Blakewell Closing for One week- Maintenance In-preparation for Autumn Season

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The lake will be closed for essential maintenance for up to one week from Tuesday 19th September 2017 we intend to re-open on Monday 26th September.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will endeavor to complete the work sooner and we will advise via our website email & Facebook if this is the case.
All our other facilities at Blakewell are open as usual, including the family fishing ponds and the cafe.

 

FISHING FOR LIFE AT BLAKEWELL

Jeff Pearce Blakewells resident Instructor sent me this short article on a project to help those with breast cancer.

 

‘Fishing for Life’ Organisation come to Blakewell

 

‘Fishing for Life’ is an organization, which provides fly, fishing sessions for people who all have one thing in common – breast cancer.

The organisation formed back in 2007 after learning how fly fishing techniques had been proven to be very beneficial to build up tissues and muscle for anyone suffering from breast cancer.

On the 6th September I had the pleasure of being invited along to the launch of their North Devon & 9th group at Blakewell fishery.

Interest in the group has been promising and 10 people have so far shown an interest in attending the North Devon group. The group will be meeting monthly in the future between 2pm and 4pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

As well as those attendees suffering from breast cancer, we had a group of nurses attend who wanted to learn more about the organisation and how fly fishing could help. As you can see from the above photo, having received some tuition they were soon captivated by the sport and keen to try and catch their first trout too!

Across the lake the ladies were engrossed in the tactics & seemed to be genuinely enjoying the sport. In fact, so much so that when afternoon tea was being served back at the café, one of the ladies just couldn’t be prized from the lake. Eventually returning carrying a decent trout and a big smile on her face!

It is hoped this group can now go from strength to strength and a decent number will make the monthly meet. It is further intended that if the weather is inclement during the winter months a fly tying workshop with a general will be held in the café instead, no doubt by this time there will be plenty of fishy tales to be told.

So, if you are one of these people who all have one thing in common – breast cancer and would like to come along or know anyone else who might benefit from joining this group, you can ring Gillian on 01398 371244 or check out their website at http://www.southwestfishingforlife.org.uk

SUMMER EVENINGS OF DELIGHTFUL DECEPTION WITH THE DRY FLY

 

Image Jeff Pearce

 

Summer evening on a trout lake in early July lush green vegetation surrounding the mirror calm surface. Swallows swooping over the water with trout cruising clearly visible in crystal clear water.

I was enjoying an evening at Blakewell with their resident instructor Jeff Pearce. Jeff was as always kitted out with the latest top quality tackle from Snowbee a Spectre 5 weight rod matched to a 2 to 5 weight thistledown fly line that has recently won a prestigious European Fly Fishing Trade Award.

Image by Jeff Pearce

I had elected to contrast Jeff’s top of the range modern tackle by bringing along a 7ft Scottie Split Cane rod that I purchased from a work colleague last year. I later discovered that the rod had once been owned by Richard Mann a regular at Blakewell who sadly passed away last year. Whilst I am not a devout advocate of vintage tackle I do have a fondness for angling history and split cane rods have a certain feel that is somehow more in sync with nature than the steely modern perfection of carbon fibre.

Image by Jeff Pearce

 

We had decided to restrict ourselves to dry fly only on this warm and sultry evening planning to savour the visual delights of this method. It is surprising that so many anglers miss out on the best trout fishing summer has on offer by concentrating their efforts during the daytime hours often fishing office hours between 9.0am and 5.00pm when they could arrive at 5.00pm and fish until dusk when the fish undoubtedly become more active.

After a days work that had entailed a meeting in Plymouth I was relieved to eventually arrive at the lake at close to 6.30pm where I found Jeff chatting to a couple of visiting anglers.

Trout were clearly visible, some cruising and others were suspended lethargically almost motionless in the water

I tied a small grey duster to my 4lb point and worked the fly line until I had found the range of the target trout. Jeff was soon into action tempting a fish on a small caenis imitation. After a pleasing tussle a beautiful spotted brown trout of a couple of pounds was being admired.

It was obvious that the actively cruising trout were the fish to target as they were we guessed on the lookout for food. After a few refusals I dropped my fly into the path a cruising fish and watched as it nonchalantly swam up to the fly and slurped in my offering. The satisfying tightening of the line and well-bent rod followed this delightful moment of deception. This was the first decent sized trout I had hooked on the old Scottie as previous outings with the rod had been on the river where I had relished catching 4oz wild browns. This 2lb plus rainbow was a more severe test for the rod though I lent into the fish with total confidence enjoying every moment as the old cane absorbed every lunge.

 

As we fished on Jeff enjoyed success with a small sedge pattern twitching it a few times and then pausing. This often provoked a rise from the trout and a well bent rod. I followed suit tying on a sedge pattern myself and casting to active trout. This was fascinating fishing watching each fish’s reaction to the fly. There is surely no more enjoyable way to catch trout than with the dry fly?

Image by Jeff Pearce

As the sun slowly sank the trout became more active as the air-cooled and more flies hatched around the lake. There was no hurry to catch fish as we enjoyed the ambience of the summer lake. Chatting about fishing here and there and hatching plans for fly-fishing excursions in both saltwater and fresh. Jeff is a dedicated fly angler and relishes catching on this method above all others.

As the sun sank we took the opportunity to capture images of reflections in the water as the summer day ebbed away. A pair of kingfishers flashed across the water a pleasing glimpse of blue and orange. A heron wheeled above the trees emitting a primeval cry and resembling a pterodactyl that once flew millions of years ago. Such summer evenings are to be savored as the evenings once again begin to shorten as summers glorious peak of perfection passes.

 

Snowbee Open Day at Blakewell Fishery

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Blakewell Fishery hosted an Open day last Sunday sponsored by South West based tackle company Snowbee.This was a friendly relaxed event with the opportunity to mingle with fellow anglers and witness impressive fly casting demonstrations from Snowbee’s Simon Kidd.

Simon also gave tuition to visiting anglers including a young gentlemen called Tom who landed his first ever fly caught trout a hard fighting 3lb plus rainbow.

Simon Kidd ( Right) and pupil Tom with his first trout.

Simon Kidd gave casting demonstrations and discussed all the latest tackle from Snowbee with particular attention to Fly-Lines. The general consensus is that a quality fly line is a more worthwhile investment than a fly rod or reel. A good fly Line will dramatically improve the performance of any rod whilst a poor line will spoil the performance of even the most expensive fly rod.

The latest tackle from South West based company Snowbee was available to try and I was particular impressed with the thistledown fly lines that delivered a long line with a minimal amount of false casting. http://www.snowbee.co.uk/fly-fishing/fly-lines-backing/

Jeff Pearce a member of Blakewells team put this to good use tempting a hard fighting rainbow. ( below)

Throughout the day anglers mingled chatting about past adventures and spawned plans to visit new waters. Several newcomers to the sport will undoubtedly be hooked on fly fishing. The lakeside proved a delightful location to savor a beer and burger provided by Blakewell co owner Richard Nickell.

 

 

Chris Payne enjoyed success during the open day landing a stunning rainbow trout of 11lb 5oz.( Below)

Blakewell Open Day and fine sport

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David Hill visited Blakewell Fishery and had a pleasing days sport landing four quality trout for 17lb including a handsome 4lb brown trout.

Next Sunday May 14th the fishery are hosting a Snowbee Open day with casting demonstrations, tackle on show and the chance to mingle with fellow anglers whilst enjoying food and refreshments.

http://www.blakewell.co.uk