Weekend Fishing

Saturday

As Mrs Baslowfisher is still in Southport looking after  her Mum I took the opportunity to go fishing last Saturdy to the Derwenty down towards Beeley. The river was fine and clear even though there had been quite a bit of rain previously. I was meeting Derek at 2 at the hut but as I wa a bit early decided to go down to Max's bench pool.The river had been stocked the previous week and this usually puts the all the fish "off" for a few days so wasn't expecting much. I started at the bottom of the pool with my grey-olive parachute, a good all rounder, and eventually weedled out a nice brown which hadn't been rising but obviously liked the look of my fly. Not much fly-life was about which was surprising as it was a warm day. Following a couple of half hearted rises and not contacting I changed to a Nana's fly and then started to raise a few and landed a couple more browns, seems this is another good general pattern. Once I got to the head of the pool derek had arrived and was in the pool above and each time I looked up he seemed to have a fish on. I couldn't have this so sidled up to him to find out the score but as he appeared to be landing a lot most had come adrift. He was using his favourite nymph and whilst I was standing by him he did land a couple of good rainbows. He said for me to continue up the pool and I covered several fish with a small black klink now and again laded some nice browns, rainbows and a grayling, all to the black klink and a sedge later on as a few had started to show and splashy rises were around so a quick change to a "Larry's Pride" did the damage. I ended up with 6 browns, 2 rainbows and a grayling by 6 pm. before the sky changed and it looked like rain so called it a day

Sunday

Derek suggested an afternoon on the Wye down at Litton Mill fishing some new water which I hadn't fished before. When we arrived there was mist coming off the water at 1pm which was odd. Derek headed off upstream through what I think is called someones " front bottom" which is the reverse of the rear leat from Litton Mill which is called someone elses "back passage" so I am reliably informed by DM!!! I proceeded downstream working my way towards the weir half way between the 2 mills. Initially I fished a decent run and landed a couple of small browns. So continuing downstream with my grey-olive klink I covered some rises and was rewarded with some lovely wild as they come rainbows. Unfortunately I left my camera in the car as it was a bit showery so didn't want to knacker it again. I worked my way down to the weir where I noticed a few rises in the fast water below, needless to say I again landed a rainbow, wild again about 12" absolutely stunning. Derek ambled down to meet me and when I told him I had had 6 fish it surprised him as he had not managed to land as many, YES! By now it was beginning to get a bit chilly being down in the dell and it was only around 5 so we worked our way back to the car, me taking another 3 fish to Derek's nil! Considering the day and the ever present mist on the water and very little flylife I was satisfied with my day.

Recommendations?????????

Can anybody recommend any rivers to fish around Exmoor/North Devon for trout?

Tuesday again

As it is a week since my last fishing visit due to family issues, Mrs Baslowfisher is looking after her Mum in Southport I decided to head over to The Rutland Arms to sample the food as it has recently changed hands again. The food is pub-grub and a decent home-made burger was soon devoured and delicious it was too! I returned home but instead of falling asleep I decided I would have the last hour over the road below Baslow old bridge. It was a lovely warm evening, just like the ones we used to get years ago! Spinners and sedges were present so on went my usual rusty spinner. Unfortunately there was nothing rising repeatedly so it was a case of fishing the runs where I knew fish would be holding. The first fish was a lovely grayling around 10-12". This was followed after snagging the grass behind me by a better grayling but disaster as it took the hook away. The snag had obviously damaged the leader even though I had checked it but note to self "in future snip off 6" of leader and remake the knot". I replaced the fly with a sedge but this proved fruitless so back on went a rusty. This was taken by a lovely wild brown about 12-14" which was quickly returned. I wondered down to the run below the bench by the church and although there were some rises they were not interested in my fly until I placed it into a run on the far side and another grayling was landed. I decided to call it a day then as it was obvious nothing was much going to happen and I was satisfied for my 3 fish in an hour even though I could have carried on.

Tuesday

I had arranged to meet Derek down by the cricket pitch after I finished work. I turned up just as he was leaving! It had not been a good day, children and dogs in the river. So I turned around without even getting out of the car and decided to pay a visit to the willow pool which tends to be quieter. I got down there around 1815 and started with a sedge from the Blue Ribbon stable and passed it over a rise right in ankle deep water in the pool and took a decent grayling. The early evening was not as the weather man had predicted but rather cooler than expected, consequently there were no spinners about and only the odd small sedge. Following a couple of long distance releases I swapped to a grey olive klink style but nothing so swapped again to a ptn and took a brown of 14". Again I changed to a sedge pupa and took 2 more rainbows which fought like demons for their size and totally out of character staying close to the bottom which made me think initially they were browns. By 1930 I could tell there wasn't much going to happen so called it a  day after a not too disappointing hour. There's always another day!

This Made Me Chuckle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGQ7EVfYvw8

Tenkara Weekend!

I was in Bakewell on Saturday and visited our trusty servant namely The Flyfishing Shop and Peter Arfield for a chin wag. He has recently started to sell Tenkara equipment and in the course of our chat he mentioned that he rents out rods for people to try. Naturally I had to "have a go" so duly paid my rental of £10 English pounds. The rod wa a 13 or 15 foot rod with a furles leader and a 6x tippet. Now I have read a few recent articles about this type of flyfishing but after a quick demo in the courtyard from Peter I was on my way. In the evening I decided to go down to the lunch hut at Beeley as there are some riffles and runs there. I got down around 1900 and there was the odd fish rising here and there. At first it was difficult to get the line out, the usual heap ensued however after a bit of perseverance I could throw a decent lob. I was fishing fairly close in which I think is the general idea. I had on my greyolive parachute and after about 20 mins hooked into my 1st fish, a healthy wild brownie, things were looking good. I was getting the hang of it but couldn't get any fish to take again so I thought I would try a PTN with a copper bead. Again I was into my 2nd fish a lovely grayling. The pool and run I was fishing were too wide to fish towards the trees at the far side, 1st limitation of this. I managed to work my way to a suitable spot just below a rising fish and within probaly fifteen feet, by now I had changed to my trusty rusty and covered the fish and on about the 3rd or 4th pass up it came. It was this pass that the fly came down drag free so I was obviously doing something wrong on the other attempts. I was finding it difficult keeping the furled leader off the surface, my cast was about 2 feet so don't know if  that was enough. This was a larger brownie around 12-14 inches so lead me a merry dance but I eventually managed to land it. I continued in the same vein and finished around 2145 with another 4 browns and a grayling making 8 fish in all. Not bad for a 1st attempt. Was I convinced at the effectiveness of Tenkara? The jury is still out.

A 1st for the Tenkara

So on Sunday evening I decided to retry the experiment and went into the Park around 1930. The weather had been showery during the afternoon but even though the sun was out the temperature was on the parky side necessitating a fleece. Fly life was almost non existent so I decided to try some of the Blue  Ribbon flies I had tied during the winter and on went a sparkle dun with an amber body. I went down to the stump area where I knew there was some faster water where I could get close in. On my 2nd or 3rd cast where there is nearly always a grayling I hooked into one and landed it, brilliant! A 2nd fish started to show in the same spot and this also eventually took when I managed to get a drag free drift however disaster! The fish was a good grayling as I saw it on the surface but it pinged the fly off pretty quickly as I couldn't follow it quick enough downstream. I hate that happening. On went another sparkle dun the twin of the 1st and the same thing happened again when a decent brown took, another fly stuck in a fish. That was 2 more than I had lost in fish all season so far! Hmmm not impressed! I changed the cast to 3.2lb point instead and attached a rusty spinner. Nothing much was showing and it was only 2100 however a brown decided it was too good to leave and took it which I gingerly landed. Enough was enough now and I called it an evening as I was getting chilled. Would I buy a Tenkara rod? Not for the Derwent I think. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, it is not the right rod for the Derwent maybe the Dove or the Wye? I remain to be convinvced and I know there are probably hundreds of people out there who enjoy it, I know a few but I don't think its for me.

As I am not far from Bakewell I nipped into town to see if anybody was fishing there and Mick was worrying the Wye population with a PPS. Richard was also upstream. Fish were rising well on the Wye and had been all day. It's mazing the difference a mile or two makes. After having a chat we all went our separate ways when the heavens opened.

A False Start!

After finishing work a bit late I arranged to meet Derek above the works asap. It wasn't until 2015 that I got down there only to find I had left my reel and flyboxes at home! A false start, too eager to get out as it's been over a month since I have been fishing. I found Derek ensconced in the sycamore pool so I got in just above him to work my way up. After the glorious day the temperature was still reasonable on the bank but down below the trees it was decidedly chilly. Sedge and spinners were about but not what I expected. On went my rusty spinner and immediatley had a take but I was also rusty and struck too soon only pricking the fish. I worked my way under the trees and next time I delayed the strike to land a lovley brown of about 15 inches. Following another couple of long distance releases the fish stopped rising about 2130 so we called it a day after only 45 mins of fishing. As we made our way back to the car we realised that if we had gone into the park we would probably have had another 30 miniutes of fishing time and it would probably have been warmer in the open however during the day the park and river was full of dogs and children so the fish would probably have disappeared. Hey ho!

Have acquired some more materials for tying up some saltwater flies for my trip down to North Devon in a couple of weeks time. Any suggestions as good locations around the Porlock area or river fishing around Exford would be appreciated.

Tuesday 19th June

Following the rain and the fact that the Derwent had been up to 7 feet in flood eventually it has dropped to more or less normal level and clear so I ev eventually decided to have an hour or two down by the cricket pitch. Unfortunately someone was already there and had been all afternoon so I decided to make my way up towards Bar brook and the deer boom. As I didn't know what was on the river I had my go to grey olive klink on a size 16. I started under the tress on the way up but the river was deceptive as although it looked down to a good level there was still a good amount pushing through. After I lost the whole of my tippet I decided enough was enough so fished from the opposite side to the car park. I took a small brown to the klink but noticed there were quite a few spinners about so switched to my rusty parachute after a few fish refused the grey olive. Immediately I took another brown which  was as wild as they come. Although it was a warmish evening there wasn't much rising just here and there. I suppose after the recent high water and the fact the fish are probably satiated on mayfly points to the fact that they were all stuffed! I made my way up only casting to a rise and contacted a few but they came adrift. At the deer boom, where there is always a fish showing, true to its word there was more action here and I winkled out another 3 browns. By 2030 the temperature had dropped and so had the fish so I beat a hasty retreat. 5 fish in a little over an hour was not bad considering I was humming and harring as to whether to go or not.

Wye Trip Off

Derek rang at 0900 to say he was unwell and therefore would have to call off our trip to the Wye. I had already booked the day off work so did some gardening in the morning. After lunch I decided to walk down to the sycamore pool and start there and slowly work my way back up to Baslow old bridge. Once I had negotiated the wall, nettles and brambles I made it to the pool but there was not much happening. Fly life was decidedly absent, maybe due to the temperature being down a bit and a breeze about. I sat and watched for 10 minutes or so and the occasional fish showed. I had on my mayfly nymph so had a cast but nothing. A few mayflies started to appear so I put on my freshly tied mayfly, I covered a few fish and they seemed to take the fly as the leader was disappearing but on the strike there was nothing. After this had happened a few times I decided to change to another mayfly but still the same thing happened and sometimes the fish just splashed at the fly. I could see it was going to be one of those days when nothing attaches itself to your fly. By now a really good hatch of sedge, grannom I think, were buzzing about and also lots of olive uprights, I think! The sun had come out and it was feeling like summer. It was at this point I realised I had left my flybox with all my sedge patterns at home! I did have a couple of patterns in another box but they were just the green tailed variety I had tied after a display during the winter at the Grayling Society meetings. These were on short shanked bardless carp hooks. On went one and after a couple of casts a take but this also failed to attach, I was trying a delayed strike and immediate strike  but nothing. I was despairing now. Finally a lovely head and tail rise took it and I was in, my 1st brown of the day.

1st Brown of the day.

Now the mayfly were coming off and the fish were taking them with gusto so on went another fresh mayfly and this time I did land a couple more browns between losing more and phantom takes. The sun went behind a big black cloud and the heavens opened, so much so that the river almost died and I took shelter under a tree for 30 minutes.

The Sycamore Pool and p!ss!ng down!

After the shower I made my way up the pool but fish were slow to restart their feeding and only the odd fish showed until the sun came out again. I made it up to the new bridge with 5 fish to my credit. By now it was gone 5 so I quickly fished the runs, riffles and pools between the bridges but again nothing was showing so nothing to cats to. I reached the pool below the old bridge and low and behold a few fish were showing. My favourite run on the far side had a fish rising.  This is a tricky run as there are lots of converging currents between you and the run so it has to be a cast with plenty of slack otherwise drag is more or less instantaneous. Eventually I got my cast right and just knew the fish would come for it and strike and he was on.......then off! I did land 3 more browns from this pool, all fish which had shown and cast to, I love it when that happens, the anticipation knowing you are covering a feeding fish is electric, far better than casting blind.

My last fish of the day. A wildy.

Anyway I finished the day with 8 fish which at 1 point during the afternoon I didn't think I would land anything. It's a funny old business this fishing lark!

Diamond Jubilee Week-end

Friday - 1st June
My weekend started with a couple of hours in the evening down at the willow pool. The temperature wasn't great but there were loads of large spinners around all about a size 12 with grey bodies and 2 tails, ldo or olive uprights? I had on my greyolive parachute in a 14 and took a small brown. Rises were only here and there so if you covered one it wasn't definite that the fish would come up again. After a while I changed to a rusty spinner in a 14 and took another couple of browns before calling it a day.
Saturday 2nd June
My son Adam wanted a day so we decided to get onto the river quite early for me 11.00, again we went down to the willow pool. It was at this point I realised I had left my camera at home, brilliant! Adam started at the tail of the pool and soon landed a couple of rainbows, a great start as I always want him to catch fish as he rarely gets to go fishing, golf is his favourite pastime. I decided to have a chuck too whilst waiting forever for the kettle to boil and I also took a couple of browns. Only the odd mayfly was coming off at the moment but the sun was shining and we were fishing so everything was good. After a couple more fish we decided to go down to the gully pool. This pool is good when the sun is out as its sheltered by lots of trees, fish were showing here and there and by now the mayfly were coming of more frequently and the fish were taking them. We both changed to dry mayfly, the good old 1-up 1-down (Philip White's pattern). This is the pattern I use almost exclusively now when the mayfly are about, I have dabbled with other patterns but none seem to equal this for me. We both took fish as we proceeded down the pool, me first as Adam didn't have a wading staff and the bed of the river had changed since last year, still bottom clenching! I skirted around the deer boom and then got down to Bar Brook were the mayfly were only coming off here and there. It was odd that the mayfly came off in fits and starts, a good flow then nothing for 20 minutes then again for 20 minutes and so on. I reached here during one of the off spells and so went back to my mayfly nymph. First cast and a cracking rainbow of between 4 and 5 pounds resulted, not quite as big as the 6lb'er I got earlier in the week. This was followed a couple of casts later by a couple of blues in the same weight range. These took a good 10 minutes each to get in, they fought like demons and jumped like sea-trout. I spoke to Matthew about these and they had been stocked in March and were from the previous season as they had been kept in tanks over winter. By now Adam had joined me and we both continued to take fish mainly to the dry. The only problem with fishing these big mayflies is that they play havoc with your cast. I had on 3lb tippet and had to change it numerous time due to the twisting effect of the fly. It was a great afternoon fishing the mayfly however I don't think the fish were totally switched on to them as many of the newly hatched duns made it to the safety of the bushes. We finished by 1800 as the hatch finished around 1730 and we had taken over 30 fish between us. A great day.
Sunday 3rd June
Rain rain rain, a horrible day, no fishing just sat and read the paper and tied up some more mayfly nymphs. At least the rain didn't bring the river up.
Monday 4th June
I arranged to meet Derek at Bar Brook around 1400 but I was a bit late. I wandered down there but he wasn't around so I started to fish. The mayfly were hatching in droves now as the sun was out but not particularly warm. Bar Brook was spewing out brown coloured water which left a distinctive line where the 2 waters met as the Derwent only had it's usual tea coloured tinge. The hatch was more or less constant today and I took several browns all to the dry mayfly, same old pattern as before. Fish were rising in both the clear water and the colured water from Bar Brook, It's interesting to note that the coloured water wasn't putting the fish off. As Richard Walker once said "if you think the water is dirty put some in a glass and you will see how clear it is" or words to that effect. I fished till about 1630 when the hatch petered out but the same spinners as Friday were still about plus some smaller ones which I suspect were BWOs, but maybe wrong. I switched to the greyolive para again and took my last fish of the day another brown. That was 6 browns for the couple of hours which in my book ain't bad. As I made my way back I spotted Derek in the gully pool so watched him winkle out 4 fish in as many casts to his new mayfly pattern, but this is still in the development stage. He wouldn't divulge how many fish a fly has to take to make it into his box.

 Where Bar Brook enters the Derwent.

Looking up towards the deer boom from the previous shot.

Derek with one of his fish to his new mayfly pattern

Tomorrow we are going to the gardens at Chatsworth to see the rhodedendrons so no fishing but I have Wednesday off work so Derek is taking me on the Wye, I must tie up some more mayfly duns as the fish soon mash the ones I tie. Thursday and Friday afternoons it's back to the Derwent as booked them off work too!.