A very surprising result

 So my last post used a racing analogy .  My Friday a couple of weeks ago  was another day that would be backing the long odds .  Until Thursday evening I had no intention to fish on Friday as the weather forecast was making Saturday look like a certainty for a good day . But late plans meant that on Friday I was heading out to the river again . I was very happily surprised to arrive at the car park, to find very light wind and warm temperatures.

The river looked in great form , rising fish that had been a rarity all season were showing . Not in great numbers but for me it was just right , enough to keep you looking and hoping .  Aware that in two more weeks the trout season would be over for another year .  By then nymphing would be the order of the day and likely nothing else until next summer . All the fish that came to hand were small and eager but ever so welcome .

On the day most fish fell to a cdc and elk , if after a few casts the targeted fish wasn’t playing then a size smaller cdc f fly usually worked . I was determined to avoid the nymph to make the most of the last of the warm summers day 

I was using a Clifford constable 9 ft light line bamboo that I had bought very cheap on eBay , I knew the handle needed some attention but when I looked at it I knew it was past redemption .  Rot had got into the cork and even the bottom inch or so of bamboo was shot .  So a new handle was spun on the lathe and a modern reel seat fitted .  It’s a fine rod but a bit tiring to use all day . The 8ft hollolite I use is the correct weight but a tad short .  I keep thinking a 8ft 6 inch Hardy Phantom might be joining the family . 

Fly line was a Moxon silk half line 

The day as it turned out was a fitting end to the season . I did make another trip back there with a guest . Although the day was very good with excellent company two lost decent fish and a busted landing net took the edge of things .  But it’s hard to complain when you are privileged to fish on such a stunning bit of chalkstream . It won’t be long until next season . 

Summers drawing to an end

 

Well as far as fishing summers go I think that to use a racing term 2024 is one to put down as an also ran. 

It was slow to get going due to last years biblical rainfall. Then being followed by a very dry couple of months .High summer never seemed to get going .  I had some brilliant early days up in the upland stream that I joined this year.  Otherwise its all been a bit strange .  The chalk stream was slow to get going and then it has been difficult all season with guys who have been fishing it for many years struggling .  But the beauty of the place is its trump card. It is not the typical manicured chalk stream.  Little is trimmed and the surrounding fields are at times chest high .  I have never seen so many Grass snakes in my life before , The river is also lightly stocked .  At times this year I have seen more Barbel and Chub in it than trout ,  

It fits in very nicely with how my fishing experience has changed over the 54 years since I caught my first trout on a fly rod .  These days it is the quality of the place and the experience that matters .  As I said in my last post the growing fondness for bamboo is also part of that change. Last Friday I had a guest on the river .  Someone who is also a bamboo fan and a rod maker as well.  A real pleasure for me was the fact that he wasn`t continuously trying to get me to repent and admit that actually Carbon is better because its lighter and then try to convince me by talking about swing weight , and modulus of something or other .  The discussion between us on various rods was about touch , feel and sensitivity .  About silk lines and how well they fish in the windy weather.  Sometimes when fishing with others  who use carbon  I feel like I am fishing with a vegan who is constantly trying to get me to see the error of my ways. 

In the end the day was long , hot and the fishing was challenging , we both caught a few trout and my highlight was targeting and catching a chub on a caterpillar imitation and remembering just what a pretty fish they are ,  On the day I used a Hardy Hollolite 8ft 5 wt with a silk line.  For the gusty wind it was perfect.  Otherwise the kingfisher blazing up and down the river all day was nice to see and the lunch at the hut chatting to the other anglers  is always a pleasure. 

Not long now till the end of the trout season .  It seems to me that the seasons get shorter and shorter ,  I must make the most of it...

 

Why Bamboo? because its its a joy, thats why! and they are effective....

 After pretty much a lifetime of fishing and being a fly fisherman for 54 years now I have learned a bit about fly fishing ,  mainly I have learned that I really don’t know that much at all.  Technically there is so much to learn , Casting , line control, fly choice , the list goes on. Fly fishing is so satisfying because of that very fact . It is something that you will never be able to say "So that`s it I have learned what there is to learn." , when you do have a good day and you foolishly think to yourself that you are getting the hang of it . The next time you go to the river and you get your arse kicked soundly by a creature with a brain the size of a pea you realise that you are not quite the angler that you foolishly allowed yourself to believe, There are many many angling books a lot say pretty much the same thing , there have been a few published lately that are just a bit different , I have read a couple of them , both of them contained much original thought ,  Although it was the type of original thought that sort of hits you like the form teacher used to do at my boarding school. Which in his case was a good smack around the back of the head for not grasping what should be obvious, but as in life sometimes the obvious is there but it needs someone more able to actually point it out to you .  

The first book was "fly fishing Emerging heresies " by Peter Hayes . A challenging read that jumped about the field of fly fishing and made me think about things differently ,  not least about the downstream dry fly and which way the wind blows , if you want to know what I am on about then read the book .  The book brought to mind the first time I read " in the ring of the rise by Vincent Marinaro, It was the same sort of left field thought provoking stuff that in the ring of the rise inspired me years ago  .

 The other book " Long rods - Light lines: Some thoughts on Fly fishing by Dave Southall.  Now I am already an admirer of  Daves approach and thoughts ,  I have the good fortune  to enjoy his company and fish with him from time to time .  It is always a pleasure and usually a learning experience as well.  its a book that is eminently readable and one that can be dipped in and out of .  Dave is another original thinker and it is largely his influence that is behind the range of flies in my fly box gradually decreasing and also the size of the things diminishing too.

Anyway back to Bamboo.  my fly fishing started 50 odd  years ago with an ABU farflyte fibreglass and  over the decades I have had a clutch of self built carbon rods then as finances improved I  have worked my way through various high end brands , Sage , Winston , Scott and Orvis have all come and gone .  As my fly fishing has been almost exclusively river based and very largely small streams ,  I have increasingly become focussed on full action slower rods . Where short casts and delicacy of touch are the priority I have for many years enjoyed rods like Winston. Scott G and a particular favourite the Orvis Superfine touch all of which I do still possess. Now I frequently got roasted for this choice but for me on small streams for many years they were my only pick . 

Until, that is a good few years ago when I treated myself to a cane 6ft Chapmans built cane rod ,  built by friend Chas Burns in York .  Following that I have slowly built up a modest collection of Bamboo each new addition increased my appreciation of the material.  I have come to realise that in my opinion there really is nothing better than a bamboo rod for smaller streams. Rods up to about 7ft 6 inches perhaps 8ft and in the range 3 to 5 weight are perfection. For me the sweet spot is around 7ft and 3/4 weight  They really are an absolute pleasure to use .  In terms of real casting and fishing efficiency as well as the increased degree of feedback and delicacy that bamboo as a material gives the user . Especially when combined with a non stretch silk line.

This is not just some romantic notion but I would suggest that as fly anglers we all progress in different ways ,  Myself , during my lifetime I have been through all the usual phases .  Must catch more fish ,  then must catch more bigger fish ,  Must catch more fish of a certain species .  the progression goes on ,  I am at the phase now where I am lucky to fish some stunning wild streams . I have caught some decent sized fish and am no longer chasing targets,  I am of course happy when specimens come along , but for me now,  it is how do I  extract the maximum pleasure from the places I fish and the fish I catch there. 

Personally there is not greater pleasure than catching on a bamboo rod paired with a traditional reel and a treated silk line .People say to me " aren`t silk lines  a load of hassle and very expensive ?, Well hassle I would say only a little bit of care , outweighed by better casting in the wind , delicate presentation and superior for roll casting . Also they last almost indefinitely and actually improve with age.  Cost wise they are surprisingly economical , Look at the Moxon fly lines from barbless flies, they are excellent , If you are really worried about the care aspect take a look at the Terenzio revolution , I have one and use it regularly they are very good. 

I was chatting to a local Secretary /river keeper a few months back. He is on a river I don`t fish any more , We were having a chat and my bamboo rods came up , He was puzzled why I wasn`t embracing the latest ultra light hi tec carbons and extolled the virtues of high modulus this and Sintrix that , but not a mention of feel , delicacy or enjoyment I guess there are many folk the same they just don`t get it .  . Incidentally one of my offspring was struggling to time their casts and feel the rod load.  Half an hour borrowing and casting with my bamboo worked wonders , so much more feedback of what is going on .  Cost wise the rod in the second picture is a Hardy Hollolight  Hollokona 8ft 5 wt of the internet for about £300 the rod has two tips.  It was dead straight and in great condition ,  Very good bamboo rods can be obtained at reasonable costs if you know what you are looking at ,  

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

One of my favourite Artists from the 70s was Ian Drury and the blockheads .And after a long driving session a few days ago when I explored my Spotify library that song has been in my head .  The events of the last few days have made me think about the title . It has been a depressing long winter and spring that has brought more than a fair share of challenges .  We have had to little Sun , too much rain and to few fish .  The new chalk stream has been bank high to the extent I just didnt fancy it  bright spot has been the new upland stretch of stream  that my previous post covered it has been an joy. The faster upland nature of it means rainfall runs of quickly and it is fishable for longer . Also nothing beats exploring a new stretch of river .  But on Sunday after a couple of weeks away from all the rivers the stars aligned and the fish were starting to look up and even taking a few mayflies .  So I know that the song has no part one and part two.  But my part one would be the fact its June the fish are looking up and its not a bad forecast for the weekend 

On Sunday the river was still carrying colour , but I think that helped me on the day as it was very bright and I think that a properly clear river would have made life more difficult.  The fish above was my best of the bunch and proof again of knowing the river .  There is one lie where you rarely see rising fish but experience has shown me that the bin lid sized often produces better fish . After half a dozen speculative casts the mayfly was taken .  it gave a good struggle in the faster water on a softer cane rod. 

If there was a part two well for me a few months ago i realised I would never receive a retirement gift from work . For a long time I have had my own business but last year for various reasons the company was closed and Myself and Son who worked for me, Went of to work for another consultants who we had contracted on and of for a number of years . It also means that over the forthcoming years I can consider working less but knowing my Son has some continuity and good prospects with a great company .  So I decided that the last thing that my old company would do is provide me with a new bamboo fly rod ,  I had come close to ordering one a few years ago , first covid got in the year , then the builder retired ,  I have a number of bamboo rods but none were built from Scratch for me. So recently I approached Luke Bannister and an order was placed for a nice Garrison 201 with two tips ,  I have a few bamboo rods but I have seen a few of Lukes rods and so seeing things taking shape on the update he sends me is reason to be cheerful number two.  

So what you ask is reason to be cheerful three? well simply this, in another few months that favourite stream and the Garrison 201 will be united lets hope that on that day the Sun shines but not to much and that there will be hatching flies and the fish will be looking up.

Lukes Rods are here ...

https://www.bannisterrods.co.uk/default.asp

Constable Wallop Brook

 I picked this rod up at the Grayling Society Auction at the last Symposium. What a cracking little rod !!! . I am getting increasingly fond of the whole bamboo rods experience .  Perfect for this small stream.

One for Hippo

 A blog I have followed for years is a Hippo on the lawn a recent comment on my blog shows two things , First it tells me Tom the writer was ill and the poor bugger is so confined that he has nothing better to do than comment on this fellow bloggers posting . He is in Angola and obviously suffering from some malady and second he is also suffering from generator and technology issues .  We take so much for granted with our reliable mains and even fibre optic speed wifi .  Anyway Tom hope you feel better soon and your bank balance stays secure .  Hope you enjoyed the glimpse of ( by your standards ) my mundane existence.  Here is some pics of my day on Saturday a week on from my first post but weirdly even though the day was colder the years seems to have moved on a bit .   Stay safe and try and post a bit more often . 

At last a rising fish

 It has been by all accounts and also by some considerable margin. A depressingly long , wet and miserable winter.  There has been no proper winter weather ie hard frosts and some proper snow.  We had a couple of bits of the white stuff .   But nothing to speak of ,  Truth is it started to rain around last October and it has hardly let up since . The springs that feed my new chalk stream came up quickly and have stayed up and indeed put the river over the banks and across the fields .  I went for a walk along the river a week or so ago , Not to fish but to see what the level looks like .   To me it looks like I will be fishing sometime mid may...

My other spate streams have been up and down like the proverbial all winter ,  The farmer on one stretch , whose family have been there for generations has commented that although he had a couple of times seen the river higher . He did say that he had never seen the river so high for so long .  The high water has caused some damage and our work parties have removed three fallen trees and there is considerable bank damage in places .  But the river is still there it is still full of fish and god willing if it stops raining and the water fines down then fishing can recommence . 

So far since the kick of on the 25th march , I have had three trips The first resulted in no Trout but a couple of willing Grayling so no score there then a week later saw a return to the same venue and had my first couple of trout both on nymphs. 

Then on Saturday I had my first trip to a brand new stretch of river,  After having an introductory chat to the guy who runs the little syndicate I wanted to give it a whirl.  The stretch is a couple of miles of very wild unstocked interesting upland stream.  Challenging wading but delightful at the same time . There will be no big fish but first impressions were that there will be plenty of fish.  A small light rod in my case on the day was a 6ft 9 inch light bamboo job.  So with that and a wading staff clutched tightly I set of ..

A small bead head on a long leader would have been an obvious choice but the reel I had with me had a silk line and a furled leader. So not ideal.  So the usual 4ft of tippet of the furlie was replaced with 8ft and I started prospecting in likely looking seams and pockets with a 3mm size 16  beadhead nymph.  plucks resulted with a finger sized sprat that dropped of then I had one slightly bigger .

The water looks very promising with nice variation glides and pocket water in abundance and I worked my way upstream and had a few more then after noticing a few olives I saw a sight to gladden the heart , I spied a splashy rise in the tail of a fast run .  A CDC F fly drew a response but no hook up . Two casts later a little plump brownie came to hand after throwing a couple of cartwheels to brighten the day ( the fish that is, not me.) .  It was at that point I did what all sensible folks do. I got out and sat on a tree stump and took stock of my surroundings .  I am always amazed that more folks don`t fly fish , It is hard to imagine a more cathartic experience than to sit watching a river , listening to the world .  After a carton of ice cold latte and a chocolate bar it was time to resume the season.

Tackle for the day was American Jim Becker bamboo rod.  An English Hardy reel and an Italian Terenzio silk line ,  As near as I get to embracing foreign influence.  I am going to enjoy spending time here. But as a I type this the heavens have opened again and the rivers are back on the way up.  A good few years ago on this blog I prayed for rain.  Within a week we started a wet summer of biblically wet proportions , So I hesitate to pray for dry weather with my luck we will get a biblical drought and a plague of locusts .