New Old Water

Today I wasn't expecting much as I was visiting a fishery I hadn't fished for years. Mainly thought of a a coarse fishery it does contain a fair few trout. Where I'd parked the car, by a hawthorn hedge, with plenty Hawthorn flies fluttering about I was hopeful. After a bit of a wander I decided to wave the fly rod about.  I'd not seen many rises, or hatches, so opted for a the team of three - Partridge & Orange, Snipe & Purple and the Waterhen Bloa. 

After a few casts into a nice riffle I was into a fish which quickly came adrift. Not long after I lost another casting to a rising fish above the riffle. I checked the hooks again, but nothing seemed amiss. I tried various spots and a few random cast for the next hour with no luck before spotting a couple of rises near a bend up ahead, beyond a rather featureless stretch. When I got within casting distance the rises stopped. I sat and had a cuppa while watching the water. I had a couple of casts into the general area despite seeing nothing, to no avail. Further up I came across a couple of large perch which I managed to spook as I stumbled over a large rock. Glad I was using my wading staff as I could of ended up rather wet.

 















After a short down pour Fish started to rise to little black beasties. I changed to a size eighteen Griffiths Gnat, which was shunned. Next up was a size twenty IOBO, again shunned. A black plume fly was also shunned. I changed back to spiders, a size sixteen Williams Favourite on point, a similar sized Little Black and a size eighteen Black Magic on the top dropper. After a few casts I got a take and soon had a fish of around nine inches in the net. Fumbling about with my phone I managed to spill both the fish and the phone. Good job it's a waterproof phone and the current wasn't too fast where I was stood.

 








By now the wind had got up, the rain was starting to get heavy and the rises had stopped. Time to retreat to the car as I'd left my waterproof at home. I'll be back, but not for another week or so. Hopefully the weather will be a bit kinder then, though given the latest forecast I'm not holding my breath.