Saturday - 1st Iron Blue, Pale Watery and Yellow May Dun!

I had arranged to meet Derek down at Beeley again around lunchtime. The morning was reasonably warm as I cut the grass and things were looking rosy for the afternoon. I got to the hut around 1330 and as I was tackling up a small iron blue landed on me, this is the 1st one I have spotted here on the Derwent this year, as I was trying to get my camera out and ready to take the shot off it flew! I went down to Max's bench pool with Derek fishing the pool above. As I was manoeuvring into position what looked like a pale watery floated past. I had on a small black parachute to hopefully tempt something. A fish rose underneath the trees opposite and on my 1st cast the fish rose and was hooked and landed, a lovely wild brownie.

Notice the red adipose!

My next attempt at getting under the trees resulted in a lost fly! As I was tying on another black parachute what looked like a yellow may dun wafted past. It was turning out to be a real mix of flies but alas these were one-offs. There were plenty of midge about in both black and a light olive. Covering the next couple of rises produced nothing to the parachute so I put on a "special" cdc midge pattern given to me by Mr Marriot. This worked a treat on the next 2 browns as it was sipped down easily and resulted in 1 fish being landed. I worked my way up the pool and a blue rainbow had a go at the midge as well. The wind was a nuisance this afternoon and soon the temperature was dropping and I was getting cold so a hasty "stroll" through the pool produced another blue to an olive fsn as the few rises that were about had dried up hence the nymph.

Turned out nice again this afternoon.

Yesterday's weather forecast was 9 degrees but today dawned sunny and after a bit of gardening Lynn suggested I go fishing, before the sentence was finished I think the car was loaded up! I went down to Beeley again but today I was determined to fish dry only as the temperature was rising lots of grannom and olives were about and it was just a lovely afternoon. As I was tackling up Derek appeared and Matt was continuing to put the finishing touches to our new hut.

The pool below Shaun's bench.

I started in the pool below Shaun's bench, at the run in a fish was rising and I had on a grey-olive parachute. After 2 passes the fish took and a small brown was landed. I  was determined to stay with the dry today so was searching the water for rises which were few and far between. Another fish showed  in the run in and again after a couple of passes it came up for the fly but I was too eager and missed it. I continued to scan the water for rises and spotted another tiny rise in the same area and again after a couple of passes with the fly the fish came up and a lovely brown was landed. In a few weeks time it will be in peak condition.

In a few weeks this chap will be in peak condition

It was difficult not succumbing to the nymph to pick-up some more fish but as the cliche goes "there is (much!) more to fishing than just catching fish". I fished through the pool and picked up another brown before working my way down to below the cattle drink where I was expecting some more fish rising but nothing showed. I called it a day after just a couple of hours but hey 6 or 7 fish on a lovely afternoon, everything in the garden is rosy as they say!

Wednesday and a new fishing hut begins to take shape!

Today I went down to Beeley as I did not go there much last season. As I rounded the bend to the car park I was net with the construction of a new log cabin which will become our new fishing hut. Matthew was busy putting the roof planks on ands hoping to finish it in the next few weeks. It will certainly be the best fishing hut I have seen, I will post some photos once all completed.  Derek was already in the pool below the old hut so I got in at the pool by the new hut above him. I really enjoy fishing this pool as there are a few good runs where the fish hold off in the seams. A few grannom and olives were about but nothing rising consistently to them only the odd one here and there. I had on a small olive fun and after a couple of casts a lovely oos grayling all of 4" was landed, it is encouraging to see these small fish about knowing that breeding is taking place and all the small fish are not being devoured by either the crayfish or other fish. I noticed a rise further up the run and so put on a small black link style fly and after a couple of chucks a lively brown followed, again a small example of a wild brownie.

I am always wary of hooking these expecting a larger brown or rainbow to attack them so endeavour to get them in and released as quickly as possible, some would say bullying them in! Another couple of fish (rainbow and brown) followed before I reached the head of the pool. After a quick chat to Derek who was finding it hard to keep the fish attached I went down to Max's bench pool. This is another of my favourite pools as there always seems to be fish rising underneath the trees near the bottom and it was true today. A couple of fish seemed to be taking something unseen from the surface and as I still had on my black fly I cast underneath the trees and on the first cast it was taken by another brownie which jumped and was gone, I call these moral victories. Th commotion had not put down fish number two and after a couple of rejected passes and hooking the low branches the fly was taken and another wild brown was landed. I worked my way up the pool but there were no further consistent risers so on went the olive fun again and I started picking up fish as  I worked my way up the pool.
At about half way up i thought we were under attack as 2 RAF Hercules planes came roaring down the valley. This is a regular occurrence as they must use the Derwent as a low level training route, needless to say with these at least you can here them coming which is more than you can say when the fighter planes come down! It is a magnificent sight to see them appear from behind the trees on;y a few hundred feet up, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on edge!

At around 1600 I noticed that he temperature dropped considerably and the  takes to the nymph dried up so I called it day. As I got out Bill was in the above pool so we strolled back together bemoaning the drop in temperature and the effect it has on the fish.

Another day that can't be taken away from you!

Thursday - Brrrrrrr!

It was rather chilly this afternoon! We went down to the cricket pitch but the cold north westerly did not do much for any surface activity. Between there and Mary's Bower I only saw a few fish rise and they were not regular risers. So it was the usual dark olive fsn with some lead to get it down. Nothing came from the stump area even after a couple of changes to other colours! So mosey'd down to Mary's Bower and again no surface activity. The fsn did manage a take but the fish came adrift. I noticed a tiny rise on the far side of the run but could not make out any definite fly so I put on a small black klink style fly and  a small brown was landed and swiftly released. The wind was a real pain which was keeping the fish down, as I worked my way back up to the cricket pitch a few sedges and olives were about but no rises to them yet. At the cricket pitch Derek had had a few rainbows but again the same story not much rising. I went up to Bar Brook and then fsn took a couple of recently stocked rainbows! Again not real surface activity even though now there were a few more olives and sedges coming off. I called it a day after an hour as the fish and I were getting bored with the rather chilly wind.

Tuesday Afternoon

Met Derek and David at the works for a few hours. I went down to the Willow Pool but only managed a recent stocked "bluey"! The wind had changed direction and was coming from the north so decidedly chillier. Mozied up to the Sycamore pool where Derek was playing "silly bu**ers" with a submarine.

 This was an over wintered fish and  not one of the recent stockies. I got in below him but after missing several only managed another stock fish. I noticed a few sedges (grannom)  knocking about but even changing to grey sedge did not proffer any response. The odd fish was rising here and there but nothing regular and to goodness knows what as there were no olives about either however loads of tiny midge so probably to them. Called it a day after a couple of hours due to the inactivity of the fish and me!

We're Off!!! - 1st day of the season

April 1st dawned dull and a bit wet. I had a few chores to do and had arranged to meet Derek down by the Sycamore Pool. I decided to start off over the road then walk down to meet him. I was in the pool below Baslow old bridge and it was good to finally be out on the water even though I have had a few outings after the grayling. Spring is a lovely time here in The Peak District. The Derwent is in fine form, very clear with just  tinge of peat, currently. I was not expecting much flylife to be about as it as not as warm as it has been lately. I had on my usual go to dark olive fox squirrel nymph, a good LDO nymph imitation. After a couple of minutes in the run on the nearside of the pool a wild brown around 10" was landed, a great start to the season! It is always good for the ego to catch a fish early on just to prove to yourself that you still have the "knack". Another brown soon followed then by a OOS grayling. I noticed a small rise over the far side of the pool so a quick change to an olive parachute was in order. Nothing happened with the rise however as my fly dragged back to me an enthusiastic rainbow took hold and was also landed. Things were definitely looking good. I decided to make my way down to the Sycamore pool rather awkwardly where Derek had taken a few trout. Tim was also at the run in and was taking fish too. I "snook" in below Derek ready to work my way up with the dark olive fun and immediately started to take fish, obviously some were stock fish but all in exceptional condition. I did not move much as the takes were coming thick and fast, I ended up with over a dozen fish mixed between browns and rainbows, a good start to the season which this year I am looking forward to even more as it will be the 1st one since my retirement, LOOK OUT FISHY!