An Afternoon Towards Litton

Presidents Pool

Derek said lets go to the Wye so not being one to refuse an invite onto Cressbrook and Litton said oh well ok then! Started on the Presidents pool and worked my way up through a couple of pools. Mayfly and fish rising all the way, tried my new hatching mayfly pattern and couldn't go wrong, maybe thats why they call it duffer's fortnight! Caught plenty of browns plus a few wild rainbows. Met up with Derek back at Presidents where Derek proceeded to bully a 3lb+ rainbow which was minding its own business.

Not that Rainbow!

Decided to walk down to the rock face and fished there taking several browns again. Noticed a small rise on the far bank so worked my way round to cover it and wallop! The smallest rise produced the best fish of the day, a cracking brown which had me all over the pool.

That Brown!

The Wye is a good river to test out new patterns due to it being so much clearer that the Derwent which has that peaty tinge to it, you can see the fish's reaction to your flies and whether they inspect them or dismiss them completely out of hand. Although its only a stones through from the Derwent they could not be two more different rivers to fish both having their own attractions.

Decided to call it a day at 1830 so went back to mine for a BBQ and polished off most of a bottle of merlot, days don't get much better that this!

Thursday Evening

Went over the road for the last 45 minutes, literally. The temperature had dropped again and only the very occaisional rise. Covered 2 and managed to land a very nice brown and a good grayling. Took some photos earlier in the evening of rising fish (hence the decision to go for last orders) but couldn't quite get it right but got a few decent shots. All being well going friday afternoon again.

An Afternoon down towards Beeley

Decided to take a half day and go fishing. Arranged to meet Derek at 1330 at the fishing hut. Got there on time and checked the river out, in perfect condition, lots of ranunculus but not in flower yet, level a bit on the low side but gin clear. Mayfly starting to hatch. Met another member, Bob who had a few guests with him and there were a couple of other cars so probably all the best pools taken.

Tackled up whilst waiting for Derek then Bill came back to the hut with a guest, Caroline, Bill's niece (or thats what he told us!..........only joking Bill) certainly much better looking than his usual guests he brings!

Derek arrived 1400 ish and we spent the best part of an hour chatting to Bill and Caroline with the usual p!ss take.

Decided to fish the bottom end with Derek and work our way back up to the pool below Max's bench. Started to catch on a mayfly nymph as not that many fish rising at the moment. Caught 1 brown, 1 rainbow and 1 grayling.

Derek leapfroged above me and went up first, not the best thing to do as Derek is a fine fisherman and not too many fish get missed by him. He was using the 1-up-1-down mayfly and was constantly knocking fish out. The mayfly were now hatching together with the odd yellow may dun, never seen a fish take one of those although I know some people swear by them. Some olive uprights about as well with small black 'things' near the surface. Decided to change to the same and got one. Temperature dropped and Derek said it was down to 60 however within half an hour it had dropped to 55 and storm clouds were massing. Before long it started to rain but only a light however it affected the fish as little or nothing was now rising. The odd fish started to show after the shower but it wasn't long before the rain started to come down quite heavy so called it a day at 1730 as I was now frozen! Not a bad afternoon certainly better than working, ended with 4 fish and more pricked and lost, Derek ended with 10.

The take, just missed it (photographically)

The Rainbow, a wild one?

Followed by a brown

Weather forecast not too good for the weekend, hope the river is ok for Sunday as Mick, aka Trugg, is coming down as my guest, as long as the river doesn't come up but the temperature does then it should be a good day.

The charolais bull is in the field adjacent to the lower stretch, he looks very scary and built like the proverbial brick outhouse but he has his harem to keep him from chasing us, hopefully?

Evening on Cressbrook & Litton Tuesday

David M invited me for an evening sharing a rod on Cressbrook & Litton Club's water on the Wye. Started around 1900 on duffer's pool at Millersdale. As I was hoping NOT to disgrace myself with my casting etc. I started off with a parachute adams and you know when you think OMG! First cast before the fly even got wet went into a tree which ate the fly! S*** things can only get better!

There were lots of mayfly spinners and duns around with fish taking both with gay abandon. Also olive uprights and some slightly smaller, maybe BWOs? Raised a few but the first to stay on was a beautiful brown of about 1.5 lbs. Gradually worked our way upstream catching fish turn and turn about. This really is a very civilised and social way of fishing were the member takes a guest and the rod is shared. Maybe some other clubs could consider this? The mayfly were constantly moving all the way up to the first footbridge where there were also plenty of sedge.

David catching a few different types, agapetus and micro caddis which are destined for Stuart Croft who is keeping a log of caddis species throughout the country, so if you do catch any send them off to Stuart. See his website here for details.

http://www.pennineflyfishingguides.co.uk/torrentis.htm

First time I had seen micro caddis close up and they must be a size 20 or 18 at a push. Agapetus were larger 14 or 16. Caught a few wild rainbows about 8" fit as they come with the tell-tale white edge to the pectoral and anal fins. They really are a breed apart from the stock fish you come across, thats not to say there is a place for both.

Around 2100 the mayfly started to vanish although the temperature was still up and warm, not like previous evenings when it dropped noticeably. David noticed that there appeared to be some small spinners on the water so switched to a Croft/Calvert cranked shaft spinner, don't know the patented name, sorry Stuart, and immediately started to contact fish but several came adrift before landing fish for both of us. Mayfly finally disappeared but the sedge got heavier and heavier as clouds drifted upstream.

Called it an evening at 2215 and just managed to trek back to the hut before it got too dark. Areally enjoyable evening, thank you David.

Sunday 31st May

Decided to have the last hour over the road below Baslow Old Bridge but had a rather frustrating time as had been to a bbq next door and drunk a few beers so maybe my reactions were not up to scratch!

There were plenty of olive uprights and smaller paler olives on the wing and again a few mayfly spinners here and there. Fished an olive grey bodied parachute (again) and eventually landed a nice brown after a few abortive attempts. Changed to a pheasant tail parachute and immediately landed a nice rainbow. I have started to use dillywax for my dries and I must say its great stuff, even after catching several fish the fly still floats without further help, recommended.

As usual this past week the temperature dropped about 2115 and the rises stopped, so called it a day.

WTT Day at Youlgreave

Attended the WTT get-together in Youlgreave with Roger (Derwentflyfisher), I don't propose to go into chapter and verse just to say it was an excellent day, all the speakers were informative and very professional. The Director, Simon Johnson was presented with a cane rod for all his work done with the trust as he is moving on to another job with the Eden Rivers Trust, good luck to him. The new Director has some large shoes to fill!

Walked the Bradford and Lathkill rivers where there were masses of mayfly hatching and on the wing.

Male mayfly - how can you tell?

Met up with KDH and Alex Swann from the flyfishing forum, nice to see you guys and put a face to the name.

I took the spinners I trapped last evening with me and Dr Cyril Bennett identified them as olive uprights. Again this evening loads about by the river but I didn't fish, why (idiot!)?

A view upriver towards Raper Lodge from Alport.

Went to the new hydro scheme by the mill in Alport where Warren gave us a guided tour and explained the reasons behind the scheme. Then back to Youlgreave via the pub for a well earned shandy! Met a couple of guys there from the Wye and Usk Foundation, that certainly looks an interesting area to fish, Roger and I will definitely make a visit there.

Overall an excellent day , thank you WTT for organising it.

WTT Day at Youlgreave

WTT have a get together again at Youlgreave tomorrow. If the last one is anything to go by it will be a good day. Especially looking forward to see how the habitat improvements have changed the Lathkill and Bradford rivers since last time. Weather forecast looks good too. Think I will go down to the cricket pitch beat this evening. Watch this space!

Went over the road, instead, below Baslow old bridge and fished downstream, a few fish rising and covered and a lively brown and a good grayling landed to a grey-olive parachute. Went downstream by the church and one hell of a hatch of various size olives, some about 12-15mm bodies in brown/olive, also some pale olive but only about 5-7 mm bodies, also some black gnats mating again! Obviously trying to immitate a double badger! Managed to trap some so hopefully someone at the WTT meet will be able to identify them. Maybe medium olives and olive uprights? The fish started to rise like mad with their noses coming up out of the surface so changed to a double badger and got another pair of browns in superb condition and as wild as they come. Fished until 2130 when the temperature dropped again and the fish disappeared.

A Warm Balmy Evening (until 2100)

Chatsworth at 1945 busy?

After a lovely hot day busy doing the garden decided to have the last hour in the park. Met 2 guys coming off at 1930 who said there had been lots of flies hatching all day including olives and the odd mayfly but that nothing much had been rising and they had taken fish mainly on the nymph. So decided to fish my favourite piece in the park where there was a stump from an old willow tree cut down years ago but last winter it had been washed away so I was wondering what effect it would have on the swim. On the way down loads of flies about olives, black gnat and the occaisional sedge. Fish rising here and there. A couple of fish rising in the usual place on the run in so covered the first one and touched it but only momentarily, this was to a grey olive parachute. Covered the second fish and managed to land a lovely brown.

First brown

Lots of black gnats mating on the wing and also on the surface so switched to a double badger and also rose fish and landed a couple. Overall managed 4 out of a possible 8, 50% sucess rate, hmmmm.

Fished on until 2100 when the thermostat was turned down noticeably resulting in most of the fly disappearing along with the fish.

Stopped alongside the cricket pitch on the way back so decided to have a flick and rose a cracking alder bush which made off with my fly so called it a day.

Think I will fish the cricket pitch beat tomorrow evening all being well!

View upstream to the cricket pitch beat.

Derwent Condition

Derwent is up about 6 inches again today but clearing slightly from yesterday. Hopefully if we do not get anymore rain then it should be perfect for the weekend as the weather forecast looks ok especially Sunday. Maybe manage to get out for a couple of hours providing I don't get called as on-call (yuk!!).
Been tying some more 1up-1down mayflies from the Phil White school of tying, they are a cracking pattern and my mainstay now for the danica season! Will post a photo over the weekend in case anybody doesn't know what they look like.#

Here is an example

A Day On The River Test May 15th

Spent a day on the hallowed waters of the River Test courtesy of a Corporate Day, John S could not make it so I was fortunate enough to be offered the day.

Travelled down to Stockbridge on Thursday getting there about 1700 so the "essential shops" were still open. Went into the Orvis shop, it's very simialr to the one in Bakewell, to try and find out the SP. Told that the mayfly were hatching along with a few olives and sedge in the evening. Then went over the road to Robjents, here the proprietor was extremely helpful recommending the killing patterns however as I tie my own tried to resist the temptation but succumbed to 2 "Robjents Daddy Longlegs" as its not a fly I usually use, informed the chap that he was extremely privelidged as it is about 25 years since I have actually bought any flies! A really good shop and if you are ever in the area well worth a visit to buy or browse, as we do. If you have never been to Stockbridge it is a lovely market town with pieces of the River Test at strategic points of the high street with the residential brown and rainbow monsters ala Bakewell town centre. However as the local tandoori was just across the way from one particular stretch I am sure the residents here probably would come out ready curried!

Stayed overnight at The White Hart, a welcoming inn at the top of the high streeat again recommended, were I met my hosts Kevin and Dave. Had dinner at the 3 Cups, certainly an entertaining evening!

On Friday morning went down to the Bossington Estate beats where we met Rob the organiser and owner of Halcyon Ways the Corporate Entertaining Business which organises this kind of day. Breakfast was laid on in the fishing hut (I say fishing hut more like a small bungalow you could easily live in) whilst we received the details of how the day was going to pan out with the do's and don'ts namely UPSTREAM DRY FLY ONLY. The River Test looked stunning although a bit coloured but magnificent with fish rising to mayfly which had started to hatch by this time, 1000. Tested my fly was ok at the edge and immediately Jaws grabbed it, a brown of about 8lbs! Needless to say it threw the hook, so carried on upstream wondering what was going to happen next. Do you ever get those days when you rise fish and hook them but they get off within 10 seconds, well this was starting like that. There were fish rising constantly here and there and amongst the mayfly were a couple of different types of olives. Decided to change to a mayfly after so many fish were seen rising and bang, the first to stay on was a brown of about 3lbs in fin perfect condition but obviously stocked. The rain started and though a few mayfly continued to come off the majority of the fish ignored them. Walked upstream to a thatched fishing hut to shelter but passed a few fish taking something small from the surface so covered them with my mayfly using a bow-and-arrow cast as there was bamboo behind me. Again after a couple of drifts a brown took and hared off upstream with me in pursuit as I only had a 4lb point on. Landed it and another superb brown in excellent condition about 4lbs. This went on catching all browns nothing smaller than 2 1/2lbs during the showers.

At about 1230 the heavens opened and so decided to head back to the hut for lunch at 1330 not seeing any fish rise on the way. Following a hearty lunch washed down with some very fine wine we adjourned to the river again, by which the rain had ceased. I took John G, a newcomer to flyfishing who only fished the previous 2 years at this same event, to a beat which Rob informed us had not been fished much. Did not see any fish rising until we got to a weirpool so encouraged John to cast to the edge of the fast water. After a couple of casts he hooked a fine brown and I managed to net it for him. The photo below is the fish, as you can see in first class condition.

Worked our way back to the hut for high tea catching browns all the way back to mayfly which were still coming off. Following tea the temperature dropped and the fly disappeared along with most of the fish so decided to walk downstream to take some photos. Passed a few likely looking places but no fish rising now. Put my mayfly across a weirpool and took another good brown which was duly returned like all my other fish. Got back to the hut at 1930 by which time only our group was left.

Most of the company were virgin fly fishers and had all taken fish which is encouraging to get people interested in fly fishing, they all appeared to enjoy themselves. John who had only fished a couple of times before took home 4 superb browns.

Made for home at 2030 by which time the sun had come out and lit up the whole valley now that fishing for the day was done for.

Once again many thanks to Dave and Kevin who hosted us, and John S for suggesting me to take his place.