Sunny Climes

I went to the Grayling Society meeting in Bakewell on Tuesday to listen to Jonathon Tomlinson give a talk on saltwater flyfishing. This was very varied in the destinations from around the UK to Mexico, Christmas Island and more. It was a really interesting and enjoyable presentation he gave which included lots of lovely photos of the various destinations he has fished around the world. You could almost feel the heat on cold evening, it certainly got the flyfishing juices going! Most of his trips are organised through Fishing Oddysey which has a website worth taking a look at even if it is just to dream about when winning the lottery.

The next meeting is on Tusday 8th January when Mike Green wil be giving a talk on pike flyfishing. another one not to be missed. Anybody out there who is not a member of the Grayling Society can attend, membership is not compulsory. It's at the Rutland Hotel in Bakewell @ 1930.

Finally thank you to everyone who has taken a look at my blog this year. It has not been as comprehensive as I would have liked due to crazy river conditions!

Wishing all my viewers a Happy Christmas and New Year and let's hope 2013 brings lots of good fishing to all.

Cheers!

Burton Flyfair and Grayling Society

Went to the Burton Flyfair on Sunday with Derek. Not a large event but well organised and all the usual suspects there! Spent some dosh, got some of those new Tiemco jig hooks which look interesting for my mayfly nymph, I'm sure they will have extra wiggle. Watched some good tiers including Paul Proctor, Malcolm Greenhalgh and Co. It seemed to be well attended and it is in aid of charity so well done Ray for organising it, I am sure the charities will be pleased with the result.

Its the Grayling Society meeting on Tuesday evening at the Rutland Hotel in Bakewell with Stuart Crofts giving a talk. These evenings are always entertaining. You don't have to be a member so come along for 1930 and have a chat with like minded fisherfolk.

Autumnal Signs

This morning I went up ta get a paper and quite honestly it was definitely Autumn! Heavy dew and chilly.
It's a few weeks since my last blog and since then I had a week down in Somerset/Devon where I managed to get a couple of trips in.
First I had a half day on the Barle on the old Carnarvon Arms stretch I think, this was through Lance Nicholson in Dulverton and was the strecth above the weir which is in the field below the old hotel. I was a bit disappointed by the stretch as it was difficult to get into the river, access was limited. The day was fine and warm however flylife was absent and after struggling with various dries and nymphs I noticed a small rise but could not make out to what. I reverted to a small black parachute and eventually winkled out a half pound brown. I made my way upstream and picked up 2 more very small browns before heading back to the car where Mrs Baslowfisher was.
The following day on Bank Holiday Monday we visited Lynton and Lynmouth and bought a ticket for the Watersmeet stretch of the Lyn river, a true bargain at £3 even for salmon it was only £10 or £15 for the day. It developed into an awful day absolutely chucking it down. We parked at the car park at Watersmeet and made our way down to the river. I was advised by a guide out of the Exmoor White Horse Inn to go downstream for about 300-400 yds and fish back. This is all pocket water and I had on a duo of grey-olive klink and a small ptn. After a few half hearted rises to the dry I decided to take off the ptn as casting in close quarters was difficult. I managed to land 4 small browns as I stumbled and struggled up the valley. I called it day after a couple of hours but I think the stretch has potential.

Last weekend I went fishing down to Beeley, home turf again. It was a warm and sunny day but hatching flies were absent! I went right down to the bottom limit of the Chatsworth beat and fished up. As nothing much was happening up top I had on a small black para to try and get something to come up. At the bottom you can usually guarantee some grayling and sure enough I landed a nice one after a few long range releases. I slowly worked my way upstream but only managed to land a brown before I had to retreat to the bank due to a rather deep hole beneath a willow. I continued in Max's bench pool where I landed another brown followed finally by a rainbow. Derek was in the pool above this and he had been struggling all afternoon too so I was pleased by my 4 fish. We went back to the hut for a cuppa but by the time we had had a chat and finished our tea the temperature had dropped so we called it a day and it was only 1730. Evening sessions are finished now I think?

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.

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.

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!

This Made Me Chuckle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGQ7EVfYvw8

Tenkara Weekend!

I was in Bakewell on Saturday and visited our trusty servant namely The Flyfishing Shop and Peter Arfield for a chin wag. He has recently started to sell Tenkara equipment and in the course of our chat he mentioned that he rents out rods for people to try. Naturally I had to "have a go" so duly paid my rental of £10 English pounds. The rod wa a 13 or 15 foot rod with a furles leader and a 6x tippet. Now I have read a few recent articles about this type of flyfishing but after a quick demo in the courtyard from Peter I was on my way. In the evening I decided to go down to the lunch hut at Beeley as there are some riffles and runs there. I got down around 1900 and there was the odd fish rising here and there. At first it was difficult to get the line out, the usual heap ensued however after a bit of perseverance I could throw a decent lob. I was fishing fairly close in which I think is the general idea. I had on my greyolive parachute and after about 20 mins hooked into my 1st fish, a healthy wild brownie, things were looking good. I was getting the hang of it but couldn't get any fish to take again so I thought I would try a PTN with a copper bead. Again I was into my 2nd fish a lovely grayling. The pool and run I was fishing were too wide to fish towards the trees at the far side, 1st limitation of this. I managed to work my way to a suitable spot just below a rising fish and within probaly fifteen feet, by now I had changed to my trusty rusty and covered the fish and on about the 3rd or 4th pass up it came. It was this pass that the fly came down drag free so I was obviously doing something wrong on the other attempts. I was finding it difficult keeping the furled leader off the surface, my cast was about 2 feet so don't know if  that was enough. This was a larger brownie around 12-14 inches so lead me a merry dance but I eventually managed to land it. I continued in the same vein and finished around 2145 with another 4 browns and a grayling making 8 fish in all. Not bad for a 1st attempt. Was I convinced at the effectiveness of Tenkara? The jury is still out.

A 1st for the Tenkara

So on Sunday evening I decided to retry the experiment and went into the Park around 1930. The weather had been showery during the afternoon but even though the sun was out the temperature was on the parky side necessitating a fleece. Fly life was almost non existent so I decided to try some of the Blue  Ribbon flies I had tied during the winter and on went a sparkle dun with an amber body. I went down to the stump area where I knew there was some faster water where I could get close in. On my 2nd or 3rd cast where there is nearly always a grayling I hooked into one and landed it, brilliant! A 2nd fish started to show in the same spot and this also eventually took when I managed to get a drag free drift however disaster! The fish was a good grayling as I saw it on the surface but it pinged the fly off pretty quickly as I couldn't follow it quick enough downstream. I hate that happening. On went another sparkle dun the twin of the 1st and the same thing happened again when a decent brown took, another fly stuck in a fish. That was 2 more than I had lost in fish all season so far! Hmmm not impressed! I changed the cast to 3.2lb point instead and attached a rusty spinner. Nothing much was showing and it was only 2100 however a brown decided it was too good to leave and took it which I gingerly landed. Enough was enough now and I called it an evening as I was getting chilled. Would I buy a Tenkara rod? Not for the Derwent I think. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, it is not the right rod for the Derwent maybe the Dove or the Wye? I remain to be convinvced and I know there are probably hundreds of people out there who enjoy it, I know a few but I don't think its for me.

As I am not far from Bakewell I nipped into town to see if anybody was fishing there and Mick was worrying the Wye population with a PPS. Richard was also upstream. Fish were rising well on the Wye and had been all day. It's mazing the difference a mile or two makes. After having a chat we all went our separate ways when the heavens opened.

A False Start!

After finishing work a bit late I arranged to meet Derek above the works asap. It wasn't until 2015 that I got down there only to find I had left my reel and flyboxes at home! A false start, too eager to get out as it's been over a month since I have been fishing. I found Derek ensconced in the sycamore pool so I got in just above him to work my way up. After the glorious day the temperature was still reasonable on the bank but down below the trees it was decidedly chilly. Sedge and spinners were about but not what I expected. On went my rusty spinner and immediatley had a take but I was also rusty and struck too soon only pricking the fish. I worked my way under the trees and next time I delayed the strike to land a lovley brown of about 15 inches. Following another couple of long distance releases the fish stopped rising about 2130 so we called it a day after only 45 mins of fishing. As we made our way back to the car we realised that if we had gone into the park we would probably have had another 30 miniutes of fishing time and it would probably have been warmer in the open however during the day the park and river was full of dogs and children so the fish would probably have disappeared. Hey ho!

Have acquired some more materials for tying up some saltwater flies for my trip down to North Devon in a couple of weeks time. Any suggestions as good locations around the Porlock area or river fishing around Exford would be appreciated.

Tuesday 19th June

Following the rain and the fact that the Derwent had been up to 7 feet in flood eventually it has dropped to more or less normal level and clear so I ev eventually decided to have an hour or two down by the cricket pitch. Unfortunately someone was already there and had been all afternoon so I decided to make my way up towards Bar brook and the deer boom. As I didn't know what was on the river I had my go to grey olive klink on a size 16. I started under the tress on the way up but the river was deceptive as although it looked down to a good level there was still a good amount pushing through. After I lost the whole of my tippet I decided enough was enough so fished from the opposite side to the car park. I took a small brown to the klink but noticed there were quite a few spinners about so switched to my rusty parachute after a few fish refused the grey olive. Immediately I took another brown which  was as wild as they come. Although it was a warmish evening there wasn't much rising just here and there. I suppose after the recent high water and the fact the fish are probably satiated on mayfly points to the fact that they were all stuffed! I made my way up only casting to a rise and contacted a few but they came adrift. At the deer boom, where there is always a fish showing, true to its word there was more action here and I winkled out another 3 browns. By 2030 the temperature had dropped and so had the fish so I beat a hasty retreat. 5 fish in a little over an hour was not bad considering I was humming and harring as to whether to go or not.

Wye Trip Off

Derek rang at 0900 to say he was unwell and therefore would have to call off our trip to the Wye. I had already booked the day off work so did some gardening in the morning. After lunch I decided to walk down to the sycamore pool and start there and slowly work my way back up to Baslow old bridge. Once I had negotiated the wall, nettles and brambles I made it to the pool but there was not much happening. Fly life was decidedly absent, maybe due to the temperature being down a bit and a breeze about. I sat and watched for 10 minutes or so and the occasional fish showed. I had on my mayfly nymph so had a cast but nothing. A few mayflies started to appear so I put on my freshly tied mayfly, I covered a few fish and they seemed to take the fly as the leader was disappearing but on the strike there was nothing. After this had happened a few times I decided to change to another mayfly but still the same thing happened and sometimes the fish just splashed at the fly. I could see it was going to be one of those days when nothing attaches itself to your fly. By now a really good hatch of sedge, grannom I think, were buzzing about and also lots of olive uprights, I think! The sun had come out and it was feeling like summer. It was at this point I realised I had left my flybox with all my sedge patterns at home! I did have a couple of patterns in another box but they were just the green tailed variety I had tied after a display during the winter at the Grayling Society meetings. These were on short shanked bardless carp hooks. On went one and after a couple of casts a take but this also failed to attach, I was trying a delayed strike and immediate strike  but nothing. I was despairing now. Finally a lovely head and tail rise took it and I was in, my 1st brown of the day.

1st Brown of the day.

Now the mayfly were coming off and the fish were taking them with gusto so on went another fresh mayfly and this time I did land a couple more browns between losing more and phantom takes. The sun went behind a big black cloud and the heavens opened, so much so that the river almost died and I took shelter under a tree for 30 minutes.

The Sycamore Pool and p!ss!ng down!

After the shower I made my way up the pool but fish were slow to restart their feeding and only the odd fish showed until the sun came out again. I made it up to the new bridge with 5 fish to my credit. By now it was gone 5 so I quickly fished the runs, riffles and pools between the bridges but again nothing was showing so nothing to cats to. I reached the pool below the old bridge and low and behold a few fish were showing. My favourite run on the far side had a fish rising.  This is a tricky run as there are lots of converging currents between you and the run so it has to be a cast with plenty of slack otherwise drag is more or less instantaneous. Eventually I got my cast right and just knew the fish would come for it and strike and he was on.......then off! I did land 3 more browns from this pool, all fish which had shown and cast to, I love it when that happens, the anticipation knowing you are covering a feeding fish is electric, far better than casting blind.

My last fish of the day. A wildy.

Anyway I finished the day with 8 fish which at 1 point during the afternoon I didn't think I would land anything. It's a funny old business this fishing lark!

Diamond Jubilee Week-end

Friday - 1st June
My weekend started with a couple of hours in the evening down at the willow pool. The temperature wasn't great but there were loads of large spinners around all about a size 12 with grey bodies and 2 tails, ldo or olive uprights? I had on my greyolive parachute in a 14 and took a small brown. Rises were only here and there so if you covered one it wasn't definite that the fish would come up again. After a while I changed to a rusty spinner in a 14 and took another couple of browns before calling it a day.
Saturday 2nd June
My son Adam wanted a day so we decided to get onto the river quite early for me 11.00, again we went down to the willow pool. It was at this point I realised I had left my camera at home, brilliant! Adam started at the tail of the pool and soon landed a couple of rainbows, a great start as I always want him to catch fish as he rarely gets to go fishing, golf is his favourite pastime. I decided to have a chuck too whilst waiting forever for the kettle to boil and I also took a couple of browns. Only the odd mayfly was coming off at the moment but the sun was shining and we were fishing so everything was good. After a couple more fish we decided to go down to the gully pool. This pool is good when the sun is out as its sheltered by lots of trees, fish were showing here and there and by now the mayfly were coming of more frequently and the fish were taking them. We both changed to dry mayfly, the good old 1-up 1-down (Philip White's pattern). This is the pattern I use almost exclusively now when the mayfly are about, I have dabbled with other patterns but none seem to equal this for me. We both took fish as we proceeded down the pool, me first as Adam didn't have a wading staff and the bed of the river had changed since last year, still bottom clenching! I skirted around the deer boom and then got down to Bar Brook were the mayfly were only coming off here and there. It was odd that the mayfly came off in fits and starts, a good flow then nothing for 20 minutes then again for 20 minutes and so on. I reached here during one of the off spells and so went back to my mayfly nymph. First cast and a cracking rainbow of between 4 and 5 pounds resulted, not quite as big as the 6lb'er I got earlier in the week. This was followed a couple of casts later by a couple of blues in the same weight range. These took a good 10 minutes each to get in, they fought like demons and jumped like sea-trout. I spoke to Matthew about these and they had been stocked in March and were from the previous season as they had been kept in tanks over winter. By now Adam had joined me and we both continued to take fish mainly to the dry. The only problem with fishing these big mayflies is that they play havoc with your cast. I had on 3lb tippet and had to change it numerous time due to the twisting effect of the fly. It was a great afternoon fishing the mayfly however I don't think the fish were totally switched on to them as many of the newly hatched duns made it to the safety of the bushes. We finished by 1800 as the hatch finished around 1730 and we had taken over 30 fish between us. A great day.
Sunday 3rd June
Rain rain rain, a horrible day, no fishing just sat and read the paper and tied up some more mayfly nymphs. At least the rain didn't bring the river up.
Monday 4th June
I arranged to meet Derek at Bar Brook around 1400 but I was a bit late. I wandered down there but he wasn't around so I started to fish. The mayfly were hatching in droves now as the sun was out but not particularly warm. Bar Brook was spewing out brown coloured water which left a distinctive line where the 2 waters met as the Derwent only had it's usual tea coloured tinge. The hatch was more or less constant today and I took several browns all to the dry mayfly, same old pattern as before. Fish were rising in both the clear water and the colured water from Bar Brook, It's interesting to note that the coloured water wasn't putting the fish off. As Richard Walker once said "if you think the water is dirty put some in a glass and you will see how clear it is" or words to that effect. I fished till about 1630 when the hatch petered out but the same spinners as Friday were still about plus some smaller ones which I suspect were BWOs, but maybe wrong. I switched to the greyolive para again and took my last fish of the day another brown. That was 6 browns for the couple of hours which in my book ain't bad. As I made my way back I spotted Derek in the gully pool so watched him winkle out 4 fish in as many casts to his new mayfly pattern, but this is still in the development stage. He wouldn't divulge how many fish a fly has to take to make it into his box.

 Where Bar Brook enters the Derwent.

Looking up towards the deer boom from the previous shot.

Derek with one of his fish to his new mayfly pattern

Tomorrow we are going to the gardens at Chatsworth to see the rhodedendrons so no fishing but I have Wednesday off work so Derek is taking me on the Wye, I must tie up some more mayfly duns as the fish soon mash the ones I tie. Thursday and Friday afternoons it's back to the Derwent as booked them off work too!.

1st Evening Session

I decided to have a couple of hours in the park as it had been a glorious day but the heat had gone out of the evening. I went down to the cricket pitch and wandered down to the stump, another of my favourite places. There was the odd fish showing here and there and on my second or third cast with my good old rusty spinner it was taken by a lovely wild brown.

This was followed by a decent out of season grayling and another small brownie. A few spinners were about, possibly LDO spinners. I then wandered down to Mary's Bower where there were numerous fish showing. I covered a few and touched them with the same fly and then managed another couple of brownies and the twin of the previous grayling. I wasn't convinced that this is what the majority of fish were taking although there were spinners about it was not immediately obvious to what. I suspected it was something small however just as I was perusing through my flybox a couple of mayfly duns floated past I also spotted a couple of shucks so hey they are on the move! Anyway I digress, so I put on my "Nana's" fly tied klink style on a size 18 206BL, love it, I have blogged about this fly before. A small rise showed in the run in to the pool and after several passes up he came and took, wow! don't you love it when a plan comes together. It had me all over the place and eventually on the second attempt I man handled a cracking 6lb rainbow half into my net half out and ran up the bank to safety. After that anything else would be an anti climax so I packed up and went home early!

Sunday 13th May - Finally!!!!

At long last I managed to get out for a couple of hours even though it was not exactly spring-like! Since the season started every time I had the opportunity to go, the river was in flood or coloured. Anyway I decided to go down to the works where I knew there would be some respite from  the wind. There were some fish rising below the works and so I started with a large dark olive and covered a few but nothing so a quick change to a black gnat and a take from a rainbow but I soon realised it was foul hooked. I covered several more but again nothing. A small willow type fly I spotted on the surface so another change to a greyolive para ensued but still no-go. I decided to move above the works to the sycamore pool but the wind was really cruel here and the river was dead. I looked closely and below the tree the odd fish showed. I had changed again to a small black gnat and covered a rise on the far side, a good cast, but up came the fish and took. A decent brown legally hooked this time was landed and it looked like a wild one or mayube from the previous season but in exceptional condition. Soon a second fish showed and again covered and hooked, another brown similar to the last but completely different in its markings. I soon called it a day, a very chilly day at that but a decent start, as they say we're off!

1st Trip of the 2012 Season

As planned yesterday Derek took me onto the Cressbrook and Litton streatch of the Wye to share a rod with him. We went above the A6 road bridge at the bottom end. Not much was happening which was odd considering the beautiful afternoon. Derek was 1st to score with a lovely small brown then it was my turn and I quickly took 2 small browns on a dry olive prarchute, what a cracking start. Fly life was also absent but we continued with the dry. We worked our way upstream and I took another brown. On reaching a slow deep pool we changed to the good old olive FSN where I took a reasonable brown and Derek took the best fish of the afternoon  a lovely rainbow. By now it was getting towards 5 and I had to get home so we worked our way back but didn't touch another fish.
We had to sign out at the luncheon hut and blow me someone else had beaten us to the beat earlier in the day! No wonder there wasn't much happening but all-in-all a good start to the season and a lovely beat to start it on too. Thanks Derek.

Nearly There - It's been a long Winter!

I have just been over the road to feed the ducks however the fish seemed more keyed up and were beating them to the bread! What a gorgeous day, really jealous of those whose season has started but here on Chatsworth its the 1st April for kick-off. I even spotted a couple of fish rising today just below Baslow old bridge, I could feel my arm going!
Hoping to get out over the weekend with Derek on the Creassbrook & Litton stretch of the Wye as his season has started so has invited me to share a rod for a few hours, can't wait.
Am enjoying reading all your blogs of seasons first trips.
Here's to a good season to everyone.

Nearly the End of the Grayling season

Today was a lovely day especially if you had been able to get on the water, me, well we had relatives around so another weekend bites the dust. Next weekend will be my last chance so sod's law says, as it has done all season, that the opportunity I get to go fihsing and the river will be out of sorts! Fingers crossed for adecent weekend next week!
I have been doing some tying recently after watching a Craig Matthews DVD, him of Blue Ribbon Flies fame. Some comparaduns, iris caddis and sparkle caddis.

I have also tied up some black gnat type flies with a parachute hackle, hopefully these will do the business when the gnats, hawthorne flies and dark stoneflies are on the water.

Finally following the last grayling meeting I have also added some sedges in various colours.

Our season for grayling finishes on the last day of February then there is a month off before the start on the 1st April. I have sent off my membership renewal now so it is getting closer. It's been a strange grayling season this year, I have only managed 1 visit. As I said earlier whenever the opportunity was there to go the river was out of sorts. We certainly had a lot of rain before Christmas and since then a bit of snow. The levels in the Derwent are looking good and its had a good scour out with all the floods. Here's hoping everyone who is a reader of my blog has a good coming season, some of you will be starting before April so tight lines to you all.

Grayling Society Meeting and Regular Rod

It was another very entertaining evening at The Rutland Hotel in Bakewell last evening all brought together to listen and watch Regular Rod (Richard Ward) take us through his flybox and tie up some of his successful flies. These were then raffled off and won by Mr Marriot. Numerous of the patterns appear in Richards blog which is a must http://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/. I will leave it to you to read his blog.
Thank you Richard for a good evening. BTW have just tied up a couple of the Cotton black fly, roll on the start of the season!

Snow!

I was planning to get out today as we had a fairly quiet weekend however the snow came yesterday and put a block on that so we walked into Chatsworth Park and took some photos instead!