Becalmed in the Lakes

6 TROUT FISHERMAN October 2003

FLYFISHING ADVENTURES ESTHWAITE WATER

The sheer beauty of Cumbria’s Lake District makesit the most visited part of Britain. Chris Dawnescapes the tourists out on Esthwaite Water, athriving fishery that manages to cater successfullyfor both bait and fly anglersPhotography: PETER GATHERCOLE

October 2003 TROUT FISHERMAN 7

O SAVOURthe fullsplendour ofBritain inbloom, drivealong thewesternshore ofWindermere

from Newby Bridge toHawkshead in early June. Thebreath-taking show ofrhododendrons, azaleas andfoxgloves, in a setting of statelybeech woods and weatheredgrey stone country houses, justconfirms Cumbria’s LakeDistrict as our most scenicNational Park.

Our route north from thevillage of Lakeside, where youcan board a cruiser onBritain’s largestfreshwater laketo Bowness,skirtsGraythwaiteHall in theGrizedale Forestuntil the trees part toreveal the tranquil splendourof Esthwaite Water. We are hereout of the main holiday season,which is why the roads are freefrom wobbling caravans, verge-scraping four-wheel drives andrucksacked walkers.

A reed-fringed 280-acre lakelying in a natural bowl in thefells, Esthwaite wasalways known forthe quality of itscoarse fish,particularlyroach andperch, beforeNigelWoodhouse tookon the water some22 years ago andbegan introducing rainbowtrout.

Richer than many of thedeep, glacial mountain lakesthat surround it, Esthwaite hassince proved a stunningsuccess as a trout fishery.

Run on similar lines to aMidlands trout reservoir byenthusiastic young managerDavid Coleman, Esthwaite nowboasts a rod average of 4.5 andboth rainbows and brownsgrown on to double figures,helped by surplus food from thefish cages in the centre of the

Tlake.

“Thought you’d be hereearlier,” grins David. “The lake’sbeen fishing its head off allmorning.”

I explain that for someonemore used to the prairie wheatfields of East Anglia, the spell-binding scenery of thesouthern Lakes has slowed ourjourney to a crawl.

“Guess I’m used to it bynow,” he says. “Now how isGrafham fishing? We’ve got amatch down there soon.”

I had hoped to escape theall-pervasive trout competitionsup here in the Lakes. But notso it seems. In his wish toencourage a reservoir culture,David has started a thriving

competition scene,including the

Shakespeare-sponsored openpair heats rightthrough the

summer, as wellas sponsorship for

the fishery fromtackle giants Masterline.

Our guides for the day,Workington anglers GraemeBell and Steve Bland, havebeen enjoying good sport sincenine o’clock by drifting withblack and green Buzzers andHare’s Ears close to the reedbeds a few hundred yards

north of the boat dock.Although thewater

temperature ishigh for earlyJune, therainbows are

still favouringthe shallow water

and the hugehatches of buzzers it

produces. As we start our firstdrift directly behind Graemeand Steve, we come across ananchored boat where twoanglers are float fishing, albeitwith bungs more suitable forpike.

Yes, there is a majordifference between here andwaters further south. Baitfishing is allowed in thesouthern half of the lake. Butdon’t let that put you offcoming, because the northernhalf is strictly fly only from theboats. ➸

8 TROUT FISHERMAN October 2003

FLYFISHING ADVENTURES ESTHWAITE WATER

Winter pike fishing is a good revenueearner for the lake with more anglers thanever now trying to catch them on fly aswell as plugs and spinners. The record pikeis nearly 40lb with dozens between 25lband 35lb caught and released each season.

David disappears to return with twoleviathans of 21lb and 27lb that have diedwhile attempting to spawn. The lake’shead of specimen pike is now managed ascarefully as the trout.

B Y NOW the shoal of trout has hadenough of our flies, so Graeme andSteve suggest motoring round the

headland to Weather Bay. Heavy rain andwind has been forecast for the afternoonand clouds are gathering in the west. Butat the moment, all wind has dropped andthe lake is going as flat as a mill pond.

As we round the corner into the shallowbay, we are greeted by the sight of dozensof trout rising in the flat calm to tinybuzzers. I flick out a team of nymphs and,barely as the flies settle in the water, theline shoots out and within seconds I’m

O UR two locals are catching fishregularly on floating lines as theydrift from the edge of the reed bed

into the shallows, often hooking andreleasing two fish at a time. We, however,are skunked. And I’m sure it’s nothing todo with our fly patterns, a blend of DiawlBachs and Buzzers.

A sneeky peep through the “bins”reveals that the pair are pulling their fliesquite sharply back to the boat, almost likelure fishing. We motor over to have a wordwhere they show us their top fly of themorning, a sizeable long-shank Hare’s Earwith a goldbead head.

I rake through my fly box to findsomething similar and tie it on the point.The pair have been catching well veryclose to the reeds, so I pitch the fly twofeet from the margins and jerk it back witha jagged retrieve.

It seems an unnatural way to present anymph but the stockies obviously like it asthe rod bangs over with a ferocious take,the first of several fish we were to hook inthe shallow water.

No gentle sipping in of the Buzzer innatural fashion with these fish. They hit thefly like a small-water fish takes a lure -with aggression.

These Esthwaite trout, darkish with less-than-perfect fins, certainly aren’t the mostbeautiful rainbows that have ever gracedmy net,. But they fight like tigers in theclear water, boring down deep rather thanskittering and jumping across the surface.

David is happy for skilled anglers likeGraeme and Steve to catch and release allday. Certainly, if they had to stick to theirfour-fish limit, they would be off the waterafter 30 minutes.

To see how we are faring, and to feed hisfish, David comes out with his blacklabrador Bramble. Someone has reportedspotting two very large pike dead in themargins and David is on their trail.

“Richer thanmany of thedeep, glacialmountain lakesthat surround it,Esthwaite hassince proved astunning successas a rainbowtrout fishery”

➸

“As we round the corner into the shallow bay, we are greeted by the sight of dozens o

Graeme (left) and Steve land tworainbows at a time.

October 2003 TROUT FISHERMAN 9

playing a rainbow. That fish was just tooeasy I feel.

Keeping disturbance to a minimum, wegingerly row round the bay to try to getwithin casting distance of some substantialpods of fish. But somehow they pick up thenoise of the oars and keep melting away.

My boat partner and photographer PeterGathercole enjoys nothing more than thechallenge of a flat calm, so unleashes somefairly serious casts in the direction of thefish. The trick, it seems, is to drop thenymphs in front of the feeding fish, but notso close as to scare them. Then pull theflies back in long strips to get the troutchasing. The take comes when you stoppulling with the trout invariably pickingthe smallest nymph on the cast.

The strategy works a treat, with oliveBuzzers definitely the fly of the day. TheEsthwaite rainbows wake and boil after theflies like reservoir rainbows responding towets in a big wave. Many are just prickedand come loose. But getting them to takeat all is the important thing.

Graeme and Steve are catching well to avariety of flies, including a hackled

partridge pattern tied in wet fly style. Theirbest is a plump three-pounder.

As we motor back to the dock, the firstheavy spots of rain start to fall from a still,leaden sky. We break down the rods readyfor the long haul back south on themotorway.

Then, just as we pass the two baitanglers at anchor, I notice one of their redbungs bob and disappear. How can a troutthat has proved so canny to fool on animitative fly, fall so easily for a wormsuspended under a heavy float?

I guess that is why we stick to flyfishing.

E STHWAITE nicely fills the gapbetween wild water and managedreservoir, providing excellent boat

fishing with modern methods and flies foranglers in the north of England.

Manager David Coleman is to becongratulated on what he has created atEsthwaite. Getting bait and fly anglers tohappily share the water is an achievementin itself.

Chris Dawn plays a fish hooked closeto the reeded margins

➸

ns of trout rising in the flat calm to tiny buzzers. I flick out a team of nymphs.” >>

Becalmed on Esthwaite, butGraeme and Steve still take fish onfloating lines in Weather Bay

INTERVIEW - David Coleman

David, what’syourbackground?I have always been an angler,but started myworking life withthe ForestryCommission. I then qualified asa fishery managerwith the Institute of Fishery Managementand started working here full-time tenyears ago, taking over as manager fiveyears ago.Does mixing bait and fly anglers onthe same water cause anyproblems?There is absolutely no conflict between thetwo groups. With the pressures on fieldsports these days, all anglers need to pulltogether. Esthwaite was originally acoarse-fishing venue with pike, eels, tench,roach and rudd to specimen size. These arestill in the lake. We were one of the firsttrout waters to open our doors to pikeanglers. Our policy now is that all pike arereturned alive, with no fishing for themallowed before October 1. I enjoy all typesof fishing. For example, I went to Francethis summer for a carp-fishing holiday, andtook fish to 29lb. How often do you stock withrainbows?We bring on the rainbows in our cagesystem in the middle of the lake and, afterthe initial stocking at the start of the year,trickle stock around 500 fish between 1lb8oz and 6lb a week, enough to maintain arod average of 4.1 to 4.9 fish. That figure’sbeen consistent for the past five years. Wemust be doing something right as anglernumbers at the water are up every year.The trout grow on naturally thanks to therich feeding available. The lake’s pH is 7 to7.5. Today there are wild rainbows actuallybreeding at the top of the lake in BlackBeck. Our rainbows are officially certifiedas organic.What does that mean?We buy in our rainbows at an ounce andrear them on in a stress-free environmentwith a stock density of no more than tenkilos of fish per cubic metre of water.Commercial farms commonly rear fish attwice that density. Ours have not beentreated with antibiotics or fed pelletscoloured with artificial dye. Any pink colourin the flesh has come from feedingnaturally on shrimps, bloodworm andhoglice that live in the straw bales

A fine Esthwaite rainbow taken on anOlive Nymph

10 TROUT FISHERMAN October 2003

FLYFISHING ADVENTURES ESTHWAITE WATER

FACTFILE

ADDRESS The Boat House,Hawkshead, Cumbria. CONTACT David Coleman 01539436541WEBSITEwww.hawkshead.demon.co.uk/email:trout@hawkshead.demon.co.ukSEASON Open all yearDESCRIPTION Natural 280-acreglacial lake from 2ft - 60ftSPECIES Rainbow trout, browntrout, pikeNATURAL FLY LIFE Buzzers, blackgnats, hawthorns, beetles, sedgeTOP FLIES Olive Buzzers, DiawlBach, Sedge Pupae, HotspotDaddies, Cat’s Whisker, AppetiserTICKET PRICES Bank £19 (4 fish);under 16 £5 (2 fish); row boatincluding permit for one £31.50 (4fish), for two £53.50; eveningboat for one £24 (two fish), fortwo £38. Electric engines £8.50OTHER FACILITIES Large lodgewith tackle, drinks and hot snacks.Regular competitions, winter pikefishing, coarse fishing, junior daycoursesCATCH AND RELEASE? YesANY METHOD? Any methodpermit holders may fish with fly,spinner or worm from boat orshore in the southern half of thelake. But from the shore only inthe northern half.FISHERY RECORDS Rainbow 16lb3oz, brown 10lb 12oz, pike 39lb8ozTROUTMASTERS? YesTUITION? YesTOILETS? YesREFRESHMENTS? YesTACKLE FOR SALE? YesHOW TO GET THERE Head westfrom the M6 jct 36. Take first lefttowards Barrow in Furness on theA590. After 12 miles you willcome to Newby Bridge. Takesecond road on the right toLakeside and Hawkshead. After sixmiles, the road follows the south-west shore of Esthwaite Water.You will see the boathouse on theright -hand side of the road. Lookfor the brown tourist fish signs.

EsthwaiteWater

positioned around the edges ofthe cages. Our fish pellets alsohave to come from asustainable sourceWhat about brown trout?There’s a head of wild browntrout, which grow naturally tofour or five pounds. The feederstreams are full of smallbrownies. We stockintermittently with largerbrowns, which have beensubsequently caught up to 14lb2oz.Have you any initiativesto encourage more younganglers?Last year we invited childrenfrom a local primary school totwo junior days to encourageyoung people to take upangling as a hobby. As part ofthe Natural Curriculum, thechildren had been studying aproject on rivers andstillwaters. This initiative withschools is part of Esthwaite’son-going policy of introducingyoung people to fishing. Onceagain this year, we are offeringfree fishing to adult-accompanied children underthe age of 12. There are alsohalf-price concessionary ticketsfor the under 16s.

Our work down the yearswith juniors produced anEngland World youth teammember in Alex Barton. We’vealso held three organisedtuition days, free of charge, forbeginners and improvers so farthis season. They were a hugesuccess and good for the futureof the sport. We advertise themwidely in the local Press. Wesee it as part of our job to getpeople out of the door andfishing.

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Fix the hook in the vice and runthe tying thread down the shankto the bend. Catch in five or sixstrands of silver holographic tinselto form the tail.

Select a medium sized greypartridge body feather and prepareit by stroking the fibres away fromthe stem. Catch it in, by its point,at the base of the tail.

The Partridge& Silver

2

How to tie the Partridge 1

FLIES FOR ESTHWAITE WATER

PETER GATHERCOLEties Graeme Bell’s modernversion of an old classic

ACCOMMODATION Sun Inn, Hawkshead(tel 015394 36236); Sawrey Hotel,Sawrey (tel 015394 43425); ChurchillHotel, Ambleside (tel 015394 33192);Crag Wood House Hotel (tel 01539488333).CONTACTS Cumbria Booking Service(tel 0808 100 8848); HawksheadInformation Centre (tel 01539432582).OTHER ATTRACTIONS Windermere LakeCruises, Newby Bridge (tel 01539531188); Aquarium of the Lakes; BeatrixPotter Attraction; Lakeside &Haverthwaite Steam Train; Fell FootNational Trust Park; Holker Hall, LevensHall, Sizergh Castle, Morecambe Bay.

WHERE TO STAY& WHAT TO DO

October 2003 TROUT FISHERMAN 11

THE HISTORY OF THE FLYCUMBRIAN game angler andEsthwaite regular Graeme Belldevised this pattern as a variationof the classic river fly Partridge &Orange by replacing the orangebody with silver holographic tinsel,but retaining the palmeredpartridge hackle.

“To be honest, I came up withthe pattern for sea trout, but it’sworked well for me on trout rightround the country, from Scottishstillwaters like Allandale Tarn toGrafham Water.

“My favourite position for the flyis on the top dropper of a floatingline when you can work it backthrough the wave.

“It seems to have both theattraction of the traditionalpalmered wet fly, with the addedflash of the modern sparkler.

“It also works well on the drop.The hackles parachute out in thewater to create that sparklingeffect which stillwater trout seemunable to resist.

“I usually tie them up in sizes 10and 12, fishing the larger size onthe point as a pulling pattern.”

Peter Gathercole comments:“The plumage of the grey partridgehas a long history in fly tyingparticularly for some top river wetflies such as the Partridge andOrange. Its use in stillwaterpatterns is more limited making it awelcome surprise to see it used soeffectively in this new pattern - thePartridge and Silver. “Although itlooks quite traditional in its dress,the combination of the light greyfleck of the partridge feather andthe sparkle of the silverholographic tinsel gives the fly avery modern touch which hasproved deadly for both rainbowand brown trout.

“While the Partridge and Silveruses only two materials (the silver

Catch in two inches of fine, silverwire plus three strands of silverholographic tinsel at the tail base.Wind the tinsel along the shank inclose turns to form the body.

Secure the tinsel and remove theexcess. Take hold of the partridgefeather and wind it up to the eyein open, evenly spaced turns.Stroking the fibres back on eachturn prevents any being trapped.

Once the hackle has reached theeye, secure it in place with threadwraps and trim off the thick stem.Wind the silver wire to the samepoint locking the feather stem tothe body.

On hooks larger than a size 14, itmay be necessary to add a secondfeather as a collar. Prepare asbefore and wind on two turns.Form a small, neat head and castoff with a whip finish.

e

3 4 5 6

& Silver

MORE TOP ESTHWAITE PATTERNS

OLIVE BUZZERHook: Size 14 heayweightgrub hookThread: OliveBody: Olive Flexi FlossThorax: Olive Flexi FlossCheeks: Orange Flexi Floss

GOLDHEAD HARE’S EARHook: Size 10 longshankWeight: Fine, lead wireThread: BrownTail: Hare’s furRib: Fine, gold tinselBody: Hare’s furHead: 3mm gold bead

MATERIALS Hook: Size 12-14 wet flyThread: BlackTail: Silver, holographic tinselRib: Silver wire (optional)Hackle: Grey partridge feather

TECHNIQUES● Ribbing ● Palmering● Whip finish

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED● Scissors● Hackle pliers● Bobbin holder● Whip Finish tool

MATERIALS FROMAll fly-tying outlets

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY● ● ●

TYING TIPS

wire is an optional extra) it isactually quite tricky to tie. Thereason is that palmering a greypartridge feather is not that easy.The problem arises because thestem is particularly short so,although the fibre density is fine,you don’t get many turns out of afeather. Even if you are careful andcatch the feather in as close to its

tip as possible, four turns is themaximum that can be made beforeyou run out of hackle. For thisreason the turns need to be wellspaced to cover the length of thehook. On hooks larger than a size14, a second feather needs to beadded as a collar so that there areenough fibres at the front of fly togive the correct swept-back effect.``