A Year in Review

With water flooding most of the Dale, causing severe damage to houses, roads and a lot of farmland and rivers now turned into half mile wide lakes, fishing seems a million miles away so a trip down memory lane for me from the last 12 months and I chose certain pictures which stood out or meant something to me over the year.

January

The year started off with  some back to basics float making and a couple of trips after the Grayling both being productive days trotting.

Grayling in the Snow

After the snow left

February

February started off with a really cold snap as the first picture shows.

but with the Grayling starting to show signs of early spawning towards the end of the month

 I called it a day and turned my attentions back to float-making, with a few cork Avon floats.

March

March started off much as February had ended, concentrating on floats.

But then my good friend Martin Smith decided I should join the silly hat club

and join him for a day fly fishing for Pike, the very first time for me and although the weather was foul at times during the day.

It didn't deter and we both stuck it out and we were both rewarded, my first River Pike on a fly.









April

April saw the first decent hatches of march browns in the Dale.

and the fish obliged with quite a few golden flanked fish coming to the net.

May

In May the golden flanked brown trout kept coming to the net

and keeping my hand in with the flees & floats

June

June saw the return my my favourite riverside wild flowers high up in the Dale

and the trout kept obliging

July

July saw the rivers drop to their lowest all summer and fishing became difficult with the best time to fish just before dust when the fish started to move and most nights seen me up the Dale after the illusive trout.

With the better fish coming to the fly just before dark or after dark.

August

August seen the Grayling return in good numbers and nothing better than taking them on dry fly.

and the continual learning of turning new wood for me in the way of this Display Walnut Chubber Float.

September

Saw the checking of the wild sloe berries to see if they were ripe enough for picking for the sloe whisky process and the continuation of the float making.

October

Seen the trotting rod come out of hibernation and coupled with a more traditional bait than maggots, the red-worm, the challenge was far more satisfying and rewarding and the start of the nip in the air with the hot brews for lunch.

And after a well earned cruise with my wife, the first of the underwater shots with the present from her of a new digital HD camera.

November

The trees were finishing off dropping their leaves and the Grayling continued to oblige the worm on the trotting rod.

December

Pretty much a disastrous month with continual flooding of the Dales & surrounding areas, rivers breaking their all time highest records and a slim chance at one day's fishing which thankfully paid off albeit a high water day.

So most of the month has been spent at the tying vice making up flies for the trip to Finland next year in search of the Arctic Grayling

and remembering people who have passed away.

To everyone who has visited over the last 12 months, may I take this opportunity to thank you and wish everyone a safe, happy & prosperous 2016.

Slainte