Back in the Dales & Elusive Trout

I decided to spend a few hours today getting my 2015 Brown Trout season off to a start, I could have picked far easier places to start with but decided to set myself a challenge and fish far up the Dale after the small wild brown trout I know inhabit the area. The day was meant to be hot with a temperature of 20C and the river was low and gin clear....a challenge right enough.

It was great to be back on a river and the first thing that hit me as I was pulling on my waders was the abundance of nature around, the Oyster catchers were paired up and flying around, the pheasants were making a racket calling out and the buds were well out on the trees.

As I walked down to the start point these 2 came over to greet me as I walked past them.









As I looked over the bridge sure enough the river was very low and gin clear, I stood and watched for a while to see if I could see any movement....Nothing!

This was going to be a few hours searching out the deeper water to see if I could persuade any of the trout to oblige so what better way than a couple of upstream spiders.








I covered a couple of miles wandering upstream from pool to pool with no evidence of any trout showing at all until I got to a point I knew wasn't worth going any further, so sat and soaked in the views around the Dale, watching the Oyster catchers, a kingfisher and the rabbits in the field with the sun on my face, I might not be catching but with nature & scenery like this who was really worried...Not Me.

The wild daffodils were showing their full glory in the early morning sunshine.










And the view up the Dale was stunning.

I sat with my back against a tree and just soaked in the atmosphere around, and time soon flashed past as I had sat there almost an hour my mind just wandering without a care.

I walked back down to the bridge and fished the slightly deeper pools below and again like the upstream venture never seen or felt a single fish.

I sat watching the pool below the bridge for a while to see if I could see any fly hatch, but apart from the odd one or two nothing materialized and I decided to call it a day just after lunchtime.

Although no fish were seen or touched I still thoroughly enjoyed being back on the river in such stunning surroundings and look forward to many more hours in such glorious settings this year.

Might even invest in a new net after seeing this photograph today with a few holes that have been added!