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One on the upstream nymph!


Anderoo

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The weather looked ideal for an evening at my local stream, after the little wild brownies that live there. I was hoping that something would be hatching and the trout would be rising, but alas, still nothing! No terrestrials about either, and a grub around the gravel and reeds with my landing net revealed a meagre banquet - a few little stone loaches, one minnow, a stonefly nymph, a caddis, a couple of odd flat little beatles, and a few small shrimp. So I tied on a small goldhead hares ear and hoped for the best. I am still in the early stages of 'mastering' the upstream nymph, so any fish caught on it are very precious. The trout in this stream are suckers for a dry when there's a decent hatch, but with nothing hatching they can be downright impossible. The upstream nymph for wild brownies is without doubt the most difficult fishing I've ever done.

 

As all the bugs and grubs I found were close in near vegetation, I decided to concentrate on areas I usually ignore - those straight, boring stretches lined with irises and reeds. I started at the bottom of the stretch and worked my way upstream, searching out the fish, watching the end of my fly line like a hawk and stripping in the line to keep in contact should anything grab the fly.

 

I'm pleased to say that something did! It took me quite by surprise, the end of the line just stopped and I instinctively struck and felt the jag of a fish. After a very exciting battle in the fast water I landed this fine fellow:

 

DSCF1046.jpg

 

A beautiful brownie of about a pound - what a lovely surprise!

 

He was from this spot, not far from the near bank:

 

DSCF1047.jpg

 

When they start rising you can expect half a dozen in an evening, but this one was worth 6 on the dry fly :)

Edited by Anderoo

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Nice fish and a very nice looking bit of water as well. For me small stream fly fishing is where it's at it's so intimate and yet totally absorbing.

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical

minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which

holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd

by the clean end"

Cheers

Alan

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The upstream nymph for wild brownies is without doubt the most difficult fishing I've ever done.

 

Well done. As you say, it is not an easy method to master, and if you like difficult fishing, try fly-fishing for mullet ! ....or if you ever get to the Caribbean, fly-fishing for permit.

 

I had a chuckle about Alan's remark about small streams though. That big picture you posted was what I would call a medium sized river !

 

Brought back memories of the late David Carl Forbes, who wrote a book about fishing small streams, and I used to rib him about it, saying he had never seen a REALLY small stream. In return I would get a playful thump on the shoulder. Playful thump ? This guy used to box for the Navy, so the "playful thump" paralysed one's triceps for twenty minutes ! His untimely death robbed the world of a great angler, a great writer, a great artist and an all-round good bloke.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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It's true, it is a proper river rather than a true small stream, although in most places it is much shallower than the bit in the photo (which is why I fished there! I could see the bottom almost everywhere else).

 

I still call it my little stream though :)

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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In Fly Fishing small streams Gierach describes a small stream as one you can roll cast across. Seems a good working definition.

 

Cheers,

OT

"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious"

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In Fly Fishing small streams Gierach describes a small stream as one you can roll cast across. Seems a good working definition.

 

Cheers,

OT

 

Well, you can certainly do that, and in many places you can cross it in nothing more than wellies :)

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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In Fly Fishing small streams Gierach describes a small stream as one you can roll cast across. Seems a good working definition.

 

 

Yes, I've fished the St Vrain in Colorado (Geirach's local stream) and not only could one easily rollcast across, in many places you could dibble a fly below the rod tip for a trout under the far bank!

 

Steep, rocky, narrow, fast-running and with a wind howling across the divide and downstream into your face. The perfect "pocket water" stream. I found it pretty testing, and the trout were all hard-won. Wouldn't have missed the experience for worlds. Right up near the ridge the St Vrain gets even narrower, but as the gradient eases off you can find the odd pool full of brookies.

 

BTW "Fishing the High Country" - another of Geirach's masterpieces, is also required reading for small stream enthusiasts.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Guest tigger

Well done Anderoo and smashing pic's. I'm just in the process of learning a bit of fly casting, Alan gave me a lesson a short time ago. After having a bit more practice on the field behind our house I think I'm doin ok....not brill but ok.

I'm looking forward to actually going out on some water and hopefully connecting with a trout or two. I think my real passion is trotting with the pin but learning to cast a fly should be a nice alternative.

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Well done Anderoo and smashing pic's. I'm just in the process of learning a bit of fly casting, Alan gave me a lesson a short time ago. After having a bit more practice on the field behind our house I think I'm doin ok....not brill but ok.

I'm looking forward to actually going out on some water and hopefully connecting with a trout or two. I think my real passion is trotting with the pin but learning to cast a fly should be a nice alternative.

 

You'll love it, Tigger. I used to do a lot more fly fishing than I do now (tench fishing in the closed season has ruined it for me a bit) and used to be able to cast a whole fly line fairly easily. Not any more! The furthest I managed at Farmoor a couple of weeks ago was about 20 yards. It's surprising how you lose the timing so easily. Luckily with the little streams there's not much casting needed! It's so nice to be beside flowing water as nature wakes up.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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