Saturday 29 April 2017

Who pulled the Plug.

Halfway through a very hectic few weeks with having to move work to new premises and new windows going in throughout the house its all been flat out hard work and I didn't expect to get fishing this week but thankfully I managed to squeeze 2 hours on the river this afternoon and so glad I got the chance.

I knew it was going to be low as we haven't seen any rain we can really speak of but when I seen the river my first thoughts were who pulled the plug!


Even the grass has had time to root and grow its been that low for so long. I immediately thought of very small flies so tackled up with a size 20 dry olive. I scanned all the pool for some sign of movement but all that seemed to be moving were very small fish and the odd grayling with the telltale slurping flies off the surface.





I had taken my new wading stick that I got last week, and after a few additional coats of marine varnish during the week it got its inaugural outing today as my knees are murder at the moment and I didn't want to have an early bath.





After a few casts at a rising fish in some moving water they weren't interested in small flies at all, it didnt even take a second look at my fly. There wasnt any hatch on the river to speak of so I took a chance and stuck on a size 16 Jingler, if they didn't want small then they might take a look at something bigger, first cast over and up it came, fish on.




A nice fighting fit Grayling which gave an excellent account of itself and was in mint condition, after a quick shot photo she was gone.









Within 2 casts I was in to her mate from the same pool. Another quick picture and it was away.


The grayling were both fighting fit and by the looks of things have already spawned.





The change to a larger fly seemed to have worked as another two smaller grayling took the fly in quick succession so I decided to move away from the Grayling and hopefully track down some feeding trout.






Making my way upstream I didn't see anything move at all and soon was into the woods where the fragrance of the wild flowers instantly hit your nostrils. The blue bells are just coming into bloom apart from the ones at the edge of the wood which are in direct sunlight.
















The primroses stretching their necks towards the sunlight.







the floor of the wood an array of colours from all the wild flowers coming into bloom and the fragrances hang heavy in the still wood, It was lovely just to stand there and take all the smells and sounds in for a few moments.






and the fungi on the northern edge of the wood

I was almost back at the car when I came across a couple of rising fish in a deeper pool so creeping up below them I cast to the first and almost as the fly hit the water up it came and took the fly.





Finally a nice wild trout as gold as they come.










The second fish was still rising so after releasing this one slightly downstream I had a couple of casts and again almost as the fly touched down just above it I seen it dart for the fly and it was on.


Slightly smaller than the first and with some tail damage it still didn't detract from the beauty of it. I sat for another 10 minutes scanning the pool for movement but never seen any so called it a day, just over 2 hours from arriving at the river and a very enjoyable couple of hours with some lovely looking fish.

2 comments:

  1. George lovely country this time of year.
    I must say those browns are spectacular. So well proportioned and beautifully colored.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Alan, Yes I agree things are now coming into bloom, all be it a little late but its a cracking time to be out on the river. The brownies are spectacular I have to agree as this part of the river has not been stocked so all the better knowing that wild fish are doing so well.

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