Saturday 7 April 2018

Ready, Set, Go....

With this weeks river levels looking like the outline of the Cairngorm mountain range and more rain forecast for today there was only a very small chance of getting out onto the river and it being in a fishable state so after lunch today I decided to dip my toe for the first time in 9 weeks and see if I could at least get an hour on the river before it rockets back up again after todays rain.

I had literally driven a mile up the Dale when the rain started and it was coming down heavy, I thought about turning around and forgetting it but I was determined to get at least one cast in this years Brown Trout season,  so I kept going.






The fields all around the river are like giant lakes with all the water that has hit the Dale.








Even the pine wood looks like something from a swamp.


I stood at the edge of the wood watching the river for any signs of movement and after a short period of time I seen a single fish rise then another so it could only mean one thing, a hatch was happening.

I clambered down into the water after setting the rod up with a dry line to see if I could determine what was hatching and it didn't take long to see them breaking surface.






Dark olives, lets hope the fish would continue to look up and get a banquet.










First cast to a rising fish and it took my artificial and sped off at speed, next thing the fish and fly parted company so that was a great start...Not!

At least it gave me confidence that I had chosen the correct fly and was soon casting to another rising fish and it took it again almost immediately, only thing being it wasnt a trout but a small grayling so quickly unhooked it was slipped straight back to continue the feast.

The rain started up again and it was heavy and the fish stopped rising so I headed back towards the wood for some shelter till it had passed.

10 minutes or so had passed before the rain eased again and I seen another fish rise so slipping back into the river I cast above it and it almost immediately lunged on my fly and it was on.




Not the biggest of fish from the river but it was the opener for the 2018 Brown Trout season and it was a wild fish.









I took another two fish but both small grayling before the rain started again so I decided to go for a walk along the bak to see if I could see any other feeding fish.





All along the riverbank nature has started to reveal itself  from the buds on the willow trees.










To the daffodils.







and the gorse
I had noticed several rabbit carcasses which I think have been caught out in the flood waters lying all over the place, this one looking like a martian poking out the sand.


With no further fish seen I started heading back to the car just as the heavens opened again, passing the resident Geese along the way.





Although only just under two hours away from the house it made a world of difference, to get out & be on the river again, definitely good for the soul.




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