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Reservoir Guides - Henry Lowe, John Maitland, John Wadham, Peter First & Vernon Chapman

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

Any angler who is contemplating a first day's fishing on a big reservoir would be well advised to read one or more of the books in this review. These four books are published in the series Reservoir Guides "written by trout fishers for trout fishers". The series is edited by Henry Lowe who is also the co-author of all but one of the guides. Having read the little books, I would not want to fish any of the waters that they cover without having read the relevant book before setting off and having a copy in my pocket while fishing.

Rutland Water, Bank Angler's Guide, by Henry Lowe and John Wadham, was the first in the series and was first published in May 1999. A new edition, published last year, is now available. This book makes the important point that no reservoir will be exactly the same from year to year and gives some of the reasons for this. This book has less information on fishing techniques than the Rutland boat guide.

One of the first things in Rutland Water, Boat Angler's Guide, by Henry Lowe and John Maitland, that caught my eye was the travel times: how long it will take you to return to the harbour from a number of points around the reservoir. Approximate times range from 20 minutes up to 45 minutes and will, of course, be affected by prevailing weather conditions. The practical nature of these books is shown by the fold-out maps. This means that you can read the description of the different places shown on the map and see where it is. I did wonder if it might be helpful to the first-time visitor if illustrations of prominent features on the bank - as seen from a boat - could be included.

The quick planning guide will be invaluable 'on the day' as it suggest where to fish according to wind direction and season. Reading the guide before a visit will help you to kit yourself out with the right flies and recommended sizes, learn how to fish the aerators as well as read the descriptions of the different fishing areas, wind effects and seasonal changes. In fact, read both guides then the bank angler will have some understanding of what boat anglers are up to and vice versa.

Bewl Water, Angler's Guide, by Peter Firth and Vernon Chapman, is slightly different in style from the other guides, as is to be expected from different authors. The guide covers fishing Bewl for both bank and boat angler and has 'quick finders' for both. This guide has just been published and so is right up to date.

Running to 96 pages, Reservoir Trout, A Bank Angler's Guide, covers flies and tackle, tactics and finding fish. "Catching trout on the fly from the bank of a reservoir is not easy. This is why it is a worthwhile sport. Do not be discouraged by the expanse of water in front of you. With 3 acres or 3,000 acres of water, you can fish only the water you can cast to wherever you are. A big water gives more chance than a small lake that fresh, undisturbed fish may move in as you fish." Those are some of the author of this book, Henry Lowe's, final thoughts.

Henry Lowe covers the background to finding fish - the influence of water movements, water temperatures and winds and seasons - and the tactics to use to catch fish when you find them. He stresses the importance to successful fishing of the depth at which you fish and the speed of retrieve. The book has been written to help anyone with limited reservoir fishing experience and makes the point that you do not have to use big, heavy tackle just because you are fishing big waters. You can, in fact, use a river outfit successfully. There is plenty of information on choosing suitable tackle and putting it together but, interestingly, nothing on droppers or fishing teams of flies.

A third of the book is devoted to flies, naturals, suitable immitations and how to fish them. The chapter on tactics covers using floating lines, sinking lines and getting good takes. The information on casting, particularly when using weight forward and sinking lines, will be of interest to those anglers who do not use them frequently.

Also available are a Bank Angler's Guide to Grafham Water (£4.95) and Stillwater Trout: a Flyfisher's First Guide (£4.95). Two more guides are in preparation: Grafham Water Boat Fisher's Guide by Henry Lowe and John Lindsey, and Reservoir trout: a Boat Fisher's Guide by Henry Lowe and Dave Shipman.

The guides are available from tackle shops, fishery lodges or direct from Henry Lowe, telephone: Int +44 (0)1223-245886.

Reservoir Trout, A Bank Angler's Guide, by Henry Lowe. 96 pages, soft cover and spiral bound. £9.85

Rutland Water, Boat Angler's Guide, by Henry Lowe and John Maitland. 40 pages, soft cover and spiral bound. £5.50

Rutland Water, Bank Angler's Guide, by Henry Lowe and John Wadham. 40 pages, soft cover and spiral bound. £5.50

Bewl Water, Angler's Guide, by Peter Firth and Vernon Chapman. 44 pages, soft cover and spiral bound. £6.50



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