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.