In the Mist

Today was the first time I've managed to get out in 2017, and the decision where to fish was taken care of a few days ago as all my season tickets are in the post to the various secretaries to get updated for this year and I dont like venturing onto club waters without my tickets so it was up the Dale where Im known by the land owners so I could get to fish in peace.

The Dale was simply stunning this morning with the mist lifting off.








The cackle of  feeding geese off in the distance in the morning light broke the silence of the morning

I dropped over the wall and headed down the field towards the river.








I found the river almost at summer levels, very low and crystal clear so I knew it was going to be a tough day but it was just great to be back out on the bank.

Setting up a mixed cast with a small nymph on point and a spider on the dropper I started fishing and almost immediately was into my first fish, hooked on the spider dropper, the first of 2017.







Working my way downstream I dropped another 2 fish as I went, one of which was an out of season trout so wasnt too downhearted and the other a small Grayling.

I didn't touch another fish for almost an hour until I rounded the bend and dropped into a deep steady run and hooked a lovely Grayling only for the hook to slip at the net and as I watched it turn and head back to the depths where it came from I could have kicked myself!

Deciding to sit down and have a coffee I had the pleasure of watching a Hare come within 30ft of me without seeing me and as I slipped the camera out my top pocket it stopped and turned, but I did manage a quick picture before it took off at a rate of knots across the field.

Now composed again I slipped back into the deep run and a couple of casts later seen the indicator stop and I tightened into another Grayling, this time the hook stayed put as the net slipped under it.

This made the day and the thoughts of the lost fish 10 minutes before soon faded.









I fished down to where I had seen the geese feeding and popped my head up over the bank to see them spread out all across the field feeding, there must have been well over 300 birds, I managed to line up and join two photographs to show the extent of the flock, but there was more birds off to the right which I couldn't line up.

Back to the fishing and rewarded with another Grayling to the spider.

A pair of kingfishers were busy darting up and down the river in front of me making the fishing even more pleasurable.

Moving down to the bottom limit of the stretch and another long deep glide produced another Grayling to the spider on the dropper.

Fishing on for a further hour produced no more fish but I was satisfied with what I already had so made my way back to the car contented and glad that I had the privilege to get out and fish on such a lovely day in stunning scenery.