The Fog On The Moors Is Mine All Mine

The day started dull and drizzly, but changed to thick fog by the time I got onto the top of The Moors. Thick fog and Ewes with lambs is not a good combination. The lower the visibility the more likely the dozy ruminants are to be on the road. Thankfully there was very little traffic about so the occasional bit of evasive action wasn't a problem. I was listening to the latest Countryfile Podcast with Kevin Parr  about Adders, among other things. If it hadn't been so foggy I'd have stopped somewhere and had a wander round looking for one. The soggy Moors are not the place to be wandering far in the fog on your own though.

The river, as expected, was a few inches up and peat stained. It looked quite good, apart from the lack of fly life. I worked my way up using a duo rig with a black klinkhammer and a gold bad pheasant tail. I had the occasional poke nose around the gorse and scrub for adders, but like the fish they appear to be absent. A change to a gold bead red tag nymph produced a couple of knocks dragging the klink off to one side or the other. Three noisy oyster catches circled round me  a couple of times before heading back across the fields.I was then witness to a few martins, both house and sand, as well as a few swifts swooping over the river in the hope of food. 

I eventually spotted a couple of risers and after a a knock or two on the nymph a trout hit he klink the moment it hit the water. Quite a decent fish for the river. After this I suffered the attack of the mini trout including one that leapt over the fly. In the past I've watched them, in clear water, rise of the bottom and launch themselves in the direction of the fly. Sometimes they hit it and you may be lucky enough to hook one. Often they miss. Sometimes when there's a couple of them the faster of the two will end up in the air. It's great to watch, but very frustrating if you're trying to catch. 

 

I tried changing to a smaller emerger pattern, but they didn't seem interested in it. With the klink back on the hits continued for a while before fading away. I moved on but got no more action at all. As I walked back towards a gate between two fields the sheep in the far filed stampeded toward me. Stood staring for a little while before heading up the hill. Not sure what breed they are but it was rather strange behaviour.