Complete Fisher Forum - Fly Fishing Forum

[Zimfisherboy]

I went to Halliford yersterday. Had a late start and weather was mild. Gerry who runs the fishery made me a welcome cuppa before I started and may I add it was a cracking tea. It was fully overcast and a pod of fish right in the middle of lake one were high up in the water and active. Only the swim by the car park was near enough to get near them! That swim was occupied and the angler was getting takes and had a couple of fish. Half the lake was frozen over but swims still remained to fish. After a couple of hours fishing I had nothing and a local guy called Pete who lives at the venue and Gerry the fisheries manager sent me a text to say that the swim in front of the fish had been vacated which was very kind. Pete showed me what he had been catching on an stood next to me and promptly caught a fish proving his skill and educated me. We were talking about different rod set ups and he let me cast his. I was into a fish second cast from the swim on his rod .

We caught on a long tailed olive green blue flash gold headed damsel on a fast figure of eight retrieve. Fish that followed and would not take. Pete said to me to increase the retrieve to a faster strip and I was rewarded with another full finned lovely fish in great condition. The fish were 1.5 to 2lb in size. I might add the fish were at my maximum casting range. So a full cast was neccessary to acces the pod.

My motto in low light with overcast conditions has become. Keep the flies large and dark,let them sink for two or three seconds, keep a medium to fast retrieve. It has bought success on my last two outings. Fast figure of eight or twenty to thirty centimeter strips on the retrieve. I used a black and a blue long tailed blue flash damsel on the day, both bringing fish to the bank.

The strange thing about there being a pod was that Gerry last stocked in December and the fish had come back together a few weeks later like something had hearded them into a pod/shoal. The pod moved out of range and so I went for a beer with Pete and Gerry at the bar to shoot some shit in true leisure fisherman style. The pod of fish moved back within range as predicted by Pete after being left alone for ten minutes. I went back to the swim and pulled two more. This was repeated, both beer and then fish which was very enjoyable to say the lease. I left at 4pm chuffed as puch havin had five in total.

Thanks Gerry and Pete

Some pics:

[Zimfisherboy]

Yesterdays lake

[RogB]

Sounds good Kev. I still haven't fished at Halliford since Brian left! Must try and get out down there as i used to really enjoy it.
Rog

[Zimfisherboy]

Hi Roger. Long time no see. Hope things are good in your hood. It's still a tough lake to have good success. I lucked in a little. Gerry has really looked after the place. It's very well maintained. He's a top bloke. Always trying to please and help. Are you going to Elinor?

[RogB]

Hi Kev,

All good here thanks mate. Probably not going to make Elinor but will keep an eye on things and see how it goes closer to the time.

Roger

[davebike]

made a return to trout at the mere today very rusty but managed 5 out of a dozen or more takes on several different drys

great day out


dw
_________________
Dave
West Wickham Kent
Davebike1@gmail.com
Growing older is mandatory; growing up is optional. )

[Zimfisherboy]

Had a little two hour jaunt down to my local lake Halliford Mere after work tonight. The cloud has been total cover all day and I was chomping to go fishing as normally the fish are high in the water in cloudy days. Got home and the Mrs and child were out, no permission needed, so I popped down the lakes.
Now thats how the weekend should start!

The fish were high in the water on the point and so I opted for a single klink but could not reach a pod of moving fish. Had to move location until I found fish opposite the car park I could reach. Still no luck on klinks but had five or six rises to the fly and could not hook one. Changed to a wet fly dragged fast 3 inches under the surface and nothing. Then another favourite of mine fishing cloudy days a black fritz or any large black fly fished fast just under the surface. Still no luck but a couple of follows.

In desperation I put on a foam arsed green blob as it was going dark fast and I could not see a surface fly and first cast a take. Que mahem for the last twenty minutes fishing. Missed about twenty takes and landed five fish. Some times getting two or three takes a cast. But each cast had to be perfect and to my maximum distance to reach a pod of fish moving on the surface. 8.20pm and I get a shout from across the water, the peeps are leaving the lake and want to lock up. Gutted as the place started. boiling with fish rising every where. Left there a happy bunny with mahem for that short period. Worth every penny tonight this lake was.

Off for chinese take away and a couple of beers now. The mother of all long weekends begins with a bang!!! Happy days. Might go again tomorrow as cloud cover looks the same. No Mrs and no child again

[davebike]

Went again Saturday real hard for me and blanked oh well perhaps I manage another try Monday or next wèk

need to tye up more surface / floating flys ☺
_________________
Dave
West Wickham Kent
Davebike1@gmail.com
Growing older is mandatory; growing up is optional. )

[Zimfisherboy]

I fished there last Saturday! The fish went down by the time I arrived. I have found the only way to get takes on those days is to fish ultra slow inching a fly along. Takes come if you persist! I only causght one only but missed about six takes in an hour long session in church bay. Hooe I'm not teaching you to suck eggs., but I use a floating line and a roughly 16 foot keader. I wait until my fly line tip enters the water before even starting to retrieve. Some takes come in the fall but most are when retrieving literally the slowest figure of eight you can muster. The takes I had were in a gold head fritz lure which was size 14. Fritze was tinsel green.
I hope that helps although I'm no brilliant angler

[RogB]

Sound good Kev, must give it a go soon. Is lake 3 back in action? Used to love sight fishing in the trees and bays?

[Zimfisherboy]

Hi roger

Yes he has re stocked lake 3 a few times and the place is looking the best it ever has. They have opened up swims that never were before and tidied the place up no end. They have also put in a couple of bridges to the little islands on lake3 that you could not fish from previously. A huge amount of work has gone into Halliford. Gerry who runs the place now has nailed it so far as the look, cleanliness and general maintenance. For any fisherman it is a very scenic place to fish considering its location.

[RogB]

Thanks Kev,

Will try and get down there soon, chores permitting. I saw this recent write up Fishtec Halliford Blog
Cheers
Roger

[Zimfisherboy]