High Conditions & Creaking Knees.

Last weekend was a complete washout with the river being over the banks and totally unfishable, and I had visions of this weekend being the same. The heavy rain hit the area on Thursday and lasted until Friday night before it decided to stop and early signs were that the rivers would be unfishable, as was the case on Saturday.

However the rain expected on Saturday night did not materialise and thankfully the river dropped to the top end of just being fishable, so I decided to head out this morning for a few hours.

I wasnt expecting too much of the day with the river still carrying a lot of water and wading a bit hairy at times with the wading stick having to intervene a few times to keep me upright.

The very first sight I seen as I sat on the wet grass preparing my tippet was a pair of kingfishers flying up the river which drew my attention to the White Egret standing on the opposite bank further upstream, I've seen this bird a few times on the river but never close enough to grab a good photograph, as it soon takes to the wing if you get anywhere near close to it & not trusting myself with my SLR camera when fishing its near impossible to get a shot of it.

I started off heading upstream with the aid of my trusty wading stick and a few casts here & there produced a couple of small Grayling all around the same size, which I was more than pleased with, conditions were not the best so everything was a bonus.






It was soon the turn of the Small Brown Trout to make an appearance right at the head of the runs.

One thing I need to think about is digging out my thermal walking trousers as what I did notice when stood up to my waist in run off water was how cold it was, the river temperatures were very cold and stood in a pair of breathable waders with a pair of normal walking trousers doesn't do the arthritis any good, I think it will be the thermal walking trousers on my next visit for sure.

As I headed upstream you could tell the seasons are turning with a lot of broadleaf trees shedding some of their leaves whilst on others they were turning golden.







I finally arrived at the stretch of river I was looking forward to the most, as it always fishes well in the higher water and I was hoping it wasnt going to disappoint today and sure enough a few casts and the line went taught, a nice Brown Trout.

As I fished my way up through the runs, a lot of smaller Grayling were making a meal of my dropper.

Occasionally a better fish would also taking a liking to it.








I had a bit of an audience watching me now from the public path that runs along the opposite bank and people were asking the obligatory "Caught Anything" and after the 5 or 6th asking whilst I was actually playing a fish the question came again, I felt like saying "No my rod is bent on a rock" but thought better of it.

Thankfully they got to see this Grayling landed, so the questions stopped and the audience disappeared much to my pleasure.








I had peace & quiet again and my thoughts soon wandered off to the place they go when Im fishing, and I felt relaxed again until the next take  which sped off at a rate of knots upstream, I never seen the fish but it had to be a big trout with the pace which it went and kept going until it threw the hook.

Not to worry another Grayling took it's place in front of the camera soon afterwards.

Again another few of these little fellows kept it real and enjoyable with the sport they provided.








Time to head back to the car, my knees were creaking at every step I took in the cold water, and it was starting to get painful, I had totally underestimated how cold the water would have been.

As I negotiated my way back downstream, mostly out of the water , a few predators lifted off the river as I got close, 6 Goosanders, and a heron which was on its final landing approach until it seen me and then soon back flapped and lifted off again.

Reaching the final pool before the car I decided to have a few last casts and was rewarded with another Grayling.

I headed back to the car contented. I lost count how many smaller Grayling I had caught but it didn't really matter a few nice fish had made all the difference, and I had enjoyed the few hours of relative peace, the river was at the top end of being just fishable but had gave me a few hours reward, albeit next time I will come prepared for colder water.