"Gordon MacPherson" wrote in message
...
Dear all,
After Thames Water stopped Farmoor Flyfishing Club using the Farmoor 1
reservoir (they will reopen it next year as a catch-and-release water,
allegedly with no trout under 3 lb) the Club reverted to Darlow - a very
pleasant ex-gravel pit water. The recent floods however have devastated
the area and the lake was closed to fishing until late August. When I went
out at the beginning of September I was horrified to see many trout
swimming
around aimlessly just under the surface (dorsal and tail fins showing),
many dead trout and a large dead carp. I did not even try to fish. I am
told that it is most likely to be Argulus - a parasite - and that there is
little that can be done to treat it. So I reckon that is probably the end
of fishing at Darlow this season.
The compensation is that Thames Water is offering concessionary tickets
for Farmoor 2. I visited last Saturday and was pleased (and surprised) to
come
away with 5 fish - 1.5 - 2.5 lbs, one on a deep buzzer, one on a fry
imitation and three on a baby daddy long-legs (many others missed - I
think I strike too quickly). All fish caught on Farmoor 2 have to be
killed - the
compensation is that these fish have deep pink flesh and a lovely flavour.
We cooked one last night - in foil (160 deg C for 25 min) with the zest
from an orange, the juice from the orange, some salt and pepper. The juice
was reduced at the end and a little Grand Marnier added - delicious.

Tight lines

Gordon

For info
1. Yes - I would much prefer to fish for wild trout - and do this in Wales
and elsewhere when I can. The amount of wild trout fishing in the South of
England is negligible.
2. There is very good natural feeding in most UK reservoirs - masses of
chironomids and sedges - most fish caight are full of chironomids
3. Stocking at Farmoor is generally before the season starts, and a fish
stocked at 1lb will have reached 2-2.5 lb by the end of the summer.
4. I have caught and eaten wild sea trout, and the the flavour of a grown-in
farmor trout loses little by comparison - I agree completely about fish
which were stocked the day before they were caught.
5. Catching trout on UK reservoirs is no easy matter - read the excellent
book by Brian Church - "Stillwater flyfishing". In the evening, casting to
rising trout with a hatching chironomid or sedge imitiation is an exciting
and delicate affair.

BW

Gordon