2024 That was the year that was

 Well that`s it them , 2024 done and dusted .  A year to be remembered only for its  miserable surface hatches and for having too much water at first and then not enough . for a lack of a summer and a lack of notable fish .

For sure   I have hooked several notable fish this season sadly they all did not quite make it to the net .  There was the large trout that engulfed the Martins minnow only then to knit my tippet around the bank side wooden piles ,  then there was the one that inexplicably escaped as I drew it over the landing net ,   then an hour later an even larger brownie escaped when the same landing net frame collapsed ,  demonstrating to me at the same time that the landing net frame had cracked earlier and , I am sure was what cut the line on the other good trout of the day The reality is that that day should have been my day of the season it should have seen me land two 4lb plus brown trout , Instead it ended up being memorable for all the wrong reasons .   

Early in the season the new ( to me ) upland stream was a delight ,  The fish are eager to come to the surface , the surroundings are stunning and geography of the river means it rises and falls pretty sharpish it was often fish able where others weren’t . It one of the few seasons highlights . 

Anyway 

Monday saw me back on ( in ) a favourite stream that has a good head of grayling .  Although the last couple of visits has  seen tougher fishing than usual it’s a lovely place to be . I was fishing with friend Richard who runs a successful company selling Barbless flies you can join the dots to work out who he is . I have been pestering him for months as to why he doesn’t fish more , so when he suggested it how could I turn it down .

Above is the upland stream that brought much pleasure in the spring , it has a good head of free rising wild brown trout . It will be in my radar for April 2025 .

Below was my last fish of 2024 .  A nice grayling but by no means large for the river .  That small stream produces 1 1/2 lb fish regularly and the 2 lb target occasionally .  Also the rod reveals that my last trip was one of the first where I wasn’t fishing bamboo.  The old 8ft Scott G gives me more reach and less weight for holding the fly line of the water .  I have to say that the older scotts are a delightful way to fish with loads of feel .  Anyway readers have a great new year . For those of you who do fish then I wish you tightlines. 

Shack Nasties and Muggles

 

Monday 8th January 

I had a walk from the office this lunch time.  Grey Skies , Northerly wind coming straight in over the North Sea , pretty depressing weather really ,  I had to drive to Newcastle and back on Sunday the North Moors looked cold bleak and desolate , Standing water everywhere on back roads mud everywhere after it has washed out of the fields . The Weather was well grey and it rained.  I haven`t fly fished for more than a month.  All in all a pretty miserable state of affairs ,  We have another month to tolerate before we start to notice the days started to lengthen. However there is already just a chink of hopefulness coming .  I have already received and paid my first fishing club renewal for this year.  I have received emails from clubs regarding upcoming meetings and functions.  So perhaps the sun has not risen on the new season yet but I feel it is just below the horizon .  I have started to re fill the fly boxes and have sorted out the boxes from last year.  There will be no new waters this year,  Although my intended part time working in a month or two will mean I can just make better use of the fishing I have . Also being semi retired will allow me to live up to the "miserable old twat" identity that I quite fancy  

Sunday 28th January 

As the rivers have been pretty consistently bank high for the last couple of months I have yet to get fly fishing this year .  I don`t seem to have got on as well with fly tying as I should have .  I have managed a couple of trips with a trotting rod and some bait for the Grayling .  It has presented a bit of a relief from the otherwise complete abstinence .  I have tried to do the trotting with a bit of style and in keeping with the manner in which my late Father would have done . Bamboo Rod and proper centre pin.  It would have been his Birthday on the 6th Feb and this coming weekend if the river is fit I will take his Millwards featherlight and Rapidex reel out for a fish .  Before he died he said I should sell them my reply was no pops every year on your birthday I will take it on a river .  

30th Jan Its the evening and I am feeling hopeful now about the seasons changing . 

I am becoming very protective of fishing time and particularly  the solitude that it brings.  I say solitude as I often get asked, "don`t I get lonely spending all them hours alone"?.  Truth is I have always enjoyed solitude but many people seem unable to identify  that loneliness and solitude are quite different . I am finding that I am actively protecting my time in the river . There is something quite satisfying in standing fishing and starting to have an animated conversation with yourself when you see approaching folks who you fear may try and engage you in light hearted conversation .  Other anglers are ok they appreciate that giving each other space is an important part of the game,  None fishing folk or Muggles as a few mates and I have christened them are oblivious to it and happily stand on the opposite bank and point at the bow waving fish speeding away .  Greeting you with "had any luck mate " or "Hope my dog didn`t disturb you" ?.   As a four stone Labrador  careers along the stream in front of you . The dogs I don`t mind its the people I am starting to struggle with.  February is when preparations get going .  I have fly boxes to fill . I am treasurer at a local club and the accounts are to do and then prepare myself for the battle of getting folks to pay on time .  I have Meetings to look forward to I may even put the silk lines back on the reels ,  I am planning my annual trip to the BFFI in February but am determined to keep my wallet closed I am just looking .  It will be good to catch up with friends there though. See you in February .

A Christmas Reflection on rivers and Bamboo and Silk...

 

Firstly I wish any body who is still reading Blogs a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year . An especially hearty wish for those of you are return visitors to my blog. Its been a strange year and it is ending as a pretty soggy one.  My winter grayling fishing has been buggered in fine style by the never ending rain.  One trip with a guest a few weeks ago during a break in the rain found a river that was less than welcoming to the guest whom I had hoped would have a good day.  There have been no trips since and my fishing fix has been ltd to fly tying and tackle tinkering whilst trying hard not to buy anything I don`t need.  Which to be fair is almost anything although a recent online offer on Hardy Perfect reels caused me to stumble.  

Whilst looking at the state of the rivers I can only hope that the huge volumes of water can remove some of the accumulated leaves and silt from the local rivers which in places have been very extensive after a few years of low flow but also hope that the same huge flows do not do to much damage to the local watercourses from fallen trees and the like.  It will be interesting to visit my local rivers in the spring and see what changes have been caused , Indeed  one of the fascinations of my local streams is just how much the nature of them changes year by year ,  Fish holding features change every year but winter floods can really alter things substantially. On my streams A new wedged tree stump of washed out depression can be a big attraction in the small world of streams 

I have had a number of   conversations this year with longer term fishing friends who have spoke with some puzzlement with my increasing fascination of using cane / bamboo rods ,  One guy who is a fine angler a club secretary and a part time river keepers words were , "why go backwards when companies and technology  has developed tackle that does the job more effectively" ?.   I guess on the face of it it is a fair enough challenge .  But I did note that his statement made no mention of enjoyment, satisfaction or indeed anything on an emotional level , it was purely a statement made about efficiency and almost mechanical advantage.  

I suppose my answer is and I guess it is all down to personal preference but I would say this...The guy who first coined the phrase " You throw a line with a Carbon rod but you cast a line with a bamboo rod. Understood what its about I also find that the cane rods are more accurate too so it isn’t just about emotional stuff although there is a certain effortless beauty in how a bamboo rod casts a line . Also there is nothing at all to match the feeling of playing a good fish on a bamboo rod . You can feel every twist and turn especially when using a silk line.

Modern silk lines are extremely efficient and relatively easy to maintain and are not much more expensive than a premium plastic line but last way longer. But putting the nuts and bolts of tackle aside the plain truth is I have reached that time in my fishing lifetime when what matters is the quality of the experience and not the theoretical technical efficiency of the gear I am using .  feeling a silk line load a cane rod and then watching it elegantly unroll across the stream and then being able to easily mend the line and perhaps pick it off the surface with a deft roll ,  seeing the fish rise and then after the take feel every twist and turn through the none stretch silk and the sinewy bamboo .  that feel is very different to plastic and Carbon  and yes I have tried the Sage SLTs , the Sage LL and the Winston B2T staff of Moses and most of the rest.  Nothing feels quite like cane,  As for the photos well they are all of my local streams where I will be returning next summer .  

Autumn Update

Sorry about the pretty meagre  posts this year Its been a strange old year .  Having the new club water to fish has been great and I have caught a few notable specimen fish , A new PB grayling at 2lb 12 and recently a lovely Barbel on a killer bug which was twitched along the bottom have been real highlights .  But the sad truth is what has been really lacking this year is a decent evening rise .  In fact in many ways a decent rise at any time of day has been missing .  The Hawthorn hatch brought some good fishing although short lived ,  The mayfly came and went with a bit of a whimper .  There has been a few rising fish but much like last year they have been sporadic.

Two fish that stand out this season,, The Barbel was on a day when the river was kind to me ,  The fish saved a blank .  After struggling to even see some fish I was tempted to try for the barbel which occupy a Pool on the way back to the car ,  I have often tried to tempt one without success, That day was difference and my old Stream flex 4 wt was given quite a work out .  

Another change to my gear has been the purchase of some Chest waders with Zips, for a gentleman of mature years the convenience is fantastic .  A call of nature now no longer requires extensive dismantling of gear .  I love them . 

fishing with my Son as always is a highlight although to often the stars don`t align and a young man wants more exciting days and has more distractions than Dad ,  The shared days are special memories though ,  This is him above in action after Grayling , In his favourite river ,  

One highlight was a trip to a southern chalk stream,   I had received a very kind offer of a day on a River Test carrier the place was picture book perfection . Manicured, with a perfect fishing hut and crystal clear water with a healthy population of Trout and Grayling . A brilliant day was had with good numbers of Grayling over 1 lb with one hovering around the magic 2 lb number ,  

The Bamboo fascination has not reduced and has resulted in another nice rod arriving .I don`t think there will be any more but never say never . I have actually sold more rods than I have gained this  year changes to my fishing habits have meant some stuff will never be used .  Also I have gained a 10ft 6 inch 3wt Vision nymph special .  I have decided its time I gave euro nymphing a proper go .  It has been to the river a couple of times and have found the lightness and sensitivity somewhat of a revelation especially for something so long . The strange non existent fly line  has felt odd ,  But results so far are good 

Despite my gloom about rising fish my local small streams are still showing nice fish long may it continue .  

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.

  

Month by Month Highlights

 January was a slow start

February was gloomy 

March no fishing fly tying , walks and work parties 

April season start but no trout only grayling 

May my favourite month 

Flaming June 

July low rivers 

August not much fishing 

September trout season closes 

October , Grayling starts 

November more grayling 

December much needed rain and then it bit more foreign sun….. but just had the word that next year I will be fishing a new Yorkshire chalk stream…..

 Happy new year everyone