Monday, 27 September 2021

So that’s it then

 

So another trout season ends ,   I reckon that was my 51st,  Not I might add my 51st fishing season but it is the number since I picked up my first fly rod.  Hard to imagine how much time I have spent planning , dreaming and actually fishing for trout since I caught the first one . I can still remember that first fish, I can recall that moment of disbelief of fooling  that rising fish as if it was yesterday.  When I lift into a rising fish still gives me the same buzz now . 

This lovely small stream brownie was my last of the season and the only one of the day , I think partly because i actually wanted it to be that way. I switched to targeting the grayling straight away.

There were no large grayling today ,  I was briefly connected to one better fish but an underwater snag allowed it shed the barbless fly 



In one run there are always Grayling and felt sure that I would get some interest from a fish from a well presented dry.  After a fruitless 10 minutes I switched to a nymph .  The result was four fish in six casts the first two in consecutive casts .  They were clearly feeding hard but not looking up. Despite the water been at best 2ft deep and running very clear .




I have never been a great fan of newer Sage fly rods.  Always seemed to fast for my style of fishing ,  However last year I picked up a Sage Circa 379 on a well known auction site ,  For small streams it has been a whirlwind romance .  This is a 279 sister for it.  perfect for these smaller streams .  I paid a bit more than I would have liked for it on the same site but so far I have fished it 3 or 4 times and am mightily impressed.  When I think back to my first fly rod , an ABU fibreglass job and compare the performance to this lightweight creation it does make you realise that sometimes progress is a good thing..


This small river is very narrow and tends to retain a healthy flow even in the driest of years ,  it is very intimate fishing .  I learnt a week or so ago that the EA have been to walk the river.  To be fair in places there are some huge trees blocking it and causing massive erosion problems . It sounds as though they will be along in the winter with heavy machines. lets just hope they dont do to good a job .  As we may suffer a few years of leaner pickings while the river recovers.  About ten year ago they cleared out some obstructions and the fishing wasnt great for a year or so.  Proof that as my friend Dave says trout live in trees. 


The grayling generally seem to be thriving here ,  The head of grayling seems to exceed the trout ,  must say that this one seems well fed 


On the way back home I passed a couple of service stations with long lines of cars waiting to fill up . For the benefit of the foreign readers  Panic buying has broken out due a newspaper reporting that BP had a problem with tanker drivers , The result panic buying creating a shortage ,  There is plenty of fuel but if everyone fills up at the same time a shortage becomes another self fulfilling prophecy .  But there again people have a habit of making the same mistakes ,  Whilst I was fishing today I spotted this sheep totally tangled in the fencing , so wandered up to the farmhouse to let the farmer know..  Interestingly my son made the same journey last week as there was a sheep caught in the same fence.  the farmer reckoned it was the same sheep.  I guess people and sheep have things in common. 


I think i only made half a dozen overhead casts today . its mainly roll, spey and general make it up as you go along casts are the order of the day , With a few bow and arrow casts thrown in. I love that about the river so much interest . With many a surprise along the way ,  




Anyway heres to the Autumn and Winter grayling fishing , Hoping that I catch a few a bit bigger than little chap.  If the rain that is forecast next week arrives we may even get some sea trout up one of my other  local streams. 





Just as a postscript.  Hippo from Angola left a comment on the last blog post .  Comments like that remind me that there are a number of folks scattered around the globe who read this . It reminds me just how fortunate I am .  The mine clearance work is amazing Tom.. 


Gone Fishing

Over the last couple of years the whole social media thing Has lost its shine for me so apart from the odd grip and grin on FB and the silly...