Orvis Customer Service

I have just received a new top piece for my rod which I broke last week, I only took it into the shop in Bakewell on Saturday. Now thats what I call service. Thanks Orvis.

Not a Good Start and a Wet Foot

Managed to complete my nursing duties and slip away for a couple of hours so decided to fish the fast water by the works. On getting my rod out of the bag I broke the tip off, brilliant! Someone is telling me I shouldn't be here. Fortunately home is only 2 minutes away so decided to tackle up at home and walk down to below Baslow new bridge and work my way back up. There was a massive hatch of LDOs and grannom. Trapped a couple to make sure. Started with a LDO (OE's pattern) and got a couple of good browns and a decent out of season grayling. Worked my way to the upstream side of the new road bridge but what was interesting is that the grannom were not hatching or fluttering about as much as below the bridge. Maybe they haven't worked there way that far yet as last year I spoke to Stuart Crofts about the grannom and he was surprised that they had reached the Chatsworth stretch. Winkled out a couple of rainbows and grayling from above the bridge before the temperature dropped slightly and the hatch petered out. The odd fish was rising still and I managed another rainbow and grayling so ended up with 9 fish for the 2 hours which I call a decent afternoons fishing. Oh and the wet foot? It's the first time I have used my breathables this season and the damn things are leaking. Does anybody have any opinion on the length of time breathables should last, I have had these Simms for 6 seasons, is that to be expected?

A Pleasant Afternoon on C&L F C at Monsal Dale

Its only my second outing of the trout season due to Lynn falling and breaking an ankle and me having to nurse her. Derek offered a shared rod on the Wye yesterday where we met Don and Bill at the luncheon hut. It was a beautiful afternoon with a sharp downstream breeze. We all walked up the dale taking alternate casts to rising fish as there was a hatch of olives taking place. My first cast was a "bow and arrow" cast with one of Derek's fabled nymphs and the trout targetted took first time, a lovely brown about 12-14 inches. Bill took a couple on the dry so Derek changed over to a dry olive and he also took a couple. We made our way up the Dale but the rising fish where only in certain pools where the sun shone on the water, out of the sun it was still decidedly chilly. I took a small wild rainbow further up the river to nymph again. Derek also took his fair share of fish. I left Derek working his way upriver at about 1600 to get back to the invalid. All-in-all a very pleasant afternoon with lots of banter with good freinds.

Monday 5th April 1st Outing of the Trout Season

Well it did not rain on Sunday and the river was running about 6-8 inches above normal and reasonably clear by Monday so decided to go down to the willow pool. Got to the car park to find 5 cars already there,doh! A guy was just coming away and informed me the willow pool had someone already there. The wind was quite strong so decided to go down to the gulley area, this is always quite sheltered be it during strong wind or bright sunshine. Started off with a dark olive squirrel nymph and immediatley picked up a small wild brown, a great start to the season. Noticed a couple of large dark olives sailing down but nothing interested in them but it still convinced me to change to a large dark olive (O.E's). On the second cast the twin of the 1st trout took and that was 2 fish in a matter of minutes. Moving slowly up the pool I took another 2 browns which were between 12-14 inches, woo hoo. Finished going up the pool with a rainbow about 18 inches. Worked my way back to the 'get out' point where I took another brown and was busy minding my own business taking in everythimng when a voice scared the s*** out me, it was Matthew the river keeper, you will have to get a warning bell! Passed the time of day then went up to the willow pool where the previous occupant had departed. Although the river was not up that much it was hammering through and this pool is quite deceiving in its speed of current, I think the bed of the pool here has changed a bit during the winter, its possible to wade further up now to opposite the cattle drink. There were no further olives seen in this pool so changed to an olive FSN again and landed a rainbow about 2lb. To finish off I then hooked something much larger, Matthew had made his way back and was watching me from the bench and commented 'that's a decent one!' I managed to land one of the largest rainbows I have caught on the Derwent, I had a couple of attempts to get it in my net but eventually managed, it must have been knocking 4lbs. Matthew informed me that he had put in quite a few 'big boys' which are from the feeding pond in the farmyard at the house. It was fin perfect and in superb condition. Switched on my camera but unfortunatley it was one of those were balancing a fish with 1 hand and trying to compose it with the other it gave a quick flick and was gone. So I ended the day with 5 browns and 3 rainbows, a good start to the season.