So heres another post to bring the year to date....

 last year the blog and social media in general got under my skin a little . It  both occurred to me and concerned me that I got to wondering was I going fishing for pleasure and just sharing my joy or was I going fishing to get something on the blog .  When you think about it the blog and social media in general is a strange beast . Anyway just to let the world out there know that I am still alive. Although the heat is proving somewhat irksome.  I thought I would drop in a cheeky post really saying nothing at all other than I am enjoying the fishing this season. Enjoying the cane / bamboo rods and enjoying my new fishing place. 

Season started cold but at least the chalk stream was at a nice level all my other local spate streams were bank high 

I fully enjoyed using the cane rods and silk lines for these fellows , I am really getting into the bamboo thing ,  playing a fish on them feels brilliant . The one in the Picture is a particular favourite firstly because it fishes beautifully and because it was an amazing bargain 

Still use the longer carbon rods for nymphs though I bought that rod below  as a present to me for the season , not a fan generally of long rods. mainly because a lifetime of using shorter rods has made me struggle with the cast timing and also to be truthful not the greatest tracking. But that rod, a Marryat tactical pro 3/4 9ft 6 inch has bonded with me like no longer rod ever has. Delicate but able to stop fish like the one below bury themselves in the weed.

End of May saw me and Mrs becks and Brown trout in the lake district for four days she even let me have an afternoon on the local river Derwent ,  Not easy fishing but I had a few , the river and the scenery are stunning 

Well done to Keswick  Anglers Association for a great website and bargain priced day tickets 

The reason for the short break 

I have been to the lake district dozens of times and believe me the weather is not typical ....

When we got back it was mayfly time which around here is end of May to mid June 

There were a few Danica around but the fish largely either hid from them or splashed at them 

The natural and my imitation....

I love this time of year , it tempts me to get all romantic and arty with the pictures I  take but they usually turn out well rubbish 

The fish in that little stream are just about perfect though....

More recently the hot weather and bright sunshine have made things tougher but still managing a few ...

The rod is a Hardy Hollolite Hollokona  I had always fancied a classic Hardy and well you cant have to many rods...

the bankside vegetation is at last growing back up. Which makes Stealth a little easier . This one took twenty minutes of stalking and casting it took the third change of nymph . Maybe it was the pattern or just the first time I got the drift just right.