Wednesday 22 August 2012

Weekend Fishing

Saturday

As Mrs Baslowfisher is still in Southport looking after  her Mum I took the opportunity to go fishing last Saturdy to the Derwenty down towards Beeley. The river was fine and clear even though there had been quite a bit of rain previously. I was meeting Derek at 2 at the hut but as I wa a bit early decided to go down to Max's bench pool.The river had been stocked the previous week and this usually puts the all the fish "off" for a few days so wasn't expecting much. I started at the bottom of the pool with my grey-olive parachute, a good all rounder, and eventually weedled out a nice brown which hadn't been rising but obviously liked the look of my fly. Not much fly-life was about which was surprising as it was a warm day. Following a couple of half hearted rises and not contacting I changed to a Nana's fly and then started to raise a few and landed a couple more browns, seems this is another good general pattern. Once I got to the head of the pool derek had arrived and was in the pool above and each time I looked up he seemed to have a fish on. I couldn't have this so sidled up to him to find out the score but as he appeared to be landing a lot most had come adrift. He was using his favourite nymph and whilst I was standing by him he did land a couple of good rainbows. He said for me to continue up the pool and I covered several fish with a small black klink now and again laded some nice browns, rainbows and a grayling, all to the black klink and a sedge later on as a few had started to show and splashy rises were around so a quick change to a "Larry's Pride" did the damage. I ended up with 6 browns, 2 rainbows and a grayling by 6 pm. before the sky changed and it looked like rain so called it a day

Sunday

Derek suggested an afternoon on the Wye down at Litton Mill fishing some new water which I hadn't fished before. When we arrived there was mist coming off the water at 1pm which was odd. Derek headed off upstream through what I think is called someones " front bottom" which is the reverse of the rear leat from Litton Mill which is called someone elses "back passage" so I am reliably informed by DM!!! I proceeded downstream working my way towards the weir half way between the 2 mills. Initially I fished a decent run and landed a couple of small browns. So continuing downstream with my grey-olive klink I covered some rises and was rewarded with some lovely wild as they come rainbows. Unfortunately I left my camera in the car as it was a bit showery so didn't want to knacker it again. I worked my way down to the weir where I noticed a few rises in the fast water below, needless to say I again landed a rainbow, wild again about 12" absolutely stunning. Derek ambled down to meet me and when I told him I had had 6 fish it surprised him as he had not managed to land as many, YES! By now it was beginning to get a bit chilly being down in the dell and it was only around 5 so we worked our way back to the car, me taking another 3 fish to Derek's nil! Considering the day and the ever present mist on the water and very little flylife I was satisfied with my day.

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Recommendations?????????

Can anybody recommend any rivers to fish around Exmoor/North Devon for trout?

Tuesday again

As it is a week since my last fishing visit due to family issues, Mrs Baslowfisher is looking after her Mum in Southport I decided to head over to The Rutland Arms to sample the food as it has recently changed hands again. The food is pub-grub and a decent home-made burger was soon devoured and delicious it was too! I returned home but instead of falling asleep I decided I would have the last hour over the road below Baslow old bridge. It was a lovely warm evening, just like the ones we used to get years ago! Spinners and sedges were present so on went my usual rusty spinner. Unfortunately there was nothing rising repeatedly so it was a case of fishing the runs where I knew fish would be holding. The first fish was a lovely grayling around 10-12". This was followed after snagging the grass behind me by a better grayling but disaster as it took the hook away. The snag had obviously damaged the leader even though I had checked it but note to self "in future snip off 6" of leader and remake the knot". I replaced the fly with a sedge but this proved fruitless so back on went a rusty. This was taken by a lovely wild brown about 12-14" which was quickly returned. I wondered down to the run below the bench by the church and although there were some rises they were not interested in my fly until I placed it into a run on the far side and another grayling was landed. I decided to call it a day then as it was obvious nothing was much going to happen and I was satisfied for my 3 fish in an hour even though I could have carried on.

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Tuesday

I had arranged to meet Derek down by the cricket pitch after I finished work. I turned up just as he was leaving! It had not been a good day, children and dogs in the river. So I turned around without even getting out of the car and decided to pay a visit to the willow pool which tends to be quieter. I got down there around 1815 and started with a sedge from the Blue Ribbon stable and passed it over a rise right in ankle deep water in the pool and took a decent grayling. The early evening was not as the weather man had predicted but rather cooler than expected, consequently there were no spinners about and only the odd small sedge. Following a couple of long distance releases I swapped to a grey olive klink style but nothing so swapped again to a ptn and took a brown of 14". Again I changed to a sedge pupa and took 2 more rainbows which fought like demons for their size and totally out of character staying close to the bottom which made me think initially they were browns. By 1930 I could tell there wasn't much going to happen so called it a  day after a not too disappointing hour. There's always another day!