Sharpley Springs Fishing Report

How's it Fishing
Warm days at the start and end of the fishing week saw hawthorns on the water- and the trout were quick to home in on them. 
Big fish this week were caught by Jack Hodgson from South Shields at 15 pounds on a Black Fritz. David Todd from Gateshead used a Black Hopper to bring to the net, lucky  13 fish with the biggest a 13lb 8oz Trout.
Jake Caidecott from Seaham a 15 pounder and Tom Reay a from Seaham a 14 pounder and Dan Swale with the biggest at 16lbs 2oz. 
Plenty of big bags netted with Ant Meadows from Chopwell and Barry Nicholson from Guidepost both  releasing 17 Trout each . Lewis Meek from Newcastle caught 25 and Ben Race from Great Ayton released the best bag of the week with 28 fish using all dries. 
An excellent week with more to come.

Tactic
Warm days at the start and end of the fishing week saw hawthorns on the water- and the trout were quick to home in on them. Low slung patterns gained favour towards the end of the week whilst higher sitting flies like black hoppers were good in a stiff breeze when the unfortunate naturals found themselves on the water. Tippets needed to be beefed up a bit too!
Sharpley also saw several midge species including those huge blacks that leave shucks more than an inch long!
Afternoons had hatches of up-winged olives ,so flies of the hares ear family were worth a place on the cast. Shuttles,f's and nymphs all worked.
Some of the evening sessions were prolific.
An excellent week with more to come.

Fly box:
Olive shuttlecock
Black shipmans
Hares ear foam head
GRHE nymph
Hawthorn
Knotted midge
Daddylonglegs
Black spider
Zonkers 
Blobs/tinnies
Black f fly

Sharpley Springs

How's it fishing this week

Things are definitely starting to liven up,and with calmer days mid-week small black midge hatched in abundance and littered the surface at times.
This made for superb dry fly angling,challenging and delicate.
The biggest double of the year so far with a cracking massive 20lb 4oz Rainbow caught by Glen Appleby from Peterlee on a 6lb lead using drifting buzzers total for the day 15 trout. James Stephenson from Great Ayton came second in the biggest fish of the week with a huge 18lb 6oz Trout netting 10 in total. Tommy Stephenson from Rolland Gill returned a lucky 21 fish including one at 12lbs 4oz. Pam Pratt totalled 39 fish in one session using Drys to return the biggest bag of the week. Nick Hart from Stanley returned 24.
Rod average 
4.9

North East premiere Trout Fishery 

Tactics
Anglers using their finest tippets and smallest black dries found success-but only when coupled with thoughtful presentation.
One day required small,hackled adult imitations twitched downwind,the next,these were ignored but vertically hanging foam head emergers fooled the trout.Experimentation,as always,was the key.
The Spring warmth also initiated a lot of Corixa activity and one or two of the 
less successful divers were visibly taken.
The Albert and Alice lake has fished particularly well.Cats Whiskers were unbeatable  on it one day.

Fly box:
Black spider
Griffiths Gnat
Black/brown f fly
Black foam head emerger
Black teeny nymph
Bloodworm
Cats Whisker
Yellow blob
Olive worm

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report up too 8th March

How's it fishing 
Watch the fly life as weather warms up, producing great catches. 
Terry Wood from Bolton Colliery released a 15 pounder , Ben Race from Great Ayton netted the biggest rainbow of the week with a 17lb 8oz fish caught using a Zonker, his total catch at 13 Trout. John Parker from Stockton netted 16 fish his best of the day an 12 pounder. Plenty of big bags with Paul Tennick from Weardale with 18 Trout. Andy Grabham from Long Newton with 20 Rainbows and 19 on a second visit. Colin Gray from Gateshead netted 24 but one of the best bag of the week was caught by Gary Mulholland releasing 30 Trout only beaten by Peter Appleby from Bishop Auckland at a huge bag of 35 fish. 
Rod average
5.1
Tactics
On Thursday, things warmed up a tad and midge activity meant buzzers were firmly on the menu.
Black pupal imitations with either white or orange cheeks (aka wing buds) and just a little weight were taken enthusiastically especially hard to the down-wind margins.
Pre and post hatch,the larval stages were predominant so worm pullers saw success.
Yellow and pink were the most popular colours.vPerhaps underwater these resemble the olives and orangey-reds of the naturals.
White lures ( and worms !) remain go to chucks.

Fly box:
Black buzzer
Weighted Diawl bachs
Pinky
White/yellow worms
Zonkers
Cats whisker

Sharpley Springs latest fishing report

How's it Fishing
Milder days saw large bags and Double figure Trout netted at Sharpley this week. Andy Cambell from Blackworth took a 10 pounder on a Cats Whisker.
Steve Crisp from Stockton netted over 16 trout on the Noose. The biggest double was a whooping over wintered 16lb 8 oz trout taken by Tom Ryan from Neecastle, John Shema from Ryhope returned a 12lb 8 oz Rainbow. Gary Mulholland from Gateshead was first in quantity with a huge bag netted at 29 fish. Andy Crab from Longnewton  got second prize in quantity with 27 trout this week.
Rod average was up this week
4.2


Tactics
A couple of milder days midweek saw improved fortunes,with bloodworms and large buzzer pupae again on the menu.The comparative warmth was,unfortunately,short-lived and larger lures performed better by the weekend.Cats whiskers have been consistently good in recent weeks and this was no exception.Large zonkers,minkie's and nomads have been worth a shout too.
Visiting anglers would be well advised to try pinkies or other leggy bloodworm patterns,particularly on cooler days,with the addition of a buzzer on a dropper perhaps on milder ones.
Fly box:
Pinky
Black buzzer
Red devil
Cats whisker
White zonker
Grey minkie's/appetiser
Nomads
Sunburst blo

Sharpley Springs Trout fishing

How's it fishing
Fish are taking morning and late afternoon. There has been some good Winter bags netted this week . Andy Grabham from Long Newton returned 8 and Tony Bell from Sunderland returned 11. Dave Robson from Seaham returned 13 so did Steve Greathead from Lumley. Local John McQuire from Newbottle returned 12. 
Some descent fishing to be enjoyed before the expected snow. 
Rod average 
3.2 

Tactics
The main lakes remain fishable despite the best efforts of some harsh overnight frosts.Without its maritime influences the story could be very different-as other fisheries discover.
Some good bags have been taken, again on large lures and bloodworms predominantly.
Snakes,zonkers and damsel nymphs ( the large variety) were useful additions to the usual worms and cats whiskers.
The pleasant mild snap at the weekend had eager trout queuing at the north eastern pegs of the Doxford lake and willing to take pinkies and black buzzers alike.
Mild early in the week could be some snow at end .

Fly box:
Black buzzer
Pinky 
White zonker
Snake
Damsel
Cats whisker
Orange/ yellow worm
Best wishes
Carole

How's it Fishing
The week started mildly with Buzzers and Bloodworm, however on frosty mornings you may need to try flys fished static under a Blob. 

Christmas Day brought 8 anglers celebrating good complementary catches and Boxing Day saw  two Trout at 14lbs returned by Kevin Hopper from Burraden and A Westgarth from Greenside.

Cris Nickaller from Stockton  Two lads from Middlesborough both released 20 each, Lee Clarke and Steve Park using a Pinky and a Wicket White.

Andy Grabham from Low Newton returned 14 . David Todd from Gateshead netted a total of 14 using Nymph and Squigly.  

A double was returned by Dave Robson from Seaham at 12lb 6 oz from a bag of 11 fish using a Fritz .
Tactics
The week started mildly with buzzers and bloodworm imitations successful but after a wet mid-week interlude, things turned chilly. The big lures that have worked of late then came back to the fore with zonkers reliable patterns.
Largish buzzers in black and Apps style leggy bloodworms should continue their success given relative warmth,otherwise retrieves will need to be slowed considerably or flies fished static,  under bobs.

Fly box:
Black buzzer
Pinky
Yellow/orange bloodworm
Appetiser
Black/white zonker
Daddy
Diawlbach
Minkie's

Happy New Year All

Carole and Simon

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report Week ending 7th Dec

How's it Fishing
The lure men experienced an increased willingness to take larger, seemingly protein-packed offerings , so snakes, big zonkers and fluff cats whiskers all attracted attention. Geoff Curry from Durham released 11 Trout the biggest at 11 pounds. Bill Barry from Washington returned 19 and N Hart from Sunderland 16 and Dave Robson  from Seaham 15.
Stew Cameron from Shiremoor returned a 10 pounder and Jason Hughes from Haswell used an Amber Worm to bring the biggest of the week to the net a 14 pounder.

Rod average
4.6
Tagged fish
Rolling on over Xmas now
£1000
Open all through the Xmas period , including Xmas Day, only on this day a Comlimentary catch and release ticket is available  to wish you Happy Xmas.


Tactics
We have temporarily lost the mild weather and the cooler snap saw fewer free-risers last week.
On the plus side,the lure men experienced an increased willingness to take larger,seemingly protein-packed offerings , so snakes,big zonkers and fluff cats whiskers all attracted attention.
Bloodworm patterns always fish well in conditions like these so rubber-legged patterns are go-to flies.Slow drifts on full floaters or fast pulls on intermediates can work.As always,experimentation on the day is key.
Cool, still conditions often also call for buzzers ( or bloodworms..or mini-lures! ) suspended under indicators that are just large enough to see.As temperatures fall takes can be more and more finicky so keep your eyes peeled!

Fly box:
Black buzzer
Cats whisker
Apps bloodworm
Snake
Black zonker
Black/green nomad
Copper wire buzzer
Minkie
Best wishes
Carole