Fly Fishing for Zander
Channel: Fishwish
Date: 2022-07-12

There's not many places where you can fish for zander where I live in the South West and fly fishing for zander was something I had not tried prior to this recent visit to grafham reservoir.  Easy zander fishing apparently exists in some places within the R.Severn catchment, but so far, they've done a great job of avoiding my hooks when I've tried targetting zander with lures.  Are zander difficult to catch?  I'm not sure, but they are a fish that do my nut in, for sure!  I still remember seeing a picture of one and asking my brother what a pikeperch is.  In those days, they weren't as widely spread but you don't hear that name for them much any more.  In the 90's I remember spent a small fortune trying to catch my first zander from Bury Hill on the livebaits that they insisted on anglers using as bait at £1 a fish!  I eventually caught one of about 3lb, but I've not really had many opportunities to fish for them since, and when I have, I've opted for a lure rod and been cursed with bad luck.  So...when my fishing buddy asked if I wanted to enter the 'Fluff Chuckers multispecies predator fly fishing event at Grafham Reservoir on the other side of England, the answer was obvious - of course I did!  

I've quite a few friends that compete in kayak fishing competitions at Grafham and they all tell me that it can be a cruel and difficult water to fish.  So I went along with only a little hope and almost no expectation.  We all have to start somewhere, and I was ready to be taught a tough lesson in fishing.  The first day was baking hot but blowing a hoolie.  Normally I'm grateful to be fly fishing with a left hander, but the wind was too much.  We managed a few hours on the boat but the conditions were dreadful and it only really gave us the opportunity to sort our kit out and test the fish finder in advance to the competition the next day.  My fishing partner Sam has never caught a zander so was full of trepidation and nerves too.  There's normally a limit to how far I travel to catch fish, but zander are an invasive species to the UK so not widely spread.  Grafham reservoir is renowned for big predators, that have grown fat from killers shrimp..including some very big zander.  What are killer shrimp, i hear you ask!?  Yet another invasive species causing mayhem to the freshwater ecology by displacing native invertebrates.  At one point we see a perch of at least 4lb directly below out boat.  It took no interest in my lures but was happy grazing on the shimp.  With these critters in such abundance, biosecurity is taken very seriously.  The fishery provides a massive landing net for you to use, and a good drogue, but if you visit the place, please make sure that completely wash and dry your unhooking mat and/or weighsling.  Anyway...in for a penny, in for a pound...the mission to try and catch a zander or anything else to that matter, was on.  Little did we know that one of us was in for a three day blank!  A tough fishing lesson indeed as fly fishing costs a lot when fishing from boats on UK reservoirs.  It's the main reason why I don't do more of it.  

The kit I was using was a Shakespeare Agility #8 matched with an Airflo Di7 shooting head to 30lb Seageur flourocarbon with a couple of 2 inch barbless lures set 3-4ft apart.  Sam opted for bigger flies on a Maxcatch #9 and same line, so we had both bases covered.  I'm not sure who had it right, but the best flies for catching fish are not necessarily the nicest flies to fish with all day.  

All your views, comments and other interaction helps me to continue with my other passion in life - Fishwish.  This is all about getting young or disadvantaged people out fishing.  More information is available on the education playlist or at www.fishwish.co.uk

#zander #flyfishing #predatorfishing