"FLY FISHING NEWS"

(Please note our Calendar has now moved to a New Page)

 


Updates on the activities of Crediton Fly Fishing Club


Winter Work Parties
    In 2011 we only lost one Sunday morning's work on account of dangerous river levels, and manged to complete all the planned work on the Yeo, the Creedy, Lower Creedy, Taw and Culm. We had very good support from members whose attendance averaged over a dozen each Sunday. In all 34 members attended so there is still room for improvement in 2012 seeing as our membership is over 80.

    Once again, it was good to see so many new members making the effort, and I'm sure that they gained much useful bankside information from existing members about the rivers they were due to fish. It was also nice for established members to be able to meet newcomers, and possibly learn something new from them too.

(Working in River Yeo above Dunscombe, Feb 2012)

In 2012 we are working on the rivers for 10 consecutive Sunday mornings between January 8th and March 11th.

So far we have spent 2 Days on the River Taw, 4 days working on the River Yeo and Creedy, and hope to spend at least 2 days on the Culm. The exact location for each Sunday morning will depend upon prevailing river conditions and the type of work that needs to be done.

We meet at 9.45am for a 10 am sharp start, and the venue can be ascertained by phoning David Pope the Evening before - (Not on the Sunday please!)

Members are expected to attend at least two bank clearing mornings during the closed season.

As well as getting some useful pre-season exercise and having a lot of fun, those members who attend regularly also benefit from greatly reduced membership subscriptions in the following year thanks to the extension of the voucher scheme.

£10-00 Vouchers
Once again the Club is issuing £10.00 Vouchers to a maximum of £50.00 per member for attendances over and above the basic two required. These can be redeemed against the next year's annual subscription.

For more pics CLICK HERE


Fly Casting Instruction and Rivercraft
    In 2011 Pete Tyjas and the Devon School of Fly Fishing provided yet another excellent fly casting clinic at the Fox & Hounds, Eggesford and a dozen members enjoyed learning a range of casting techniques, as well as how to read the river. In addition Dave Hoskin put on a very skillful and successful demonstration of North Country style wet fly fishing. To finish off, we all enjoyed a superb carvery lunch at the hotel. All this for an all inclusive price of just £25.00 per head!

    We are endebted to Pete and his colleagues, Dave Hoskins, Lee Holland and Graham Nicol, and to the Fox & Hounds for providing such a great venue and superb resources at a price that everyone can afford.

This Year Pete has suggested that we change the format somewhat and call it a Fly Fishing Clinic rather than a Casting Clinic and it will take place on Sunday March 25th 2012, which will allow us to put what we learn into actual fishing the river on the day. Instruction will include topics such as basic trout casting techniques, roll casting, river tactics, spey casting, and anything else which members would like included. Once again the Fox and Hounds will put on a carvery lunch for those attending but numbers this year will be limited to 15 so book early to avoid disappointment. Send your details and cheque for £25.00 to Howard as early as possible please.


Stillwater Fishing, Blakewell Fishery

    This year's trip took place at Blakewell on Wednesday 15th February, 2012. Once again the weather was good if a little cold. The north wind had little effect as Blakewell is well sheltered from the north. The fish were keen to feed right from the start, and several members caught their limit quite quickly on a range of flies, fished for the most part fairly deep and retrieved very slowly. Mike and Mo had almost finished bagging up by the time the rest of the members arrived, but all had caught their limit by lunchtime.

CLICK for more pictures.


CFFC Winter Fly Swap

    The theme for 2012 is Parachute Flies. If you would like to enter the 2012 Winter Fly Swap or need advice on how to tie these patterns, please contact Mo Graham.
    Participants have complete freedom to choose which ever pattern they want except that no person may choose a pattern they have submitted in previous years. Each person has to tie one fly for each participant, and in addition two extra flies for archive purposes. Whether you are a total beginner or extremely proficient, it is fun and a great opportunity to obtain some excellent flies from other members.

    There will be fly tying demonstrations and tying advice at the Crediton Inn on January 26th and February 23rd 2012 as well as the actual Fly Swap Evening on March 15th, so please come along whether you are taking part in the Swap or not. We hope to be able to include a speaker spot at each of the first two evenings.

The theme for 2011 was “Duns and Emergers". We had 12 participants who each tied 14 of their chosen pattern. Flies ranged from traditional river dries to patterns involving CDC and Snowshoe Hare. The overall standard was probably the highest we have ever had, and everyone was pleased to receive their swaps on Opening Day.

All of last year's and archives of previous years' flyswap patterns and pictures can be accessed via our Flyswap page.



Early Season River Walk Sunday April 1st 2012
    Meet at 9.45am at Dunscombe Farm lay-by on the A377 Exeter to Crediton road (at OS grid SX 861 991) There is ample car parking on the lay-by / old part of the road. The walk will take all day so please bring a packed lunch. This is well worth attending particularly for New Members as you will be shown all the access points and will be able to pick the brains of seasoned members about the various stretches/flies and any other useful information. It is also a good way of meeting other members before the season and summer takes over.

    We also hope to arrange a similar river walk for the Culm. Details will also appear later on the calendar


Membership and Subscriptions 2012
In the light of the current economic situation Members decided that all membership subscriptions for the next twelve months should remain the same as last year. Standard membership £90.00, Seniors £70.00. Youth Membership £10.00. The joining fee for adults and late payment fee remain the same at £25.00

Details of subscriptions and an application form can be down loaded from the Membership Application page.

Those members who earned discounts during last year's bank clearing will receive these with the winter newsletter. Subscriptions need to be received by the treasurer before the end of February. Failure to apply by this time may affect your chances of re-joining as it is first come, first selected. After 28th Feb you will also be required to pay a re-joing fee of £25.00

Temporary Membership permits are £30.00 for a five weekday period. We have also introduced a very limited number of Day Permits priced at £15.00 per day which are bookable in advance. These may be obtained through the Secretary, or Fly Fishing Tackle Co UK, 2 Parliament Square, Crediton, EX17 2AW.


Winter Grayling on River Exe

    This year Clive Edwards has once again kindly made the Hatswell Fishery available to us for winter grayling fishing, during the close season for salmon. It is essential that you contact the Hon Sec prior to fishing to obtain permission and to familiarise yourself with terms and conditions of fishing. Please also ensure you submit a catch return.

    If the conditions are right and you want to give it a try it should be well worth the effort, if for no other reason than to enjoy the attractive environment.

Visit our Photo page for links to Map of the Fishing.


Fly Fishing for Pike

    Quite some years ago we had a winter pike fly fishing trip to the Exeter Canal. Some members have expressed an interest in a similar occasion.

    Mo Graham is looking into organising a trip to Somerset Levels sometime in the new year. If you wish to come e-mail him (address on the back of newsletters) so that he can keep you up to date and plan where to go for lunchtime refreshments.

    Apart from rod, reel and flies you will need a large knotless landing net, an unhooking mat, a large pair of forceps and a wire trace. All of these items are required in the bylaws of the clubs controlling the levels. No fish can be retained.

    This trip will be on a week day and weather dependant, so he will inform you of day tickets nearer the time.


Himalayan Balsam

    The spread of this invasive species has become a severe problem on the rivers Taw, Creedy and Yeo. This invasive species has spread rapidly along our river banks smothering natural vegetation and having a harmful effect upon wildlife and also upon river bank stability. The rapid growth may be in part due to farmers fencing off access to the river banks and thereby preventing cattle from eating it down.

    It is best treated by being uprooted (it has a very shallow root system). We would ask all members to start pulling plants up before they are in seed, either before they start or as they fish. Having been uprooted, the roots need to be crushed and the plant left well away from the river to rot. If each of us did this, even if only for a brief while during each fishing session, we could have a real impact on the problem.

    We will be looking to tackle the problem on our rivers over future seasons, and hope to involve outside agencies in co-ordinating a catchment by catchment eradication upstream of our waters.


Saltwater Fly Fishing Trip
    Mo Graham will organise this again in 2012. Following the success of the summer 2011 trip to north Devon, Mo has indicated that he wishes to fish North Devon again this year. Depending on tides he hopes to organise the trip for some time in July. Watch for an updates on the calendar

    In 2011 we had massive tides and very bright weather on the Taw Estuary at Braunton. The trip was well attended, and we all had a very enjoyable day. All of the bass caught were schoolies, and most of these were caught at extreme low tide when they were concentrated in the narrow streams left by the retreating tide. A group of us remained afterwards for a bar-b-q. which was a very enjoyable end to a great day out.

    For anyone who has not been before, this is a great way to meet up with members and have a chat about how the season has been progressing, so pencil in the trip for 2012. It is also a great place for a family picnic.

Contact Mo for further details if you would like to come.


Pollution of R Yeo and Creedy 2010 - Final Update

During the summer of 2011 the Environment Agency brought a successful prosecution against South West Water plc resulting in a fine of £30,000. This action completed, Fish Legal were finally able to proceed against South West Water plc on our behalf.

Our case has now been settled out of court. with the offending party offering the club financial compensation and costs. We took Fish Legal's advice to accept this offer.


Signal Crayfish

An EA survey is currently under way to monitor the spread of Signal Crayfish on the Yeo and Creedy . One of our members, Peter Ace, has reported their presence as far downstream as Dunscombe Bridge. The Signal Crayfish are a foreign species and a threat to our natural White Clawed crayfish in that they are much larger and aggressive. They can also carry a plague to which the White Clawed variety are very susceptible.

Howard Thresher and David Pope are conducting a separate survey of the White Clawed Crayfish in the River Creedy and its tributaries on behalf of and funded by the River exe Foundation. To date they have put temporary crayfish habitats in the Creedy and in various locations in the upstream tributaries, and will monitor them over the winter/spring 2012.

The E.A. in conjunction with the Devon Wildlife Trust has been monitoring the situation in the Yeo. It transpires that those found in our waters, so far, are not carrying the crayfish plague, but they are seriously predatory, affecting both the trout population, through predation on trout eggs, and the fly life. They may also have an adverse affect on the river banks.


2011 Catch Returns

The season was again characterised by very low water conditions which resulted in the lowest number of fish caught on CFFC records. There were, never-the-less, some notable catches and these have been outlined below.

A total of 744 fish were caught during the season of which about 95% were returned. This information was based on 43 catch returns, of which 17 were nil returns.

Notable catches:
River Yeo: Toby Coe 1 x 13”; John Painter 1 x 13”
River Creedy: Mark Brundrett 1 x 13”
River Taw: Jo Anderson 1 x 13”
River Culm: Ben Dymoke-Marr 1 x 16”, 1 x 18"; Nigel Nesbitt 1 x 15.5”; Jo Anderson 1 x 18.5”; Tony White 1 x 16”, 1 x 17".

The Chairman’s cup
The top card was Ben Dymoke-Marr with 104 fish.

The Chairman also gave special mention of Jo Anderson's catch of one 13" and three 12" wild fish in a total catch of 30 during the last few days of the season on the Taw.

Greg Mason cup
This was awarded to Jo Anderson for his 18.5" BT from the Culm.

A simple breakdown by rivers reveals the following numbers of fish caught
Creedy 97
Culm 249
Culvery 0
UUU 68
Taw 218
Yeo 106


2012 Catch Reports

As you may or not know, we have our own page on the Devon Rivers Forum where you can post your catches and any other news of fishing trips etc. If you don’t want to register you can e-mail Mo Graham and he will post your catches for you: all he needs is the river, number of fish or lack of, fly etc, also anything else of interest e. g a flock of low flying otters! Whilst on the subject of the Devon Rivers Forum, Pete Tyjas has produced an E-zine Eat, Sleep, Fish - This is also his philosophy on life, but the first two are optional!) it can also be accessed through the Forum, under General, ITS FREE!

In the first edition it has an article by Jo Anderson as well as articles that cover everything from Grayling to New Zealand to casting, it’s a great read - looking forward to the next issue.


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