Some You Win....Some You Lose.

With only a couple of hours fishing available to me today as I had to be home for midday, I left the house at 0830hrs and headed up the Dale. 

The thermometer in the car read 2 degrees and the grass in the fields had a light covering of frost covering it, the long summer days are most definitely behind us now.

What's turning out to be the norm at the minute, the river had risen on friday night with rain and was just above my fishable level I set for that particular stretch due to having to cross the river in several different places anything above 0.47m makes it more difficult with the flow at the crossing places, so I was slightly above the comfort level.

Nevertheless I was determined to get a couple of hours in and try out some of the nymphs I had been tying up on a few nights this week.

I decided to start with the following two nymphs and go from there.

# 16 pheasant tail with orange collar & 3mm copper bead

another #16  pheasant tail variant with a 3mm gold bead. A #18 with 2.3mm bead also in the photograph.

The first chosen runs drew up a complete blank, and not even a twitch on the nymphs so I headed upstream and crossed over the river rather gingerly as the pressure from the water was strong and I didnt fancy an early bath.

The small section of water I had chosen to fish looked really enticing but nothing much was coming from it and almost ready to move on I finally got an indication of a fish.

With nothing further coming after another 10 minutes of fishing I crossed back over the river and headed upstream in search of some fish.

Just as I was walking up the field I caught sight of the White Egret again off in the distance to the left, this time though with a friend, a heron on the right.

As I predicted as I got closer they both took to the wing, but what I hadn't seen was a 2nd heron sitting on the tree above watching them both, which also took to the wing as I approached.

Dropping into the next piece of water I had chosen it wasnt long until the indicator stopped and the fish was on. 

I decided to change over on one of the nymphs and try another I had tied up.

#16 black & pink with a 3mm bead

The next few minutes were the most exciting with not one double hook up but two!

The first double hook up was simple & straight forward the smaller fish on the point and the slightly larger fish on the dropper, larger fish into the net first followed by the smaller fish on the point fly.

The smaller of the two

And the other better sized fish.

Then it happened again, but vice versa this time the larger fish on the dropper and an even larger fish on the point fly, They were both pulling in different ways & I had to support the rod with my other hand to gain some control over them both, The point fish was a clunking fish which I estimated to be around the 2lbs mark and the dropper fish a better than average fish, I managed to get the dropper fish into the net when just as I was about to dip the net for the bigger Grayling it twisted and the fly parted company with it, lunging the net forward was just instinct to try & scoop it but all I seen was it disappearing back into the peaty water!!  Not a good time to be around me as the air turned quite blue for about a minute afterwards.

The  Grayling I managed to net on the dropper

After I had composed myself again I got back into the water and shook the last 5 minutes or so off, nothing else for it but to carry on.

Not the Big Grayling I had lost  but just a pretty in every way.

and another soon followed

It was time to call it and head home but a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours albeit a bit frustrating at losing the best fish of the day but thats fishing, some you win & some you lose but still a very peaceful and rewarding couple of hours.

Another couple of nymphs which will get a swim next time out.

#16 black with silver rib and 3mm gold bead.

#16 yellow with black rib and 3mm black bead.

Next week something completely different in the sense that I will be attending the Yorkshire Grayling Day being organised by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.