More Yoredale Trout

 The number of times I'd passed over the little river in Yoredale and thought it may be a good idea to give it a ago, but then forgot is rather silly. Thursday I remembered, prompted by a video I'd watched. The last time I'd fished it was last century when a day ticket was £6, Thursday it was £12. Wandering along it's banks it was very much, and nothing like, I remembered it. While it's general appearance through the wooded valley had very much remained the same, the boulder strewn river bed had obviously been shifted about.

Rod choice is always a problem on rivers like this. The overhanging trees dictate a short rod. While the more open areas a longer rod has it's advantages. I compromised at eight foot which turned out to be two foot too long or two foot too short depending where I was. I wandered along the path intent on getting away from the area near the entrance as I thought it would have been heavily fished. I didn't get as far as intended before I spotted three or four trout cruising about and rising to something. Apart for the black stuff the only other fly life were some small sedge. After a few cast with a small deer hair sedge it became apparent this wasn't what the were eating. A change to a deer hair emerger had the desired effect but the takes were very fast and I had trouble hitting them. Eventually I made contact with a fish that didn't seem to want to remain in the river and splashed about all over before managing to release it's self. This put the rest of the fish down. While I was playing it a few mayfly fluttered past.

I wandered a lot further up eventually spotting some more trout bellow a fast riffle, The showed very little interest in the DHE so on went a Dynamite Harry type fly. These are quite buoyant and would handle the riffled water well. This proved to be the case when, after a few casts, I was in again. A lovely little fish around the eight inch mark. A larger fish then started to rise to the left of the riffle. On the first cast I didn't mend the line fast enough and the fly got dragged away very quickly. The next couple of casts ended up in two different trees. One behind me and one above the trout. Both were low enough to retrieve the fly but this put pay to the swim.

I tried various spots as I moved upstream managing to hook a couple of smaller fish that came adrift when I grabbed the leader. A bit further up I spotted a couple more trout in the tail of a riffle. The first cast snagged the tree behind me. The second fell a bit short, but the smaller of the two tout turned and grabbed it. Another nice fish of eleven inches or so. The other, larger, trout shot past me as I played the first. By now it was getting rather dark under the trees and the fly was getting hard to see. Also I wasn't sure how far I'd wandered, so I headed back to towards the car. I sat above a long smooth glide for a while watching some small trout moving about. As it was a bit brighter here I had a go for them They didn't like the Dynamite Harry  and as they were only just breaking the surface I put on a plume fly. This resulted in a couple of minnows, so I put on the larger DHE which the trout came up and inspected before drifting away. A change to a size 22 IOBO resulted in more minnows. As the light was now fading I made my way back to the car. By the time I had changed it was lighting up time dark.

 

I think it may be worth another go down there. Now I've remembered where the paths are I should be able to get further upstream bit quicker. We'll have to see what the rain and thunder do this weekend.

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.