Taken to the Cleaners and a bit of Father/Son Bonding

Friday Evening
Went over the road Friday evening at about 1930 as it had been a good day weather wise. There were several fish rising but again to the pain that is called greenfly! There were a few black gnats around with the odd sedge and olive. No matter what I did I could not get the little blighters to take, it's then that you start to think things like micro drag or fish stubbornly moving to your fly due the mass of naturals available. Needless to say I banked 1 brown and 1 rainbow. Sometimes when you are getting a bit cocky a difficult evening brings you down to earth. Trapped this olive, think it may be an olive upright?

Any clues?

Saturday

My son Adam decided he would like a day fishing with me, he did not come last season due to other interests! Anyway we decided to get out about 1230 and it was very hot so we headed down to below the works around the deer boom area as its usually a bit sheltered under the trees and fish can be found feeding here. Again there were masses of greenfly about and swarms of black gnats about. I tried a small black para and took a nice brown but it must have been a flook as nothing else would take. I noticed Adam into what looked like a good fisnh too! We moved down the pool and at one point I was literally a rods length from a smutting trout, taking the greenfly. No matter what I gave it it was totally switched on to them as I could spot them coming down the run and the fish just tilting to sip in the fly. I attempted a couple of photos but couldn't just quite get it right.By 1500 the fish had stopped rising and the heat had increased so we headed home till the evening. Adam did ok with 4 fish to my 3.
We went out again at 1930 down to the lunch hut at the bottom end. Again fish were rising to black gnat and greenfly but this time there were some yellow flies which looked sedgey but on further inspection I identified them as yellow sallies. Again I had to go down to a 26 and managed a couple of browns, this time they stayed on better as I had offset the hook point. Adam also took a couple of fish and the keeper remarked that he had seen him take a good size rainbow. I moved down to the pool below the hut and in the fast water noticed that a hatch of olives were on the go, I did not manage to trap 1 but they were very pale and probably BWO size so I assume they could be pale wateries as it is a bit early for BWOs I think. We fished on until 2145 and Adam finished with 4 fish and 4 fish to myself. A really enjoyable day with my son we should do it more often provided he isn't on the golf course!

Yesterday Late Afternoon

Went over the road for a couple of hours after work. There were quite a few fish rising, sipping something tiny from the surface. Loads of greenfly about again so went down to a 26 again and got a few takes but only managed to land a couple of rainbows. Lots of black gnats about too but about a size 20. The odd olive but nothing to write home about. Temperature warm and sunny, its finally arrived! Going to go Friday too.

FYI

For your information, its been a warm sunny day here in Derbyshire, Mrs P has had her pot and boot taken off so hopefully all things are improving. Nipped over the road to checkout the river and fish to see if anything rising but only the odd 1 here and there. The Derwent is very low however I think I will give it a go tomorrow evening just to see what's what. Watch this space!

A Chilly Few Hours and a Rogue?

Mrs BF said "are you going to go fishing today", well I don't need to be told twice so found myself above the works again at 1400. There were mainly sunny spells but a lazy downstream wind (lazy means it doensn't go around you but through you) , when the wind dropped it was very pleasant though. With 4 cars in the car park I thought my favourite piece of water would have a resident but thankfully no. Got in just above the sycamore and immediately landed a nice brown on a size 20 yellow parachute. There were loads of tiny midge like flies about but only the odd olive and no sedge. Within a couple more casts hit one of the large rainbows but it came off at the net. There were lots of rising fish just sipping in the tiny flies from the surface, the next fish covered came up vertical and slooped down my fly, another lovely marked brown. That was 3 fish struck in a space of water 10 feet wide. I worked my up step by step taking another brown, I thought I had cracked it! How wrong can you be, not another fish took my creation so I changed to a size 19 (103BL) griffiths gnat which immediately took another brown which again came off at the net. Chris Prior came up for a chat and as we were talking a very early mayfly flew past! Chris had also seen one earlier. I was on the phone to Derek yesterday and he had tried the mayfly nymph on Friday but the fish aren't on them yet. Its odd that mayflies start hatching so early considering the bad spring we have had. In previous years I have even seen them hatching in September too here on the Derwent, anyway I digress. Carried on moving up towards the pool head and picked up the odd brown here and there. Finished off with a size 26 yellow klink and nailed an out of season grayling so finished the day with 7 browns and a grayling at 1630 as it was getting decidedly chillier and even though I was still in my neoprenes the water is still cold.
BTW picked up a new pair of waders yesterday from the Orvis shop in Bakewell, I have high hopes for these hoping they will be better than the Sieves I have been using. Hey ho happy days!

A Couple of Hours Above the Sycamore Pool

Finished my chores and so was able to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon. Weather overcast and chilly at first but the sun came out and the temperature rose.Went above the sycamore pool and there were quite a few fish rising so started with a LDO and got a decent rainbow within a couple of casts quickly followed by a good brown. There were lots of tiny flies about and the fish were just sipping the flies down. Must have been 2 flooks getting those as covered a load more fish but nothing taken. Switched to a size 20 caenis and picked up another brown, then again nothing. Decided to give a JT olive a run out and covered 2 fish and they both had it! Now I know this has probably surprised 1 or 2 of you as I rarely use cdc but this fly ceratinly had 'em! Used the frogs fanny on the fly after giving it a good wash between fish and that seemed to make the fly good as new. Note to self must try more cdc flies this season. Picked up another cracking rainbow 21" so decided to keep it. Fish were rising everywhere now but the few caddis which were knocking about were being totally ignored by the fish. I suspect they were taking some tiny emerger going by the slow sipping rise forms and nothing noticeable on the surface (I may be wrong here). Switched to a tiny size 26 greenfly as noticed quited a few on the surface and hit  a few but only landed 1 brown. Again a change of fly to a size 26 caenis type klink and hit quite a few fish but only landed another 2. Finished at 1700 with fish still rising and a tally of 8 fish for a couple of hours work! Hopefully the evening rise is just around the corner now as if I could have stayed I am sure the rise would have gone on for some time.

UPDATE - Just had Roger on the phone, he was taking his dog for a walk and crossed Baslow old bridge and noticed fish rising still at 2030 so maybe the evening rise has started, fingers crossed.

Pocket Guide to Matching the Hatch - Peter Lapsley and Cyril Bennett

Just received this little book and its very good. It details all the common flies on our rivers with examples of patterns, size, hatch charts and even rise forms. There is a good idea were the actual sizes of the various flies is shown together with an outline of the fly. The only criticism is that the patterns do not have any recipes so you have to hunt for tying details, otherwise definitely recommendable.

Orvis Customer Service

I have just received a new top piece for my rod which I broke last week, I only took it into the shop in Bakewell on Saturday. Now thats what I call service. Thanks Orvis.

Not a Good Start and a Wet Foot

Managed to complete my nursing duties and slip away for a couple of hours so decided to fish the fast water by the works. On getting my rod out of the bag I broke the tip off, brilliant! Someone is telling me I shouldn't be here. Fortunately home is only 2 minutes away so decided to tackle up at home and walk down to below Baslow new bridge and work my way back up. There was a massive hatch of LDOs and grannom. Trapped a couple to make sure. Started with a LDO (OE's pattern) and got a couple of good browns and a decent out of season grayling. Worked my way to the upstream side of the new road bridge but what was interesting is that the grannom were not hatching or fluttering about as much as below the bridge. Maybe they haven't worked there way that far yet as last year I spoke to Stuart Crofts about the grannom and he was surprised that they had reached the Chatsworth stretch. Winkled out a couple of rainbows and grayling from above the bridge before the temperature dropped slightly and the hatch petered out. The odd fish was rising still and I managed another rainbow and grayling so ended up with 9 fish for the 2 hours which I call a decent afternoons fishing. Oh and the wet foot? It's the first time I have used my breathables this season and the damn things are leaking. Does anybody have any opinion on the length of time breathables should last, I have had these Simms for 6 seasons, is that to be expected?

A Pleasant Afternoon on C&L F C at Monsal Dale

Its only my second outing of the trout season due to Lynn falling and breaking an ankle and me having to nurse her. Derek offered a shared rod on the Wye yesterday where we met Don and Bill at the luncheon hut. It was a beautiful afternoon with a sharp downstream breeze. We all walked up the dale taking alternate casts to rising fish as there was a hatch of olives taking place. My first cast was a "bow and arrow" cast with one of Derek's fabled nymphs and the trout targetted took first time, a lovely brown about 12-14 inches. Bill took a couple on the dry so Derek changed over to a dry olive and he also took a couple. We made our way up the Dale but the rising fish where only in certain pools where the sun shone on the water, out of the sun it was still decidedly chilly. I took a small wild rainbow further up the river to nymph again. Derek also took his fair share of fish. I left Derek working his way upriver at about 1600 to get back to the invalid. All-in-all a very pleasant afternoon with lots of banter with good freinds.

Monday 5th April 1st Outing of the Trout Season

Well it did not rain on Sunday and the river was running about 6-8 inches above normal and reasonably clear by Monday so decided to go down to the willow pool. Got to the car park to find 5 cars already there,doh! A guy was just coming away and informed me the willow pool had someone already there. The wind was quite strong so decided to go down to the gulley area, this is always quite sheltered be it during strong wind or bright sunshine. Started off with a dark olive squirrel nymph and immediatley picked up a small wild brown, a great start to the season. Noticed a couple of large dark olives sailing down but nothing interested in them but it still convinced me to change to a large dark olive (O.E's). On the second cast the twin of the 1st trout took and that was 2 fish in a matter of minutes. Moving slowly up the pool I took another 2 browns which were between 12-14 inches, woo hoo. Finished going up the pool with a rainbow about 18 inches. Worked my way back to the 'get out' point where I took another brown and was busy minding my own business taking in everythimng when a voice scared the s*** out me, it was Matthew the river keeper, you will have to get a warning bell! Passed the time of day then went up to the willow pool where the previous occupant had departed. Although the river was not up that much it was hammering through and this pool is quite deceiving in its speed of current, I think the bed of the pool here has changed a bit during the winter, its possible to wade further up now to opposite the cattle drink. There were no further olives seen in this pool so changed to an olive FSN again and landed a rainbow about 2lb. To finish off I then hooked something much larger, Matthew had made his way back and was watching me from the bench and commented 'that's a decent one!' I managed to land one of the largest rainbows I have caught on the Derwent, I had a couple of attempts to get it in my net but eventually managed, it must have been knocking 4lbs. Matthew informed me that he had put in quite a few 'big boys' which are from the feeding pond in the farmyard at the house. It was fin perfect and in superb condition. Switched on my camera but unfortunatley it was one of those were balancing a fish with 1 hand and trying to compose it with the other it gave a quick flick and was gone. So I ended the day with 5 browns and 3 rainbows, a good start to the season.