Welcome To Burrator Fly Fishers Association

'The great charm of fly fishing is that we are always learning' Theodore Gordon

"Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it ." - Harry Middleton

ABOUT US

Burrator Fly Fishers Association is a group dedicated to encouraging the practice of fly fishing at Burrator Reservoir and elsewhere.

Membership of the Burrator Fly Fishers is open to anyone who is genuinely interested in fly fishing. It doesn't matter if you are male or female, old or young, a beginner or an expert. All are welcome. The annual subscription is £25.00 per year.

"O, sir, Doubt not that angling is an art: is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly?" - Isaak Walton

CLUB OBJECTIVES

To facilitate and encourage the practice of fly fishing at Burrator Reservoir and elsewhere with due regard to the environment.

To foster the interest of adult and junior anglers wishing to develop their fly fishing skills and to improve their sport.

To liaise and co-operate with South West Lakes Trust and work with them to improve fishing and facilities at Burrator Reservoir.

To enable social contact between members who share an interest in fly fishing.

"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." - Henry David Thoreau

Fly Tying Group

The BFFA has a fly tying group. At each meeting the group usually tie 2 flies relative to the current season depending on time and difficulty. There are vices, fly tying equipment and materials for those who haven't tied flies before but want to try.

Additionally , you also learn how and when to fish the tied flies and the best materials to use.

Meeting monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at Clearbrook Village Hall. We have the hall from 7-9pm.

"Angling may be said to be so like mathematics that it can be never be fully learnt " ~ Izaak Walton

It's not all about fishing !......

Members of the Association take part in various social activities and events as well as fly fishing. We have regular working parties to help maintain the waters we fish which are great fun.

"A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it" Arnold Gingrich

April 28 Monday Club meeting at Clearbrook VH starting at 7 pm

May 13 Tuesday Fly Tying Group meeting at Clearbrook VH starting at 7 pm

May 14 Wednesday 3 Fly Competition at Burrator meet at Longstone 9.30 am for !0 am start

May 24th Saturday – Burrator PAIRS -BOAT/BANK , 9.30am - 3 pm

May 26 Monday (Spring Bank Holiday) Club meeting at Clearbrook VH starting at 7 pm

May 10 Tuesday Fly Tying Group meeting at Clearbrook VH starting at 7 pm

June 4 Wednesday Boat League First Session 4-9 pm

June 15 Sunday SWL Taster Day more details to follow.

June 23 Monday Club meeting at Clearbroook VH starting at 7 pm

June 25 Wednesday Boat League 2nd Session 4-9 pm

June 25 Wednesday Dry Fly Evening Competition 5-9pm

BURRATOR MAP

I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily without regret

Proposed Dates for Competitions and Away days in 2025

Maurice will be organising Carp on the Fly at Bake Lakes and with Peter Trout on the Fly at Hatchlands

June 25 Wednesday Dry fly evening competition 5-9pm Bank only. 5 fish Kill. All browns count as 1lb released.

July 9/23 Wednesdays BOAT LEAGUE COMPETITION- 4 – 9pm

July 26 Saturday Burrator Bank 9-4 Bank competition. Possible BBQ TBC

Sept 10/24 BOAT LEAGUE COMPETITION- 4 – 9pm

Oct 4/18 BOAT LEAGUE COMPETITION 3-8pm.

Bank/Boat Comp Rules 1 fishes the bank 1 Fishes the boat, switch halfway through the day. 10-1morning session, lunch 1-2pm, Afternoon session 2-5. 5.30 pm weigh in at Discovery Centre. C&R ticket kill first rainbow, catch release all others taking a photo of measured fish. Maximum total length of the pair wins. 1oz weight = 1cm of fish killed to add to total bag length. All browns returned measured.

Boat League Rules Your best catch total over four sessions out of the eight. I will run a spread sheet to calculate scores. Full details to follow once season is up and running

Anyone wishing to assist or give further ideas please contact me Kevin Sellar 07722569557 email kevinsellar204@gmail.com

"Only an extraordinary person would purposely risk being outsmarted by a creature often less than twelve inches long, over and over again."

BFFA COMMITTEE

Chairperson Chris Arscott

email: chris@arscott.co.uk

Treasurer Richard Peel

email:treasurer.bffa@gmail.com

Boat Officer Jonathan Washer

email: bffa.boats@gmail.com

Secretary Maurice Huck

email:secretary.bffa@gmail.com

Committee members -

Bob Prout

Kevin Sellar (Competition Secretary)

Roy Whitaker

Ideas and suggestions for the committee to consider please email the secretary.

Burrator Site Guardians

The Association assisted in a survey by boat of American signal crayfish in the reservoir resulting in South West Water commencing an annual trapping project to reduce the numbers.

There are other invasive species of plants around the reservoir and some members are site guardians monitoring and reporting to South West Lakes who manage the site guardian project.

Don't forget to CHECK CLEAN DRY your kit to STOP THE SPREAD

"I go fishing not to find myself but to lose myself" Joseph Monningert

BFFA Discounted Fishing Permit Scheme will be discontinued at the end of the 2024 season.

South West Lakes from next season will continue the discount for Association members and members will be provided with a PIN to be used when purchasing their fishing permit to obtain the discount.

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing rods." ~ Doug Larson

History of the BFFA

Burrator has been an active fishery since the 1950's. Originally Brown Trout and there is still a head of brown trout although rainbow were introduced in the 1980's and in about 2013 South West Lakes increased the stocking of rainbows. We still have members who fished Burrator in the 1970's before rainbows were introduced.

There used to be about half a dozen fishing boats on Burrator there is still one of these at the Discovery Centre used as a flower bed. A fishing boat was re-introduced in 2013 and the Association has managed this and the additional boats introduced by SWL for use by members. The Association has now acquired these.

Originally known as Burrator Fly Fishers, founded by Harry Brookes possibly in the 1970's with permission from Plymouth City Council Water Dept who created the Reservoir in 1895 and increased its size in 1928. The Reservoir and water rights belonged to the City Council before privatisation in 1989.

The original meeting of the Association may have taken place at Roborough Village Hall in the 1970's but unfortunately at the beginning of this century there was a split in the Association following a fundamental disagreement and it appears a lot of information was lost.

We should be pleased to hear from anyone who has any further information about the Association. Please email treasurer.bffa@gmail.com

BOAT FISHING AT BURRATOR

We have three boats at Burrator for use by members. These provide the ability to move around the 150 acre reservoir and fish areas inaccessible from the shore. The Association has equipment for the boats such as electric outboards plus batteries, swivel seats, boat nets, drogue, life jackets.

The boats and outboards/batteries are booked via the member area in Clubmate. Members follow the Association's Boat Regulations for safety and insurance purposes . The boat fee is £10 and the fee for an electric outboard and battery if required is £5.

There is an annual competition for the longest fish caught from a boat each season. The winner is awarded the Boat Trophy.

The third boat that has recently been added now makes boat fishing competitions a possibility and we hope to commence these in 2025. A further boat is awaiting refurbishment.

Boat Booking