Mayfly Hatching This Afternoon

I went down to Beeley this afternoon around 4 pm as it was a reasonably warm afternoon so hopefully the mayfly would be hatching. A fisherman who was just coming away said that some had been hatching but the fish did not seem to be on them. I went down to Max's bench pool and there were mayflies hatching and some we're being taken! I put on my 1-up-1-down dun and soon had my 1st brown,a good start. Flies were now coming off thick and fast and those which did not get away quickly we're snaffled by the trout and grayling. I worked my way up the pool taking several browns and a  decent grayling. I decided to try those mayflies which I had tied as experiments to see if they would work.this 1st being a hatching mayfly tied on a size 12 partridge klinkhammer hook, several fish had a go and they were on momentarily but would not stay attached. I gave up in the end as the 4th or 5th fish came adrift, hook problem? Anyway the pattern worked so I may tie some up on different hooks. I went back to the previous dun and then started picking up more browns as I went up the next pool. The wind picked up a bit which appeared to put off the mayflies. I decided to go back to the pool by the luncheon hut by now it was around 6 and the hatch had stopped by now. Needless to say I got another brown then moved up again. A fish was rising in a food lane and I covered it a couple of times but drag was a problem until I got the cast spot on and up he came a lovely rainbow pushing 2.5lbs. Another fish took 1 of the final stragglers and again it succumbed to my dun! It was time to call it a day. As I was wading out I noticed some mayfly spinners around so the evening looked promising but not for me I had had my fill finishing with around 9 fish.

Sunday 18th May - 1st Evening Session

After a really warm and lovely weekend I had arranged to meet Derek by the works to fish the evening, the first time this season. We met around 6.30 and I went downstream to the willow pool and Derek went up to the sycamore. I wasn't sure what would be about so had a parachute adams on as a general imitator. I got in at the bottom of the pool which was still a few inches higher than normal due to the weeks rain but running clear as a bell. A fish rose in the usual place under that tree on the far side, I covered it but it didn't show any interest in my fly. There were plenty of sedges, some large spinners, possibly olive uprights (or yellow uprights as the spinner is known) plus some small gnats. Considering the flylife about there wasn't much action on the surface so it was a case of speculative casting in likely runs. This did result in a nice brown around the pound and a half but nothing else. I suppose this was early days (evenings!) for the fish to get used to coming out to play at this time. Anyway after spending longer than I should I went upstream to see how Derek was getting on and guess what he was having a worse time than me! I followed him up the sycamore but noticed a small head and tail rise which I covered still with the adams and bang he had it, momentarily shall we say. I covered a few more of the head and tail rises but nothing even switching to a sedge, rusty spinner and a greyolive parachute. So I brought out my size 20 caenis type fly. This was immediately taken and I landed another lovely wild brown. This continued with several more browns and a rainbow. Derek meanwhile was struggling for once, now those of you who have followed this blog will know this vary rarely happens, he is a good angler indeed. I followed him up the pool but the rises petered out the further I got up so I made my way back to were there were still some fish showing those slow head and tail rises, again I picked up a few more browns on the caenis type parachute before the temperature dropped around 9 which put the fish down and the host of flies disappeared. I ended with 7 browns and 1 rainbow, a lovely start and hopefully many more to come!

Bank Holiday Bonanza!

On Bank Holiday Monday I decided to have a few hours in the afternoon making plans to meet Derek below the works. I arrived a round 1, there were sunny spells and the temperature was ok. I went down to the willow pool for the 1st time this season and noticed that there has been a bit of work done during the winter. It is now easier to get into the middle of the pool as it was difficult to fish the whole pool previously as it got too deep wading up from the bottom or down from the top but now access to the middle bit due to some tress being felled has made it better. Anyway I noticed that there were some hawthorn flies about around the area so put on an imitation, when I got into the pool there was also a massive hatch of black gnats about and plenty of fish rising to them too. I covered a few with the hawthorn and eventually a lovely wild brown of about 10" took it which was landed, a good start. I covered several more fish but secretly I thought they were on the gnat so changed to a black parachute on a size 16, immediately this was taken by another brown, possibly a stocked one this time but in exception condition, no worn fins or anything but different spots to the first. I continued up the pool and landed a lovely rainbow after losing a couple, they were definitely on the gnats! I had to retreat to get out at the usual spot before getting in where the work had been done, this has opened up the middle of the polo beautifully! I covered a few more rises and managed a couple more browns before the cold got to me, I had forgotten to put my fleece lined trousers on in my haste to get out and was now paying for it by shivering like a leaf! I thought a coffee would go down great but blow me the gas had run out in the hut, hey ho!
John the backup keeper appeared and was about to join me when he had a call about poachers by the bottom weir so had to beat a retreat to help out. It never ceases to amaze me these people try it on when the park is busy with people. It subsequently transpired after speaking to Matthew later that the B****** had killed a rainbow around 4lbs landed on a handline too so hopefully he may have some deep cuts on his fingers.
By now it was around 4 and the rises had stopped as the temperature had dropped and I couldn't,t stop myself from shivering so walked upriver to see what Derek was up to. He was in at the sycamore pool and was working his way up so I just fished from the bank which is not ideal as it severely limits you. Fish had started to rise again by around 4.30 so my black gnat remained on as there were still some about. I lost a couple of good fish before landing another 3 browns and a rainbow. Derek was doing rather better than me with his hawthorn even though it only had 1 leg by now after landing around 15 fish on it and also another bucket full from the Wye earlier in the week on the same fly! He certainly gets his money worth from his flies.
We both finished around 5.30 just before it started to rain after having a rather enjoyable afternoon me finishing with 8-9 fish. It won't be long now before we can get out in the evenings, looking forward to them.

Yesterday With a Couple of Friends

As I have a week off this week with my good lady, I was let off the leash yesterday afternoon and had arranged to meet Derek down by the cricket pitch in the park. Bill was also there when I got there around 2, it was a bit cloudy and dull and not as warm as the previous day. They were both already teasing the trout and that's not a euphemism! I spent the first half hour or so chatting with them before making a start where Bar Brook enters the Derwent. Bill was also there so we fished together where Bill took this lovely brown.

A rise a bit further up towards the brook and I covered it with my Nana's fly and first cast a rainbow around 3lb took which took a while to get in. Bill also took another brown before I decided to work my way up towards the deer boom. I picked up this brown to a hawthorn fly and then a grayling before getting to the boom.

 



A few fish were head and tailing but not consistently. Another fish was covered wit the hawthorn and was taken which was another good rainbow but this came adrift and
on checking the hook it had sheared. I replaced it with another hawthorn and soon had a take which was another nice rainbow around 3lb, the twin of the first.

We finished around 4.30 all getting a reasonable few fish for a couple of hours, I think the drop in temperature from the previous day had kept the fly life away as there was nothing definite hatching just the occasional hawthorn, olive and sedge. Something tiny was also about but could say what maybe just smuts. all in all a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.