Tuesday 8 October 2013

Seasons begining and end



Well thats it.  Another trout season over.  It seemed to be a shorter season than ever , but there again time does seem to rattle by these days and this year has certainly seen many changes for me.  For now I feel happy for the season to end it allows me to focus on other things .  I actually like the winter its a time for me to draw breath and clear away the tasks not done in the summer . The fly boxes need refilling and for the first time I reckon I actually know for certain what I will be tying.   
Lots of CDC emergers more in sizes 18 through 22 than ever before , the traditional dries will still be there Greenwells and Kites imperial are still flies that I hold great faith in. Among the trans atlantic patterns the grey wolf and Adams always find a place. Here is one of the last trout of the year for me one out of season fish caught on Sunday rising as freely in the Autumn sunshine as they do on a June evening.


Last weekend I went to the Dove getting out of the car this was the view ,  the sunshine was just burning away the last of the morning mist and the dew was thick on the ground.  I live in a beautiful part of the world.  A simple view but in its own way perfection.



As it happened the grayling were conspicuous by there absence at the weekend perhaps the ridiculous low water levels are to blame.  But I am sure that over the next few months they will show up more.  One thing to happy about is the numbers of tiny grayling I am seeing in the 4 inch category .  The Ure, Dove and Rye seem to be stuffed with them this year. Anglers elsewhere seem to reporting the same so at last we seem to have had a good year for them.



The grayling above is one of the first of the season I hope its the first of many.   They are a beautiful fish . 


Tuesday 1 October 2013

The good the bad and the ugly

Well its now at the end of the season and  I was just checking some kit that wont get used till next spring . It made me think about the good and bad stuff that I have used this year.  I have thrown in a few pics to help the post along

First the good.
First  The vision Mycket bra has been brilliant and will continue to wear it and abuse it waistcoats are now a thing of the past.  Very well designed and tough to boot.
Second Once again I go through a season and realise what a fantastic small stream rod the Hardy featherweight 7ft 3wt is.  yes the warranty is shite and its overpriced but it is a gem to use I love it. Lastly
Orvis Endura waders I have had a pair now for over three years and they have had some serious stick they are very breathable and they dont leak.  Truly great value.


Now the not so good :
Firmly in the Shite category but actually at the top of the shite pile is the wychwood viewfinder fly patch a more useless piece of angling equipment I have yet to find ,  badly designed and with a clip that doesnt clip a truly awful product .

Next are two items that I purchased at a reasonable price but stupidly I assumed that they were fit for the purpose how wrong can you be.  I give you the Airflo Zip- lok delta waders and the X stream wading boots with a stealth studded sole.   I say stealth because on the two pairs i have had the studs dont protude from the soles which seems to negate the whole point in having them, but if by some chance there is a button somewhere that you press to make the studs appear like the  the ejector seat button on a James Bond car.  Then someone please tell me but do it quick as once again the soles are parting company from the uppers.  A trick the first pair did and to be fair fishtec exchanged them but this time I have decided to glue the buggers back on .  The other half of the "good deal" a phrase that has never been used under such false pretences .  Is the waders, they are brilliant until you actually enter the water , yes if your aim is to ponce up and down the bank and be able to stop and have a pee when ever nature calls then the zip design is fantastic. But if you venture into knee high water you will find that the double layer of fabric to the  lower leg fills up nicely with water and makes your legs about 4 stone heavier which isnt a great idea when you are trying to haul yourself out of the river up a muddy bank wearing stealth soled wading boots,   The only plus side is that when you do reach the bank top you can have a slash if you havent already pissed yourself in the exertion of getting out of the river with 4 stone of water trapped to your legs wearing stealth soled boots.  Recently the waders have played their final trick the zip now leaks under the slightest provocation. So although the zip is excellent in allowing us to prevent moisture from the inside it is useless at preventing it coming in from the outside .

So here are the cold hard facts I have Orvis endura waders that have had more than three full seasons hammer and a pair of Hardy boots that are now 5 years old but although looking pretty beat up perform well. The Orvis waders are still waterproof and are far more breathable than the airflo ones ever were .  The Airflo Boots have been worn probably a dozen times and are now again dropping to bits and I am still looking for the stud ejector button.  The waders are leaking and I wont be spending money to get them repaired.they have probably been worn a few more times than the boots simply because the stealth soles are dangerous on wet grass and mud.

Anyway I feel better now I will go for a lie down......

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 Thur...