immaculate looking fish!
I promised Rodney Wevill who organises the Fluff Chucker events that that I would give an update on Wistlandpound before the next Brown Trout Masters event on May 2nd. So on April 18th I set off for quick fish around the lake. On arrival it was pleasing to hear the call of chiff chaffs in the fresh green trees. Parking in the lower Car park I walked down across the dam noting that the reservoir level is around 4ft below top water level. There was also a green tinge to the water indicating an algae bloom a frequent issue this reservoir over the years.
Wistlandpound is 41 acres and is close to my home in North Devon. I have fished at the venue since the late 1970’s and have witnessed several phase of fishing at the venue. It was once a premier rainbow trout fishery but was downgraded a few years ago to become a natural brown trout water. Trout are no longer stocked into the lake but a healthy stock remain in the reservoir and there is the potential for some large specimens. Rudd are now abundant in the reservoir and undoubtedly provide food for the venues larger brown trout. Recent season have seen fish caught to 3lb with larger fish glimpsed as they smash into fry during late summer.
I walked along to the South bank where a good stretch of bank is fishable. I covered this stretch of water casting and stepping to cover as much water as possible. See Map below :-
The South bank gives access to deep water with some weed offering food for both trout and Rudd. The eastern end of the lake offer some access to extensive weedy shallows that can fish well especially when the water level is down a little giving casting space behind. There are two areas of accessible bank on the North Shore that can be productive if the boat launching area isn’t being used.
Despite searching all fishable areas I drew a blank on this short reconnoitre of the water. It will be interesting to see what is caught during the Fluff Chucker’s event. I generally fish a team of flie’s with black lures, black spiders and PTN’s generally working well along with Zulus and other traditional wets.
Grant is the latest angler to bank a double figure brown trout from Bulldog Fishery. The fish was part of a six fish limit.
Bruce Elton enjoyed a day to remember at Bulldog Fishery banking this superb personal best brown trout scaling 11ln 10oz. The fish was tempted on a buzzer after missing the fish on a large black snake fly. Bruce also caught a 4lb 8oz brown trout and four rainbow trout of between 2lb and 3lb.
Those big moments in angling are often the result of a bit of luck and there are many sayings used in relation to the luck factor. ” The harder I try the luckier I get” is perhaps one of the biggest in angling. Chatting with Nigel about the carp lake I pondered upon the investment of time when he commented on an angler having caught one carp in eight days fishing. Carp fishing by its nature is a discipline where the amount of time spent on the bank can be seen as hours invested results in success.
Fly Fishing and in particular competitive fly fishing is time constrained meaning that the decisions made on the day within a strict time frame are perhaps more focused. Thinking back over my many years at the water’s edge many of my personal best fish can be attributed to a big slice of luck that has to some extent been cultivated.
The big brown trout I caught during Bulldogs February Competition is a good example. I had started the day in peg 10 determined by a random draw. As is often the case the first twenty minutes are often hectic with the fish seizing anglers offerings with gusto. I capitalised on this early spell banking two rainbows though I could and should have done better as numerous fish came off after a few seconds of brief connection. A lesson that I have learnt is that in a competition keep at it if the fish are playing ball for they will often switch off quickly as a result of angling pressure.
The competitive format is that every twenty minutes the horn is blown and all move two pegs along. The next three moves resulted in just one fish for myself and by late morning I had still to catch that fourth fish to complete the morning quota. Colin Combe a friend from Wistlandpound angling Club had come for a chat and we talked of previous successes at various lakes. Fly choice is a widely debated topic amongst fly fishers and we both agreed that Bulldog Trout seem to respond to larger lure patterns. My own favourite is an olive damsel whilst Colin reflected upon recent success with a cats-whisker. Now I know the cats whisker is a very successful fly but it is not a fly I tend to use often.
Half an hour or so later I was fishing the point a good peg but success was eluding me. It was by now lashing with rain and there were only three of us left on the striving for that fourth fish whilst all other anglers chatted in the warmth of the hut beside a roaring woodburner with hot drinks and biscuits. Tom walked over and perhaps taking pity upon us told us we could fish where we liked during the last twenty minutes.
I took the opportunity to walk ten yards to peg ten where I had started the day. I carefully tied on a catswhisker and checked the hooks bend for it was a fly that had resided in my fly box for quite a while. I cast the fly to what I perceived was the hot spot and after two tweaks of retrieve all locked up as a big fish hit the fly. Five apprehensive minutes or so later a big beautiful brown trout slid over the rim of the net.
It was a very lucky cast destined by being in the right place at the right time with a fly at the lines end that tempted the trout. In a stocked Stillwater big fish are no wiser than small fish. If there is any skill it is in the landing of the fish as a big fish can break free as they often do. Checking those knots, hooks and removing those line weakening wind knots are key to capitalising upon luck.
The burger and chips went down well as we chatted of fishing, country sports, healthy eating, cooking, local meetings with rock stars and a wide range of wider topics wisely keeping clear of politics and other contentious issues.
The afternoon session proved harder going with most struggling to complete their six fish limit. I did add another brown trout of a couple of pounds and lost a good rainbow of perhaps four pounds when the hook pulled. Chatting later it was obvious that the trout were nipping at the tails of the flys without fully committing.
It was cheery bunch at the weigh in as the days catches were admired and memories captured before heading home with plenty of trout and prizes.
Over 300 lots with guide prices from £8 to £1850
Days in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and overseas,
some on private and exclusive beats available only via this auction, including
fishing for trout, salmon, grayling, charr, bass, pike, barbel, carp, roach and more.
Plus: art, fishing tackle (new and used), expert-tied flies, literature and experience days.
Register to bid at www.auction.wildtrout.org
PDF catalogue available from 28 February.
Browse all the lots online from 5 March, with bidding live on 13 March.
All the funds raised in our annual charity auction will directly support the work of WTT’s Conservation Officers to deliver in-river habitat projects and give practical advice to anyone who needs help – landowners, fishing clubs, community groups and other conservation bodies.
To keep costs low, we run this auction on our own auction website. Proceeds will also play a crucial role
in getting practical projects off the ground by leveraging more funds from other sources.
Examples of fishing lots in the Wild Trout Trust Auction 2026
One day for 2 rods, wild trout fishing on Ross Brawn’s private beat of the River Itchen at St Cross, Winchester, including lunch with Ross. The beat is a mile of water and much of it has been beautifully improved, providing interesting main river and intimate and challenging carrier fishing (guide price £400).
One day for 2 rods fishing for ferox trout (up to 30lb) and big pike (up to 25lb) on Loch Awe, Scotland, with former WTT Trustee, Alan Kettle-White. Alan’s role as Senior Fisheries Biologist with Argyll Fisheries Trust involves tagging ferox in Loch Awe where he has caught fish of over 30lb. This is a great chance to learn about ecology and fish behaviour in big lochs. Best for ferox mid-March to June, and for pike June to September (guide price £300).
One day for 2 rods fishing the exclusive Cressbrook & Litton Club’s waters of the Derbyshire Wye with Don Stazicker. Don is a regular contributor to Trout & Salmon magazine. His recent book The Flies That Trout Prefer, co-authored with Peter Hayes, was researched on this highly productive river, where there is a good chance of catching wild rainbows as well as brown trout (guide price £240).
One day for 1 rod, dry fly fishing for wild brown trout on the clear limestone tributaries of the River Suir in Ireland with Phil Cobham and local guide, George McGrath. With lovely Cashel in Co Tipperary as a base, and stealth and accurate casting required, you’ll be seeking out rising fish during hatches that might include LDOs, Iron Blues, Alder fly, and later in May, the Mayfly (guide price £250).
One day for 2 rods on a private beat of the Upper Itchen at Chilland, accompanied by Nick Measham, who has fished this beat for many years. This exclusive double-bank beat, around ⅔ of a mile, offers pristine chalk stream fishing for wild brown trout and grayling. It has changed very little since it was fished by Viscount Grey of Falloden over 100 years ago (the ruins of his fishing cottage are nearby). Fly hatches are prolific and wild trout average well over 1lb (guide price £900).
Two days for 2 rods fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout on the Marnoch Lodge beat of the River Deveron in Scotland: a beautiful 2¼ mile beat, with 12 named pools and 2 bothies. The Deveron is rapidly becoming one of the premier large brown trout angling destinations in the UK, and Marnoch Lodge is one of the best beats on the river for trophy brown trout (guide price £300).
A day for 2 rods on the legendary Royalty Fishery of the Hampshire Avon, in Christchurch, including rare access to the Top Weir compound. Your target could be the river’s monstrous pike or barbel, with many other species to aim for, including sea trout, chub, dace and roach. You’ll be guided by the Fishery Manager and top angler, Dan Gale, who knows all the likely spots (guide price £300).
One day for 2 rods fly-fishing for wild brown trout on Llyn Gwyddior, a remote 31-acre lake high above Llanbrynmair, Mid Wales, fishing from the bank or from a club boat. Access is by 4×4 via forest tracks with spectacular views, and a good fish is about a pound, with some over 2lb (guide price £140).
Examples of non-fishing lots in the Wild Trout Trust Auction 2026
Your ‘best trout’ faithfully re-created in exquisite watercolour by Graham Stevenson, who has been painting watercolours of fish for over 30 years. Capture the memory of that special fish in a unique, life-size, side-view portrait of your trout up to 80cm in length (guide price £800).
One day for 1 or 2 people with acclaimed photographer Dick Hawkes, exploring the Hampshire Avon. Get creative in beautiful surroundings, learning how to capture fantastic nature photographs, and gain further inspiration from a signed copy of Chalk Streams: A Unique Environment Worth Conserving, Dick’s celebrated photo book (guide price £150).
Thirty-six North Country Spiders tied by Nathan Friel, presented in a Walters’ Navy Cut cigarette tin. Tied using traditional fur, feather and silk on Partridge Spider, short shank, straight eye hooks. Patterns include: Partridge and Orange size 14; Black Magic size 18; Waterhen Bloa size 16; Yorkshire Greenwell size 14; Snipe and Purple size 16; Dark Watchet size 16 (guide price £90).
For more information and photos, please contact Christina Bryant
[email protected] / 023 9257 0985
Already delighted with the 4lb brown landed early doors,Garth then went on to land this magnificent brown! Weighing in at a touch over 10lb! We’ve been told he’s ‘over the moon’ with this one.
Pleased with runner up for 2025
Grey Mullet in local harbours –
Tuna two estimated at 300lb
The days takes it toll
(Above) Grandad takes new generation to the waters edge.
I end the months chasing hard fighting rainbow trout at Wimbeball and enjoy success with a pristine fish of close to 5lb.
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Many thanks to Rodney Wevill who is head Fluff Chucker and chief organiser of these enjoyable and friendly events. The Fernworthy heat proved challenging with epic rainfall throughout several hours of the 8 hour long event. I was fortunate to secure top spot with ten brown trout the best a stunning fish of 47cm. All but one of the fish was tempted using a red headed black tadpole. To some extent I would have to say that my success was in part due to the old adage that the harder I try the luckier I get.
It is sometimes puzzling why fish are caught by an angler whilst another angler fishing just a few yards away blanks. Whilst this can be luck it is often a subtle difference in retrieve, depth or perhaps a bottom contour that attracts the fish to a certain area.
Eventually I found a couple of better fish in a shady section of river the best an absolutely stunning wild brown trout of 12”.
