First signs of summer and first on a dry

Last season this upland stream was new to me ,  it was great to fish during those first few weeks when the high waters everywhere meant that this little stream was still fishable due to its pocket water nature and you could always find fish ,  moving on twelve months we have the opposite ,  following the driest march for 60 years the rivers are low , the ground is dry but the pocket water nature of the stream keeps things interesting 

It was a frustrating day to start with its a fair trek down to the river. deep valley through a couple of fields and conifer plantation .   which is not a problem normally and indeed is part of the charm but when you start fishing and realise that the very old silk line that you have used for years and passed the out of season checks is actually past it best and passed failed the giving it a tug test which meant a trek back to the car for a spare reel.  Which is even more frustrating given that usually I have a spare line and reel in the backpack but due to closed season cleaning I had taken the spares out.

Anyway here is my first brown trout of the season ,  small I grant you but very very welcome especially as it took a dry fly . There is no better way to start a season 

There were some clear signs from the huge winter floods the rock below that has been broken in half has the area of a ford focus and the slab is about 450 mm thick , had to imagine just done by water it isn`t me in the picture above. it is an older friend . I was having a breather and watching and learning , 

A couple of days after this I had my first trip of the year to my local chalk stream.  The river was as low as I have seen it and considering it should be bank high from the winter rains it is a worrying state. The stream is of course spring fed and even very heavy rain now would be lost in the ground and not make it into the aquifer.

On the day I took two rods , not something I normally do but the bamboo rod is a winter build on a set of blanks that were made by Barry Grantham and I wanted to try a line on it, Barry said it was based upon the Hardy CC d France taper  , I got it from him some time ago. It was nice to christen it in style .  I didn`t get the line choice quite right so after that fish I put it away and went back to my old faithful Streamflex plus ,

The fish were very fit wildies and this one tail walked up the river like a rainbow . I have had this rod for many years and I still think it is one of the finest longer river rods out there.

The fish  were in beautiful condition 

I couldn`t help taking this picture seemed like spring encapsulated 

Then on Saturday we had a work party on another local stream and afterwards myself and a friend walked the river to discover that the hawthorn flies have decided to show their face early this year. 

Its a pretty little stream and it has become an old friend ,  on the day i would have caught many more on a nymph but while there was a chance of a fish on a dry I was going to persevere , 

I think you can see the fly stuck in his jaw and that by the time I caught this fella the fly had already lost his legs ,  The first few I caught were , well lets just say well smaller ,,,,I don`t like fishing the hawthorn on very fine tippets so never go below 5 x ,  The wing and the legs make it a bugger for twisting the tippet. 

That day I used a new rod and for me a new material .  its glass. well S glass which i think is just glass but a bit faster.  When I was fishing the upland stream I was stumbling about due to me not being very fit after hardly fishing since before Christmas also my balance seems to be not getting any better due to a duff knee and ears that have being in the wars and have affected my balance ,  so I reflected that wafting a four figure value bamboo rod about isn`t the best idea on rough upland streams , Also  I here much chatter these days about the new glass rods so have got this one to try.  its a 7ft 3 wt and has an action very much like cane and not unlike the old Hardy featherweight carbon ,  Watch this space to see it it grown on me , but first impressions are good . 

So lets talk about the past year and the future...

 

It really has been a strange sort of a year . A spring so wet it was biblical .  Followed by a summer that never really matured it was either too hot or too cold and things never really seemed to get going ,  Rising fish seem to have been notably absent and judging by other anglers I speak to that seems to have been a pretty common experience.  The chalk stream has been a constant fascination though. As much for the bird and animal life as for the fishing and it must be said the fishing has been hard for most of the season.  Guys who have fished there for many years have struggled which makes me feel better. I had a few days where all was right in the world , fish were rising and everything slotted in to place .  I had a fine couple of days there with a guest who like me enjoys bamboo rods . The favourite rivers have delivered a few cracking days in what generally has been a below par season . 

Early season getting access to the new upland stream was brilliant as an early season option it is superb. . Cheap too so as a Yorkshireman that`s a big plus. here`s a couple of reminders of the place. 

Otherwise this year I am starting to think more and more about the R word , retirement that is. I am Part time now and in the next year total days not working will outnumber those working .  readers may be thinking that retirement will mean that I just fish all the time .  Well in some ways I feel it could be the opposite. All my life fishing has been partly an escape to de stress from work and I believe when I do pack work in other things will also move in to fill the time .  Although I think fishing is in my very bones ,

I recently received the rod I promised myself as a retirement gift .  The Luke Bannister fly rod it was a tad late for the trout season but anxious to put a line on it I had it out with me on a favourite stream after grayling with hope that I may get a grayling on it without resorting to the heavy stuff .  I also took another favourite carbon rod with me as the new rod is not really intended for slinging bead head nymphs about . So I took along a favourite winter rod for small streams a Scott original G series in a 8ft 3 wt and was catching steadily in the deeper runs . It is a perfect  having a bit extra reach .  Anyway the first few fish came to bead head nymphs in the deeper runs .  But I couldn`t catch a grayling on the new rod with the lighter nymphs ,  the rod solved the problem for me as I approached a small pool I was casting and lengthening line and had a take in the thinner water. It was this lovely OOS trout the rod was saying , look I don`t want a grayling I am for casting s dry fly on a summers evening take me home until the spring.. So that is what I am doing...Apologies for the OOS pic. but the event needed recording. The barbless hook fell out and the fish wasn`t handled 

The other thing that has lost its shine for me , not that I was the greatest fan and to some extent why I have the blog is the dreaded Facebook .  I caught myself some months  ago taking a picture of a fish I caught and thinking how best to put it on Facebook and even wondering if I had taken a picture of the same bit of river before and at that point I thought what the bloody hell am I doing . The reality is that moment made me question my motives for taking the camera . This last few months I have had many good days fishing and come the day when I catch a new PB or something really noteworthy I may well bubble over with joy and stick it on FB .  But at the heart of it is the very reason I fish . It is to relax, enjoy nature and hopefully catch a few.  Also for me fly fishing is an intensely personal pleasure , although I have to say that taking someone as a guest and sharing favourite places with them is a special distraction and I guess gave me some of the most enjoyable days of the season.   But sharing on line is a risky business .  I know that a blog is in itself social media and I am aware that others may say I am more than a little hypocritical. But FB is a very two edged thing . great for the odd political joke and keeping in touch with folks .  But Its a pervasive thing that is just a series of soundbites and snapshots without any real thought and message .  The blog is hopefully about how I feel and spread the joy of fly fishing and the places I fish but it will be less from me in terms of the grip and grin type stuff , 

As for retirement , apart from the downside and  the obvious that it means I am getting older .  It also means that I have more time to enjoy the wonderful fishing in the rivers I am fortunate to have access too.  But as  said above it doesn`t mean that I will fish more .  I also have an allotment garden which I enjoy and the old coronet major in the garage will get more use .  For those that don`t know that is a woodworking machine and not some sort of military band leader .  Truth is like the rivers I fish I am changing . I saw a video recently of the actor Michael Hordern talking about that great writer Arthur Ransome he used the phrase "Gardeners and Fishermen make fine old men" I rather liked that and it seems like a reasonable ambition to move forwards with into retirement. I will keep you informed on how I progress.  

One of the few times this year I have had an Audience...

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 .  

Fascination of Vintage gear and a little fishing report...

 I am a member of a couple of online forums and have been for very many years and it has be apparent that there is a growing interest in the use of Bamboo rods  and silk lines .  But also an increasing interest in the use of vintage gear ,  The bamboo rods that I own are primarily recent builds but I also own an old Fosters and a South bend 290 with two tips from Thomas Turners , it was built around 1950 So actually older than me .  Lovely rod and it is still as straight as a die and casts beautifully. Also I acquired it recently for a little over £200 so great value ( Cane shouldn`t cost the earth )   it is also actually a pretty useful rod, one river I fish is very open and plastic 3 and 4 wt lines get blown about something wicked , that rod is designed for a 5 /6 wt,  I use a silk DT5.5 on it . It has a similar line diameter to a 4 wt and deals with the wind with much less effort.  So when its blowing that is what I pick up.  As the rod is a 7ft 6 inch its at home on most of my local streams .  Even though its a 5/6 even modest fish still put a nice bend in it.  

I came across an interesting article about this very subject today here is a link to it, It was one of those reads where I found myself nodding and smiling agreement to myself , I just thought I would pass it along. Also there are cane bargains to be had I noticed a unused and mint MR Zhu 7ft 4 wt with two tips went for £120 on ebay the other day , They are a very fishable rod and a great way to experience that first cane buzz.  

https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/new-generation-vintage-fly-tackle/458651

This year I have come across a number of guys fishing cane / bamboo and also a few last year but I am struggling to recall any similar experiences over the previous 10 years. A good friend has a couple of "modern " bamboo rods and I recently came across a guy fishing A fosters cane rod that belonged to his Grandfather,  I don`t foresee that cane will overtake carbon ,  but there is for sure a growing minority of anglers that are tiring perhaps looking for something different out of the game, 

 I am not saying that I only fish bamboo now , my last trip was on a very low Yorkshire stream where I explored the upper and more overgrown stretches and for that day my weapon of choice was an Orvis Superfine touch 6ft 2 wt, which to those who are not acquainted with them is delightful full flex range of rods that are probably among the sweetest that Orvis produced , sadly  long since discontinued.

The run below was interesting , a difficult back cast and I was sinking into the mud at a fair rate as I cast and landed this fish first cast, my cast was a good one ( amazing for me ) I landed the fly about 4 inches from the far bank where the tiny patch of grass is next to the briars.  I didn`t see a rise but there had to be a fish there its just a perfect lie. the fish came up and nailed it instantly happy days as it was the best fish of a tough day which had the little two weight well hooped over.  

Summer time blues and a whiter shade of pale

Apparently we are in the longest period of hot dry weather for 50 years sadly this means that all the local rivers are struggling and consequently of late fishing has ended up being a late afternoon and evening activity. This was the other evening and as I approached the path up through the woods it struck me how perfect the light was . At the risk of sounding poetic the air had that very heavy quality long hot days bring,  If there had been even the hint of a cloud in the sky I would have anticipated a thunder storm.  The late afternoon sunshine picked out the blue flowers and there was a real glow about the scene ,  I loitered for a minute to try and capture the mood but sadly my photo doesn`t do it justice.  I wasn`t in a rush as I knew that any fish activity was probably an hour away. 

Incidentally I have recently bought another bamboo rod , a nice little 6ft 9inch Jim Becker from the USA . It occurs to me that this year I have fished with Bamboo a lot more often than Carbon. I haven't actually been able to define to myself why I have taken to bamboo as much as I have.  I have a fine selection of high quality carbon fly rods.  They are lighter than cane, more powerful than cane and I guess when you consider all logical and factual ways to measure things then they are superior .  But the bamboo just manages to leave me with a broader smile.  My evening trip out was to put this new rod  through its paces its only its second time out and me and the rod are already blood brothers as the first time out included a puncture wound on my right hand that meant constantly washing blood of the handle was required.  I have to say that the finish on the rod is superb apart from in certain lights there is slight red staining now. 

These were typical of the trout that came in the last hour or so of surface activity,  earlier even nymphs had failed to tempt anything but as the light levels and temperature both dropped the first risers appeared in the faster water,  these both took little f flies.

The previous Sunday I was fortunate to have received an invite from a friend to fish the Driffield West beck Chalk Stream ,  The water is 100% spring fed and this allows for water at a constant temperature and the PH is very beneficial to plant life and aquatic bugs ( fish food) the clarity and the unbroken sunshine on the day meant that the fish were to put it lightly , spooky.  There were also very few rising fish ,  The fish I caught were all caught on nymphs which in itself was fascinating as you cast to fish you can see, and actually watch the fish take the nymph.  Sometimes the fish moved slightly or you saw a flash of white as the mouth was opened or even just a flare of the gills , sight fishing is a different game to the nymph fishing on the rough streams I usually do.  For this fishing the bamboo stayed at home and a light 9ft 6 inch 3 wt managed the water more easily. 

I ended up with four trout , nothing huge and all stock fish there are no photos as after scrapping hard they  would have not appreciated hot hands in near 30 degrees temperature ,  The one fish I did waste time over was this grayling in the picture below ,  my friend who knows the river said the water there was about 6ft deep and the fish was on the bottom.  We both estimated it at 3lb plus I tried tempting it with nymphs of all shapes and sizes and actually managed to drop one on its head at one point.  It was completely indifferent to my feeble attempts at deception.   What did surprise me was when a trout darted in and took the nymph it darted around the pool and splashed on the surface above the grayling and almost colliding with it at one point.  The grayling barely stirred I expected it to disappear . 

When I bought the Jim Becker bamboo I was going through the usual ritual of swapping lines about on to a suitable reel, I seem to have a lot more lines than reels and at times it is a reel pain ( notice the spelling ) .  Also many of the reels I have are large arbour jobs for the Carbon rods.  So have been getting a small collection of reels together to suit the bamboo rods , traditional pattern ones and as I was having a browse on the interweb I came across Marryat reels I have been aware of them for years and always fancied what I considered a very pretty reel anyway as I did a quick search on ebay and the like I came across this one which was been sold by a Classical fishing tackle house "Thomas Turner" it is from the estate of the Late Gary Brooker he of Procol Harum and "Whiter Shade of Pale " fame,  The price wasn`t much more than a reel without any interesting history and it is a nice early made in Japan model and has the Gehrkes plate on the back which only the early ones had and I am afraid I couldn`t resist it .  As a long time fan of Whiter Shades in particular , a song that was released when I was going through an episode of a challenging childhood which meant I was largely away from home for a few years with fishing as a constant comfort . this and a couple of other songs and Artists bring back many memories. So it has a found a good home and it certainly will be fished.  Certainly his collection seemed to be of someone who enjoyed fishing and bought what he liked and it was fished not just displayed.  

From a Whiter Shade of Pale :

We skipped the light fandango

Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor

I was feeling kinda seasick

The crowd called out for more

The room was humming harder

As the ceiling flew away

When we called out for another drink

The waiter brought a tray

I guess not many people know that he actually recorded a song about fishing , apparently he was in the states for a couple of weeks steelhead fishing and managed one on the last day so went back to his accommodation and hit the beer and wrote the song below . A perfectly logical conclusion if you ask me. Anyway his reel will be going fishing with me pretty often now I hope he would have approved of the use I will put it to. he obviously appreciated bamboo rods as there were plenty in his collection. I have left the backing on the reel I certainly wont take it of, so Imagine that me fishing with backing by Gary Brooker....

The search is over, the battle done

The fish is beaten, the angler's won

But simple stories make longer tales

No consolation if he had failed

Through wind and desert, Blackberry Hole

Coyote and rattler had made him old

No it ain't easy, it's on the borderline

Between health and madness, the way he bides his time

Fin to fin in every log-jam

This is where they lie

The Deschutes is hot, the bottom's black

They're eye-to-eye

My oh my what fun to be on your own

Down foaming rapids into the deep black hole

Through thorns and rockslides for to reach his goal

And golden chances, he let them slip away

Or was he waiting for the Judgement Day?

They really nailed 'em on the deadline

This is where they lie

Where the water's fast, the current's strong, their eye-to-eye

My oh my what fun to be on your own

But on the thirteenth morning when the sun was high

He tricked that steelhead and saw the line go tight

Two spirits fighting, two creatures bold

Bad luck and trouble had finally lost their hold

Fin to fin in every log-jam

This is where they lie

The Deschutes is hot, the bottom's black

They're eye-to-eye

I see why he spend his time on his own

Old mans Cane?

 Recently on Facebook there was an interesting link to a piece by Simon Cooper.  

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Fishing-Breaks---A-cast-from-the-past.html?soid=1101626840123&aid=XjeRHcCgcOw

Saying why do we pretend cane fly rods are any good.? I am sure that the post was targeted at getting a reaction but it does ask a sensible question ,  After all whey would we use craftsmanship and feel rather than technology and the latest space age tech. Why would we not take advantage of progress?  I think the answer has to be for me because sometimes they are best,  for sure carbon fibre does indeed provide a wonderful material for fly rods I have several, actually many  , but there are a few reasons why I still love the bamboo. The judgment is not one based on science and pure performance rather the it is down to qualitative and not quantitative factors. For example as much as I have a nice powerful and comfortable German car that will cruise all day long at the limit and do everything I want if I had a lottery win at some point I would find a nice classic sports car to have a run round the country lanes on a warm summers evening. I suppose I could have indulged in something like it now but truth is I like fly rods a lot more than cars ,well  its a similar analogy for cane rods they do the same as carbon but I think in a more leisurely and classy way ,  by the way I am new to cane its only the last 6 or 7 years when I have started to gain the habit ,  

Practically for cane  small stream rods 7ft 6 inch and less seems to me the sweet spot for getting the most out of the material. The little extra weight of cane to some extent works the rod its self, roll casting is a dream with a silk line and close range casting is easy . Lets be honest how many times have you met people with short modern carbon rods who are having to  overline the rods to get the thing to load at short ranges ,  That is where Cane works best. 

This is by usual standards on my streams a nice open pool but you are constantly surrounded by trees usually with a high bank behind you and nothing is manicured there are lots of things waiting to grab the fly .  The rod is a six foot three weight and the silk line is perfect ,  roll casting and tight loops when required come easily. Also forget the rods did I mention stealth?. Stealth doesn`t come easy for me. A little overweight, well over 60 and someone who spends most days behind a desk.  But if you aren`t stealthy the fish will not play ball.  

Below is a typical problem the fish will be at the tail of the faster water around the corner to the right ,  trouble is when you get to that little archway its a left handed roll cast to fish only 15 ft away. The silk line doesn`t cause so much surface disturbance as plastic and is perfect for the job  .  

Another thing now I admit that cane can be broken ,  I actually had one of the tips replaced after slipping on the bank and landing on this very rod a few years ago ,  Chas the builder told me I was a clumsy fellow , I think it was fellow I am sure it began with an F, anyway he ordered me a new tip from Chapmans ,  but by and large i find that cane is no more breakable with sensible use.  In fact if you clatter a branch on the back cast I would say cane is more robust than carbon . 

The result of my crap looking left handed roll cast was this little chap.  Not saying I couldnt have caught it with a carbon rod but wouldn`t have done it with as much class, I guess what I am trying to say with all of this is ok if you fish the ressies or big lakes and wide open rivers you will stick with Carbon and wouldn`t argue.  When I fish the Ure its Carbon all the way , but at the moment only because my longest cane is 7ft 6 inch .  

The picture below tells no other story than this pool normally produces a fish or two if you are lucky. If you can extract a fish near the downstream end of the tree roots and hustle it away quietly you can sometimes get another right at the upstream end ,  On that day I hooked a small fish at the bottom and it shook the hook as it cartwheeled up the run.  I would call it a pool but size wise its more like a bath tub. 

To really appreciate Cane I think you need to fly fish a while , probably 20 years plus.  Perhaps slow down a bit and get rid of all that youthful energy and the need to catch more and bigger fish.  Then start to enjoy the finer things in life.  These days I drink less wine but I drink finer wine there is I am sure a link there ,  Perhaps I need to ditch the plastic cool box and get a wicker hamper and a proper picnic set as well perhaps some nice preserves and cured meats  now instead of the crisps and sandwiches.  I don`t think I could do the full Peter Arfield and actually dress period style. So I shall continue to look as elegant as an unopened Arab Dustbin to quote the great Spike Milligan.  Seriously if you are fishing small streams try a cane rod.  You wont regret it...

Summer starts here and bamboo days on small streams

 

Its been a tough April.  Very low levels, cold water and cold winds combined with little insect life has meant that catching trout has been hard work.  The grayling which are out of season have been rising freely and feeding well whilst the trout have been hiding ,  The last few days have seen the temperatures rising. This weekend as it is now May I thought I would mark the occasion by going to a local favourite stream armed with bamboo and silk .  I apologise for using the American "Bamboo " rather than the traditional English term "cane " It is not because I have been reading to much Gierach it as a survivor of the English boarding schools system enough to say I have several painful memories of the Cane. So for me " Bamboo " it is.  I am not a die hard bamboo fan as most of my fishing is done with Carbon rods .  But over the last few years the appeal of the traditional Bamboo and silk has grown on me.  

The growing appeal is not linked to any romantic notion of returning to times gone by .  It is I think more a reflection of my interaction with  the river . It may be all in my head but when you play a fish on a silk lane and cane rod the feeling of connection is more intense the lack of stretch in the line and the flex of the cane gives a different experience .  It is also a very efficient method of fishing .  The silk line I was using above was a 3wt which I can confirm floated nicely for all of the four or five hours fishing .  its diameter was thinner than that of the 2 wt plastic line I used a few days before .  It casts beautifully with very tight loops and roll casts better than any plastic line .   Fishing Bamboo makes you slow down your cast , force one and it will protest .  But work with it and it will do everything that modern materials will do , granted a little slower and also a little costlier .  Although decent cane rods can be obtained for less than the cost of expensive carbon and silk lines are dependent on the brand can be obtained for less than £100 .  The truth is for me If you love the places you fish and you are happy with the size of fish you catch then the only way to improve things is to change the way you fish and therefore the quality of the experience .  For me that has meant that sometimes when the intent is to fish dries and perhaps tiny nymphs on a warm summer day then make a Bamboo rod and silk line your companion.  

When I started this blog many years ago it was started so that a relative could follow my exploits but these days it has become a journal ,  blogs have fallen largely from favour they have been replaced by the instant gratification of FB and instagram. This blog has matured now and there have been times I have considered ditching it but I am already looking back on the posts I made some years ago. I know that some years hence I will look at this post and remember that one moment when the river , the weather and the fish all aligned with me to give one of those special moments when everything is perfect.  A rising fish , a decent cast a perfect take followed by some airborn acrobatics to signal the start of summer and the perfect result.

Grayling fishing old style

 

As regular readers of this ere blog may recall my Father passed away a couple of years ago .  Now Apart from the great memories and a scruffy old cap.  He left me his Millwards featherlight Cane match rod and the matching Rapidex reel.  Which he assured me had bought on his 21st birthday.  Which would make the rod and reel almost exactly 72 years old. A couple of years before he left us We had a chat about the rod , he was keen that I used it and didn`t just hang it on a wall ,  He actually thought I might sell it as he didn`t think I would use it.  That is never going to happen. But when he passed away I decided that on his birthday on 6th Feb every year I would take it out and use it this year would have been his 93rd. The first year with Covid and foul weather it didn`t happen but I was determined that this year it would,  As it happened though the 6th was foul weather heavy rain strong winds and to be honest delaying it a few days didn`t bother me, Dad hated fishing in the wind so he would have appreciated that. Anyway yesterday I took a day out and went to my favourite stream.  I decided to fish in the appropriate  way. No waistcoat , My old brady bag a grayling society leather float tube with several very traditional floats ,  a three nuns tin with some split shot and some hooks to nylon although these days barbless ones , otherwise very much in the manner I fished with my Dad years ago.  

The eagle eyed amongst you will spot a George Lockhart float there he of the Flee and Float blog it seemed most appropriate that it got put to good use.  Now the first thing that struck me when I fitted the rod together was blimey it was heavy it also felt unbalanced even with the Rapidex on it. I guess we forget just how far Carbon fibre has developed lightweight gear. The fact that the rod is called the Featherlite made me grin. It also made me realise just how skilled an angler the old man was. he certainly handled it with more delicacy than I did.

Also apart from the obvious wear on the cork handle ,  the fact that the original ferrule stoppers are there and the lovely condition of the rest of the rod reminds me of how much care Dad lavished on it.

Once I had got the hang of float fishing with this strange gear.  It has been quite a few years since I ventured out with the trotting gear ,  I started to catch a few :  this was the first; I dont think I will ever tire of catching Grayling such a beautiful fish and in fast water hard scrappers too. 

I had about a dozen in all the fish at the top was the last one of the day.  A beautiful lump of a fish from a small stream , Also one that made the old rod creak and groan alarmingly . I probably played the fish over cautiously but the thought of breaking the rod tip was a real concern , hence the single snap of the fish in the net as I released it it was pretty tired I just lowered it into the stream to recover a few minutes until it swam away happily. That moment was the final act of the day .  It will probably be my last trip of the year too.  I cant think of a better way to finish of the season.

Its a pretty stream I am sure Dad would have approved ..

January..Fishing without fishing and bamboo and silk

So January so far I have had two trips.  Most years it is about the same maybe three on a good year.  It is difficult to get motivated about standing in a ice cold river whilst searching for Grayling that are hugging the bottom . Up until Christmas you can console yourself with the hope that around lunchtime with a little bit of weak sunshine a small hatch may encourage the Grayling to look upwards.  Assuming the water is clear enough of course .  But the reality is despite what the books tell you lunchtime rises aren`t a common occurrence.

The good thing about January is that the whole business of planning your seasons fishing starts again ,  I have just paid my first subscription which was Jervaulx on the river Ure .  lets hope the rain gods are kinder this year . It fished well for trout early last year.  but the dry summer and brutal low levels made things very difficult otherwise,  Elsewhere I am involved with helping to run a couple of small clubs and the business of getting things moving has started.  The secretaries do most of the work I just tag along  spout a bit of rubbish at the AGM and go fishing.

It is also the time of year when I need to focus on tying some flies and organising the fly boxes ,  The fly boxes always start the season in fine form rows of flies lined up like troops ready for battle at the season start ,  But by the end of the season they resemble the straggled remains of a well beaten military expedition ,  out of formation and in varying states of undress with half their kit missing.  Which also reminds me I need to invest in some new tippet. But focussing on tying flies is a good way of trying to avoid my close season habit of convincing myself I need a new rod or reel or line... Something that I seem to be able to do with remarkable ease ,  despite having plenty of stuff ,  although I guess as my son is now fishing and I am encouraging my daughter to have a go I really do need to consider some new things.  It is amazing how  a little bit of resistance to new purchases can melt away when faced with such blindingly obvious logic.  See it happens every year.  Trouble is fly fishing stuff is so damned appealing ,  A friend has an online fly shop I was fishing with him one day and was catching and he wasn`t he nicked a couple of flies of me that were small and drab and pretty shit looking but they worked ,  he approved but commented that no one would buy anything that looked like that.  Reels that look good just say buy me ,,,apologies about the hideous backing colour but the silk lines are all cleaned and tucked up in their boxes until the season gets going.

One development and some would say an illogical one in my fly fishing activity has been my increasing interest and fascination in split cane rods or Bamboo as our American cousins refer to it. Many of my friends have said that it is a romantic view and carbon is king.  But on certain types of fishing they fit the bill perfectly and to some extent they are the perfect solution and yet nowadays are hidden in plain sight.  The modern Bamboo rods are a different beast entirely to the heavy things of a few decades ago and although expensive offer good value .  Also along with the bamboo rods I have developed a small collection silk lines , 

 I have never been a fan of fast action rods. Small streams and close range fishing means that improvised casts and roll casts particularly are the order of the day ,   I have found that bamboo rods tick all the boxes and the silk lines are very effective and not nearly as hard to look after as is often stated.  Their  ability to cut through the wind and unroll with such accuracy is brilliant and roll casting is a joy .  The silk line floats on the surface film by repelling the surface tension ,  the Plastic lines sit in it by displacement as a boat floats on the water.  So roll casts benefit greatly both in terms of less disturbance on lift of and more delicacy on the landing due to there smaller diameter ,  I am a convert to them.  there is no reason why you cant fish silk lines on carbon rods.  But to me it wouldn`t seem right and proper.  I am not saying I do not fish carbon any more I still use it the most but on a warm evening fishing the evening rise on a small stream there is a certain harmony from bamboo and silk. 

This is the rod that infected me with the sickness ,  I fear it is already to late for a cure.  It has now been joined by some new friends ,