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Nicholas S

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Blog Entries posted by Nicholas S

  1. Nicholas S
    Was away in Norfolk for a few days for a work related course and after researching potential fishing opportunities in the area was pleased to find out there was a small trout lake nearby that offered a catch and release evening ticket, perfect! The first day I got there as quickly as possible after having an early dinner and found the place all to myself, bliss! However, despite the fact there were clearly fish everywhere the fishing was hard work, in fact I hadn’t caught anything by the time the light was fading. However, after moving to the other end of the lake the most spectacular rise occurred with fish toping literally everywhere. Much to my annoyance I had a paltry selection of dry flies but in the end managed to hook one on a small black wet fly that I had ginked up. It felt like a poor effort given the rise however.
     
    The next day I got there even earlier to find a couple of other fisherman and the small tackle shop on site open. After arming myself with a selection of dry flies and various bits and bobs in anticipation of another evening rise I felt confident! However, like the day before I struggled again only managing to hook one fish on a buzzer. Annoyingly everyone else couldn’t seem to stop catching! Eventually I got chatting to a really friendly guy who seemed to be having a lot of success and he showed what he was doing. As it turned out, a lot of the stocked fish had ended up in the bottom end of the lake and were so close to the surface you could see their fins sticking out. A dry fly fished static didn’t elicit much of a response but ripping it back as fast as you could made them go crazy! It was fascinating and exciting at the same time, not a method I had ever even tried and to be honest, probably only works only newly stocked (slightly dumb) fish. Still, it was great fun and I must have caught almost 10 pristine Rainbows in a couple of hours. This time I went home feeling very satisfied!
  2. Nicholas S
    An enjoyable and hot day spent on Sutton Bingham reservoir in Somerset with my friend James and his Dad. It was my first time on this reservoir but I had heard good things from James who had fished it many times in the past. As it was the fishing started brilliantly with both of us catching good trout almost straight away! As the day wore on the fishing got almost too easy and we both had to try to use flies that we thought would reduce our chances of catching! In the end we got our bag limits and due to no catch and release (I hate that rule) we had to call it a day. Managed to up my trout pb to 4.75lb which I was very pleased about.
     
    The day was soured a bit at the end after I got in an argument with the Neanderthal who runs the place about his rules. Don’t think I will be revisiting in a hurry.
     
  3. Nicholas S
    A weekend that I had been looking forward to for a while. I was fishing the Thames with Alan and his Dad Trevor from their punt. I was excitied for a number of reasons, firstly because I had heard lots of good stories about how well the river was fishing, second because it was my first Coarse fishing session of the season and lastly because we were boat fishing which I absolutely love.
     
    It turned out to be a terrific weekend. Left work early on Friday so that i could get home in time to fish the evening and night with Trevor. Despite Trevor’s claims that he had put me in the best spot it seemed the opposite was true as he seemed to be getting all the bites! Still, it didn’t bother me and I enjoyed seeing some lovely Barbel caught, largest probably around 6lb (all to Trevor – really annoyingly I lost two good Barbel).
     
    The following day was spent trotting from the boat and mainly catching Bleak! Despite doing everything we could to try to get through the hoards of them it just wasn’t working. It didn’t really matter however, trotting with a pin off the punt is so much fun and a special experience every single time, even if you can only catch Bleak! Spent that evening in the same spot after Barbel again and this time it seemed like I was the one getting all the bites! Frustratingly I lost another good Barbel but eventually managed to catch my first one of the season, a lovely small fish probably not more than 2lb. We both caught a few nice Chub but Trevor had the last laugh landing a gorgeous Barbel just shy of being a double. It was a terrific evenings fishing, exhilarating stuff holding the rod and waiting for the tip to wrench round!
     
    The final day was spent trotting maggots for the small fish and then trotting the silver down as a live bait hoping for a nice Perch. The tactic worked surprisingly well but mainly with the smaller Perch. I did manage to catch two lovely Pike, the largest around 7.5lb which fought really well on relatively light tackle.
     
    A great weekend and looking forward to the next time.
  4. Nicholas S
    A weekend back in my home town fishing with friends. Saturday was spent on the punt with Alan and his Dad (Trevor). The river was slightly up and coloured and Alan decided to go for the Barbel straight away, usually a slightly hit and miss affair during the day. However, within 10 minutes he had had a confident bite and was into what turned out to be a small Barbel around 2lb. We spent the rest of the day catching small stuff with a sleeper rod left out in the hope of a bonus Barbel or Chub. As it turned out the Barbel and Chub were proving elusive but we did catch plenty of Dace, Bleak (too many!) and the odd Roach. After popping home for dinner I returned with another fishing pal (Michael) and we met Trevor by the river with the plan to fish off an island into the night. I had heard plenty of stories about this stretch of the Thames from Alan and Trevor and was eager to see what all the fuss was about! The setting certainly didn’t disappoint; it was a stunning stretch of the Thames with plenty of features and a seemingly endless number of ‘fishy’ spots that I was eying up for future visits! The fishing itself was slightly patchy – a few hours into the night we had had only two small Chub to show between the four of us and were wondering whether it was going to be a quiet night when Michael had a run on his rod. This was obviously a much better fish and after initially weeding him, seemed to swim straight towards us. Unfortunately that was the end of the excitement, for some inexplicable reason Michael’s line went slack and after reeling in the line was clean cut above the feeder. It was very mysterious and frustrating, for all of us! We spent the rest of the night fishless deliberating what could have happened and what the fish could have been. Pike attacking the feeder, line cut on the gravel, I guess we’ll never know but it seemed like a good fish and goes down as another story of the one that got away...
     
    On Sunday we opted for a change of scenery and went towards Newbury to fish Wylies Lake hoping for a Tench. This was my first time specifically targeting Tench so I wasn’t too confident but was looking forward to hopefully getting some fizzing around my float. Unfortunately despite baiting up a few likely looking spots only Trevor could get the Tench fizzing in earnest in his swim and he did well to land a lovely fish around 4lb losing another late in the day. It’s a lovely lake in the most improbable location (next to a bowling alley) but it certainly has some good Tench and I think I will have to have another crack at it in the spring when the Tench are perhaps a little more willing to feed.
     
  5. Nicholas S
    A week’s holiday with family in the north of Scotland near Ullapool. Unsurprisingly I managed to fit in some fishing where I could! The scenery, wildlife and fishing were fantastic, the weather unfortunately less so but it didn’t really dampen spirits.
     
    On the long drive North I stopped off at Pitlochry to have a punt at fishing the Tummel, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. The river is lovely but I was woefully unprepared with my small brook rod and no wading staff. The Tummel is extremely powerful, scarily so, and wading without a wading staff (and probably a life jacket) is plain stupid. In this instance I managed to fashion an impromptu one of a large stick I found on the bank but it wasn’t ideal. This was my first experience fly fishing such a large river for Trout and Grayling and apart from numerous Salmon Parr my few hours fishing was very unsuccessful. The water there seemed ideal for Czech Nymphing and on my next visit I will certainly be trying this with a much longer rod this time!
     
    During the week I managed to fit in a couple of fishing sessions, usually when the weather was poor and people didn’t fancy venturing out (except me!). The following pics were all take on the most spectacular walk into the Mountains on a day that started out with the most miserable weather. Thankfully the weather improved as the day wore on but everytime I tried to have a cast in the one of the myriad of Lochs on offer I was virtually eaten alive by midges and had to retreat! Blissfully a wind picked up and standing right in the face of it I was finally able to have a few casts and much to my surprise caught some beautiful hard fighting little wild brownies. It was fantastic fun and I could have stayed there all day but I cleverly managed to forget all my food and drink and by the time the evening had arrived I was famished! I should mention I spotted the most stunning Black Throated Diver on the Loch I was fishing, a very rare bird which I have always wanted to see, that really made my day.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    My second fishing trip was spent on the River Garvie; a small spate river which connects a large Loch to the sea. It used to be famous for its Sea Trout but sadly now (thanks to Salmon Farming) is better known for its Grilse but still has a moderate run of Sea Trout. I arrived on Wednesday evening in the most atrocious weather, driving rain and gusting wind didn’t make for enjoyable fishing conditions but I was pretty certain from the fishes perspective this was pretty good weather! I stayed out until about 11pm and was very pleased to catch two lovely small Sea Trout (of about a pound) with a couple more lost. They were only the second and third Sea Trout I had ever caught (first and second on the fly) and I was over the moon that I had managed to catch at all! I also lost a couple more – they were pretty adept at shedding the hook in the rushes! Returned early the next morning and managed one more Sea Trout of a similar size quite quickly but then struggled for bites right through until the afternoon whereupon my Dad arrived and promptly lost what we think was a small Grilse on his second cast! Much to my annoyance I also think I lost a small Grilse just before I was about to pack up, what an end to the day that would have been but sadly the wait for a Salmon goes on!
     
    On a separate day we all had a very enjoyable day on a boat visiting the Summer Isles with some boat fishing thrown in for good measure between islands – it was mainly Mackerel bashing but the odd Pollack also made an appearance.
     
    Final day was spent on a lovely Loch boat fishing. It was fantastic to be able to practise traditional ‘Loch Style’ but despite the Loch apparently being stuffed full of small brownies, I wasn’t that successful. I think between me and my Dad we managed around 9 beautifully marked brownies. It didn’t really matter that we didn’t catch much; just being in that environment is enjoyment enough. On the drive back to the house we saw two Golden Eagles (separately)! It was a lovely end to the day. I really can’t wait to return here, it really is an amazing place and a fisherman’s paradise.
  6. Nicholas S
    Popped out for a few hours mainly to explore a new section of river (the Upper River Chew) which belongs to Knowle Angling. I took my rod along just in case obviously! To be honest I was a little disappointed, the river seemed very small (too small to be stocked with Rainbow Trout which apparently it was although I didn’t see a single one!), quite silted up and very overgrown. Wading was virtually impossible due to the deep silt/mud and casting was a nightmare. In the end I managed to tempt a couple of small Wild Brown Trout I had spotted rising by creeping up and practically dropping a small black gnat on their head! Mixed feelings about the place, really feel that the money spent on stocking Rainbows would be better spent on improving the habitat and some bank clearance!
  7. Nicholas S

    Wellow - 02/09/2010

    By Nicholas S,

    A short evening session after work with Vince on his syndicated stretch of the Wellow. It was a new stretch for me but Vince had fished it a few times before and as time was short, guided us both towards the more productive pools. The fishing turned out to be pretty tough with no rising fish spotted. As such we stuck to nymphs but after catching a small WBT in the first pool we came to, it was hard going thereafter. However, as the light drew in Vince suggested we make our way to a particularly productive deep mini weir pool which he had had his best Wellow Trout from on a previous visit. It didn’t disappoint with three more lovely small WBT falling to our nymphs as the light all but went.
  8. Nicholas S

    Wellow - 16/09/2010

    By Nicholas S,

    A pleasant but all too short evening session back on the Wellow. Haven’t fished the stretch since July so it was nice to be back. Managed to winkle out a couple of lovely small WBT and lost a few more. Sadly the nights are definitely drawing in and after work fishing sessions are particularly limited.
  9. Nicholas S
    Unsurprisingly it wasn’t long before James and I returned to the Wellow Brook. The glorious weather and hatching Mayflies meant that we spent three wonderful evenings on the river in a row! On the first evening we decided to try slightly further downstream than we had on the first visit. The fishing started well with James missing a good rise to his dry fly straight away! Despite the fact that there were fish rising along the whole stretch catching them proved to be tricky due to the low clear water and their spooky nature. This was despite practically crawling along the riverbed to avoid scaring them! A lovely deep pool yielded four Trout which I was delighted with and from then as the light dropped the fishing only got better. We stayed until it was practically dark and I think I ended up with around 8 Trout much to James’ surprise (he only caught a few!). Not only was the fishing spectacular, the wildlife on show was equally special. On one particular large pool we were treated to the sight of a set of Badgers which casually traipsed past us much to our amazement. That was followed by the fleeting sight of a female Roe Dear and her fawn running past just metres from where I stood. Finally as darkness fell a Tawny Owl silently flew into the tree opposite me and just sat there staring for a while before quietly flying off. It was a great evening.
     
    If the first day was good the next surpassed all expectations! The fish seemed to be ravenous and were taking anything that was put in front of them with gusto! We fished the same stretch as the night before and both caught around 12 fish each providing us with some of the best fly fishing we has ever experienced. Again, the wildlife on show was spectacular with abundant insect life, fish life (obviously) and one of the most magical experiences I have ever had whilst fishing. This occurred when I was knelt down in about 6 inches of water fishing into a productive deep pool. As I was casting something shot past me at great speed heading directly into the pool, probably not more than 2 metres from where I knelt. My casting obviously spooked it and in a one smooth motion it turned and shot back from the direction it came from causing a small disturbance to the water and frightening me in the process! The creature was far larger than anything I had seen swimming in the river and although my initial thoughts were of large Pike it seemed improbably large for such a small river. I turned my head in the direction it swam off and much to my amazement a large brown head was looking back at me around 20 yards downstream. An Otter, I couldn’t believe it! We stared at each other (probably both in shock) for what seemed like eternity before it dipped its head and swam off. It was an amazing experience and a fantastic evenings fishing, one that I will never forget.
     
    The next day we chatted to another fisherman who lives in the village and whose house in on the river (lucky guy). He informed us that he had only seen the Otter three times in the past four years. Evidently I had been exceptionally lucky to have seen in the day before! The fishing was not as good as the previous two evenings and I think I managed about 2 trout with plenty more lost. In the first pool I fished a small rustle behind me drew my attention and as I turned I was amazed to see something brown and furry swimming in the water! However, this was not Otter but rather a very tame American Mink which had a small bird in its mouth. Not quite such a welcome sight but still interesting to see one so close. As we left were treated to the lovely sight of a Barn Owl hunting over the adjacent field. It had been three wonderful evenings fishing.
     
  10. Nicholas S
    Decided to try out a new stretch of the Wellow Brook a few miles upstream of where I normally fish. The river here is delightful, smaller and more intimate than further downstream with large beds of Ranunculus and crystal clear. Stealth is the name of the game and I took great care when working my way upstream to keep a low profile, tread carefully and stay close to the high banks. I ended up with three Trout all on Mayfly nymph which I was pleased with seeing as I was fishing on a hot afternoon which is usually the hardest part of the day in my experience. The impending England game meant I had to pack up earlier than I usually would but I went home very upbeat after an enjoyable afternoon.

  11. Nicholas S
    Slow evening on the Wellow Brook again with James. The drop in temperature and slightly changeable seems to have put the fish down and we only managed one small trout apiece despite fishing some of our previously productive pools. We were however treated to the special sight of the Barn Owl hunting again which was probably the best moment in the evening.
  12. Nicholas S
    I decided to check out a new river (the Wellow Brook) with James after work. It would be our first time fishing the Wellow although I was reasonably familiar with the river as I had walked along it in the Winter. On arriving we found the river running crystal clear and looking very healthy with luxuriant growth of streamer weed and what I think is Ranunculus. It looked far more appealing than what I remembered from the Winter.
     
    We spent a while fish spotting and with Mayflies beginning to hatch there were a good number of Trout rising. After wading into the river as quietly as we could it was frustrating to see plenty of small Trout dashing for cover due to our presence. This theme continued for most of the evening and I lost count of the number of fish I saw swimming past me and even between my legs! It was obvious that a more subtle approach was called for. As darkness began to fall I clambered out of the rivers steep banks and found James who was very excited to have caught one small Brown Trout that by all accounts hung itself on his nymph as he didn’t even realise it was on until he went to cast! It wasn’t the most productive day but the river is delightful with a plethora of pools, riffles, deep bends and more providing really diverse and interesting fishing.
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