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Weekly results week ending - 19th February

  69 rods caught 332 fish rod av 4.8  

Another very cold week, but this one was a record breaking one.   The Rainbow Trout record has been smashed with a 17Ib fish caught & released by Sheffield angler Danny Peet.

He was fishing with his partner Ricky Varley from the wheelyboat on Tuesday and the fish took a cat's whisker fished on an intermediate line anchored off the the north bank. The fish was photographed, released and went off well thanks to careful handling and chilly water. The pair managed 38 fish on the day, pretty good considering the cold. There have been several fish out to around 14Ibs during my time spanning back to 1986, but the previous record was caught back in the Anglian Water controlled days at Toft, a fish of 15Ib 8oz taken by Skegness angler Tim Miller during May 1981. A photograph of a very proud looking captor is attached, well done Danny, Ricky can take credit for finding the fish and taking the photo!   Although there have been a few fish showing on top this week, the majority have been well down and not really willing to work hard to be caught! Fishing intermediate lines to very fast sink lines has been best, with a variety of lures working but whatever you choose, fish it slow. I do think many anglers find it difficult to fish slow enough, perhaps due to the extreme cold and the need to keep moving - BUT, slow is the key!   Looks like no sign of Spring is close yet, with another iffy week forecast. I must admit, I didn't expect any customers this morning with the snow tipping down, about 2 inches outside at the moment and half a dozen chaps fishing.   Uploaded a brief video to Youtube, see it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzx-aRY2ykI     Jason Foster

week ending - 12th February

  65 rods caught 340 fish rod av 5.2  

Bit of a raw feel to the weather this week, freezing fog lingering some days, snow on the ground one or two mornings and a couple of days of strong north east winds. Nevertheless the hardy souls amongst you ventured out and caught a few fish. Fishing intermediate lines and concrete bowls, cat's whiskers or boobies has been best. Most anglers have been opting for the upwind areas due to the cold, so the north west to north east bank has been the most fished and therefore most productive.   Quite a number of fish out of 4Ib+ with the best being a rainbow of 8Ib 4oz to Simon Godfrey on a montana, pic attached.

Three tagged rainbows out, but unfortunately to anglers that decided not to pay their extra pound!!   Another cool week forecast but hopefully turning a little milder towards next weekend.

  I trust you're all treating your better halves to a Valentine's treat? I know I am - I've booked a table for us both tonight. I hope it goes better than last year, she hardly potted a ball !!

  Jason Foster

Toft opening 1st February 2010

Weekly results week ending - 5th February   64 rods caught 506 fish rod av 7.9

  Well, here we are again with the first five days of the new season complete. I had to undergo some marginal ice breaking on the first day but thankfully nothing as drastic as last year! It has been a cold week with a very raw feel at times, this may have upset the anglers but not the fish. Fishing has been excellent all week with an exceptional rod average which includes one or two really good catches, the best being to Steve Hendry from Lincoln who managed 35 fish to 5Ib 4oz, mostly on small olive lures fished slowly. There's been a few fish taken on floaters and season ticket holder Ronnie Milloy took 7 fish one day fishing his favourite 'secret' black buzzer pattern. Mostly intermediate lines with black, white or olive lures are best fishing slowly at five to eight feet down. No particular best areas as the wind has been changeable, best advice is to keep moving if you're doing no good.   The big double is still out there and has been since basking around like a seal! A decent fish for the first week taken by William Warrington from Long Eaton on a cat's whisker, a Rainbow of 11Ib 8oz,

.   The new fishery rules seem to have been met with mixed response and on the whole that response is positive, although one or two have asked for explanation. The addition of a stipulation of barbless hook use is self explanatory and is widely accepted by responsible anglers, fish welfare is in all of our interests. The ruling to cease fishing after bag limit is reached was brought about by many anglers in previous seasons expressing a desire to be able to select which fish they kill (with some doing it anyway - 'you know who you are!!') and not just take them as they come. The 'pay back' for fish selection has to covered somewhere and rather than ridiculously increasing prices or introducing a 'time limit' ticket, which I am not comfortable with, the new ruling was implemented.   More cold weather forecast so wrap up warm if you're coming, the kettle's always here and if there are enough of you, you might pressure me in to switching the heating on!    Have you entered the winnerweb challenge heat at Toft yet? The event takes place on the 24th April, with a first prize of £300 and the chance to secure one of the ten places available in the £2000 grand final to be fished at Toft on May 29th. Visit http://www.winnerwebchallenge.com for all the info.  

Stocking weekly.

  Jason Foster

31.01.10

I'm hoping a few of you might manage to brave the elements and join me on Monday from 7.30am for a spot of fishing?   With plenty of fish over wintering and a fair dollop of new stockies to 16Ib+ the start looks promising. More fish have been tagged with blue (£20) tags which puts the total in the pond up to around 50 fish, so there's a chance.   I've put a short video on YouTube from the Fur & Feather match of the 29th November last year and also added to the clip Friday's stocking of 4Ib+ rainbows - the best being around 16Ib! See it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo-2FcJK1Uw     Tight Lines !!!

14th January 2010

Just a note to let you know that the planned coarse fishing for the coming weekend will definitely NOT be taking place due to the reservoir being frozen. Fingers crossed for the 16th/17th weekend, I'll update next week. I'd be grateful if you could let friends/colleagues know that aren't signed up to this newsletter to avoid wasted journeys

Let me start by wishing all a Happy New Year and let's hope for plenty of tight lines in 2010.

  It certainly is a time of change we're in at the moment with the running of commercial trout fisheries really coming under scrutiny, especially from large bodies, with perhaps Severn Trent Water being in the spotlight at the moment more than most.  The decision to cease trout fishing at Draycote for 2010 coming as a blow to many anglers and I'd like to offer my best wishes to Keith Causer, the very well devoted and respected fishery manager from Draycote. According to the angling press, operations may be scaled back at Carsington Water but we can take heart in the signing of a 3 year lease at Foremark by Ifor Jones.  As I start my fourth season after returning to Toft, let's all help to make 2010 a record year and forge a secure future for the next decade of our wonderful sport across the whole country.   Back home now and a few changes for this year -    - Small price increases due unfortunately to further fish feed price increases that generally dictate pricing down the line.  - The introduction of a catch & release only season ticket.  - The stipulation of barbless hooks for anglers intending to catch & release. This is something that I have in the past left to the discretion of the angler but feel this can no longer be the case.  - Toft 'kill' tickets will now allow any fish to be taken and not just the first 2, 4 or 6 as was the case in previous years. Catch & release will be allowed but when the final fish of the bag limit is killed, fishing stops!   Full details of all pricing is detailed below and is of course available on the website.   'Coarse fishing' days planned starting this coming Saturday the 9th. The reservoir is about 50% frozen today and I'm hoping for a let up in the cold weather and some decent winds to clear things before the weekend. I'll be there towards the end of the week and will send out an update email advising of the ice situation on Friday, so anglers don't make a wasted journeys. Hopefully all will be ok and it's a good opportunity to come and bait or fly fish. Full details on a dedicated webpage at http://www.toftnewton.com/coarse_fishing.htm  

2010 Pricing  

£22 six fish ticket*
£18.50 four fish ticket*
£14.50 two fish ticket *
£12 catch & release
£7.50 Junior 1 fish*

(<17yrs supervised - FREE when sharing a 4 or 6 fish ticket with an adult)

*Inclusive of catch & release until bag limit is reached, then fishing stops.

OAP's/disabled 10% discount on Tuesdays & Wednesdays

Season tickets - no concessions

£325 40 fish limit, unlimited catch & release - 2 visits per week
£275 no fish kept, unlimited catch & release - 2 visits per week

Boats £10 full day
£6 half day
Petrol Engine hire £6

Boats should be booked prior to arrival

Float tube launch FREE

FREE self-service
Tea & Coffee

All the best, 

Jason Foster

Below a few photo's and reports from 2009
Weekly results week ending - 29th November   94 rods caught 275 fish rod av 2.92

Not too bad a closing week, pretty windy and now feeling more like winter! Fished well on all manner of methods including buzzers beneath indicators, egg flies, bloodworm, black or white lures, boobies and fry patterns. Some really nice brownies around the valve tower and boat ramp now as the fry have finally moved in.   The illusive blue tagged brown which has been swimming around since July nearly made it to the season end - but not quite. It was tempted by Merv's white egg fly and for that he was very happy to receive the £100 cash bounty

.   Ten years old Rory McKinley from Scothern also managed a blue tagged rainbow yesterday on a booby, as it was match day it had been decided to award a double pay out as a one off special, so he was happy to receive £40 -

A cracking well mended brownie of 3Ib 8oz to local angler James Vaughan from Welton, taken on a dry sedge.

.  

Trev Ward from Dinington was top rod again this week and in 2 sessions totalled 43 fish, including a rainbow of 7Ib 12oz which took a buzzer and was released. (Photo attached)     Don't forget the