Derwent Fly Fishers Above Hathersage

My good friend Roger S invited me onto his stretch of Derwent Fly Fishers above Hathersage. It is a stretch I haven't been on before, we started at about 1300 above the stepping stones as there were loads of rises to the many olives coming off so Roger made the first cast and almost immediately had a good grayling to an F-fly (I am considering changing the name of this fly to a Rogers Favourite!). Then my turn and a few casts later another grayling to a grey olive parachute. (Colins Favourite!).

We walked down to the bottom of beat 14 and started to work our way back up. I took afew more decent grayling including this one and its twin.

Continued to cover rising fish and taking grayling mainly with a couple of browns all to the grey-olive parachute. At the top of the pool there was more depth and nothing rising so put on a dark olive squirrel nymph and immediately hit another good grayling which was pushing 2lb! Then on the next cast hit an even larger 1 but unfortunatley it didn't stay on. Picked up a second 1 again well over 1lb. Roger and I worked our way up past beat 15 where Roger hadn't fished before, we discovered some very good water all easily wadeable. I spotted fish for Roger and vice-versa we were both taking mainly grayling. We reached the limit of beat 16 and I took another 2 good browns again to the squirrel nymph.

We finished a very enjoyable afternoon at 1700 with a beer back at the car, my tally being 8 grayling and 5 browns.

River Wye

Derek invited me onto the River Wye today, Went down to the bobbin mill but too many people there so decided to go up to Gregory's Farm below Monsal Head. Got there about 1230 and the sun was trying its best to come out and it was fairly mild, there was a good hatch of olives coming off too. Started off in this pool with a grey-olive parachute but couldn't get anything to take. Derek started above the bridge on a nymph and immediately was into fish. Worked my way up towards the bridge where there were several good fish head and tailing then some kind person who had let their dog off the lead decided to let it take an early bath! Which put a end to that pool.

Went above the bridge to see Derek taking a good rainbow, again on the nymph. He certainly knows how to work the nymph upstream does Derek!

Fished above Derek and eventually got a nice brown on the dry grey-olive parachute. Not that many fish rising considering the amount of olives about and few sedge. Managed to trap a sedge which ahd a yellow/amber body and gre wings about a size 14. So on went an amber cdc sedge to cover a rising fish and immediatley hooked another nice brown, I love it when a plan comes together! Worked my upstrean taking a good rainbow on a nymph before getting to the bridge by Tom's Cottage and took 2 more browns from the pool below the bridge on the gre-olive parachute. By now the sun was dipping below the hill and the temperature was dropping. The river keeper, Chris, appeared and passed the time of day with him before retreating back to see how Derek was getting on, needless to say he had about a dozen all on the nymph. Went back to the first pool to see if the fish were back but only the odd one rising but didn't get anything so we called it a day at 1730. A good afternoon on this stretch which I haven't fished for a couple of years, thank you Derek for taking me.

Sunday 13th September

Following the glorious day yesterday I decided to go down to the hut where on arrival I disturbed a massive dark brown bird of prey on the electricity pole by the hut, Matthew told me later that it was a buzzard which usually rests in the old oak tree further up river where the pheasants are reared. Took my camera with me hoping to catch a glimpse again but he was well gone! So I started in the pool just above the hut, one of my favourites where there are plenty of different runs and riffles. The river was clearish with a tinge of colour and plenty of olives hatching, dull grey bodies, wings and legs and about a size 18-20. Wondered what they were, pale wateries or some other small olive, hmmmm. Put on a size 18 grey olive parachute and immediately rose a few fish which failed to stay on until a small grayling was landed, a good start. Covered quite a few fish but again failed to stay attached, I call these moral victories! After a half hour walked down to Max's bench pool where I expected to see plenty of fish rising, nothing, zilch, nought, nowt, zero! So put on a size 18 biot nymph and had a few snatches but nothing definite. Noticed further up the pool a fish rising fairly constantly so quickly worked my way up and changed to a small olive paradun and covered the fish which took first cast but I struck too soon, luckily it didn't feel the hook and continued to rise so covered again and made sure this time landing a decent grayling.

Got out and was contemplating things sitting on Max's bench when Matthew the keeper came down to check on me, said that there had been someone fishing below the bottom weir in the park who had had a cracking afternoon, as I had only managed to land 2 fish so far. Then I suppose mine wasn't that bad too sitting on the bench in the autumn sunshine whiling away the time watching the river flowing by, the odd fish rising, dippers, bees, the sheep bahing, the cows mooing and generally thanking God that I am really lucky to be able to fish this stretch of river.

Went back up to the pool below the hut for the last half hour and got a decent brown before calling it a day as the temperature was dropping together with my standard of casting.

2 Singletons!

Went over the road on Monday evening after the high water over the weekend. The Derwent was still about 3-4 ins. high and not quite clear. Started off with a size 20 olive and got a brown first cast which had been rising, so it looked like it was going to be a good hour or so.......wrong! Covered numerous other fish and connected briefly with a few but could not get them to take properly no matter what I tried from tiny olives to sedges. Called it a frustrating evening by 2030.

Managed to finish work a bit early on Wednesday and as Mrs P was out decided to have a bash so was on the bank by 1730. Went down to the hut and there were 2 other fishermen there. As I was tackling up 1 of them was coming off and informed me that the river had been stocked today. This usually puts the resident fish off for a day or two. Decided to fish the pool just below the hut and again covered a brown which had been rising and managed to land it on a size 18 olive. Don't count your chickens before they hatch! There was a good amount of fly knocking about including olives and sedges. Fish were rising here and there and covered several and hooked them but all were long distance releases. As I was fishing the pool up the another fisherman decided to fish the pool from the head, gee thanks! Even this syndicate has its inconsiderate idiots. So moved down a pool as there now appeared to be quite a few fish rising and a lot of sedge about so put on a small brown sedge and covered a fish which turned out to be a cracking rainbow which decided to make off to the other bank and freedom. Worked out the contour of this pool, by going down to the tail and sticking close to the near bank it was possible to cover a lot of good lies. Fish were rising constantly which I covered and again had some brief hook-ups but nothing landed. These again were all to the sedge, including some to Glen's LTD sedge, but all to brief before being given their freedom! Stayed till 2000 but had a real birds nest of a mess with my leader so called it a day only landing the single brown but hey it was still an enjoyable evening even though I broke my wading staff but did finish off with a chicken tikka masala!

Went for a Sit in the fishermans car park

The river was looking fine this evening considering the amount of rain we had last night, so decided to go for a few hours this evening as it was only slightly raining however by the time I got to the fishermans car park it was persistently raining! Waited for half an hour in the car but there was no let up and the cloud cover was dense and low so called it a day and went home for tea. Sitting here at 2000 with the rain coming down in buckets so will be very surprised if the river does not come up after this.
On a bright note, this morning there was a tiny olive stuck on my car in the dew, probably a size 20, maybe a pale watery? At least it got me thinking about something different on the way to work.
Hopefully get out Friday, river permitting.
Don't forget the Chatsworth Country Fair this weekend, always a good day.