AS the weather continues to warm up, as have the water temperatures (in spite of unseasonably cold nights and some cooler breezes), but with steady insect activity, fish have been feeding well either on or just below the surface, writes Chris Hall.

At Kennick, anglers averaged 2.6 fish per rod over the month, with fish continuing to be well spread out around the lake.

Bank anglers enjoyed slightly more success than the boats, with The Narrows, The Lawns, Boat Bank, Laployd, Smithacott and Poplar Bay banks fishing particularly well, and boats catching well in the deeper central water.

Natural airborne beetles, caddis, crane-flies and hatching Damsels have meant that many fish have been feeding on or near the surface, with anglers catching well using Foam Beetles, Black Hoppers, Daddies, Sedges, Hawthorns, Claret Snafflers and Emergers on the surface, using floating lines with long leaders and a slow retrieve. Subsurface feeders have been caught on Damsel Nymphs, Buzzers, Montanas, Bloodworms and Diawl Bachs, while lure anglers caught using Cats Whiskers and Boobies.

Peter Gilpin (from Newton Abbot) caught ten rainbows to 3lb 9oz in one session, mainly on Black and Green Boobies; Ben Garnett (from Kenn) caught a 2lb 9oz rainbow while fishing in the early evening, casting to a feeding fish in Boat Bay, using a Diawl Bach; Alex Jackson caught a bag of four fish to 2lb 8oz, casting to topping fish along the West Bank.

The annual Peninsula Classic bank competition, sponsored this year by Turralls, was won by Alex Venn, catching a bag of seven fish, weighing in at 13lb 12oz; Alex Jackson (from Australia) took second place with five fish, weighing 9lb 12oz; John Hern (from Exeter) caught the biggest fish of the day – a rainbow of 2lb 8oz.

Over at Fernworthy most of the fish caught this month have been on or near the surface, either on dry patterns (Beetles, Hoppers, Bobs Bits, Sedgehogs and Black Gnats), or nymphs (Diawl Bach, Pheasant Tail and Spiders) and larger patterns (Soldier Palmer, Invicta and Bibio) fished just under the surface and cast to feeding fish. The most productive areas included Brownhills, Thornworthy, Permit Hut bank and near the dam.

Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. The Trust, in conjunction with Fluff Chuckers, will be running a Brown Trout Masters competition this season, to be held over three dates at Colliford, Fernworthy and Roadford – please see the website for more information.