Gailey Fishing Reports.

Evening Rise like a jacuzzi    (Report w/e 14 June 09)

It’s weird this trout fishing lark, no day ever seems the same, i fished a 2 hour session the other night and had take after take on a size 12 Grey Duster just in the surface film, tried the same method two days later not a sniff resorted to a Orange blob, take after take and landed 10 fish, fished again on Sunday afternoon (after the monsoon) not a take on the blob, Brown Hoppers did the trick. It’s probably the reason why I can’t stay away, especially in the summer months.
Gailey’s been fishing exceptionally well this season with most anglers catching good bags of fish. Favourite patterns at the moment include Green buzzers, Hares ear nymph, Hoppers and the Orange blob also worth trying CDC and dry sedge patterns.
The water board have taken about 18 inches off Gailey topping up the canal network, combined with the recent hot spell, weed growth became a problem in some areas of the 35 acre reservoir, good news two members of the Gailey team have had the weed cutting boat out clearing the shallows and and the affected margin areas.

Jim lands 6 lb Rainbow (Report w/e 24 May 09)

Following the third stocking in as many weeks, fish are being caught all over the 35 acre reservoir, large hatches of buzzers and sedge are now on the trout's diet. Pensioner Jim Johnston from Cannock spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon bank fishing, catching 10 trout on green buzzers including a superb 6lb rainbow, all for £9.60 on a 4 hour sporting ticket.
Season ticket holder Wayne Nunn from Bloxwich caught 12 fish up to 4 lbs on a size 12 brown gold head nymph on a red hot flat calm on Sunday, while Peter Davies landed 10 an lost as many, again on green buzzers in a 3 hour boat session. Gailey will have another large stocking again this week in preparation for their Open Day.
Best tactics are floating lines with a mixture of Green buzzers, Hares ear nymphs, shipmans and emerger patterns favourites to catch.

First time Terry Catches 10 (Report w/e 10 May 09)

Massive buzzer hatches have lead to fantastic surface action at Gailey this week. Shipmans buzzers and dry flies doing the business with black and green lures also catching well. Hawthorn fly and sedge have also been on the trouts diets
Gailey played host to a party of first time trout fishermen from British Waterways. The best catch went to Terry Hodgetts from Rowley who caught 10 fish on his first ever trout fishing experience. Carl Nicholls fisheries manager from British Waterways, said "it was a great day at Gailey with every one catching fish, I'm sure many of the guys are now hooked on trout fishing".
Gailey has been stocked every week for the past month, so prospects for the rest of the May are excellent.

England International top rod at Gailey.

England youth international fly fisherman Mark Harrison from Willenhall was top rod at Gailey last week catching 14 fish up to 5lb. 17 year old Mark fished from a boat catching his superb bag of fish all returned, on a mixture of flies. Buzzer patterns accounted for a good percentage of the fish caught last week including Shipmans when the trout where feeing on the top, and Goldhead buzzers when fish where deeper.
Gailey regular Peter Davies had a purple 4 hour session on Friday evening catching 12 trout averaging 2lb all on orange Shipmans from a drifting boat down the middle of the 35 acre reservoir.
Gailey was stocked again last Wednesday, with high quality full finned trout averaging 4 1/2 lb. Tony Nunn from Gailey said after the initial stocking of fish averaging 2lb, we will be stocking larger fish up to 6lb to spice things up at the Cannock reservoir.

Police raid Gailey trout fishery (Report w/e 12 April 09)

Eight former and serving officers from Staffordshire police force fished Gailey trout fishery last week, officer M Cartlidge from Stone landed 22 fish while T Strachan from Cannock caught 20, both anglers fished the A5 bank, using a variety of flies mainly on an intermediate line fished mid-water with a very slow retrieve. Jeff Askins from Bridgenorth fished the dam on Good Friday landing 19 fish using bloodworm drifting round on a strong wind.

Saturday and Sunday bought blue skies, light winds and a massive buzzer hatch, with rising trout all over the 35 acre reservoir. Mr M Rose from Colchester and boat partner J Goodwin from Cannock landed and incredible 60+ bag of trout up to 4lb all returned to fight another day, both anglers caught the majority of fish on emerger patterns. Mr P Davies also from Cannock fished a 4 hour boat session on Easter Sunday catching 20 fish to Shipmans buzzers.

Following recent stockings, fish are moving all over the water with boat and bank anglers catching an average 5.5 fish per rod. Best tactics are floating lines with a mixture of buzzers, shipmans and emerger patterns favourites to catch.

John Lands morning Double. ( Report w/e 5/4/09)

Trout fishermen are from Gloucester, Liverpool, Nottingham have visited the improving 35 acre trout fishery over the past week - feedback from visitors has been really positive about the size and quality of the fish caught. Black and red buzzers have done the business again for many anglers, including John Goodwin from Cannock who fished from the bank and had 10 trout on red buzzers under a brown shipmans during a 4 hour morning session

Fishing throughout the week has been excellent with the early spring sunshine and gentle breeze, but the cold wind on Saturday and Sunday made fishing more difficult and knocked the weekly catch rate down from over 4.4 fish to 2.75 fish per angler, but with a large stocking of trout ready for the Easter holiday, should see Gailey fish it’s head off.

Gailey Scary man does the trick? (Report w/e 29/3/09)

Gailey trout fishery’s new scary man is working a treat, scaring off flocks of Cormorants that have been devastating trout stocks at the popular Cannock fishery. Farmers use the inflatable scary men, that work off electric car batteries to protect crops from scavenging birds. After trying various techniques to scare off the Cormorants, the team at Gailey have moored a boat in the middle of the 35 acre reservoir with the scary man seated on board, every 15 minutes the scary man comes to life frightening off the pesky Cormorants.

Peter Davies from Gailey said “the Cormorants are native costal birds but have now moved in land because of over fishing at sea, we had up to 15 pairs of Cormorants fishing at Gailey and at over £3.00 per fish to stock, these bird where costing the fishery a fortune in lost trout stocks”. Gailey have also installed a sound a like shotgun that works off Calor gas, two loud shogun blasts are timed to go off every 30 minutes, this has also worked scaring off the Cormorants. Peter said “we were at our wits end with the problem birds, but he scary man and the shot gun blast seem to be doing the trick frightening off the Cormorants”.

Wilf catches 10 Trout at Gailey last weekend.
Season ticket holder Wilf Collis from Pelsall was again top rod at Gailey last week, catching 10 rainbows and blue trout for over 20ib, Wilf along with boat partner Len Beckley landed 19 trout between them last weekend using small Montana nymphs. Graham Whitaker from Cannock is also on a purple patch, catching 8 trout on his last 3 visits to the improving fishery. Anglers caught an average of 4.4 fish per rod with fish averaging a pound and three quarters to 2 1/2lb. I fished Gailey for an hour and half after work (1/4/09) landing 4 nice fish and missed as many again, on red and black buzzers, John Goodwin fished 4 hours this morning catching 10 fish on red buzzers under a brown shipmans

Prospects for this weekend and Easter.
The weather forecast is excellent for the weekend, the fish should be surface feeding on the large buzzer hatches so red / black buzzers and shipmans should do the business. Montanas, Damsels and small green and white lures (they always seem to work!) Gailey has been stocked 3 times over the past month with another stocking due next week.

Any fishermen interested in taking a Gailey season ticket, they are available for the whole year, tickets are available from only £12 with boats from £5.

For details contact Gailey Trout Fishery (Main A5 Nr Cannock) on 01785 715848

Gailey Trout Fishery Goes Crazy. (Report w/e 22/3/09)

Improving spring temperatures and increased fly life saw Gailey trout fishery go crazy last week, The rod catch average was a very respectable 4.11 fish per angler and with further stockings of the 35 acre fishery this week and next, will raise expectations of even better catch rates

Season ticket holder Wilf Collis from Pelsall, visited the reservoir twice catching 13 and 12 fish on respective outings on green and white lures, while day ticket visitor Mr Guest from Wolverhampton caught 15 plump rainbows on his first visit to Gailey this season using Montana nymphs.

Mr Dalloway caught the weeks best fish, a superb condition 4 and half pound over wintered fish. Numerous 3 to 4 pound fish where also landed and returned. On warmer days hatches of buzzers have started, with black and claret accounting for numerous feeding fish. Best methods, floating line with leaded Montana or damsel nymph with claret buzzer on a dropper with a slow figure of eight retrieve. White and green lures have caught dozens of fish.

Gailey Trout fishery was featured on Sky TVs ?Tight lines? programme last Friday where it was announced Gailey has plans to introduce brand new facilities for disabled anglers including wheel chair access and the purchase of a wheelie boat all with support of British Waterways and disabled anglers associations, watch this space for further announcements.

Gailey's has just had a spring clean with repairs to casting platforms, new fencing installed and lick of paint tidying up the place, so the prospects for the coming weeks should be excellent.  The fishery is set to have a further stocking of trout before the end of the month.

Any fishermen interested in taking a season ticket they are available for the whole year, you can also have a day ticket at Gailey for only £12 with boats from £5. For details contact Gailey Trout Fishery (Main A5 Nr Cannock) on 01785 715848
 
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