After the Storm

I honestly didn't think I would get out this week with the deluge of water that has fell on the Dales & the destruction it has caused with whole communities affected, bridges washed out & roads subsiding. I had no plans for this weekend and had resolved myself to the fact it would be another day out on the hills walking, but a walk out last night changed my thinking on that when I headed east slightly over to the Cleveland hills for a few hours and bumped into someone I hadn't seen in years.

A couple of shots over Roseberry Topping and the purple heather out in full bloom.

After a chat with a friend last night who I bumped into by sheer chance, we got talking of the conditions of the rivers and how we used to fish them in all states, so with this in mind I decided to head out today and see where it got me.

The rivers were all still higher than usual with the rains and decided to try& find more clear water.

It was a day for nymphs which slightly lightened the waistcoat as I stripped everything out apart from one box of nymphs & a few bits & pieces.

It wasnt long until I started hitting small fish and they came thick and fast with almost 10 fish within the first hour falling for my middle dropper.

A nice selection of both small trout & grayling.

And within 2 hours into the fishing I had caught over 30 fish, nothing of any size but great sport nevertheless, most falling to the middle dropper and in varying depths of water.







I was sitting on the bank soaking up the sun as it poked its head out from behind a cloud and I thought I saw an otter at first but as I focused closer I saw it was a mink on the far bank making its way in & out of the entangled tree roots which were dipping into the water, almost 10 minutes I watched it as it weaved in & out of the roots I suspect foraging for food.

It was a nice distraction from the fishing and took the stress off my shoulders for a few moments but it was time to get back to it and I decided to head upstream to a point then call it a day.

I was searching out a pool as the line went taught and I knew immediately that this was no small fish as it kicked back initially as I lifted the rod. Sure enough a decent fish on!

After a few speedy deep runs and some acrobatics I finally slipped the net under this lovely wild trout. The deep red spots immediately jumping out at me as it lay in the net.

A couple of quick photographs and off it went back to the deep to give sport another day.







That really topped my day off and I doubt I could better it but nevertheless decided to fish on to the point I had decided.

Another few smaller Trout & Grayling succeeded the big trout and on the final cast another better than average Grayling graced my net before I called it quits.

Almost 40 fish to the net in the space of 3.5 hours on the river and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, with the big trout being the highlight of the morning.
Best part of it all I had the full river to myself as I never seen a sole.