First trout of the season

After a seemingly endless winter today was my first opportunity to get to my local beck.  The day was cold the beck was running a little high and well coloured from recent rain but I was determined that the season was starting today.   I would have liked to have started the season with a fish caught on the dry but although a few olives were hatching not one rising fish was seen.   I took to searching the dubs and eddies with a small red bead head PTN.   After 30 minutes prospecting likely lies that first stabbing take started my season.  The fish was small and not the most pristine fish I have ever caught but if ever a fish was welcome then this was it….

I had a couple more but after an hour and a half fishing I decided to call it a day.  I mean to make the most of the summer with lots of new fishing to explore I am hoping it will be a good one..

Fishing , relativity and recovering lost time...

When I was a kid at boarding school the last week of term was an eternity,  hours seemed to last for days and days seemed to be weeks long.  Now well into my fifth decade time always seems to run permanently fast, there is just never enough time in the working day and all to often the working day ends up running over and into leisure time.  Now as the first day of the season slowly approaches all my best efforts seem unable to hasten the passage of time its as if I have returned to those childhood times of never ending days.  Hours at the fly tying bench seem unable to hurry things along I have checked and oiled the reels tied new leaders and generally cleaned away the detritus of last season.  I have had a close shave after discovering that mice had chewed up the bag for my kelly kettle but have kept away from anything more valuable.  The winter has been busy and has seen me doing less Grayling fishing than ever before but that was due to work pressure rather than the weather.  But when the long summer evenings start I will recover those lost hours of fishing I reckon I am owed from my annual tally and if the lore is correct   "The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing." Then they wont count at all.  

This winter I have made some changes to the rivers I have access too.  The Rye, a beautiful river that I have fished for a good few years has made way, as to get there for the evening rise is a fair drive and driving is something that I am doing my best to reduce. Since starting working for myself last summer I have now a local office and the daily 100 mile round journey and nearly three hours a day  commuting drive which I have endured for the last 17 years  has stopped. A quick calculation tells me over those years all that travel time equates to about 500 full days. Now using the theory above that time spent fishing doesnt count I reckon if I can get in another 50 days a year fishing a year I should break even on the time deal by the time I am in my mid sixties.  So local fishing is worth a premium to me and the river derwent at a meagre ten minutes from home once again will become a regular haunt.  

After making those changing and thinking I had the perfect combination of waters an opportunity to get a rod on one of the wolds chalk streams has arisen.  Chalk streams have always seemed to have a mystique all of their own. So the opportunity was to good to resist and at a mere 20 minutes from the office it offered yet more chances to get back all that lost time.  So armed with long leaders and dark glasses this small stream angler will stalk the banks and gin clear waters hoping for willing rising fish..

Nearly there,

As I walked the dog this morning there was a real sense that spring really is in the air.  Soon the hawthorn flies will be crash landing in the rivers.  The LDOs will hatching in decent numbers and I will be back out after the trout.   This year I will be fishing the Yorkshire Derwent again after rejoining after a 15 year break.  Also I will have a new fascination and challenge a river of both type and location I have never fished. Watch this space.

Recent kick samples show my streams are in good health and the sight of a solitary rising fish when sampling one stream yesterday quickened my senses.  Leaves are starting to unfurl and the frogs are active in my pond. Yes spring that was just around the corner is now coming into sight.....

For all you lovers of the northern streams the Wild trout trust auction is up and running and I can particularly recommend  the day on the Yorkshire Dove at Keldholme.....

Andy