A wonderful evening on the stream

[Anderoo]

(This should be in the fly fishing forum really, but as it involves coarse fish I thought I'd put it here )

 

Isn't this weather wonderful? After the longest winter I can remember, it's such a joy to feel the sun and smell the rapeseed and hawthorn blossom. It's the perfect time of year for being by the stream as it comes back to life again, water clearing, new streamer weed starting to emerge, and fish moving onto the fast, gravelly shallows looking for food, oxygen and warmth. The stream has got that summer 'weirpool' smell, and because the level is back to normal, it gurgles and tumbles over the sills and riffles.

 

I only had a couple of hours yesterday evening following a nice non-fishing day in the Cotswolds, but the weather was so pleasant I decided to spend the rest of the day at my favourite stream. It was the kind of day where there's no need to rush, even though I didn't arrive until 7pm. After saying hello to the sheep I looked over to the stream, and what did I see?

 

 

Mayflies!

 

Dozens and dozens of mayflies doing their vertical dance over the river bank, fluttering up and then spreading their wings and tails and floating down again, over and over. What a fantastic sight!

 

I tackled up my little 6'6" #2 rod with a dry mayfly (what else?) and wandered downstream looking for rises. On the outside of a fast bend a trout rose twice in quick succession, so I crept down through the nettles, getting stung and wishing I'd worn jeans, and cast upstream, letting the flow take the fly over its head. First cast and up it came and sipped it in - and spat it out just as I struck. You have to be pretty quick for these brownies!

 

Another fish rose just upstream by the near bank. I covered it and again a fish came up first time and nailed the mayfly, and this time I did strike quick enough! It shot downstream and darted about putting a fair bend in the tiny rod. But when I came to net it I was amazed to see it was a dace - I've never caught a dace on the fly from here before, so this was a really nice surprise. It seems like everyone was invited to the mayfly buffet!

 

 

At the next spot I spotted a trout holding station on a shallow gravel hump at the end of a pool, and was covering it with the mayfly, but it just wasn't interested, but out of nowhere something else shot out and grabbed it! Again, not a trout, and after a short scrap I brought in a little chub!

 

Now, this is where I was a bit naughty. The previous two fish were unintentional, but upstream of the pool, in a lovely steady glide under a willow, was a much bigger chub, lazily sipping down insects and flies from the surface. I could see it clear as day and it was too much to resist. Creeping upstream through more nettles and wild mint I eventually got to a position where I could just flick a fly out past the trailing branches, and on the third cast it drifted down perfectly, right on target and no drag. All it had to do was lift its nose and open its mouth...which it did, and gently sipped it down. I struck and it bolted downstream, over the sill and into the pool, and kept going, rod bent double, me hanging on for dear life and line stripping from the reel! After an epic battle I managed to get him into the net, a beautiful slim chub of about 3lb. Not the biggest chub in the world, but not bad for this stream and a monster on such light gear! I apologied to him, and sent him on his way.

 

 

Now I really wanted a trout. The mayflies had thinned out as dusk approached, but hoardes of sedges took their place. In one spot I knocked a hawthorn bush and a giant cloud of them filled the sky. I changed fly to a dry sedge and wandered off again, looking for rises.

 

As the day ran out, the trout started feeding hard. I'd got to the bottom of the stretch, still troutless, and began to walk back. Aha, there's one! I got in position and cast upstream, and second cast the fly was taken, and a little brownie jumped clear of the water and sped off downstream! After a spirited fight I brought him in, a beautiful little fish with spots to match its appetite. Another trout was still taking sedge from almost the same spot, and I managed to trick that one too. This one was even smaller! But these are wild fish, and their size isn't the main attraction.

 

 

As the light went it got easier. I caught another slightly larger trout from the next rise I saw, and then a much better fish of about a pound from the next. This one was a handful, and fought incredibly hard in the fast water.

 

With about 20 minutes until 9pm and darkness, I was already completely content. It was a perfect warm, spring evening and I decided to walk slowly back to the car and if I should see a fish rise I'd have a quick cast, otherwise I'd call it a day and go home very happy. As luck would have it, I saw a trout rise in a little turbulent stretch where I've never caught one before but always thought looked very trouty. This one took some fooling - it was about a dozen casts before it fell just right, and a mouth came up and engulfed the sedge. As soon as I'd struck I new it was a better fish, it stayed very low and made some amazingly fast runs, the little reel screaming! After an age I finally got it into the net. It was another really beautiful trout with big spots, probably about a pound or so, a very good size for the stream. Wow, it can't get any better than this!

 

 

One more bend until the car. I thought I'd have a look at the spot where I missed the first take, and saw not one but two trout along the far bank splashing at sedges. The light was now almost gone; I could just make out my fly as it drifted down along the far margin. First cast and a fish is on - a big fish. This one also stayed low and make several long, fast runs, putting a horrendous bend in the rod and doing my blood pressure no good at all. I finally netted it, and it was the biggest so far from the stream - not just on the day, but I think ever! Somewhere about 2lb was my estimation, probably a little less. What a fantastic fish!

 

 

As if that wasn't enough, as I held him in the current to get his breath back before powering off and getting his own back by soaking me, the other trout was still rising! Telling myself that this had to be the last few casts, as catching much more would just be greedy, plus I could only just make out the fly, I moved slightly upstream into casting range and had my last few casts. By this stage I actually couldn't see my fly properly, so when a fish rose somewhere near where I thought it was, I struck and blow me if there wasn't a fish on the other end! This one was the acrobat of the bunch, it spent more time in mid-air than in the water, jumping and crashing about, zooming up- and down-stream like a mad thing. After a really memorable fight I managed to net it, where it continued to fight! This was another big one, 2lbish, and the colours on it were incredible. What a privelege to watch it power back over the gravel.

 

It was such a wonderful evening. As usual, I was the only person there. The only thing that could have made it better was to have seen a watervole, but I suppose you can't have everything

 

[Vagabond]

Thanks for that - says it all.

 

Its why it is worth learning to cast a fly.

 

....and someone was even asking about the legality of using a fly on float tackle a while back

[gozzer]

A great report of a wonderful evening session Andrew, thanks.

 

I've never really got on with fly fishing, (I don't know why), but you make me feel as though I'm missing out on something, maybe it's time to think again.

It helps of course when you have such a lovely stream at your disposal.

 

We'll forgive you the chub 'incident' this time.

 

John.

[gozzer]

Thanks for that - says it all.

 

Its why it is worth learning to cast a fly.

 

....and someone was even asking about the legality of using a fly on float tackle a while back

 

It might not be the 'done thing' Dave, but I've had a few chub, dace, grayling and trout on float fished nymph, in the past.

Great fun on light match gear.

 

John.

[medwaygreen]

Absolutely delightful.

[Steve Burke]

Great evening! Great report! Thanks for sharing it.

[Jigotai]

Nice report Andrew, sounds like a perfect evening .

[Kappa]

Typical! The one time I don't come along!

 

[Rusty]

Think I may have to relocate.

Good idea, I've been living in this area for 18 months now (moved from Kent) and I reckon it's hard to beat for the fishing opportunities. Much of it can be free as well if you know where to look or kindly AN contributors help you out

[Anderoo]

Typical! The one time I don't come along!

 

 

There's still most of duffer's fortnight left!

 

I'd recommend jeans rather than shorts though, I'm covered in nettle stings

 

PS I moved here from a 10-year stint in London, and the wealth of great fishing isn't a coincidence...!

Edited May 12, 2008 by Anderoo