28th update

Must have been rather cold last night, half the lake covered in a thin sheet of ice that is now melting rapidly. Hasn't put the fish off, plenty coming to then net on a mix of methods. Inevitably lures wiuth sinking lines and indicators with floating lines feature strongly in that mix. Cats and Okay Dokeys doing well today.

update for 28th Feb

Apologies for lack of updates last few days PC trouble (again!)

The fishing has been pretty good of late with catch rate higher now the weather has improved slightly.
Tuesday we were visited by 4 train drivers from all over the North (actually one from Glossop, is that officially North?). One guy didn't catch (beginner) and got a lot of stick as a result but all the others did with the top rod our Glossop man with 7 fish all on an orange buzzer under an indicator at about 10 ft depth. he said the takes were very gentle and could be missed very easily!
Wednesday I wasn't at the fishery but I know that Jim McGinley had at least 5 fish and was smiling again!
Thursdays prospects look good with the weather improving still and sunshine forecast all day!

BTW Geoff one of our regular Pike Fishers had a 20lb fish on Sunday. So its not just the trout that are becoming more active!

A warm welcome to "Frank"  Murray, one of our new bailiffs, taking the vacancy created by Nathan's departure. Frank is a very keen and enthusiastic fly fisher and skilled in all forms, trout and salmon and will be a great addition to the Curley's team! He used to fish at Curley's when all we had was a shed onsite - how things have changed!

4 hour permit offers

Don't forget today's offer buy any 4 hour ticket and basically fish on for as long as you want to!
Some bigger than usual fish came out yesterday quite a few anglers had some 5lb fish in amongst their total catch. Will today be the same?
Cold so wrap up warm, good job we have the cafe for refuge with weather like this!

Friday 22nd Feb

Another cold day, when is it going to alter?
Jim McGinley just latched onto a lovely 5lbs triploid, fin perfect and plenty of fight. Lots more where that came from!
As I was writing this post Jeff Blackmore Squires came into the shop to borrow a rod as his has just been snapped by the biggest rainbow he has ever caught!. As he was trying to bring it in it suddenly went fast and deep and he had to hold onto the rod with both hands and then the top of his rod snapped. I've never seen a guy so happy about breaking a rod before! No idea how big it was but from Jeff's description it must have been nudging double figures!

Don't forget the weekend permit offers

More later......

Thursday 21st Feb

Cold day yesterday but surprisingly good for fishing, top rod was Jim McGinley with 6 fish.
Very sunny today but cold. 1.5C on the thermometer but add the wind chill and its certainly cold, thermals a definite!

Weekend offers!

Friday 22nd buy a 1 fish 2 hour ticket and fish for 4 hours!

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th buy any 4 hour ticket and fish all day

Tues 19th

Update on the day so far
Everybody has caught including the pike fishers!
The odd fish rising but the majority are about 10ft deep, taking a variety of lures.
Beautiful day and surprisingly warm, long may it continue!


Cold night last night and a sharp frost this morning, the fish will be deep.
Preferred tactics maybe try a sinking line and a booby or two?
We allow the use of boobies at Curley's provided you keep them moving with your retrieve.

Boobies started off life as a static fly used with a sinking line and very short leader, you cast out and basically left it alone. The fly line sank to the bottom and the booby floated above, motionless or simply swaying about on the current. This can be an effective method but NOT allowed at a lot of fisheries including Curley's. The reason being that the trout very often attacked the fly with aggression and nearly everytime swallowed it deep, meaning that you had to kill the fish.

However if you use a sinking line with a normal length leader, keep retrieving, you are simply moving the fly through the water in a different profile as the fly is above your line.
Another advantage is if you are fishing on the embankment you will avoid getting caught on the stonework.

Update for Sunday 17th Feb

Saturday was a day of two halves.
In the morning everything looked set for a good day and getting better and that's how it started. Most people were catching fish regularly with Jim McGinley and Nick leading the way with 5 fish each. Others chipped in with 2 or 3 fish, all around the 5ft depth.
As the day wore on instead of going shallower as you would expect or at least as I expected, the fish actually went deeper and off the feed a little.  Once the anglers got to grips with this then catches started again. John from Darwen did well late on with 5 fish in fairly quick succession.
James Bond (yes that one!) brought a mate with him and had a result with 5 fish on his first visit to Curley's

Indicator or sinking line with a booby were the best tactics and the inevitable cats whisker the best fly.

Prospects for Sunday are looking good with plenty of sunshine on offer and as a result more active fish a little higher in the water!
If they don't come up then you know what to do!!!!

Sat 16th

Update
15 fish caught to date all only about 5 ft deep, weather improving all the time, you might need sunglasses and not just for eye protection


Possibly the best day of the year to date. Should be good for a spot of Flyfishing.
Plenty of fish caught yesterday with all the usual "winter" tactics.
The fish should come up a bit as the day goes on.
Update later.

Snow joke anymore

Ok hands up if you're sick of this weather!
The good news is that all the snow should be gone by tomorrow.
In the meantime have a look at the range of luggage from Wychwood, most of it in stock now at Curley's and at the same prices as Sportsfish and Glasgow angling but NO POSTAGE!

http://vimeo.com/55947647

Tuesday update

Probably one of the better days weatherise today. Light winds no rain or snow. Possibly a better option than tomorrow but then getting better again towards the weekend.
Fish being caught everyday with the right tactics, sinking lines, slow retrieves.

Cold Monday

All the fly fishers today were coming back into the shoip complaining about cold fingers!
Fortunately all of them still managed to pull in some trout, cold hands or not!
Forecast is a little better for the next few days.

Gearing up the tackle shop with some stock now in time for the Spring.

Have a look here the some of the latest products all ready and waiting for you.

http://vimeo.com/wychwoodgame/flowreel

Sat 9th Feb

Good day weatherwise at the fishery a few showers about but certainly nothing like as cold as it has been of late.
The fish are still deep(ish) and a sinking line or indicator are always the most effective method in these conditions.

Have a look at the current edition of Trout Fisherman for Nick Halstead's article written on a recent visit to Curley's.  You will be able to read about the various methods he used to catch about 30 fish in one session!!!

Friday 8th

Looks like a good day for fishing! No frost, snow or rain today!
Received this email from Phil who fished with us on Thursday

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the tip to fish sinking line, deep and orange lures.

Even so, I started off using a ‘white snake’ because Ian had succeeded with it and was still catching, but I had no luck with it, so I remembered what you suggested.

In total I then caught 9 fish in under 3 hours including a cracking 3lb blue, all to orange lures twitched along the bottom. And I mean right on the bottom because I removed several leaves from the lures and caught the bottom half a dozen times. Although the odd fish showed on the surface, the majority seemed to be well over 12 feet down.

Phil Rees

The car park has been started so you will have to park on the lane for a couple of days, sorry! Cafe and fishery open as normal.

Thursday 7th

Started off being a very nice day, no wind and relatively warm or should I say less cold!
Since then we have had periodic short spells of light snow but its not sticking and still calm and relatively clear.
Everybody fishing is having some action, the fish seem fairly active and willing to take a well presented fly that's put in front of them but maybe not too willing to chase one from a distance.
Top rod up to now is Ian who is on 7 fish and has missed just as many!
He is fishing a sinking line slow retrieve with a black snake but orange flies are still working for others.

Update 6th Feb

Quite hard fishing yesterday and today with a sharp and cold wind not pleasant for the fly fishers or the fish no doubt!
All the fish are hard on the bottom. It a sinking line and slow retrieve is working with orange still the best colour.
Pike fishers have been having a decent time of it some PB's coming out today and yesterday.

Tomorrow and into the weekend are not looking too bad.

Just had a load of stock delivered into the shop, all Wychwood and Leeda merchandise. So if there's anything you need?? Steadily building up towards the Spring.

More news on the fishery

The proposed closure of the cafe had been delayed due to the snow, the cafe is open today as normal

THE FISHERY WILL REMAIN OPEN AS NORMAL EVERYDAY.

Perfectly fish able today if you like fishing in snow and hail, not much wind about but a bit tricky underfoot.
Top rod yesterday was Ian with 6 fish caught about 5 foot deep, floating line, mostly to snake flies.

Cafe news

Please note that the cafe will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday this week due to work being carried out on the car park.

THE FISHERY WILL BE OPEN AS NORMAL BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO PARK UP ON THE LANE AND TAKE CARE WALKING ONTO THE FISHERY ITSELF.

Sunday 3rd Feb

Very strange start to the day large ice float broke away from the embankment and went for a swim down the lake, fortunately the waves were breaking it up as it travelled. Looked very peculiar as it went passed the pontoons on the roadside.
All the ice has gone now and we are back to some series fishing. Quite start only ones and twos hitting the nets up to now but that has been the story all week. It has been lunchtime before the fish have really started to be active and feeding.
Yesterday's top rod was our own Geoff Allington who had 5 or 6 to his home grown okay dokay

Quite a few fishers on now will update later ..

Saturday 2nd Feb

Prospects should be good for today, decent weather forecast and plenty of fish in the Lake - the rest as they say is up to you - TIGHTLINES!

Friday saw some good catch results particularly from Paul Jackson (hope I got your first name right??) who had 5 fish on a 4 hour ticket. His first was a beauty he estimated to be around 6lbs!
Paul Harris came late on with his family and his Son showed him how to do it with a fish on almost his first cast EVER!!

Don't forget Sat & Sun permit bonus to launch the new 6 hour option

Buy a 6 hour, 2 fish permit at a discount price of £20 and get an extra 2 hours fishing as well!!