the original hook off that you realise just how big it is. These hooks are put on in the manufacturing process and are not meant to be changed or replaced.  The only way you can re attach a hook is by adding a suitably sized split ring. I only had 5mm split rings.  4mm would have been better but that is all I had. I took the size 4 treble off and replaced some with smaller size 10’s and 12’s.  It’s a fiddly job trying to get the split ring onto the spinner eye and then attaching the hook.  It took me five minutes to do the first one but got faster with practice.  I used a Stanley blade to open the ring then slide it on the spinner and hook at the same time. Like I said it is extremely fiddly but the challenge is worth it. Go the extra mile and catch the extra fish.  It immediately looked better balanced and was confident my plan would work.

Paint job

A quick rub down of the blades with emery cloth and a spray of white car paint done the trick. Red spots were applied with some acrylic paint and we were ready to go. You can see from the photo that the blade finish was a bit rough but the fish didn’t care.

Armed with our newly upgraded spinners Jordan and I got down to Hanningfield twenty minutes before the gates opened and made our way down the dam wall. To cut a long story short we both started on our new spinners.  Smaller hooks and white painted blades with red spots and we had an absolutely great day.

OUR results

To see how we got on just click here to read about our spinning adventure at Hanningfield with our doctored spinners.

Have a look at all the Mepps range at Mepps.com

The post Spinner Fishing For Trout appeared first on Fishing Maverick.

In part one we discussed where to get the fish, tools, gutting, pin boning, filleting and the brining process.  In part two it is all about the smoking, slicing and storage of your fish.

Your fillets are now brined, washed, maybe boned and ready for cold smoking. First up the smoker. I made mine from a couple of clean unpainted old wooden pallets I had at work. If you haven’t got the time, the will or the way then you can use a cardboard to do the job. I have never tried it but there is a simple YouTube video you can click here to watch DIY Cold Smoker . There are a whole host of “How to make a smoker” videos on YouTube so I would suggest taking a look at some.  Just make sure the materials are clean with no tape or ink and well sealed with air holes to keep the smoke flowing.

how to hang your fillets

To hang the fillets, I made some fish hooks out of some old wire clothes hangers. Bend in an “S” shape and if you can sharpen one end. There are hooks available on eBay, just search for “smoking fish hooks”.  They are not expensive and only take a few days to get delivered. Pierce the hook around 40mm from the tail end.  They are now ready to hang in your smoker. Just keep everything simple.

What Wood

The internet is filled with articles and videos with people using all types of wood for smoking all types of foods. There is an absolutely huge range of smoking dusts and chips on the market including; Oak, Beech, Hickory, Cherry, Maple, Alder and Apple.

But avoid soft woods, such as Douglas Fir, Cyprus, Firs and Spruce as they contain resins and will leave nasty residues in your smoker and on your food.  The smoked salmon you find in the supermarkets is usually Oak. I recently tried beech for the first time, but found it was too mild for my liking and tend to stick with oak as it’s full of flavour and the smoke time is quicker.

Creating Smoke

To create the smoke I place my smoke dust into a ProQ Smoke Generator.  This is a clever device which allows the snake like design to keep the wood smoking for up to 10 hours. They are not cheap at around £35 or $45 but a great investment if you want to start smoking your own food. Remember you can use your smoking setup to smoke a whole range of foods including other fish, cheese, jerky, duck, chicken and turkey. There are other generator designs available that I guess are equally as effective but I haven’t tried them.

Following the instructions and light the generator. All you need is a tea light and a match.  Make sure the smoke generator has caught light and been smoking for ten minutes then shut the door and wait. There should be a fine stream of smoke coming from the generator. You dont need lots because the box soon fills with smoke. The embers that cause the smoke will slowly work its way along all the dust over a few hours. A small amount of air needs to flow into the smoke box to keep the embers lit so make sure there are holes at the bottom of the smoker and a hole at the top. The YouTube videos will explain what you need.

TIP

Sometimes the smoke can go out. It is either two things.  The dust has moisture or there isnt enough air flow. If there is enough air flowing it will probably be due to the dust or chips having moisture. I found the solution to this was to dry the dust in the oven on a tray for around twenty minutes removing any excess water. I always do this before smoking whether its a hot or cold day.  It is always easier on a hot day but if you want to smoke all year round then you need to know the tricks of the trade.

Smoking guide

The smoking table below gives you an idea of smoking times, but you can play around so you can find your ideal smoke flavour.

Once smoked you can pull out the pin bones if you haven’t already. Run your fingers gently across the fillet.  You will feel a long line of bone heads. There is a quick way of removing them. Cut out either side of the pin bones and removing a slither of flesh with the bones intact. Take some practice but ideal if you are smoking lots of fish. All you will lose is a slither if done correctly.

Slicing

Like most people I like to lay nice large slices of fish on my bagel.  To do this with your trout you will need a very very sharp knife.  Preferably a fish filling knife.  The advantage of a dedicated fish filleting knife is that they can bend and is made of thinner steel. This allows a super sharp cutting edge and the flexibility to take long slithers of flesh without tearing.  This is something you will need to get the knack of so practice will make permanent.  If you have not got a filleting knife, just get the blade as shape as possible.

Start by holding fillet tail nearest you.  Then slice your fish starting at the other end.  Just as you get to the end of each slither really take the angle down so the knife finishes above the skin and does not cut through it.  It does not matter if it does as you can just trim any skin off after.  Ideally you will just be left with a piece of skin.

storage

Cold smoked trout and salmon can easily be stored in the freezer. I tend to bag a couple of fillets in a resealable bag and mark up the date it was made.  They defrost in around twenty minutes at room temperature.

You can slice the fillets before freezing but I like to keep the fillet whole to keep all the tasty, healthy oils inside the flesh.  Because you can freeze your catch you will have smoked fish for the whole of the winter if you catch enough. So, there it is, an easy cold smoked trout recipe. Have a go and persevere.  It is so satisfying catching and preparing your own smoked fish.

Good luck.

Click here to learn more about Hanningfield Trout Fishing

Click here for my to read my article Spinning for Reservoir Trout

The post Cold Smoked Trout Easy Recipe Pt2 appeared first on Fishing Maverick.

If you like cold smoked salmon, then you should try cold smoked trout.  Extremely tasty and perfect with a bagel and cream cheese or with scrambled eggs for breakfast. If you prepare it correctly it will taste like salmon. Here’s an easy cold smoked trout recipe.

Fish Preparation

What You Need For  6 – 8lb of whole trout

Trout or salmon, sharp filleting knife, large chopping board, fish descaling tool, bag of brown sugar, bag of kosher salt, smoke generator, smoking dust, smoker or large box, fishhooks, resealable bags.

However you obtain your fish, the process is similar apart from the gutting.  If it comes from a shop, then there’s a good chance that this process has probably been done by the fishmonger.

One thing to note is that cold smoked fish is essentially raw fish so you need to obtain the freshest fish you can. On returning from a trout fishing trip I will usually have the fillets brining within twelve hours.

The first thing you need to do is descale the fish.  This is because we do not want a mouthful of scales with our smoked trout and cream cheese bagel.  You can leave the scales on but you have to be very experienced.

Tools

There are a variety of tools made for this purpose, but the back of a knife works just fine if you have not got a descaling tool. Once you have removed the scales, wash the fish and dry its sides with a cloth or paper towel, so it does not slip around on the cutting board.

Gutting

Next up is gutting. If you are an experienced fish filleter like myself, you can leave the guts in, but if you are new to the process then I would advise you gut the fish.

To gut the fish, take a very sharp knife, preferably a filleting knife and enter the fishes vent hole (poop hole).  Then slide the knife up towards the throat making sure you cut straight down the middle in between the anal fins and right up to the middle of the throat.  You only want to be cutting through the belly of the fish and try and keep the knife from cutting the guts inside the fish.  Once you have opened the cavity push your fingers inside and around the back of the guts and pull them out. Sever around the throat to release and trim if there is any thing left on the vent. There is a long blood line that runs inside the of the backbone.  Take your knife and run it all the way down splitting the membrane.  Then, using you thumb scrape the blood away until clean. You will not be able to clean it perfectly but if you can get in 80% out you’ve done well. Wash again thoroughly and it is now ready to fillet.

Fillet from the back so you leave yourself two beautiful clean fillets. If you have not done it before, do not worry.  I messed it up a few times and still occasionally do.

TIP

Before starting I would recommend watching a few videos on YouTube to get the idea. There is a YouTube video link at the bottom which will give you a good idea where to start.

Only watch up until 3 minutes 20 seconds.  Ignore the rest. Remember you are not selling your fish to Harrods and Selfridges so do not worry too much about the look of the final fillet. It will taste just great.

To Pin Bone or Not to Pin Bone

Pin bones in trout are a pain in the butt.  You take a nice mouthful of fish and spend the next fifteen seconds playing around trying separate the bone in your mouth. We have all done it and it is annoying.

So, here is my view on the subject.  If you want whole boneless fillets that look amazing, then I suggest pin boning before brining.  If you are like me and do not care about looks then cut the pin bones out after smoking. Pin boning is best done with a good pair of pin boning tweezers.  If you haven’t got tweezers then try a pair if long nose pliers from the shed. You will leave the odd bone but you will be able to feel them later when you start to slice the fish.

Brining

Brining serves two purposes.  Firstly, it seasons the fish, adding flavour and secondly acts as a natural preservative that breaks down muscle tissue to get a more tender flesh.  Remember once you have brined your raw fish and washed it clean it is basically ready for eating.  The smoking process adds the flavour to the flesh.

The simplest and most popular brine recipe is a dry brine.

A 50/50 mix of fine kosher or natural salt and brown sugar. Kosher salt is used because it is clean and doesn’t contain Iodine unlike regular table salt. Mix the two ingredients well together making sure they are equally dispersed. You can find other recipes on the internet but this one is a great start.

Lay a bed of brine mix on the bottom of a large deep sided non-metallic tray. You should still be able to see bits of the bottom of the tray.  You do not need a half inch layer for trout like you do a thick salmon fillet. Lay some fillets skin side down making sure no fillets are over lapping.

Spread Brine evenly

Add a layer of brine on top of the flesh and place another layer of fillets flesh side down and repeat the process until all the fish are brining. You need to make sure that you lay fillets flesh on flesh and skin on skin, so any loose scales do not escape onto the flesh. 

Make sure to cover the final layer and then clingfilm or Saran Wrap the tray and place in the fridge. I have given my recommendations in the table below on brining times but do feel free to experiment to get the taste and texture you prefer.

At this point in the process some people like to add weights to help squeeze out the water during brining.  I have found that you end up with thin fillets that are too salty, and the flesh is too firm. Once again try it and give it a go.

Smoked Trout Brining Times

Because we all catch different size fish, the table below gives you an idea on the appropriate brining time. You will get to understand how long to brine for when you finally taste the fish.  You will be able to adjust the brining time to your pallet.

Dry the fillets with kitchen towel and lay each one skin side down on a tray so they are open to the air. Do not cover, and leave in the fridge overnight or for around twelve hours.  This process is called creating a pellicle and allows the flesh to form a tacky outer layer. It helps to produce a better smoked product and acts as a protective barrier for the food. It also plays an important role in enhancing the flavour and colour produced by the smoking process.
When removing the tray from the fridge, you will notice that there is a lot of liquid in the tray.  This is exactly what we are looking for. Drain the liquid that has been extracted from the flesh then wash the fillets thoroughly making sure all the excess salt is removed under a cold tap.  I then like to leave mine soak in a sink of cold water for around 15 minutes.  Then wash off in clean cold water and put to the side.

For my YouTube Video on how to cold smoke trout Click here

Smoking, slicing and storing Click here to see part 2

Click Here YouTube Filleting Fish Link 

Click here for Hanningfield Trout Fishing

You might find the following article on Spinning for Reservoir Trout fishing interesting https://www.fishingmaverick.com/spinning-for-trout/

The post Cold Smoked Trout Easy Recipe Pt1 appeared first on Fishing Maverick.

Me and my son Jordan had waited for 9 months to get back down to Hanningfield reservoir to do some spinning for trout.

Not only couldn’t we fish the whole of winter, we also had to wait for COVID lock down to end.  It did finally come to an end for fisherman in May.  The government allowed both fishing and golf to open with restrictions.  There were some social distancing rules for fisheries. Fishing would be allowed from the bank only, no boats and keep your distance from each other.

When Essex and Suffolk Water finally opened Hanningfield for fishing, you could only fish off the dam wall and you had to book and pay for your tickets in advance.  You were allowed to fish together if you were from the same household which was a right result for us.

I booked us a couple of eight fish tickets online for 30th May.  The weather was going to be clear skies and hot. 26 degrees with very little wind.

Now those of you that know me, know that I like to do a lot of research into the venue I would be fishing. Hanningfield was to be no exception.

Countdown

The reservoir had been opened for a few days and the catch reports were non existent.  The only way to get any up to date information was to go to the venue.  I drove the forty minute journey from my house, and got to the water around three o’clock.

I parked up at the “Inlet” car park. Luckily for me the rangers had packed up and gone, so I could wander onto the bank without problem. A bit cheeky but “Who Dares Wins” as they say.

The designated area for fishing were the eighty or so pegs that run along the whole of the dam wall.  There is another car park at the other end, so your furthest walk was going to be around forty swims.

The water was heaving with anglers and decided I would walk up around 15 swims and park myself there.  This gave me a good idea what was happening in fifteen pegs either side.  After around half an hour I noticed a guy six swims to my right who was catching and it looked as if he was spinning.  I wandered up to him and his mate and sat quietly behind him.  He looked like he knew what he was doing.  He had well balanced tackle, a great cast and looked like he’d landed a few in his time.

Always ask for advice

After half hour he caught his limit and came up the bank to pack up.  We exchanged pleasantries and I asked him his advice as I was coming here tomorrow.  Like most decent anglers he was more than willing to share his knowledge.  He whispered to me that I needed to fish with this type of spinner.  He showed me a Mepps Aglia Comet spinner.  “you need a white blade with red spots” he said enthusiastically. “I always use this colour lure at Hanningfield when spinning for trout”. After a few more minutes chatting I thanked him for his time and help and made my way back to the car park.

16 hours Until The Spinning Stars

I now had 16 hours to get some spinners that looked like that.  No shops were open due to lock down.  Online orders were taking two to three days and I didn’t know anyone I could call to borrow a few.   Oh well I will have to improvise.

Time to create some trout spinners

I finally got home around 7pm and dug out my spinner box. I found three No2 (4.5gram) spinners that I had been given by a lure company at a fishing show twenty years ago and took the down the shed for a makeover.

Because the blades were a polished finish I sanded the blades down so the white paint would adhere to them.  Then, using masking tape covered the lure apart from the blade.  I sprayed them with two coats of quick drying white car paint primer.  Once they were dry, the next job was to change over the treble hooks to a size 12.  When fly fishing on reservoirs I never user a hook bigger than a 12.  It made sense to stay to that size.  They are mainly stock trout around the 2lb mark, so they haven’t got the mouth of a pike or perch.

To finish the off I found red Sharpie permanent marker and drew some red spots on the front of the blades. 

Arrival

We arrived 10 minutes before the gates opened and was shocked to be parked in a queue 20 cars long.  In all fairness it only took ten minutes to clear once the gates were open.

We decided to fish in the area where the guy I talked to fished the day before, around twenty swims to the right.

Jordan set up a Drennan 8ft Spincast rod with a reel with 15lb braid. He added a 6ft of 12lb Fluorocarbon leader and attached one of our home tweaked special spinners.

Our Trout Spinning Gear

• Rod: Drennan Spincast 8ft
• Reel: Dawia Ninja 2000A
• Main Line: Savage Gear 20lb Silencer Braid

I was just finishing setting up my rod when I heard Jordan say, “I’m in”.  Wow! that was quick.  If you have not had the pleasure of catching stockies from a reservoir, then I thoroughly recommend giving it a go.  They fight like demons.  When spinning for trout on the reservoir you must use a minimum 8lb leader, or they will just snap you off. They jump all over the place and taste okay too.

After a five minute fight and beautiful 2lb 6oz rainbow graced the landing net and was quickly dispatched and put in our ice bucket.

Over the next three hours we landed another eight and lost four.  We were casting as far as we could. Around 30 yards and just steadily retrieved the spinners.  We had bites all over the place.  Up in the water as the lure was sinking, within ten feet the bank but most were around mid water halfway in.

Trout on the move

Because the sun was now high up over our heads, the bites were slowing down.  From experience I said to Jordan that I believe the fish have gone out a little into the deeper less bright water. I know this from past experience when spinning for trout.  Our spinners were a little to light to reach the fish.  More improvisation was required.  I delved into my bag and bought out some tungsten putty I used for carp fishing.  I moulded it around both our spinners around the brass body.  When we cast out, found we gained another 10 yards.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Our gamble paid off as we started to get takes virtually straight away.

We decided to call it a day on 12 fish.  We could have easily caught our eight fish limit each, but I would have no use for the extra fish we would have had to take.  Biggest fish went to Jordan at just over 3lb and most fish also went to him.

All in all, the total weight of our catch as documented by Jordan was just under 30lb.  More than enough trout to cold smoke but that is another blog.

You can find a huge range of spinners on their website https://www.mepps.com/

If you fancy fly fishing at Hanningfield you can check out a Trout & Salmon article here.

https://www.troutandsalmon.com/fishing-tips/stillwater-guides/articles/stillwater-and-reservoir-fly-fishing-guide-hanningfield-reservoir

You might find the following on Perch fishing interesting 4/https://www.fishingmaverick.com/catch-lots-of-perch-for-under-4/

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