Iain Lindsay - IGL Coaching - Angling Trust Lead Coach

02/02/2025

Had to get out fishing yesterday, Sutton Lake again being my choice of venue. People laugh when I turn up with a float tube in February. As long as you're well wrapped up it doesn't matter.
Tackled up with two rods, a Di3 with cat b***y and black & green lure and a floater with nymphs.
As usual started with the lures paddling around to see if any areas held fish. I picked up two on the cat b***y.
As I arrived in the bottom corner I changed to the floater with nymphs and had some great sport. Landing 5 and losing a couple being broken off with some sub standard leader material which is now in the bin.
Time to go home so swapped back to the lures and picked up another couple.
Float tubing is great in that you cover a lot more water, increasing your chances of intercepting feeding fish.
I have a spare tube if anyone wants to try before you buy.

07/05/2024

A lovely Bank holiday was rounded off perfectly with a visit to the Derbyshire County Angling club lakes at Fountaindale F2.
Tackled up with small shipman's and a black buzzer. Odd fish were moving all over the lake.
Straight away into fish, a couple of roach to start with then a run of 4 rainbows graced the net.
I was beginning to doubt that there were any browns in the lake when I had a run of 3 brownies in quick succession.
After that it was great sport, all but 2 to the shipman's.
Finished up with 12 trout, including 5 brownies in 2 hours, many more takes.
Quality fishing again from DCAC.

19/04/2024

It's always a good feeling when you crack the code on any given day. I arrived at Sutton lake late afternoon. There was a fair breeze blowing to the farm end.
I started working the windward shore in the tube. I started with bo***es, buzzers, Montana, blobs, damsels and black dries, no interest at all even though fish were moving. In the leeward end plenty fish were mopping up flies on top.
After trying so many options I put on an olive nymph and a hare's ear. Two casts later two fish, one on each fly.
Things fell into place and fish kept coming to both flies. There were some really good rainbows and one stunning brown over 3 pounds.
A frustrating day turned into a red letter one. I finished with 11 rainbows and the good brown.
Another excellent short session on Derbyshire County Angling Club waters.

19/03/2024

A day off from work and Ogston beckoned. Arrived at 9 and no-one else was around. Hard to believe but true. Tackled up with an intermediate with a cat b***y and black and green flies. After 10 minutes the line tightened and the first Ogston fish was landed and released safely. I can't sit still so went walkabout fishing most pegs on A bank. Fish were proving scarce but another couple succumbed to each of my flies. Finished at 12 having landed 3 nice fish from 3 takes. Beats working any day. Only had one photo of the best fish, a bit over 3 pounds.

06/10/2023

Just finished a float tubing tuition session on Ladybower with Adam Smith who's only just starting fly fishing.
It was a blustery day with some strong gusts making control difficult. Adam however quickly mastered the elements and started catching a few fish.
Near the end of the session he hooked into a real lump which pulled him around a bit and was too big for the net.
Adam landed him safely and had beaten his PB of 1lb 8 three times today. The last one was the fish of a lifetime 10 lbs on the nose. One happy customer.
My new FishCat 4 was well and truly christened on its maiden voyage.
Big fish are on the move now.

21/08/2023

My first ever outing to DCAC Fountaindale F1 was last night. We just added these lakes just outside Mansfield to our already extensive portfolio.
They are lovely to fish almost w**d free and intimate.
Only managed the last 2 hours of daylight and fish were moving when I arrived.
Covered a few fish unsuccessfully until I tried a dry sedge. Things started happening thereafter. Hooked and lost a few with many swirls and taps.
Finished up with 5 hard fighting rainbows and a decent sized rudd.
A great way to end the day.

06/08/2023

With a bit of cloud cover and a nice breeze I set off for Sutton lake in my float tube for the evening. Spent the first hour chatting with members. Set up with the 5 weight with a hares ear and dry sedge.
Not many fish moving but soon had the first of many to the hares ear. The wind and rain got up so I sheltered behind the island for a bit. There were also a few fish with similar ideas. Both flies were successful but a lot of fish would just swirl at the flies, particularly the sedge.
After some great sport it was time to come home as darkness was catching up with me.
Ended with 9 to the net, lots of takes and two fish that took me well into the backing and turned to be average fish.
The beauty of the float tube is the amount of fish you cover in a session as you're always on the move.
Some tuition sessions available.

20/07/2023

I'm so lucky to be a member of Derbyshire County Angling Club. We always have at least one venue which is worthwhile fishing at any time of the season. Last night I plumped for one of our most recent venues at Fountaindale.

I arrived at 7.30pm with no one else in sight. Fish were moving and the water was w**d free. Tackled up with two flies, hares ear on a dropper and shipmans on the point. After a few casts I had a fish follow me but didn't take. Again the pattern followed until I landed the first fish of the evening on the hare's ear. There were periods of activity with a slight lull, but takes were regular, although hooking them wasn't so easy.

Lots of fish were just swirling at the flies, both were working so no need to change all evening. I had a period of solid hook ups followed by a 10 minute spell where I was getting an offer almost every fish I covered but didn't land any.

Then I had a spell where I couldn't do wrong. I landed one fish, cast out and had an almighty tangle in my line when the rod was wrenched from my hand with a fish fleeing for the middle of the lake. It felt like a really good fish but was just average when I landed it.

An excellent couple of hours again, nine rainbows landed with lots of missed chances and a couple of small roach.

DCAC members are fortunate to have such quality fishing on their doorstep.

19/06/2023

After the weather broke yesterday evening I decided to go afloat at Sutton Lake (DCAC club water). I set out afloat in my trusty tube. When I reached the middle of the lake the heavens opened up like no tomorrow. This lasted for 15 minutes and I had second thoughts but I saw a break in the clouds so persevered. When the rain abated fish started to move sporadically, then more and more fish started to feed well. I was fishing with a hare's ear and shipmans at this point and managed a fish on the hare's ear. After covering a few fish and seeing some caddis hatching I swapped to a G&H sedge. After a few casts and a number of fruitless offers I hooked two fish at once and was snapped off. I tied on a new leader and an elk hair caddis as I had no more sedges.
There began a crazy hour where I was getting offers, pulls, swirls and missed takes. If you covered a fish they would take a look or nip your flies.
Funny thing was they didn't want it static, if I pulled it they would chase after it, mostly going for the hare's ear on the dropper funnily enough. I finished with 5 to the net but it could easily have been double that.
Another example of the fine quality fishing available to members of DCAC.

Derbyshire County Angling Club are based mainly in Derbyshire with waters in North Nott's and Staffordshire. We have many waters including Fly Only, Mixed fishing, Coarse fishing, Salmon fishing in Scotland. and free tickets to four major reservoirs for the benefit of our members.

07/06/2023

With a bit of cloud cover I decided to head out to Ogston for the last two hours. I knew the fishing had gone off since the last time but was quietly confident that the odd fish would be up for a play. Arrived at 8pm to chase off a kayaker from the water. The wind was from the NE and swirling. Not the best. Tackled up with a hares ear and a blob. The odd fish was moving out of range and walked along the bank looking for moving fish. I had a couple of offers out of the blue that didn't stick I saw a fish close in and covered it, a nice brown of 3/4 lb took a liking to the hares ear. At least the blank was gone.
As the sun went down odd fish moved close in and I managed to elicit takes to the hares ear but they kept falling off. The odd fish would also give chase to the blob. I managed to hook one and it shot off like a train. After a strong fight a good rainbow was returned to the hares ear. The pattern continued with odd fish showing but no real surface activity. I managed another 3 quality rainbows before dark, all but one to teh hares ear. A better than expected evening.

21/03/2023

Decided to try Ogston for the last knocking on Sunday afternoon. Arrived at 16.30 and had the place to myself almost. Only set up one outfit with an intermediate with a cat b***y and black & green. It took all of 5 minutes before the first fish came. There was no great concentration of fish. I just kept moving and catching. Landed 5 nice fish and lost a couple before it was time to go home. All the fish had lovely full tails for recent stockies. DCAC waters continue to give great sport.

08/01/2023

Sutton today
Joined Kingsley Orsmond at Sutton today to witness his maiden voyage in his new Savage Gear tube. After getting set up we were quickly into fish. We were fishing Di3 with black and green with blobs. We caught fish regularly we didn't keep score but it was around 8 apiece with lots of offers and missed fish. On only his second outing Kingsley Ormond performed admirably and should now be a member of the float tube flotilla. Keep up the good work. Most of the fish were residents of a good size and fought hard in the shallow water.b