No Fishing!

Weather - sleet showers, 4-6" of snow between Baslow and Sheffield over the top bad driving conditions.

Decided to watch my JT Early Season dvd instead and tie a few JT olives, will post photos if they are any good!

Alas no ladies!

Went to the Derwent after lunch above the works with Derek. Fished for couple of hours but I didn't get any grayling just a few out of season trout. Derek managed some grayling on a pink bug. The Derwent was in good condition only a few inches up but clear...ish, didn't see any fish rise so it was a couple of bugs fished up and across. It was hard fishing today only just above freezing and the odd shower but hey still better than being in work! Derek suggested we go to the Wye tomorrow weather permitting so not being one to give up an offer we agreed to view the weather tomorrow.

Bakewell 26th December

Went into Bakewell to blow the Christmas cobwebs away. The hunt came through, a lovely typical English sight, all the horses and dogs. Lots of people watching.

Tried to walk along the river but path still far too icy. There were 2 intrepid anglers but didn't catch anything whilst I was watching briefly. The river was in fine form then but now the snow has all melted and there has been a fair amount of rain so it may be up a bit now.

Hoping to get out this week as have a few days off. Will post details if I do get out.

Best wishes to all and thanks for looking in on my blog.

Grayling Society Meeting

Went to the Grayling Society meeting at the Devonshire Arms in Baslow on Tuesday evening. Mike Harding was the guest speaker who gave a good talk with some excellent tying of north country spiders, good jokes and anecdotes. Won a copy of the Jeremy Paxman book in the raffle! Spoke to David the river keeper from Cressbrook and Litton and he still can't say entomological (those who have seen the JT mayfly dvd will know what I mean!). Steve and Hilary also had an excellent time fishing in Mexico for the bonefish, see Paul Procter's blog for a brief resume. It definitley sounds like the trip of a lifetime. All in all a good meeting and worth the effort to go out on a miserable night to speak with like minded people. The next meeting is on the 19th January when Don Stazicker will be giving a talk.

Went to feed the ducks earlier today and the Derwent is still up by about 12", slightly coloured and raging through. More snow is forecast but there is only a very light sprinkling here in Baslow. Hope to get out for a few hours over the weekend weather permitting.

Checkout the video, some belters but where they setup?

A Few Hours At Last!

After numerous weeks not being able to get out of a weekend due to one thing and another finally managed a couple of hours in Chatsworth Park. The Derwent was up quite a bit and running really fast but reasonably clear with only the peaty tinge of a good malt. No fly hatching as it was nippy so decided on a couple of heavy nymphs. A beige czech nymph on the point and a watery olive shrimp on the dropper. As I walked down past the cricket pitch I could see the bank damage done by the recent floods. I started in my usual spot where I normally pick up a grayling by the stump but as the river was running so fast it was a wasted effort there. The river bed has also undergone some changes and where it was reasonably shallow, some deep holes have been scoured out.

Went down to Mary's Bower fishing close in to the bank where the current was not as fierce and got a grayling on a latex grub which had replaced the czech nymph. Also dropped one too. Changed to a pink shrimp and hoicked out a 2lb+ rainbow obviously out of season but in superb condition and quickly returned, so started to work my way back upstream. Only managed to land another grayling before brass monkey's set in and I called it a day. It was good to get out and feel the river pusing against you. Hopefully get out next weekend weather permitting!

BFFI Sunday 8th November

Went to the Fly Fair on Sunday, a good day out with some retail therapy thrown in (but don't tell Mrs P)! Numerous good tyers of all different types of fly from tiny spiders to massive pike and saltwater flies. All the usual suspects were there, Oliver Edwards, Paul Procter, Stuart Crofts, Malcolm Greenhalgh etc.
There was an excellent tyer from Sweden demostrating some wing burners and some thin film to create very realistic wings on olives to caddis, needless to say I succumbed to a caddis wing burner in a small (8-10mm) size with some corresponding film, will post some pics when I get started. Got some tiny beads in assorted colours (brown, purple, orange) which will work well on small spiders to get them down to the grayling. Also picked up some dyed muskrat in olive which always dubs well and creates good looking bodies, at least on an adams etc. so should tie up well on small olives too! Picked up a dvd from the WTT produced by Paul Gaskell of the Trout in the Town (I think) fame, providing you made a contribution of £15. A really good watch and well worth it. Also spotted some of the new John Tyzack dvd on mayflies, which looked definitely promising.
All in all a good day but I don't think there were as many people as in previous years, maybe the credit crunch is having an effect.
Not had a chance to get out on the river for any grayling yet as I tend to use the trout close season for appeasing Mrs P. although last week the Derwent was up and coloured for a few days.

The Last Outing Before the Trout Finish

Had an enjoyable afternoon fishing with Roger (a.k.a. Derwentflyfisher). Started about 1300 below the 1 arch bridge at the far end of the park. The water is very low and lots of scum on the bottom still there was a good hatch of medium and small type olives, needle flies and the odd sedge. Fished a rather deep pool Roger going up 1st and he managed a few grayling and browns to his usual all brown dry fly. I only took a small grayling to a dark olive squirrel nymph.

After an hour we moved into the park fishing below the bottom weir passing a herd of deer on the far bank being looked after by a large stag.

There were quite a few fish rising to the good hatch of olives. I swicthed to the dry but couldn't touch anything so went back to the nymph. Got a good rainbow touching the 2lb mark.

Walked up to the top weir passing afew rising fish on the way castin gfrom the bank to them and actually rising them but not conencting, I call these moral victories!

By now the sun was dipping behind the hill so moved back down to the bottom weir, the pool directly below the weir where there are usually some decent fish about but this time only a few grayling. Roger picking up another from here.

Decided to work our way back downstream but by now most of the rises had ceased so called it a day at 1700. Walking back to the car we were both reflecting on the past season and agreed that it had been a good season for us both.

Derwent Fly Fishers Above Hathersage

My good friend Roger S invited me onto his stretch of Derwent Fly Fishers above Hathersage. It is a stretch I haven't been on before, we started at about 1300 above the stepping stones as there were loads of rises to the many olives coming off so Roger made the first cast and almost immediately had a good grayling to an F-fly (I am considering changing the name of this fly to a Rogers Favourite!). Then my turn and a few casts later another grayling to a grey olive parachute. (Colins Favourite!).

We walked down to the bottom of beat 14 and started to work our way back up. I took afew more decent grayling including this one and its twin.

Continued to cover rising fish and taking grayling mainly with a couple of browns all to the grey-olive parachute. At the top of the pool there was more depth and nothing rising so put on a dark olive squirrel nymph and immediately hit another good grayling which was pushing 2lb! Then on the next cast hit an even larger 1 but unfortunatley it didn't stay on. Picked up a second 1 again well over 1lb. Roger and I worked our way up past beat 15 where Roger hadn't fished before, we discovered some very good water all easily wadeable. I spotted fish for Roger and vice-versa we were both taking mainly grayling. We reached the limit of beat 16 and I took another 2 good browns again to the squirrel nymph.

We finished a very enjoyable afternoon at 1700 with a beer back at the car, my tally being 8 grayling and 5 browns.

River Wye

Derek invited me onto the River Wye today, Went down to the bobbin mill but too many people there so decided to go up to Gregory's Farm below Monsal Head. Got there about 1230 and the sun was trying its best to come out and it was fairly mild, there was a good hatch of olives coming off too. Started off in this pool with a grey-olive parachute but couldn't get anything to take. Derek started above the bridge on a nymph and immediately was into fish. Worked my way up towards the bridge where there were several good fish head and tailing then some kind person who had let their dog off the lead decided to let it take an early bath! Which put a end to that pool.

Went above the bridge to see Derek taking a good rainbow, again on the nymph. He certainly knows how to work the nymph upstream does Derek!

Fished above Derek and eventually got a nice brown on the dry grey-olive parachute. Not that many fish rising considering the amount of olives about and few sedge. Managed to trap a sedge which ahd a yellow/amber body and gre wings about a size 14. So on went an amber cdc sedge to cover a rising fish and immediatley hooked another nice brown, I love it when a plan comes together! Worked my upstrean taking a good rainbow on a nymph before getting to the bridge by Tom's Cottage and took 2 more browns from the pool below the bridge on the gre-olive parachute. By now the sun was dipping below the hill and the temperature was dropping. The river keeper, Chris, appeared and passed the time of day with him before retreating back to see how Derek was getting on, needless to say he had about a dozen all on the nymph. Went back to the first pool to see if the fish were back but only the odd one rising but didn't get anything so we called it a day at 1730. A good afternoon on this stretch which I haven't fished for a couple of years, thank you Derek for taking me.

Sunday 13th September

Following the glorious day yesterday I decided to go down to the hut where on arrival I disturbed a massive dark brown bird of prey on the electricity pole by the hut, Matthew told me later that it was a buzzard which usually rests in the old oak tree further up river where the pheasants are reared. Took my camera with me hoping to catch a glimpse again but he was well gone! So I started in the pool just above the hut, one of my favourites where there are plenty of different runs and riffles. The river was clearish with a tinge of colour and plenty of olives hatching, dull grey bodies, wings and legs and about a size 18-20. Wondered what they were, pale wateries or some other small olive, hmmmm. Put on a size 18 grey olive parachute and immediately rose a few fish which failed to stay on until a small grayling was landed, a good start. Covered quite a few fish but again failed to stay attached, I call these moral victories! After a half hour walked down to Max's bench pool where I expected to see plenty of fish rising, nothing, zilch, nought, nowt, zero! So put on a size 18 biot nymph and had a few snatches but nothing definite. Noticed further up the pool a fish rising fairly constantly so quickly worked my way up and changed to a small olive paradun and covered the fish which took first cast but I struck too soon, luckily it didn't feel the hook and continued to rise so covered again and made sure this time landing a decent grayling.

Got out and was contemplating things sitting on Max's bench when Matthew the keeper came down to check on me, said that there had been someone fishing below the bottom weir in the park who had had a cracking afternoon, as I had only managed to land 2 fish so far. Then I suppose mine wasn't that bad too sitting on the bench in the autumn sunshine whiling away the time watching the river flowing by, the odd fish rising, dippers, bees, the sheep bahing, the cows mooing and generally thanking God that I am really lucky to be able to fish this stretch of river.

Went back up to the pool below the hut for the last half hour and got a decent brown before calling it a day as the temperature was dropping together with my standard of casting.