Off to a flyer

[OwdTrout]

As always on the first day of the new season, I set off to wet a line. Since the close of last season I've moved, new job new home. My new place is only 5 minutes from the Irwell, on foot. That means new season and a new river to explore. Local knowledge I had gleaned yesterday in the toy shop gave me a starting place. I'm beginning to fear the local toy shop. They have started offering me coffee when I enter. It’s not good to be that relaxed around tackle for sale.

 

This morning it was bright and warm, if a little windy, when I went to clear the last bits of coarse tackle from the car. Those odds and ends that seem to live in the boot. "Well a good day to wet a line, but probably in vain", I was thinking. Still, opening day has to be marked.

 

About 11:30 I set out in my waders, stick in hand. The Irwell here is quite large. Standing on the bank watching I couldn't see any sign of a fish. I could however, see large dark olives (baetis rhodani) hatching off. Maybe there is hope of a fish to start the season. About 12:15, having moved twenty yards downstream I spotted a rise. Worked out the best casting position and waded into place to cover the rise. I hoped it wasn't an early season "oncer" that doesn't rise again. By the time I was in place that one rise had turned into 5 or six fish rising frequently. My hopes soared. A feeding fish is a fish that can be caught.

 

My first cast landed nicely upstream of a rising fish and the fly disappeared in a swirl. In my excitement I struck too soon, missing the fish. Calm down, these are trout not grayling. Three casts later another swirl and I was into a fish, a good one too. Then I wasn't. Soon I had missed 2 and lost 3. Despite this a lot of fish were now rising, time to stop and think.

 

I changed fly. When I had arrived I had set up a duo of a size 18 Klinkhammer (a big fly even in that size) with a size 18 bead head nymph a yard below it. They came off and on went one of the all time best dry flies, a CdC and Elk. Either the change of fly, or the pause to relax a little, worked. Minutes later I was playing a hard fighting brownie of about a pound. It took a good couple of minutes to land that fish.

 

During the close season I have been very lax in my fly tying. After loosing another fish I didn't have a similar sized CdC and Elk to replace my now drowned fly. In its place I tied my own stuck shuck emerger. Today that was a better fly than the CdC and Elk. As I worked up the pool it accounted for two more fish, one larger and one smaller than the first, both good hard fighting brownies.

 

At this time of the season dry fly will often out score the nymph. There is usually a short window in the middle of the day when the fish will rise. Sure enough at 1:45 the fish switched off. As I walked away there wasn't a rise anywhere. There is no use fishing a nymph; the trout haven't switched to the nymph, they have stopped feeding.

 

That is the best opening day I've ever had, and bodes well for the season to come. Now it is time to play catch up with my fly tying. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot this year.

 

Cheers,

 

OT

[Alan Roe]

A flying start to the new season fella and a promising intro to a new river it's funny how some of these forgotten rivers like the Irwell and the Calder have come good in recent years despite their industrial heritage.

Anyway whats with this slackness in flydressing clearly you are in need of some practise....... now get on with tying a dozen Greenwells glory's with GPbreast feathers for tails !

[arbocop]

Minutes later I was playing a hard fighting brownie of about a pound. It took a good couple of minutes to land that fish.

 

From the Irwell - crikey! I'm a Mancunian and I find that more gratifying (just) than Saturdays thumping of Man. U by Liverpool.

 

I know a few Salmon have been 'missing' the Dee and the Ribble and heading up the Mersey and tributaries instead (a few have been found dead in the Manchester Ship Canal) but I didn't think that the trout would be a realistic prospect for fly fishing in the Irwell - even in the upper reaches. That's exciting!

 

How far upstream is this particular stretch - Rossendale?

[Alan Roe]

I happen to have a very good idea of whereabouts on the Irwell they are and belive me they are lower down than you would believe but for obvious reasons the precise location is being kept a bit quiet

[Moggy]

As always on the first day of the new season, I set off to wet a line. Since the close of last season I've moved, new job new home. My new place is only 5 minutes from the Irwell, on foot. That means new season and a new river to explore. Local knowledge I had gleaned yesterday in the toy shop gave me a starting place. I'm beginning to fear the local toy shop. They have started offering me coffee when I enter. It’s not good to be that relaxed around tackle for sale.

 

This morning it was bright and warm, if a little windy, when I went to clear the last bits of coarse tackle from the car. Those odds and ends that seem to live in the boot. "Well a good day to wet a line, but probably in vain", I was thinking. Still, opening day has to be marked.

 

About 11:30 I set out in my waders, stick in hand. The Irwell here is quite large. Standing on the bank watching I couldn't see any sign of a fish. I could however, see large dark olives (baetis rhodani) hatching off. Maybe there is hope of a fish to start the season. About 12:15, having moved twenty yards downstream I spotted a rise. Worked out the best casting position and waded into place to cover the rise. I hoped it wasn't an early season "oncer" that doesn't rise again. By the time I was in place that one rise had turned into 5 or six fish rising frequently. My hopes soared. A feeding fish is a fish that can be caught.

 

My first cast landed nicely upstream of a rising fish and the fly disappeared in a swirl. In my excitement I struck too soon, missing the fish. Calm down, these are trout not grayling. Three casts later another swirl and I was into a fish, a good one too. Then I wasn't. Soon I had missed 2 and lost 3. Despite this a lot of fish were now rising, time to stop and think.

 

I changed fly. When I had arrived I had set up a duo of a size 18 Klinkhammer (a big fly even in that size) with a size 18 bead head nymph a yard below it. They came off and on went one of the all time best dry flies, a CdC and Elk. Either the change of fly, or the pause to relax a little, worked. Minutes later I was playing a hard fighting brownie of about a pound. It took a good couple of minutes to land that fish.

 

During the close season I have been very lax in my fly tying. After loosing another fish I didn't have a similar sized CdC and Elk to replace my now drowned fly. In its place I tied my own stuck shuck emerger. Today that was a better fly than the CdC and Elk. As I worked up the pool it accounted for two more fish, one larger and one smaller than the first, both good hard fighting brownies.

 

At this time of the season dry fly will often out score the nymph. There is usually a short window in the middle of the day when the fish will rise. Sure enough at 1:45 the fish switched off. As I walked away there wasn't a rise anywhere. There is no use fishing a nymph; the trout haven't switched to the nymph, they have stopped feeding.

 

That is the best opening day I've ever had, and bodes well for the season to come. Now it is time to play catch up with my fly tying. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot this year.

 

Cheers,

 

OT

Fine story well told! Get thee to the vice young man!

[OwdTrout]

Al - unfortunately my supply of GP body feathers has gone the way of all flesh. You'll have to make do with Coq de Leon. I must ask if I only make you 12 what will you do for a fly on your thirteenth cast? (Ducking)

 

Moggy, With the fishing day so short at the moment I will have chance to get tying. Though I'm not now quite as fast as I once was. The eyes are going and lack of practice, but Alan's Greenwell's will not take over an hour and a half. Then I get to mine.

 

If anyone wants the dressing for my stuck shuck emerger here it is

 

Hook: Light wire curved shank #14 - 20 To suit natural.

Thread: Spiderweb 18/0

Shuck: A few strands of poly yarn knotted at the end (Its easier to make a load at once by knotting a six inch length of yarn every half inch.

Body: Stripped peacock herl (Unspin the thread and wind it over the herl for strength. It will not show.)

Wings: CdC split Marc Petitjean style. (Set in thread, spun, wound forced upward as you wind, then split by bringing a piece of floss through the bunch). This is the "secret" method used on his dry flies, gleaned from the man himself. He should know better than to let me see him tie anything.

 

Cheers.

 

OT

[Steve Walker]

I'm also pleased to hear of trout in the old Mancunian mill rivers. There have been trout in the Upper Tame for a long time, but I hear there are plenty of coarse fish further downstream now. The Etherow and Goyt have plenty of fish. All good.

[Worms]

Well done

[Anderoo]

Thanks for that OT, a fine story and just the thing to get me in a spotty mood for the upcoming tree-decorating

[OwdTrout]

upcoming tree-decorating

 

The trick is to pull gently and slowly. Often they will come out. Ironic that once you are proficient enough to tie the replacements your casting has also improved, so you don't loose as many.

 

Of course Alan Roe doesn't worry about loosing them... He just gets more off me. Way back in the mists of time he taught me the basics of fly tying. little did I know that was a debt never to be repaid. (You'll have them soon Al).

 

Cheers,

OT

Edited March 17, 2009 by OwdTrout