Lots Of Walking For A Couple Of Trout

I reckon I walked about seven miles or so up and down the bank of the river looking for rising fish. I also did a lot of siting about watching, so it wasn't too bad. I'd heard that there had been an obvious increase in fly life and fish rising to them. This was confirmed, as I was get ready, by a man in a van that stopped to have a look. While there was fish rising they were mostly dace apparently. He'd only had one trout to dry fly this season. The problem he reckoned was that he was never there at the right time. It was only while he was at work and passing that they hatches seemed to happen.

As I wandered down to the bottom of the stretch I saw very little fly life apart from 'black stuff'. The rising fish, as predicted, where all dace. Among the little 'uns were a few decent sized ones which will no doubt disappear once the coarse season starts. As I wandered back upstream things were no different. I tried a few random casts with a midge pattern that resulted in the odd little dace. By the time I'd got back to the car, some two and half hours later I'd seen none of the olives I'd been promised. There was, however, a mayfly trying to cling to the car window in the breeze. A couple more were fluttering about in the field.

After a cuppa and contemplate I decided to give the little river another chance and not move. There was an increase in fly life as I wandered back to the bottom. The number of olives of all sizes wasn't huge but there should have been enough to entice the trout up. I wasn't far from the bottom of the stretch when I spotted a trout rising.  It was popping out from under an overhanging willow and grabbing something. I changed to a John Storey, a good general emerger type pattern, The first cast was with in inches of the tree but the current dragged it immediately. My wiggle cast, to overcome this, was either eighteen inches short or landed in the tree. Luckily it didn't snag. After several attempts it was clear I'd put the fish down.

Just round the corner another trout was rising right in the side of the bank. I normally avoid wading in this river as it's mainly a sandy bottom which you can sink into or it's rather deep in places. I could see the bottom here and it was reasonably solid. Despite my cast been a bit wayward the fly disappeared after six inches of drift. A rather acrobatic fight ensued before a nice fourteen inch brown trout was landed. I popped back to the previous spot but after fifteen minutes of waiting there was no sign of the trout.

I didn't see any more trout for quite some time and the fly life was thinning out. At a log jam another trout was rising but at the upstream side. A wiggle cast landed a bit short of the mark but the was enough slack for it to reach the log. A couple more of the these and a very splashy rise and I was in again. A slightly small fish at thirteen inches but very powerful that jumped out of the net as I started to lift it. The hook hold held I got it second go.

 

Not a great day but if the fish aren't looking up then there's not much you can do. Hopefully if the hatches get more regular better sport will be had.

Tiny Trout In The Jungle

 I got the chance to fish one of the tiny becks on The Moors that I haven't fished for years. It's one of those where parts of it disappear when the water is low, so it looks like a series of small pools. Some of these pools can be quite deep though and have sheer edges to them so care is needed as one I found to be over four foot deep (I didn't fall in it). The great thing with a place like this is there's no great problem with fly choice. Most any small fly will generally suffice, Grey Duster, Adams, APT, or similar. I choose a small, size 18, midge type thing with six foot leader made from two foot lengths of 8,5, & 3lb mono.  The challenge is not the size of fish but getting the cast in. The six foot two weight I was using seemed a tad too long at times.

It should have been a good excuse to get to grips with the camera on my new phone, but I spent more time just watching nature such as a kingfisher dropping into one of the deeper pools and coming up with very small trout. I did attempt to film it but it landed  on an overhanging branch and dropped in the water almost straight away then was off with a fish for it's brood I assume. In between just sitting and watching I had dozen or so trout all with in an inch of each other. A similar number throw the hook. One thing with these size of fish is that you think you're missing a lot of takes, but if you watch carefully the eagerness of the fish to get a meal means they often miss the fly.

Apart for the 'black stuff' the was very little fly life. The odd olive fluttered past along with a solitary yellow may. I did get close to an Oyster Catcher's nest given the antics of a couple of them. They flow flew about whistling loudly and kept landing well into the sheep grazed meadow. The stopped once I got through into the next field. 

As was glad I'd arrived early as by lunch time nearly all signs of fly life had stopped and so did the rises. Prospecting about failed to raise any fish. A fun little session on the sort of water I'd intend to avoid this year as I'd hoped to concentrate on the rivers for something bigger.

Duns And Dead Phones

 Looking from the bridge, on Thursday, near the parking spot it was obvious the river was rather low and an awful low of filament weed had grown, but fish were rising and not just the little grayling and parr splashing at things. When I got back to the car there was a Brook Dun on the window, which I took to be a good omen. As I wandered down to the bottom of the stretch there was a few more Brook Dun drifting down with fish occasionally rising to them. A foam dun looked to be the right fly.

It took half a dozen drifts, in very slow moving water, over a rising fish before it excepted my offering. A nice fish of 11" that despite it's acrobatics didn't shake the hook free. A bit further up a trout I spotted earlier was rising occasionally. I sat and watched for a while before making a cast. This one hit the fly just after it landed and very kindly stayed in the water until I netted it. A similar size to the first. I thought it was going to be a really good day. The cloud overcast weather with only a very slight breeze is supposed to be ideal for hatches and the trout seemed to be rising. I took a photo of the fish before releasing it only for the phone  to throw out a message about camera processing or something before it froze. I restarted it and took a pick only to get the same message. I think last week's dunking may have finally got to it. I switched the power off and continued on. Two more fish followed in similar fashion to the first two both of a similar size. having reached the bridge I retired for a cuppa and butty, as it was now mid-afternoon.

After refreshments I headed upstream. The Brook Dun were noticeable by their absence but, apart from the splashy rises of the parr, there was the occasional rise from better fish. The first of these was next to an overhanging tree. Just as the fly landed a lamb behind the tree bleated and mummy duck and here offspring shot out from under the tree. I managed to drag the flt out of the way before they got tangled. This obviously spooked the rising fish. A lot further up I came across another rising on the far bank. Wading out to a suitable casting position it became apparent that the left leg of my waders was leaking. The fish duly obliged on the second cast. Another of a similar size.  A fish then started to rise a bit further up in very shallow water. It grabbed my fly despite my cast been 18" to it's left and soon throw the hook as it cartwheeled about. I then missed four rises in a row from what looked like good fish before hooking another in very shallow water. Keeping the rod low seemed to stop it jumping but it got it's self into the filament weed and came adrift as I hauled it and the weed back.

Things had now gone very quiet. I tried an APT and a foam beetle along the edges of the overhanging trees but only the little'uns seemed interested. As I walked back I noticed the odd crane fly on the water and was very surprised that nothing was rising for them. Trout can't normally resist a crane fly. I tried the odd spot with the foam beetle but to no avail. Another cuppa was the order of the day. With nothing happening I decided to try a different stretch. It was on my way home after all. It appeared as dead as the first. I spent an hour and a half wandering about chucking a fly here and there but never saw a fish of any size. Still five sizeable fish was the best I've managed this season and we still have the mayfly to come (hopefully). One good sign on the insect front was the number of squashed beasties on the front of my car. Not something I've seen in a few years.

All the Wrong Weather For Trout Fishing

 Having driven through thick and patchy fog into glorious sunshine may have been nice for some, but having intended to get a little spot of trout fishing done this was not ideal. Still the levels on the gauges looked OK. A lot better than the flooded state it was in last time I visited.  I had about an hour and a half before I had to be social and join in the fun. For some reason I'd put two ten foot rods in the boot. This is a river I normally fish with six to seven foot rods, eight foot at a push,  so this was going to be fun.

 

As expected the trout were rising in the shade of the trees where a six foot rod would be ideal and a ten footer, nine foot nine inch to be exact, wasn't. Fly life seemed to consist of little black things, the odd grannom and hawthorn, and a very occasional brook dun. It appeared that the little black things were the food of the day. On went a size eighteen double badger. Not the most visible fly in the conditions but anything smaller would be even worse. With a bit of a trick side cast I thought I'd landed the fly near the rising fish. I saw the fish rise but it was a good eighteen inches from my fly, or rather it wasn't. I was watching the wrong thing on the water and only realised when the leader straightened out. A little trout parr came quickly to hand. A trout at last even it was rather small.

A bit further on another trout was rising in a more open area and this time I was looking at the right fly as it took it the moment it hit the water. This time a proper little acrobatic trout. Another one rose as I released it. A cast to the same spot and a six inch or so drift and another little trout. As this one wasn't a leaping I took it by hand. It decided to leap as I took it's photo though. I also decided this was a good time to drop the phone river. This isn't officially a waterproof so either. I switched it off and removed the sim and SD cards and wrapped it all in a couple of bits of kitchen roll (the poor man's amadou). 

With only half an hour left I continued on and managed three more of the little trout and lost a couple. It was nice to actual get some trout at last. Small but very pretty. Back at the BBQ I left the phone on the parcel shelf of the car, which was nice and warm in the sun, for an hour before trying to switch it. Thankfully it worked although I hadn't put the SD card back in as I intended to make a copy before trying it.  Lets hope this is the start of me catching trout nearly two months after the start of the season.

Sixth Session Sixth River Of The Trout Season

 I could quite easily give up on this fly fishing for trout malarkey, I just seem to be going nowhere fast this year. I had chance of a short session up the valley-of-cheese. There were plenty of fish rising when I got there, but judging by the splashy rises and flashes of silver I suspect they were grayling. This was quickly confirmed when a tiny 4" grayling grabbed my SAE (Shiny Arsed Emerger). It seemed anywhere I cast it to the little buggers would have a go. While it's really nice to see so many youngsters they really are a nuisance when you're trout fishing.

Another angler I had a natter with said he'd had the same problem, along with salmon parr as well. He said he had seen tout rising, but to what he didn't know. We both suspected it was something very small and black given the clouds of smuts here and there. There was also a few hawthorn flies about but these didn't get to the river as the tree sparrows seemed to be feasting on them.

Sitting on the high bank I could see the odd trout rising, just poking their nose out of the water. As opposed to the splashy rise of the grayling. Still couldn't fathom what they were eating though. A poke round the fly box produced the smallest fly  I had. A size 22 IOBO. Despite it's size it was quite visible on the water. The trout ignoring it were also quite visible, under the water. The grayling, though, took a liking to it as if I didn't know what a good grayling fly it can be.

As the trout weren't interested in the smallest fly I had I decide something large may be of interest to them so on went a hawthorn fly. This was ignored by everything. At least i wasn't shaking little grayling off the hook. Time was now running out. I spotted a tout rising in the riffle above me. On went a double badger, a fly intended for this sort of scenario. Although I'm not sure salmon parr are what it was intend for, but that's what i got.

With all the wrong fish rising to the fly I headed back towards the car. As I made my way along I spotted a trout rising in one of the deeper, unwadeable, stretches. My cast landed a bit short, but I allowed it to fish out. Just as I started to lift for the next cast the fly disappear. Something bigger than  I'd been catching was on the end of the line. At this point I realised I'd not thought this though as I was a couple of foot above the water and didn't know the depth of the water below me. Lying down I managed to scoop another bloody grayling out of the water. Admittedly it was a lot bigger than the others. A quick shake of the phone to get the camera up, a pic, and it was back in the water.

That was it. Time was up and still not trout to the net this season. I will get it right one day, or there may be a nice collection of fly fishing tackle up for sale. It's nice to see all the little grayling and salmon parr but I wish they'd let the trout get to the fly.

Out For A Waggle

 With the trout rivers up again, though dropping, I decided a spot of stillwater angling may be a better idea. I quickly gathered up the requisite tackle and stopped at the tackle shop for some maggots. I already had ground bait and sweetcorn, but maggots never go amiss. My first problem of the day was the road was closed to the pond I wanted to be at. I traipsed round the diversion to another pond instead. I was surprised to find the car park empty. I remembered a club notice about it being closed, but a quick check showed it to be last week, so all OK. As I put the reel on the rod I noticed a complete lack of line on the spool. A spool of 4.6lb was found in the tackle box. As I wound it on I couldn't help thinking it felt a bit thick. Another look at the spool showed it to be 4.6Kg. Ooops. After winding it back onto it's spool I found the 4.6lb and got that onto the reel. Next cock up was the tube of insert wagglers wasn't to be found, all I had was a collection of rather thick river wagglers. Oh well.

 

I selected the slimmest float I could find and dotted it down as low as I could. To avoid the tiny rudd I put the bulk of the shot a couple of foot above the hook. A few balls of groundbait laced with maggots and a few bits of sweetcorn. The first few fish followed by a skimmer.  It then went quiet for a while. This is how it went for the rest of the day. While I was struggling to catch a couple more anglers arrived. I alternated between live & dead maggots and sweetcorn. The sweetcorn picked up the odd roach, live maggots got the Rudd, and dead maggots the little skimmers. For 4½ hours fishing I really didn't catch very much. I had plenty of bites, but I suspect the thickish float was the problem.

One of the later arrivals had a reasonable catch of skimmers and bream from the far side of the pond so the fish were feeding, just not in front of me. To be honest the swim I'd chosen does well in winter but I'm not sure it's a spring/ summer swim. I was entertained by a carp during the afternoon that kept rising vertically out of the the water to it's shoulders. A bit of a strange antic but then carp are bit strange at times. Once I got home I made sure the tube of insert wagglers was in the bag as well as the spare spools with more appropriate line on the them.

On The Navigation Ⅵ : Wasps, Jacks And Snails

I had intended to try again at this fly fishing lark, but the recent thunderstorms had lifted the rivers a tad and didn't fancy trailing out there to find the unfishable. Instead I made the sort trip to the navigation. This too had been effected by the rain, and the boats, causing it to be a bit more coloured than usual. With it a bit coloured I thought a bit of noise may be a good idea so started with a Salmo Ratlin Hornet and was in straight away. A fairly average water snail had managed to hook itself.

A few more casts later and a fair old thump heralded a fish in shape of a perch. A couple more casts and what felt like weed turned out to be another perch. Things then went quiet for the next fifteen minutes or so.

Some small bait fish scattered close to the bank so I changed to a small bluish shad that had been working reasonably well in previous weeks. I was hit almost immediately by a lively little perch. A few more casts just resulted in a few rattles and tail nips before a little killer cucumber followed the bait in. It did this a couple more times before I changed to a Salmo Minnow fished quite aggressively and nailed it first cast.

 

Another half hour's fishing produced nothing despite several changes of lure, so I retired for a cuppa. A robin quickly turned up as I opened my packet of crisp but didn't seem to like salt & vinegar. I did spend some time pointing my camera at a puddle where martins were occasionally collecting mud but they never turned up while the camera was pointing at it. As I finished my cuppa a largish bat fluttered along the edge of the little copse. Given it was nine o'clock and bright sunshine this was a bit odd. I had a look in the copse to see if there were any more but didn't see any.

 

I spent a while chucking lure about under the bridge to no avail, but a Z-MAN TRD TicklerZ in some sort of green colour produced half a dozen perch from the middle of the canal a bit further down before bites dried up. I worked my way back with the Salmo Rattlin Hornet again with out any signs of fish.

A change to a Fox Spikey Shad produced several tail nips before a rather scruffy little jack grabbed hold. Despite it's tatty appearance it put up a fair old struggle. This was followed by another equally energetic little jack a few casts later.

I fished on for another forty minutes with a sign of another fish despite several changes of lure. By now it was rather warm and very bright, and I had thirty minutes to get forty minutes away. As it was an accident on the main road gave me an excuse for my tardiness.