Decided to go last evening!

The sun put in an appearance about 1930 and this gave a rise to the temperature so decided to have the last hour just over the road. I took my Hardy 7' 2 weight to give it a run out. I started off with an elk hair sedge but there was nothing of note rising, only the odd fish here and there. I started below the bench on the far side, one of my favourite runs as even though it is barley shin deep there are always small wild browns and rainbows there and this time they were there also but as I said nothing rising consistently. There were loads of sedge buzzing about and with a few rusty spinners. I covered several rises before a small brown decided to have a bash at my sedge and I landed a lively 9" wild brownie. As soon as the sun dipped below the trees the temperature dropped by 2030 and most of the rises stopped. I worked my way up to the bridge pool only connecting with 1 other fish on a rusty spinner (Crofty style) before covering a fish in the run in and landing another 9" wildy. By 2100 I decided that that was it for the day before passing the time of day with derwentflyfisher on the bridge taking his dog for its usual constitutional, Happy days!

An Evening on the Peacock Wye

I was fortunate to get an invite from Ainsley to fish the evening with him on the Peacock Wye. We started around 1915 below Haddon looking for rises but nothing much happening. The river was nearly crystal clear and there were quite a few sedges about so on went a sedge. Walked down to the bottom weir and noticed a few rises which we covered and I took a small wild brown, lovely. This is Indian country where the banks are overgrown and you need to keep away from the water edge in order to prevent the fish from seeing you. We made our way back upstream taking both browns and rainbows all wild as they come. By 2200 it was nearly dark and we found a pool where there were numerous fish rising, I had a rusty spinner on by now as there had been a few knocking about. I managed another 4 beautiful small browns and missed loads by strinking too soon (DOH!) from this pool. Finished by 2215 and walked back to the car after a most enjoyable evening, thank you Ainsley.

Sunday 18th July

Decided to have the last coule of hours below the works. The river was still coloured but definitely fishable, there was an upstream warm breeze. I started at the bottom of the willow pool where there were a few fish rising to the hordes of sedges about. I started with an amber cdc sedge and took a small wild brownie. I then covered a few constant risers but nothing so changed flies and I managed to trap a sedge and it had a grey body and darker thorax with dark grey wings. Fortunately I had 1 so put that on and immediatley hooked one of the constant risers but effected a long distance release! I took another small wild brown and started work on another constant riser but the current was awkward and after about 30 minutes I must have got it right as up it came with its head and gill cover out of the water but don't you just know it that in my enthisiasm I struck too soon and just felt it prick it. I call that a moral vicory. The wind changed direction now to downstream and the temperature dropped, the sedges dissapeared along with the fish so called it a day before taking 1 last small brown. 4 for the evening,not bad.

Just Back

Just got back from Corfu last night, I think its nearly been as hot here as in Greece judging by the state of my lawn! 2 weeks of reading several John Geirach books and the Blood Knots by Luke Jennings all good. Even managed to fish for half an hour whilst on a boat trip and caught a sargus all of 4 inches, hee hee. Will pay the Derwent a visit tomorrow evening for the last hour or two. It looks desperately low and in need of a bit of rain.