A Civilised Sunday Morning

Along with the wild little becks and brooks I love to fish one of the clubs I am a member of has one section of water which can best be described as very civilised manicured angling.  It is extremely popular and heavily fished . This Sunday there was a work party I could get to and it was on this very stretch, At 9AM I parked up and saw the assembled members. 

The work Party today was gentle stuff Litter picking and removing debris from the river. Also the removal of a post and barbed wire fence which I was told was put there to protect the the lady members from the bullocks in the field... Personally I would leave much of the debris in the river as its great bug habitat.  However after a few hours of general tidying and manicuring the work finished for the day . As I had the chesties on and the gear just happened to be in the car I waded in at the old cart bridge .

Pickering beck

I waded up stream until I was insite of the fishing hut complete with seats and rod racks for members to partake of the sunshine,  The Hut is there as a memorial to a past member and benefactor of the club who did so much to make the club the success it is today.

Pickering beck

On this weekend is a very heavily attended steam fair there are tens of thousands there and this beat is right on the edge of the town. Many of those attending seem to enjoy poaching the river using any means possible , I had a length of 10lb nylon round my legs with a size 2 mepps on it at one point , The taking of fish is bad enough but very many small wild fish had been killed and there carcasses dumped on the banks , such a sad waste of a lovely creature. 

In the corner by the tree stump was a small pod of rising fish and after many casts and much cursing a erics bettle pattern dropped right in under the bushes resulted in this chunky brown, After making him pose reluctantly he was released ...

Although this isnt  my favourite stretch of water its make a very pleasant interlude on a Sunday afternoon.. Right now away home for the roast beef and Yorkshire puddings...