August 2019 Blog

Hard to believe that we are coming into autumn and you might well be thinking, “Just where did the summer go?”
Here at Dever it flew by in a haze of maintenance with our priorities being to keep the fishery looking well cared for and the fish in tip top condition.

The lodge is already looking so much smarter now that we have Amanda Darlison working on weekday mornings. She is proving to be a great asset and will soon be a familiar face to our regulars. It also means that there will be someone to answer the phone between 8 and 12.

Summer can often be a real struggle for many fisheries and August was an interesting month. It started with welcome rain and cooler than usual weather which really helped to maintain the fishing. We did of course have some fish which suffered from the warm water legacy of the July heatwave and they were none too keen to take a big fluffy fly. However, those anglers who used small (size 12) simple flies such as the Diawl Bach or a black based pattern continued to catch, and the stalkers went to ever smaller and more minimalist bugs. The end of August saw another spike in temperatures and the ultra clear water often meant that the fish could easily be seen, but not so easily fooled.

Things can only get better from now on and with some really lovely fish due to be stocked we should have another good winter season.
Insect hatches slow down now but are an important part of any fishery and the blue damsel hatches have been enormous on sunny days with occasional instances of fish leaping to catch the adults. Not as common as you might think, but often enough it was the long term resident browns which were up to this trick.

Of course, not all insects are welcome and this is always the month when wasps become a nuisance as they really do get attracted to dead fish and will travel a long way from wherever their nest is to the fishery. They do seem especially keen on our Jamie and he can be real useful to track down their nests, which can then be dealt with. Interesting one this year was a bee’s nest in the chimney of Dever’s main house, and that had to be smoked out.

Highlight of August for us was the visit from a whole family of kingfishers. We are used to our regular pair and maybe this was them showing the kids around a source of food. The stacks of minnows and baby roach will be on the menu.

Regular anglers are a special part of every fishery and while some come more for the social side there are those who like to be left alone, those who come just for a few hours and others who somehow manage to make their day stretch from opening through to closing time.

There are lots of once or twice a year visitors who often make extra long journeys to get here and consider themselves as regulars, although we can’t always make the fishing the same on each visit. No two customers are the same and try as we might, things will never be perfect for everyone, but there will always be plenty of fish in each lake and do please feel free to ask us for the favoured tactics.

If you see our Facebook page then you will often notice that stalwarts such as Richard Francis, Richard Callender and Danny Leung feature with their catches, but that’s because they put in the hours and are dedicated to the pursuit of the bigger fish.

However, it’s always good when a big fish falls to someone on a special trip, and a Dever gift voucher is often chosen for birthday and Christmas gifts.

This month is a busy one with corporate and club days so do check the website and call the office for bookings.

It’s no surprise that fishing is our passion and although Pete Cockwill had been away on his annual Alaska trip in July he was soon out on his return. This time with the fly rod for carp, and he had a 21 pounder just recently. Stuart and Jamie have also been carping on the fly as well as some shore fishing for smooth hounds. Soon they will be after autumn barbel and Jamie will be carp fishing again, although maybe not with girlfriend Chloe who out fished him with her best yet at 22lbs on their last trip.

Dever Springs is a trout fishery, set in the beautiful Hampshire countryside between Andover and Winchester. For more information on our individual and corporate days, please email info@deverspings.co.uk or call 01264 720592