Day Three And Another New Water

 Wednesday I headed for the club's new beat. The route to it involves a precipitous decent down an unmade road with no passing places. I was wondering what you do when you meet another vehicle ascending the road, or vice-versa. This worry intensified while I was having lunch. A large tractor towing a trailer set off up the hill. I know the vehicle going uphill has priority, as do large tractors, but i really didn't fancy having to reverse back up.

All that been said it was rather nice down at the bottom. First thing i did was have a wander along the path above the beck. When I say above I mean above. You get the sort of views of the beck that one would get with a drone. Access points were limited to where the path dropped as the hillside is steep, very steep in places. Having accessed the beck I set off back upstream along it's banks. This is no mean feat either as the are many fallen trees. I'm not sure this is expensive breathable wader territory. Although mine got through unscathed when I started fishing later. A couple of ladders to help you get out and a bench for a contemplate have been put in by a work party.

After a cuppa I wander part way down with rod in hand. the usual Elk Hair Caddis on the end of the leader. As I approached a ninety degree bend. something had a go at the fly. Several more attempts were made by what appeared to be rather small trout. There seemed to be quite few in the area as no matter where I cast something had ago. They obviously had eyes bigger than their bellies. A bit further round something a tad larger grabbed the fly. A wee spotted beastie of 6" which looked like a monster compared to the ones that had previously attacked the fly.

After some lunch while it rained I headed further down the beck. I'd added a dropper with a small Copper Head Mary nymph. The fallen trees mean you have to get in and out of the beck to get round them. Sometimes doubling back down the beck to where you got in. At one point there was a small hatch of Iron Blues but I didn't see anything rise for them. I continued on with the duo rig. This too was problematic at times when it got snagged. This meant spoiling the swim to retrieve the snagged rig. Better than leaving litter though.

Eventually I got to the riffle where I'd had the fly attacked by little trout. Strangely the seemed to be happy attacking the dry fly but showed no interest in the nymph. Eventually I took one on the nymph but it turned out to be foul-hooked behind the gill plate. Probably four inches long the slippery little beastie was back in the water before I could photograph it. Little fish like that are a good sign even if they're a menace at times.

Despite the size of fish and the lack of numbers it was a fun day out and there's still plenty to explore. In the mean time here's another steam train.

When it was home time I decided to leave by the other side of the valley. This turned out to be a very silly idea. While the first part of the unmade road was OK a section in a dip was very very wet and had eighteen inch deep ruts in it. Even A 4x4 would have trouble. It was a tractor only job. I then had to reverse some hundred and fitly yards back before I could turn and take the route out by which I'd arrived.

Day 2 - 2024 Trout Season

 As I didn't have much time available for my second session of the trout season I headed to the downstream end of the beck. A couple of anglers were euro nymphing up stream from the bridge so I headed downstream of the bridge to work my way back up to it. An elk hair caddis was on the end of the leader. I was using an eight foot rod today rather than the seven foot rod I'd used yesterday as the was a bit more room. Third or fourth cast I managed to land the fly close to the tree roots. The fly had drifted about six inches when I got a take. After a bit of a hectic fight mid river it was on it's way to the net. It then woke up again and dodged the net and dived into the pile of debris to my right where it manage to dislodge the hook. It looked like a good twelve inch fish as well. Oh well, others may be looking up.

 

I worked my way upstream casting into likely looking spots. About halfway back I cast next to some vegetation on my bank as I lifted the fly for a recast a fish swirled at it. Judging by the silveriness I think it may have been a grayling. I was nearly back at the bridge when a fish slashed at the fly the moment it landed. By now it was lunch time. I decided to fish a duo rig after lunch for the short time I had left, but on another stretch upstream of me.

 Sadly this produced nothing in the short time I had but it did allow me to have a look at this section which does look rather fishy. One thing I did see, on the sheep droppings, were dung flies. Not something use see as much these days. I think I may have to tie some up. Despite the sunshine I think the cold wind kept the fish down. That'd my excuse anyway.

New Club, New Water, New Season

 Technically it isn't a new water as I've fished it in the past, but this is the first time I've fished it legally.  The weather forecast left a lot to be desired. It was basically various variations on rain, light, heavy, drizzle, etc. Quite why I fish the first day of the trout season I don't know. In the last ten years, when I've fished the first day, I've only caught once on opening day. To add to the problems I intended to fish dry fly in the morning and change to nymph in the afternoon if that didn't work. After a relatively uneventful drive I arrived at the parking spot as the rain started, and it was quite heavy. A cuppa was called for.

Once the rain had stopped and the cuppa had been drunk I headed to the river. I had been down here before on a work party so had some idea what the beat was like. I'd set up a 7' rod with a #4 line. The fly was to be a CDC & Elk Caddis as I'd been assured this was the fly for the water at this time of year. It wasn't long before I got my first take. It took me rather by surprise as I'd lost sight of the fly and thought it was somewhat nearer to me. Needless to say I failed to connect. Still, at least one was willing to rise.

I continued along casting at likely looking spots. It was some time before I got my next take, close to some tree roots. This time I connected and was into a small but lively little wild brown trout. Safely netted it was smaller than I'd thought at only 7". Still it was a trout on opening day and taken on dry fly as well. It even ejected the hook in the net. Mission accomplished.

A quick photo and back it went without really leaving the water.

The rain started again and began to get heavy. As it was around lunch time I retired to the car and had a celebratory curry. After an hour or so the rain eased and I had another go up the beat. I stuck with the dry fly as it seemed to be working. In the same swim I'd missed the first fish I elicited another rise with which I connected but it managed to squirm off the hook. Halfway up the beat I connected with another rise. This one looked bigger than the previous one but was quickly netted. While rummaging for the phone the little bugger managed to leap from the net. It was nearly one and half time bigger at 10". That was it for the day as the rain started again and it was nearly going home time.

Considering the chilly conditions and the rain nymphing would probably have produced more fish, but I really wanted a dry fly fish on opening day so was rather pleased at raising four and landing two.

You also get to see and hear steam trains if you're into that sort of thing.

Final River Pike Session

 With the rain in the Dales there was a distinct possibility that the rivers fed from there were not going to be fit to fish on Thursday the final day. The rain hadn't been anything like as bad on the Moors, so I headed for a a river fed from there. I know there would be a couple of decent slacks to fish in. One of which does produce some good pike, but is rather muddy as the field behind tends to drain that way.

 had two rods set up. One float and one ledger. The float rod had a small smelt on and was fished down the edge. The ledger rod had lamprey on and was chucked out into the middle. I worked my way back towards the hot spot with out so much as a sniff. The baits were given and injection of oil each time I moved.

By lunch time I'd reached the hot spot, a large slack. Upstream, to my left, it was seventeen foot deep and downstream, to my right, seven and a half foot deep. I started with the ledger rod to my right with a large smelt on. The float rod went to my left with a small roach on a circle hook. After lunch I decided that along with the oil a bit of movement may  be needed to attract the fish. The float rod was altered to a paternoster rig and the ledger rod had a pop up added. This seemed to do the trick as the float disappeared. Unfortunately I forgot I was using a circle hook and struck into the fish. It was on momentarily before coming adrift. Never strike with circle hooks. Allow the fish to swim away and tighten into it. Bugger. Out went another roach. When I went to recast the ledger rod and add some oil it was snagged. A good pull bent a hook out. Out went the bait again but it bit further out

Again when I tried to retrieve the ledgered bait for a recast it became snagged. When I moved up the bank to get a better angle the braid snapped like cotton. A new rig was attached and a popped up sardine was flung out to a different spot. Just before I interned to retrieve it and add some oil the alarm went and the dropback bobbed about. I lifted into the fish and started to retrieve when every thing came to a halt. I could feel the fish head-shaking. A good heave and ]I was again in proper contact with the fish then everything went light. Upon retrieving the rig the weak link to the lead had snapped but the trace and a very chewed sardine was was still there. A new lead and a large smelt went back out. Half an hour later I lost another lead in the snags, which seemed to cover a large area. Leads aren't cheap these days either.

I fished on until dark with only one more lead lost but no more action. Maybe I'd have been better downstream barbel fishing but I did want to try and get a double on my one of my new rods. While pondering the snags it occurred to me they may be masonry from the bridge as quite a bit had been knocked into the river by a lorry. Oh well there's always next pike season. Next up it's flinging flees at troot. I suppose I ought to sort the flee flinging kit out and check the waders.

Penultimate River Pike Session

My pike season on the rivers, like many other up here, hasn't been great at all. The constant floods have made life awkward with some especially slippy banks when the water has dropped. In the hope of picking things up a bit I headed for a well known hotspot. The river had been up about a metre following Sunday's rain but was dropping so things wouldn't be too bad I thought. Following a later than intended start due to finger trouble I arrived at the pot after a rather laborious trudge through muddy files and slippy paths. I was surprised to find nobody else there on either bank.

A float fished roach was dropped into a nice slack in thirteen foot of water and a large smelt was ledgered in twenty three foot of water. I moved the baits about as best I could in the slacks. A couple of other anglers arrived and setup in another larger slack that I intended to move to later if nothing was happening. Both baits were given a dose of oil after an hour or so. The slowly dropping river meant the slack changed shape necessitating changing the position of the baits. The drizzle and chill wind wasn't making life pleasant. Part way through the morning one of the other anglers landed a pike. A high single by the look of it.

While investigating a couple of other swims, now the rain had stopped, I spotted a Tansy Beetle loitering on some nettles. I don't know if the eat nettles when there's no tansy about. These things are rather rare. The Yorkshire Ouse and somewhere in Cambridgeshire are it's only remaining populations in the UK. After lunch I moved to another swim upstream that has produced pike in the past. The float now sporting a piece of lamprey had to be set a twenty two foot and was tossed in at the upstream end of the slack. The edger was dropped in at the downstream end with a small headless mackerel. The same angler that caught earlier had another. His friend, like me, ended up with  a stick. I must admit the stick I caught gave a very convincing impression of a pike run.

The trudge back up the hill was damned hard work with the sticky mud trying to rip my wellies off. Not the day I was hoping for but one more session to go and a my be able to pick things up, or not.

Earp Pike

Thursday I set off to a section of river renowned for it's humongous pike, that nobody ever captures. The rumours have been around years and just seem to stick. It has, however, been producing some pike recently which is why I was heading there. The info I has was that the pike were been caught late morning into early afternoon so I didn't get there too early. There weren't quite as many swims accessible as I'd hoped do to the water level,. but enough to spend an hour or two in each.

 

A float rod was to be fished next to any overhanging trees and in the slacks and a ledger rod for out in the middle. Bait was limited as I didn't want to buy any more before the end of the season. I had a small herring, some smelt, roach and lamprey. I put a section of lamprey out in the middle and a roach on the float was my starter.After half an hour or so the float started to drift downstream and I contacted with something that didn't feel like a pike. When I got it to the surface it was a pike, nearly. Probably about a foot long it thrashed about on the surface and detached itself from the hook. I put on a roach and cast out again, but with no more action after an hour moved on the the next swim. 

I decided on a cuppa after casting the baits out. This didn't result in any runs, but as I brought the float rod in to recast I thought i saw something following the bait so dropped it back close in. While I was waiting I got the lure rod ready. After bringing the float rod in I had a cast about with a eight in shad with a rattle fitted. After half a dozen cast I had the most almighty hit, obviously something big. I was somewhat disappointed when a little jack surfaced but at least I wasn't going to blank.

If one pike was active and willing to take a lure maybe more were. I therefore spent some time wandering up and down chucking lures about, but didn't see anything else. I settled down in an new swim with quite a large slack the was only about eight foot deep compared to the twelve to fourteen foot of the previous swims. Recasting the ledger rod I slipped and launched the whole lot up into a tree. While I retrieved everything else the lamprey detached itself and landed in the river. Time for the headless herring. It hadn't been out long when the alarm bleeped and the dropback dropped back. Pretty soon an 84cm 6lb 8oz fish was in the net. Despite the powerful rods it managed to put up a reasonable account of itself in the fast current.

Nothing else came from that swim so I had another go with the lure rod to no avail. two more swims were fished before dark, but nowt else had a go at the baits. I'm hoping the rivers have settled and the last few days of the season will produce something better. Hopefully it won't be washed out like last year.

New Venue New Rods

 Thursday I headed to a stretch of river I'd never fished before in an attempt to christen my new rods. Their previous outing had been a blank and fishing a unknown stretch of river probably to christen them probably wasn't the best idea. I'd been for a walk on this section previously so had a good idea where the pikey looking swims were. I wandered upstream to the first swim I fancied. There was no sign anybody else had been down since the water dropped. My tactics were to drop a bait in under a float just over the shelf behind over hanging trees and place a bait midstream with a ledger. The first bait out was a small roach under the float dropped into seven foot of water. A trout was flung out on the ledger. I also had smelt and sardine with me. After a runless hour I moved swims. This one was just as unproductive, as was the next. In the fourth swim the shelf was somewhat closer and the depth nearer nine foot. I changed to a smelt on the float rig. A spot of oil was added to the trout before it was plonked midstream. Just as the kettle boiled the float started to bob about. A quick strike and I was in. A small but rather athletic jack was quickly chinned. At least one rod was christened. Another angler turned up at this point. He was doing a spot of lure fishing for chub and/or perch.

After my cuppa I moved on to the next swim, then the next, then the next. I was all rather quiet apart from a Great Tit. Their 'singing' is OK for a little while, but when there's several of them doing their squeaky wheelbarrow impressions it gets a bit annoying. By now the collie from the farm had come down to investigate. Though it spent most of it's time sticking it's nose down rabbit holes and barking at them. I'd just got my Pot Noodle ready when the alarm went and the drop-back dropped back. Keeping one eye on my lunch in case the dog tried to nick it I struck into what felt like some debris. It wasn't until it got to the surface that the little jack woke up and started to thrash about. Second rod christened.

As usual I stayed on until dark but there was no more action. At least both rods are now christened.All I have to do in the remaining two weeks of the river season is find some bigger and better pike.