Nicholas S

Ha ha, absolutely brilliant Rusty! N

Nice fishing Rusty, very glad to see you are catching some decent fish! Also glad to hear you are getting on with the PowerPro, I think it's excellent, different league to fireline and most other braids. Brilliant for feeder fishing too. No need to promise the next report won't be from Speen, really enjoying your blogs wherever the location! N

Stick at it John, it will all come together and make all those blanks worthwhile (kind of)! N

Despite slightly cloudy weather and a drop in temperature I decided to have another go at the Bristol Avon with the fly rod but also with the aim of finding some good spots to coarse fish. The river had dropped since my last visit and looked like it could do with a significant amount of rainfall to breathe some life into it. However, the low water meant that fish spotting was a bit easier than usual and for the first time I spotted some Barbel which was very exciting! One shoal in particular were hidden beneath a snag but were visible with Polaroid’s. I just sat and watched them for ages, fascinating to observe their behaviour, not something I’ve seen before. The fishing was a little harder than usual; I think the conditions meant that the Chub were less willing to take a fly off the top. Still, I managed a couple which I was pleased with. Looking forward to my next visit when I will target those Barbel!

A vote for powerpro here, started using the 10lb red version on my pin recently and so far it's been excellent. The red colour is easy to pick out and it's extremely low diameter. Line doesn't grate too badly either! N

A very enjoyable evening on the Bristol Avon spent in the company of newly acquainted fishing pal Graham who also enjoys fly fishing the river for Coarse fish. We were fishing a new stretch (for me) and had numerous Chub. Graham let me use one of his latest creations (basically a large foam beetle) which worked wonders for the Chub who seemed to find it irresistible. Graham mainly fished a popper hoping for a Pike or Perch but they all seemed to be a bit shy that day! Still, I learnt a lot fishing with Graham who is far more experienced than I at fly fishing for Coarse fish and I can’t wait to try out the new deadly fly somewhere else!

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.

As luck would have it I was left with both Saturday and Sunday free to fish so I decided to allocate both days to the Little River Avon and fish some new sections. Saturday was spent further down from where I previously fished. Surprisingly here the river here is much faster with plenty of beds of Ranunculus. In fact it was a lovely stretch and after a quick recce I was looking forward to fishing it. Strangely it wasn't that productive and I only managed fish from a couple of deeper pools with large stretches in-between seemingly fishless. Being hot, sunny and windy it wasn’t ideal conditions so I put my lack of success down to that! At the top of the beat the river splits into two manmade tunnels beneath a large A-road. Whilst fishing just downstream of here I heard the most enormous splash from within one of the tunnels. I looked into the tunnel expecting to see a dog swimming around but all I could see where the rings from what was obviously a very large fish! Excitedly I ventured up the tunnel. It was quite surreal and a little scary fishing inside it but the lure of a large fish kept me going. After initially catching a small Trout I lost what felt like a good fish much to my disappointment. Still, I decided to rest the spot and have a break before fishing it again hoping the fish wasn’t spooked. The plan worked well and it didn’t take long before I was into what felt like a good size fish. Eventually netted a lovely Trout of around 12-14inches which I was very pleased with although I couldn’t help but think this fish I heard splash must have been significantly bigger! On Sunday I decided to explore the lowest stretch of the syndicate’s water. The river here is overgrown with reeds in places and looks good for Chub although difficult to fish. I spent a fair while in a very promising large pool which I had been informed held large Trout but disappointingly didn’t catch anything. After that I decided I would spend the afternoon and evening further upstream in the same stretch I fished with Alan on a previous visit. The move was justified immediately after I managed to catch 5 Grayling including two beauties around a pound and quite a few lost all from my favourite pool. After working my way upstream I came to a bend that had produced a few Grayling previously. As I slowly crept up to get into a casting position a trout rose a couple of times on the far bank next to some roots. The spot was particularly tight and difficult to cast so I attempted a catapult cast. By some small miracle it landed perfectly, just upstream of the rises. The fly had barely touched down before the fish took it with gusto and although I could tell right away it was a good fish it was only when I shot past my feet and started stripping line from my reel that I realised I was into something special! I didn't have much choice but to follow the fish downstream where upon it promptly swam back upstream! The fight continued in this fashion for a number of heart stopping minutes before I eventually managed to slip it into the net. I couldn't believe the size of it, just under 2lb, by far the biggest wild Brown Trout I have ever caught and certainly one of the most memorable. Went on to catch a couple more Grayling but there was only one thing that was on my mind, still can’t quite believe it!

I haven't been although I gather it's a wonderful place with fantastic fishing. I suggest you pose your question on Fly Fishing Forums - you will probably get a more informative response. N

Surely an informal get together of AN members who live in the area wouldn't be breaking the rules?! It's just the same as going fishing with your mates! N

Decided to fish the same stretch as last time but venture slightly further upstream. Not as exciting as the last time however as it was a hot Friday evening and they were a few too many fisherman and a number of local kids jumping in the river which didn’t help matters! Couple of Chub and Dace caught though.

Another exploratory trip to the Bristol Avon this time heading upstream from where I started on my first visit. This stretch looked just as tempting, possibly more although it was also popular with the Barbel fisherman! Think I caught 3 Chub and a couple more Dace, another lovely evening. Saw a number of spots that were screaming to be trotted so I’m looking forward to returning with my pin. Perhaps most exciting of all was peering over a ledge and looking down at a shoal of large Chub with the most enormous Roach swimming beneath them! I have never seen Roach of that calibre and at a rough guess I would say it was around the 2lb mark, all the more reason to return!

Great fish Mike, well done! N

Dave, if you want to have a go for the Trout then I suggest learning to fly fish, there is no better way to catch a trout. On large lakes lure fishing is another option. Please DO NOT try hair rigging pellets to catch trout, it is likely to just end with the trout being deeply hooked. In fact any form of ledgering for Trout is likely to have the same result so urge you to try something different. You are very lucky to have a wild trout water that had trout to 2lb. Please target them sensibly and return what you catch. On a separate note, I would be surprised if this water does not have specific rules on fishing methods etc so make sure you read up on those before fishing! N

Well done Chris, sounds like a great evenings fishing. Barbel looks in fantastic condition and clearly has been munching! N

Well this was a weekend I was looking forward to as my fishing buddy Alan was coming up to stay and we had two days fly fishing planned. The first day was spent on the Little River Avon on a stretch that I hadn’t fished before but had heard good things about. The fishing wasn’t easy but it was a lovely stretch of river with plenty of potential. We both managed a couple of Trout and Grayling each, mine mostly to a nymph and Alan being stubborn and sticking with a dry fly for most of the day! The second day was a real treat for both of us, a day chalk-stream fishing on the River Wylye. This really was something special and we were both looking forward excitedly to the day. After quite a restless night’s sleep dreaming of all things fishy we set off quite early in a bid to make the most of the day. Initially we decided it was best to walk the whole stretch rather than jump in and start fishing right away! The river was glorious, gin clear with a lovely gravel bottom and plenty of Trout and Grayling in evidence! It was hard not to spook the fish, even when crouched behind cover on the bank so it was obvious that stealth and guile would be key to success on the day. We started off fishing a very promising weir pool but surprisingly couldn’t even buy a bite! After a while Alan decided to venture upstream whilst I tried a different method in the weir which I had a feeling might work. Success was almost instant after a Grayling took my nymph first cast! After that I was getting plucks virtually every cast and ended up with around 9 fish, mostly Grayling but a couple of very nice Trout...On one cast I hooked into something that I initially thought was a snag, only you know it, it started moving! Given the clear water i could see something very large swimming in front of me. I couldn’t believe the size of it to be honest and immediately called to Alan to give me a hand with the net. Alan seemed to falter on his way down and just stood staring at the fish that was putting a considerable bend into my rod! Alas, it wasn’t on for long as the hook pulled and I was left in a state of shock gutted that I had just lost the largest Wild Brown Trout I had ever hooked. However, justice wasn’t far away, I stuck at it catching a few more nice grayling to about 0.5lb before again hooking into something that felt larger! It was obviously another big Trout although not as big as the one I lost. This time everything worked to plan and Alan netted my largest Wild Brown Trout much to my relief and joy! The markings on the fish were truly incredible, it was a picture and probably the best looking fish I have ever caught. At a guess it probably weighed around 1.25lb. What a great start! The rest of the day we explored the whole stretch wading upstream and trying to sight cast to any Grayling and Trout spotted. The fishing was harder here due to the lack of cover and clear, shallow water. However, we both managed to catch a number of fish including some more stunning large Trout on dry fly, doesn’t get much better! Possibly the highlight of the day was revisiting the weir and hooking into an enormous Grayling. The fight was as nerve wrecking as it was exhilarating as you could see every twist and turn the fish made. However, eventually the spectacular fish was netted and quickly weighed, 1lb09oz, my best Grayling ever on a fly by some distance! It was simply an awesome day surpassing all expectations and spent with great company, looking forward to returning!

Lovely fish Steve and good to see you on Friday. Clearly the mantra that Perch only feed in low light conditions is not always true! As Steve mentioned I caught two lovely Barbel (first of the season and first one in probably over a year) from the Thames on Saturday evening. They were both small, one around 1.5lb and the other 2lb. Rare to catch Barbel of that size but hopefully it's a good sign that they are spawning and breeding successfully. Also lost two good fish which I wasn't too happy about, especially not when the hook length snaps for no good reason (won't be using Reflo Powerline again!). Anyway, more details will be in my blog for those that are interested, may take me a few days to update it though! p.s I would definitely have had a go for that Pike!

I decided that it was about time that I really started to explore the Bristol Avon, especially given how close it is and its reputation for good Barbel and Roach. Instead of walking a stretch I decided to take along my fly rod and target the many Chub that I had spotted here on a brief visit during the close season. Upon arrival I was really surprised to see how clear and full of life the river looked! Quite a contrast to Bath where it is quite slow and sluggish (although undoubtedly full of fish). Peering over a bridge I could see a lovely bed of Ranunculus and a very large shoal of Chub gently drifting in the current. Slightly cheekily I couldn’t resist a cast so creeping into the water I plopped my dry fly right in the middle of them and almost straight away a fish shot up and took it! Not expecting quite such an enthusiastic reponse I was a little slow to strike and missed it. Still, it wasn’t too hard to tempt a couple from the shoal after which I thought it was best to leave them in peace. Moving down the river I explored as much as I could getting into the water on occasion when I spotted a shoal of Chub. I was simply astounded by the number of fish, perhaps it was just that the water was clearer than on the stretches of the Kennet that I usually fish but it was so refreshing to be able to sight fish and see shoals of Dace, Bleak, Minnows, Roach, Chub and more happily swimming around my feet! Didn’t spot any Barbel but they are certainly there, probably holed up under cover during the daytime. I think I managed 3 Chub and a couple of small Dace in the end. It was a fantastic evenings fishing and a real eye opener in terms of the fishing potential from this delightful river. More so, fly fishing for Chub is a very underrated sport, it is GREAT fun and extremely effective, I will say no more!

Well this was my first visit back to Lough Ree in 5 years and I was looking forward to it immensely. Unlike previous years I actually had some decent fishing equipment this time and also managed to borrow my friend’s echo sounder which I felt would prove to be invaluable given the size of the Lough. As this was a family holiday my fishing times were primarily restricted to the afternoons and early evenings although I did manage one early morning start as well. Surprisingly I was joined for the most part by my Sister and Girlfriend who actually seemed to quite enjoy themselves! It certainly helped that they were catching many more fish than me! Most of the fishing was done trolling behind the boat attempting to stay to a relatively even depth. The echo sounder really came into its own here allowing us to follow the depth contours around the many islands and the mainland as well as helping to build up a picture of the bathymetry of the Lough. We caught fish most days although nothing too spectacular: usually a number of small perch and the odd reasonable Pike (largest was probably around 7lb) although certainly not large in comparison to the monsters that undoubtedly lie in the Loughs mysterious depths. I was hoping to connect with some of the Loughs increasing trout population but sadly despite seeing a number of fish jumping clear out of the water we didn’t connect with any. Interestingly most of our fish came in quite deep water, around 15-20ft and thinking about it I would imagine that trolling the really deep water with deep diving lures would prove successful, possibly better for the larger fish. Surprisingly when I tried to cast from the boat when drifting I didn't manage to catch anything which was a shame as I prefer lure fishing like this. I feel sure that dead baiting would be far superior to trolling so that is definitely something I will be trying on the next visit. Still, it was a lovely relaxing week and I'm looking forward to returning and hopefully putting the knowledge learnt from this trip to good use!

Wow, a 3.5lb Crucian is more than something special, that's a fish of a lifetime! You sure it wasn't a Brown Goldfish or anything like that? I think Chris Plumb may be jealous when he reads this after his Crucian campaign! N

After spending so much time fishing rivers recently I decided for a change of scenery and another crack at Chew Magna Reservoir for its Rainbow Trout. The last time I had fished there had been spring before the first leaves had appeared on the trees. This time the place was positively bursting with life and looked magnificent on what was a lovely balmy evening. Despite the fact that there were fish rising in front of me straight away I struggled to catch. After three missed takes I eventually managed to get it right after switching to a single Buzzer and fishing it almost static. The fish put up a good fight but eventually came to the net and probably weighed about 1 3/4lb. I decided to call it a night after that pleased that I had managed to break my duck on the venue.

After fishing the Little River Avon with Vince as my guest on Sunday he kindly invited me to fish on a stretch of the River Wellow that is owned by a syndicate he is a member of. The stretch is upstream of where I usually fish on the Wellow and quite different in character with more slow paced sections and a strange sort of moss that grew on the riverbed. Unsurprisingly the water clarity is just as clear and we were careful to make as little noise as possible when wading upstream. The fishing wasn’t easy, after losing a fish early on we were continually teased by rising fish that had probably long gone by the time we attempted to cover them with a fly. However, salvation was not far away as we eventually came across the sort of pool that dreams are made of. It was probably the most ‘fishy’ looking pool that I had seen on the Wellow, deep and moody with swirling currents and overhanging trees on the far bank which didn’t make for the easiest fishing but there were plenty of fish there as there were fishing rising regularly. I quickly hooked a small Trout on a nymph but decided that fishing with a dry would be far more enjoyable after watching a fish rise immediately after Vince cast out his Caddis. We went on to catch a couple each from the pool, nothing massive although there were undoubtedly bigger fish in the pool but it didn’t matter, it had been a great evening spent in enjoyable company.

Well done Mike, amazing session! N

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.

Having waders opens up a whole new world. If you want a good pair that will last for ages then look at the Daiwa and Ron Thompson neoprene waders. Mullarkeys do an excellent price on the Ron Thompson one's: http://www.mullarkeys.co.uk/fishing/clothi...-thompson/7761/ Neoprene waders are as tough as old boots but be warned, they are not good for walking any distance in as you sweat a LOT! N