River Maintenance

During the season one of the requirements of some of the fishing clubs I am in is the work party .  Sadly every club I am in struggles to get a healthy participation from members for these essential activities .  Personally I have found them very useful. As a new member of a club it is by far the best and fastest way to get to know the waters and some of the other members,  Longstanding members can be a mine of information and often will point people in the direction of other local fishing opportunities . It has to be said that during work parties people seem to have more time for a conversation than whilst fishing.

 Lets be honest new river fly fishing clubs arent the easiest things to get membership of and word of mouth is by far and away the best way of gaining this information.  There is also the enjoyment factor I have never been on a work party yet that hasnt been a good laugh. 

Here one of the work party members is either giving a bush a hair cut or he is using an extendable bush saw to demonstrate his czech nymphing technique. Personally  I think he should be using a four weight.......

So if your club has them even if they arent compulsary, or even if you are on the waiting list for a club.  Go on the parties you will find it worthwhile ...

First trip of the Trout season

The season is now 2 days old,  Due to work commitments I couldnt fish the first day,  But today I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours on the local beck.  Today was cold and the water was low and clear. But it feels good to be back after the trout.   The lttle section I chose to fish is approached under the old rail vaduct that once carried the Scarborough to Whitby line.

Like most of the little valley that the beck runs through wild garlic carpets the bank.  It is just starting to grow now. Another few weeks and on still evenings the smell of garlic will be overpowering

This pool is at the head of a series of three wears and pools and this is the largest .  As well as trout this pool holds a few chub , I would think there are grayling here but have never caught one in the pool.  This stream is right in the edge of town the bridge carries a main A road out of town and yet you can fish oblivious to everything else.

I had tried a dry fly through the runs in the lower pools and didnt see a single sign of movement to the fly. The Red tag and John Storey both failed to work their magic and as I moved into the tail of this the top pool I put on a size 16 bead head PTN.  Third cast in the leader slid away and my first brownie of the season came in. Not the prettiest fish I have ever caught but the first brownie of the season is a pretty special thing. I reckon it was one of this years stockies that went in a few weeks ago.

After catching a couple of fish that looked pretty much the same I noticed an odd fish rising in the fast water at the head of the pool . So on went a size 14 klink and third cast a good swirl ended up with this nice fish.  Judging by the shape condition and size it is one of last years stocked fish . It gave a good account of itself on the little 4 wt rod,  The rod was a new purchase at the end of last year, a 7ft6" 4wt St Croix Avid.  I have to say it is one of the sweetest little rods I have ever had the pleasure of using.  St Croix arent well known over this side of the pond but I have to say this little rod is superb.

My last fish of the afternoon was this little brownie .  This one is a true wild fish the slimmer shape , bars and larger head and big red spots give it away.  It is lovely to catch these and to know the beck is supporting a healthy head of breeding fish .  Today whilst wading the shallows there was shoals of minnows and I spotted a couple of loaches and bullheads in the shallow water.  I havent seen the kingfisher today.  I hope its survived the freezing weather during the winter. 

Season Approaches

My blogs been a bit quite of late.  I guess my thoughts have been revolving around the forthcoming season which starts in a couple of weeks. All my subscriptions to flyfishing clubs I belong to have been paid ,the annual general meetings have been attended and catch ups with fishing buddies have been made. 

I know there are a good number of vistitors from abroad read my rambles and for their benefit and for the benefit of one of the American visitors who emailed me it should be explained that virtually all of the river fishing for trout in this country is in the hands of private clubs and syndicates .  Many of these clubs were founded prior to 1900 and are full of tradition.  In fact three of the clubs I am in were founded more than 120 yrs ago. By contrast it is the network of reservoirs and lakes in the country that provide most of the open access fishing, and by open access I do not mean free,  free fishing is availabe here but it is extrememy ltd in its extent.  Fishing is purchased on a daily basis from the lake or reservoir. 

This season I shall be fishing the River Ure more, whilst not abandoning  the small rivers and becks which are so close to home. I shall be hoping that the mayfly bless us with the abundance of last year and that the weather treats us a little more kindly.  I shall be hoping that this is the year that the holy grail of a true 2lb Grayling comes to hand and that I shall be on the local beck at the same  time that the sea trout are running, not as was the case this last year when I was always to late or to early. Most of all though I hope that the flies continue to hatch and the fish continue to rise... See you again when the season starts.....
Andy

Footnote,.  I just want to thank the two guys who bid a indecently generous amount of money to spend a day fishing with me on my local streams,  The money has gone to cancer research and results from the auction I referred to on here a month or so ago... Brilliant result  thanks guys . BTW any suggestions for a suitable dish to prepare for a vegetarian fishing picnic would be gratefully received....