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!