I decided to have Thursday and Friday afternoons off again this week. On Thursday it was an awful day, very windy but I decided to go down to the willow pool at about 2.30. Casting into the face of a gale was not easy and no fish were showing. I persevered with a nymph but nothing so I went up to where the brook runs in below the works where the wind was not showing itself as much ion the water. A few fish were showing and I managed a couple to a dry mayfly but as ever the wind changed direction and made casting impossible. I gave up after an hour. The evening wasn't much better so I didn't bother.
On Friday I met Derek down by the hut at Beeley around 1.30. We went down to Max's bench pool and Derek took the pool above. I started off with a mayfly nymph and quickly landed 2 browns. a couple of mayfly hatched and were quickly polished off so a change to a 1 up 1 down dun and covering the couple of rises resulted in another couple of browns, result! The mayfly continued to hatch intermittently and I was constantly switching between nymph and dun. I landed a lovely rainbow pushing 2lbs to a dun and a couple more browns to the nymph. I got to the top of the pool having a reasonable tally of 8 browns and 1 rainbow. I retreated to the hut and put the kettle on before a cloud burst also brought Derek back fora well earned brew. We called it a day around 5. The evening changed to squally showers again and the temperature dropped so again I didn't bother going out in the evening.
As I write this the spinners are covering my car in the drive but I can't get out as on-call. It's a lovely evening and I have just been over to check the river where there are a line of fish rising below the old bridge. I've put my name on that run for myself for tomorrow evening, finger crossed
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
A First
Last evening I went down to one of my favourite pools, the willow pool. It was not as warm as it has been but there was still lots of fly about mainly gnats and a large olive spinner. I decided on a size 18 griffiths gnat as I have had success with this fly recently. After dropping a couple of browns I landed 1 by hand but dropped it and pinged off the fly so on went its duplicate. I noticed a head and tail rise quite a good cast away so covered it and blow me the fish took. Well then I knew it would be a tussle as a large rainbow leapt out of the water and made off up the pool. I was fishing fairly light and the first run I just let it go were the fish took me down to my backing, a first for me! The fish led me a merry dance all over the pool and I struggled to get line back on the reel. Another couple of shorter bursts and I could tell it was tiring. Eventually I managed to get it into my net after a few abortive attempts and there lay 5lbs of fit conditioned rainbow, brilliant. These fish are in tip-top condition.
I continued fishing up the pool as far as you can go as it does get rather deep so you can probably only cover about 75% of it before having to retrace your steps and get in at the top, needless to say I stayed towards the middle. I landed 3 more browns all to the griffiths gnat again, why haven't I made more use of this fly in the past. I noticed that the fish were also taking some duns and used my net to trap a few, some were small probably size 18 with a grey-olive body. Others the same size but a black body possibly iron blues? The larger olives were also still about these had olive-brown bodies but I am not sure what they could be possibly the spinners of olive uprights, large brook duns or what? I must try and find out from my books. I finished about 2145 as the temperature dropped at about 2115 and more or less put paid to the rises. Another enjoyable evening.
I continued fishing up the pool as far as you can go as it does get rather deep so you can probably only cover about 75% of it before having to retrace your steps and get in at the top, needless to say I stayed towards the middle. I landed 3 more browns all to the griffiths gnat again, why haven't I made more use of this fly in the past. I noticed that the fish were also taking some duns and used my net to trap a few, some were small probably size 18 with a grey-olive body. Others the same size but a black body possibly iron blues? The larger olives were also still about these had olive-brown bodies but I am not sure what they could be possibly the spinners of olive uprights, large brook duns or what? I must try and find out from my books. I finished about 2145 as the temperature dropped at about 2115 and more or less put paid to the rises. Another enjoyable evening.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Thursday & Friday
I had booked a couple of afternoons off on Thursday and Friday to hopefully take in the mayfly however things don't always go according to plan especially this year the season is behind schedule. I went down to the hut by Beeley and was hoping that the mayfly may be up. I must admit that Derek had been previously during the week and told me that there were not many about. True enough there were the odd ones around but the fish were not on to them. I started off at the pool by the hit and winkled out a couple of browns to my usual grey-olive parachute. There were loads of fly about swarms of black gnats, yellow mays, some olives, unbelievable. Derek turned up so we went down to one of our favourite pools, I worked my way up but even though there was tons of fly about there were not many rises possibly due to the blazing sun. I changed fly to a griffiths gnat and then took another couple of browns. At the head of the pool there were several fish head and tailing but couldn't see to what. On went the gnat again and I hit 1 brown but it soon became detached so moral victory! I persevered and did land a last brown before heading home.
I went out again in the evening down to the works again but how 2 nights can be so different. I really struggled to land anything, I changed fly too many times to count but could not get the fish to take. It was those head and tail rises again! I eventually went down to a size 22 or 24 small black para and landed a brown. I called it a day by 2100 as the damp seeping through my waders got to me!
On Friday again I went down to the hut but it was even hotter today. I was met by hordes of gnats again but today the fish were definitely taking shelter from the sun. It was just too hot for fish and fishing. Mayfly were appearing very intermittently but still not enough to encourage the fish into taking mood. I did manage to get a couple of browns before calling time around 4.
In the evening I went down to the cricket pitch hoping to find an evening rise to something. I walked all the way down to Mary's Bower were several fish were rising. Again loads of gnat about so on went the griffiths gnat. I covered several fish before attaching to a decent brown. I noticed some spinners about so switched to my rusty spinner and landed a couple more browns. I went back up to the cricket pitch and now it was past 2130 and only a few fish were showing but to what? I covered several with the rusty but nothing so as the gnat were still about I went back to the GG and rose a couple of the head and tailers which soon let go, maybe that's what they have been taking all along. Before calling time I did land a last brown to the gnat.
Interesting to note that over this week so far I have only landed 1 rainbow, strange.
I went out again in the evening down to the works again but how 2 nights can be so different. I really struggled to land anything, I changed fly too many times to count but could not get the fish to take. It was those head and tail rises again! I eventually went down to a size 22 or 24 small black para and landed a brown. I called it a day by 2100 as the damp seeping through my waders got to me!
On Friday again I went down to the hut but it was even hotter today. I was met by hordes of gnats again but today the fish were definitely taking shelter from the sun. It was just too hot for fish and fishing. Mayfly were appearing very intermittently but still not enough to encourage the fish into taking mood. I did manage to get a couple of browns before calling time around 4.
In the evening I went down to the cricket pitch hoping to find an evening rise to something. I walked all the way down to Mary's Bower were several fish were rising. Again loads of gnat about so on went the griffiths gnat. I covered several fish before attaching to a decent brown. I noticed some spinners about so switched to my rusty spinner and landed a couple more browns. I went back up to the cricket pitch and now it was past 2130 and only a few fish were showing but to what? I covered several with the rusty but nothing so as the gnat were still about I went back to the GG and rose a couple of the head and tailers which soon let go, maybe that's what they have been taking all along. Before calling time I did land a last brown to the gnat.
Interesting to note that over this week so far I have only landed 1 rainbow, strange.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
2 Lovely Evenings
Monday 3rd June
As it had been a lovely warm day I arranged to meet Derek down by the works. When I got there at 1900 Derek had already started so I snook in just below at the sycamore pool. There was plenty of flylife about olives, gnats, sedge and smuts a whole smorgasbord! I started off with my usual grey-olive parachute and immediately got a reasonable rainbow knocking 3lb. Lots of fish were head and tailing all in a row so I started to try and pick them off but nothing else stirred to my fly. I switched to a black parachute and got a brown in lovely condition. I was still not convinced I had the fly right. I tried to get as close as possible to the rising fish to use my seine net but then noticed lots of small black gnats and I mean small size 22 or smaller and I had left my box of tiny flies in the car! I had some smallish black parachutes so persevered and started taking the odd brown. The temperature was now dropping and waders leaking into the bargain! I finished the evening at 2130 with 6 fish in total but lost easily as many more. It was a really good evening and hopefully more to come, its been a long time coming.
Tuesday 4th June
Another lovely evening and had arranged to meet Derek again at our usual spot at the sycamore pool. Again lots of flylife about and tonight I was armed with my tiny flies. Derek had started when I got there at 1900 but had not managed anything yet. I started with a size 22 black parachute and hit a couple of browns landing a good example of derwent brown trout. I followed Derek up the pool and was dropping and taking several browns before Derek landed his first, now that doesn't happen often! I continued with the black gnat parachute until a monster tree devoured it! Another gnat was quickly attached to my leader and I continued up the pool taking browns ending up at 2100 with 9 fish. I finished early as the temperature dropped and most of the fish stopped rising plus 2 damp legs again. Note to self :- get waders repaired.
As it had been a lovely warm day I arranged to meet Derek down by the works. When I got there at 1900 Derek had already started so I snook in just below at the sycamore pool. There was plenty of flylife about olives, gnats, sedge and smuts a whole smorgasbord! I started off with my usual grey-olive parachute and immediately got a reasonable rainbow knocking 3lb. Lots of fish were head and tailing all in a row so I started to try and pick them off but nothing else stirred to my fly. I switched to a black parachute and got a brown in lovely condition. I was still not convinced I had the fly right. I tried to get as close as possible to the rising fish to use my seine net but then noticed lots of small black gnats and I mean small size 22 or smaller and I had left my box of tiny flies in the car! I had some smallish black parachutes so persevered and started taking the odd brown. The temperature was now dropping and waders leaking into the bargain! I finished the evening at 2130 with 6 fish in total but lost easily as many more. It was a really good evening and hopefully more to come, its been a long time coming.
Tuesday 4th June
Another lovely evening and had arranged to meet Derek again at our usual spot at the sycamore pool. Again lots of flylife about and tonight I was armed with my tiny flies. Derek had started when I got there at 1900 but had not managed anything yet. I started with a size 22 black parachute and hit a couple of browns landing a good example of derwent brown trout. I followed Derek up the pool and was dropping and taking several browns before Derek landed his first, now that doesn't happen often! I continued with the black gnat parachute until a monster tree devoured it! Another gnat was quickly attached to my leader and I continued up the pool taking browns ending up at 2100 with 9 fish. I finished early as the temperature dropped and most of the fish stopped rising plus 2 damp legs again. Note to self :- get waders repaired.
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