2 Hours Wetting My Line

Glorious day so decided to have a couple of hours below Baslow Old Bridge. River up about 6" and slightly coloured. Tried an adams and a Paul Procter biot nymph on the point. Couple of grayling rose to the dry, but could not connect, good start! After nothing else for about 30 minutes changed the dry to a caddis pupa on the point and the biot nymph with a 2mm pink bead. Managed a small grayling and lost a couple more. Called it a day after 2 hours, feet freezing!

S&TA meeting on Wednesday at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell.

Saturday 22nd November

Decided to have an hour fishing below Baslow Old Bridge in the afternoon even though it was bitterly cold. River about 9" up and peaty but not too cold! Wind downstream and biting. Decided on a large klinkhammer with a red tag nymph with pink bead off the bend. Fished the usual runs but nothing. Remembered Stuart Crofts presentation at the Chatsworth evening about caddis hatching most of the year and where he brought some live examples in that he had caught on his way that evening. So decide to replace the klink with a caddis green sedge pupa, second cast and a nice 12" grayling from a run about 9" deep on the sedge pupa, excellent. Fished on for another 10 minutes then returned to the opposite bank and managed another 10" grayling on the red tag nymph. Two good grayling when I really was not expecting to catch anything due to the conditions. Nothing else before feet got too cold apart from a bar of silver out of season rainbow about 18" which was quickly returned.

Overall glad I went out to wet my line!

I went to the Salmon & Trout Ass. meeting on Wednesday in the Rutland Hotel Bakewell. It was a presentation from Don Stazicker called "Mayflies Top to Bottom". There were excellent shots of fish rising and numerous mayflies (not just Danica) together with a few vid sequences. It was a really excellent presentation.

Not managed to get fishing for grayling yet, maybe sometime on Saturday. Checked the Derwent at Baslow at lunchtime and it was up by about 12" and peaty so hopefully it may be ok tomorrow.

On another note, I notice from the Derwent Pollution Forum that there was meeting in Bakewell but nothing seems to have come about it. I received a mail from the EA after I queried the cleanup process and how far they were going to proceed down river. It did look encouraging but unfortunately in the real world its not as good as they think with levels up to 40 times the acceptable level. Some one will probably put me right and say thats not quite right but until that happens thats my view. I certainly won't be taking any fish from the Derwent but then I haven't since the incident. I suppose it will encourage some people to return all the fish they catch!

Derwent condition

Just been to look at the river and its not bad, up about 6 inches and reasonably clear, definitely fishable! If there isn't any more rain it should still be ok over the weekend.

Going to BFFI on Saturday for a bit of retail therapy and to see some of the excellent tyers. If you haven't been its a must.

Not been fishing since started the blog. Hoping to get to the Wye on C&L stretch on Monday.



The Salmon and Trout Association start their winter programme on Wednesday 15th October at the Rutland in Bakewell, these are always a good evening with some excellent speakers. Well worth a visit and you do not have to be a member of the association to attend.

I have just setup this blog after reading several blogs which have been created by various fly fishers in Derbyshire and Lancashire. You guys gave me the reason to create this. Over the coming months I hope to post photos and reports of the sorties on the Derbyshire rivers, Derwent and Wye. Please bear with me as I am new to blogging! You would not believe I work in the IT industry!

I have fished at Chatsworth for about 7 seasons and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are some misconceptions about Chatsworth about it being stuffed with stockies, not true. There is a good head of wild browns, grayling and rainbows. I have had rainbows as small as 5 inches (not many people boast of the smallest fish they have caught!) and wild as they come. The grayling are magnificent as well. The browns are superb. Obviously there are some stocked fish, but they do naturalise quickly. I can honestly say it is the best fishing I have ever had. I have previously fished on the Leek and District on the Dove which is totally different but another good river if you can get on it. Prior to fishing in Derbyshire I lived in Southport (up to 1993) on Merseyside and was a member of Southport Flyfishers with water on the Hodder and Lune. The fishing was mainly for salmon and seatrout, totally fifferent to the type of fishing I am doing now. I must admit that the trout fishing I do now, I enjoy more probably because of living in Baslow I am more or less on the river! I know I am really lucky.

I have a great group of fishing friends which I usually meet up with and will feature in this blog, Derek, Don, Bill and David. We are all the same mind set regarding fishing for trout and grayling. Hopefully you know what I mean, enjoying being on the river and observing the life on the riverbank both aquatic and terrestrial. Catching fish is a bonus (yes I know its a cliche).

Please be patient with me as I am on a steep learning curve, blogwise.

Hope you revisit this blog in the coming months and enjoy it.

Tightlines one and all.