End of a weird but actually ok season .

I know I am letting the blog drift but i thought an end of season update was in order. Also to show that I do also listen to those kind readers who emailed me and said don`t give up writing the blog .  So the plan is I will do that but I plan along the way to change what I put up .  I hope I can convey and  reflect more on why I fish , especially why I visit the places I do.  Also as I am now semi retired and soon to be fully retired I will be including some of the other things I waste my time doing . 

On the face of it it’s been an awful season ,  the mid season few months have seen desperately low levels due to the lack of rain following a almost dry winter of 24/25 .  The chalk stream is the lowest it’s been for 60 years the first few months of the season fished well until the aquifers finally emptied .  The rain fed streams that run of the North York moors have been pitifully low all season they barely got going at the season start and then quickly ran almost dry.  So by all practical measures it’s been a miserable season .  But in terms of catches it has had some real highlights,   Early season I managed a new personal best fly rod caught chub .  At just over 5lb it was a real highlight ,  but in the few weeks before that I had managed several nice chub and a couple of notable grayling , I have always enjoyed chub on the fly .  They take dries and on their day they rise  as well as trout .  I have always been fond of them, a chub was the first fish I saw caught on a dry fly , I watched a teacher at my first boarding school catch some chub in the Whiske a little tributary of the Swale a river which then was the perfect image of a small stream clear water , full of streamer weed and shoals of fish, Sadly years later I foolishly re visited and found it destroyed and polluted . 

Driffield Beck Chub 

A few weeks later I very nearly didn’t bother going on a planned trip ,  I had a bad back and really wasn’t feeling like it but after giving myself a virtual slap I took an old Sharpe’s featherweight bamboo and ended up with two cracking fish , one over 4lb and the other 3 1/2 lb .  The bigger fish I had targeted before but that day approached its regular holding spot red  Indian style on all fours which for a gentleman of my years with buggered knees is not something to be done on a whim .  Spotting it just up stream of where I was expecting it to be and after watching it through the bankside grasses and stuff and seeing it was feeding, the nymph was cast upstream and second drift down the fish moved to the side and took it comfortably.  The river was carrying heavy weed growth and I am convinced  the bamboo rod and silk line made a difference to holding it as it clearly wasn`t impressed by the idea that an overweight old bloke on all fours had managed to deceive it .  The silk line has zero stretch but the bamboo absorbs the sudden lunges of a big fish well that’s my thoughts .  I certainly seem to be able to apply a lot of pressure.

Driffield Beck Brown trout 

An hour later and nearly back to the hut I noticed a large shape drop down in the water at the base of a large willow .  I decided it was worth a speculative cast .  Almost as soon as the nymph hit the water the tippet darted away .  Another dogged fight meant fish two in the net .  

That really was the end of the good fishing for the season . there was a few early trips after grayling but between catching a few decent fish and a lot of not so decent fish the one real highlight was seeing the big numbers of tiny grayling which meant that this years spawning had yielded good success .  After catching a few on tiny dries I had to leave several stretches to avoid catching the little darlings . I hope they they will be about in a year or two when they are bigger. 

Later in the year we had a cottage booked in Northumberland .  The cottage came with fishing on the Coquet well as you might expect the river was on its bones and unfishable .  I did manage a couple of tiny browns on dry flies early morning.  it’s a pretty river though and have it marked down as a future destination.  

The Bamboo obsession still rumbles on .  The little Garrison that Luke Bannister built for me was given its first outing of the year small trout were out in numbers and it proved to be as delightful to fish with as I had hoped.

I also picked up an unusual action rod it was a somewhat impulsive bid on that auction site . Well when I say unusual it is truly a faster action rod than my other bamboo. It is built on a Dickerson 7612 taper , By Rick Cunningham an American builder. When it arrived I discovered that it had a few defects that weren`t described at all. But after negotiating a very handsome deal with the seller I retained the rod and have returned it to 100 percent  .  It has recently been christened and it is indeed a very nice rod ,  just a bit quicker than most of my other bamboo.

As for the the rest of the season it was really a no show ,  As I type it is on the back of a week or two of nice wet weather even a few inches of early snow  ,The rivers were and still are in need of a good period of rain to flush them out . Also it will replenish the groundwater .  So for now the fishing is buggered but if it replenishes the groundwater and aquifers under the chalk stream then I aren`t going to complain .  So i will leave this here and say have a happy Christmas and lets hope for a prosperous new year , Which given the current state of the world seems highly unlikely . 

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...

Summers drawing to an end

 

Well as far as fishing summers go I think that to use a racing term 2024 is one to put down as an also ran. 

It was slow to get going due to last years biblical rainfall. Then being followed by a very dry couple of months .High summer never seemed to get going .  I had some brilliant early days up in the upland stream that I joined this year.  Otherwise its all been a bit strange .  The chalk stream was slow to get going and then it has been difficult all season with guys who have been fishing it for many years struggling .  But the beauty of the place is its trump card. It is not the typical manicured chalk stream.  Little is trimmed and the surrounding fields are at times chest high .  I have never seen so many Grass snakes in my life before , The river is also lightly stocked .  At times this year I have seen more Barbel and Chub in it than trout ,  

It fits in very nicely with how my fishing experience has changed over the 54 years since I caught my first trout on a fly rod .  These days it is the quality of the place and the experience that matters .  As I said in my last post the growing fondness for bamboo is also part of that change. Last Friday I had a guest on the river .  Someone who is also a bamboo fan and a rod maker as well.  A real pleasure for me was the fact that he wasn`t continuously trying to get me to repent and admit that actually Carbon is better because its lighter and then try to convince me by talking about swing weight , and modulus of something or other .  The discussion between us on various rods was about touch , feel and sensitivity .  About silk lines and how well they fish in the windy weather.  Sometimes when fishing with others  who use carbon  I feel like I am fishing with a vegan who is constantly trying to get me to see the error of my ways. 

In the end the day was long , hot and the fishing was challenging , we both caught a few trout and my highlight was targeting and catching a chub on a caterpillar imitation and remembering just what a pretty fish they are ,  On the day I used a Hardy Hollolite 8ft 5 wt with a silk line.  For the gusty wind it was perfect.  Otherwise the kingfisher blazing up and down the river all day was nice to see and the lunch at the hut chatting to the other anglers  is always a pleasure. 

Not long now till the end of the trout season .  It seems to me that the seasons get shorter and shorter ,  I must make the most of it...

 

At last a rising fish

 It has been by all accounts and also by some considerable margin. A depressingly long , wet and miserable winter.  There has been no proper winter weather ie hard frosts and some proper snow.  We had a couple of bits of the white stuff .   But nothing to speak of ,  Truth is it started to rain around last October and it has hardly let up since . The springs that feed my new chalk stream came up quickly and have stayed up and indeed put the river over the banks and across the fields .  I went for a walk along the river a week or so ago , Not to fish but to see what the level looks like .   To me it looks like I will be fishing sometime mid may...

My other spate streams have been up and down like the proverbial all winter ,  The farmer on one stretch , whose family have been there for generations has commented that although he had a couple of times seen the river higher . He did say that he had never seen the river so high for so long .  The high water has caused some damage and our work parties have removed three fallen trees and there is considerable bank damage in places .  But the river is still there it is still full of fish and god willing if it stops raining and the water fines down then fishing can recommence . 

So far since the kick of on the 25th march , I have had three trips The first resulted in no Trout but a couple of willing Grayling so no score there then a week later saw a return to the same venue and had my first couple of trout both on nymphs. 

Then on Saturday I had my first trip to a brand new stretch of river,  After having an introductory chat to the guy who runs the little syndicate I wanted to give it a whirl.  The stretch is a couple of miles of very wild unstocked interesting upland stream.  Challenging wading but delightful at the same time . There will be no big fish but first impressions were that there will be plenty of fish.  A small light rod in my case on the day was a 6ft 9 inch light bamboo job.  So with that and a wading staff clutched tightly I set of ..

A small bead head on a long leader would have been an obvious choice but the reel I had with me had a silk line and a furled leader. So not ideal.  So the usual 4ft of tippet of the furlie was replaced with 8ft and I started prospecting in likely looking seams and pockets with a 3mm size 16  beadhead nymph.  plucks resulted with a finger sized sprat that dropped of then I had one slightly bigger .

The water looks very promising with nice variation glides and pocket water in abundance and I worked my way upstream and had a few more then after noticing a few olives I saw a sight to gladden the heart , I spied a splashy rise in the tail of a fast run .  A CDC F fly drew a response but no hook up . Two casts later a little plump brownie came to hand after throwing a couple of cartwheels to brighten the day ( the fish that is, not me.) .  It was at that point I did what all sensible folks do. I got out and sat on a tree stump and took stock of my surroundings .  I am always amazed that more folks don`t fly fish , It is hard to imagine a more cathartic experience than to sit watching a river , listening to the world .  After a carton of ice cold latte and a chocolate bar it was time to resume the season.

Tackle for the day was American Jim Becker bamboo rod.  An English Hardy reel and an Italian Terenzio silk line ,  As near as I get to embracing foreign influence.  I am going to enjoy spending time here. But as a I type this the heavens have opened again and the rivers are back on the way up.  A good few years ago on this blog I prayed for rain.  Within a week we started a wet summer of biblically wet proportions , So I hesitate to pray for dry weather with my luck we will get a biblical drought and a plague of locusts . 

"First on a Dry"... Don`t you just love those words

First on a dry.. I just love those words .  It signifies so much more than just a fish caught .  It signals things are up and running , the shack nasties are banished and I can start to festoon the trees with all those flies I have so carefully tied during the winter.  It means the Grannon, Hawthorns and Mayfly times are just around the next bend .  Warm sultry evenings with rising brown trout or even splashing sea trout.  Yes the good times are here again.  Well when I say here its more of a nearly here .  Actually here we have blown flooded rivers, bank collapses , trees down and assorted other damage. 
But the season is now officially up and running and I am happy that I rejoined the little chalk stream syndicate this year and can enjoy a spring fed river that resists the worst of the deluge. 

last Sunday was the first day it was open.  I left the driveway in a hailstorm and drove through heavy rain and eventually along the farm track that bore a remarkable resemblance to WW1 pictures of the Somme .  Even the chalk stream was a little cloudy .  Not the usual Gin clear perfection of summer . 
After an hours fishing in the cold something happened which changed my whole perception , the day seemed warmer the harsh wind softened and the water cleared ,  in reality I saw a rising fish , then another and then I saw them.  Large dark olives a mere smattering of them but enough to bring the fish to the top.  The first I missed foolishly rushing the strike.  The second I hit but the fish jumped and threw the barbless hook.   But the third came to hand , a small fish but oh so precious..