Small stream trouting

[Anderoo]

There's a (very) small river near me - a tributary of the upper Thames - that holds a few brownies. It's fast and very overgrown, and looks quite deep in places. It isn't stocked. How would you go about fishing it? I have an 8ft 4wt rod amd a 4wt floater which seems to be a good outfit.

 

Presumably this time of year it would be wet flies. Which ones? Cast where? And when should I swap to nymphs?

 

Help please!

[Paul Boote]

There's a (very) small river near me - a tributary of the upper Thames - that holds a few brownies. It's fast and very overgrown, and looks quite deep in places. It isn't stocked. How would you go about fishing it? I have an 8ft 4wt rod amd a 4wt floater which seems to be a good outfit.

 

Presumably this time of year it would be wet flies. Which ones? Cast where? And when should I swap to nymphs?

 

Help please!

 

 

First, an observation, anderoo: they will almost certainly all be WILD brownies (rare as Hen's teeth, now, in many southern English streams), so, please, please, fish with hooks with squashed down barbs so you can put ALL of the fish back relatively undamaged. The stream NEEDS them; your fryingpan doesn't!

 

Nymphs will work from the off, Anderoo, especially small beadhead flies, Hare's Ears and Pheasant Tails in sizes 12 to 16. The beads get them down to the fish in faster water. Try some heavily leaded bugs and shrimps, too - lower them into bankside holes and slacks then jig them about just a little... Use some standard PT and HE nymphs (without bead), too. Cast upstream if you can, then watch for a take (a golden flash, maybe), plus watch the end of the floating line where it meets the leader - if it draws, pulls or stops suddenly - LIFT into it, don't strike hard.

 

As to where - well, here, there and anywhere. Bends, creases, overhanging willows / tres / bushes, gravel channels in the ranunculus, both deeps and shallows. as a very general guide, anywhere where you'd expect a chub to lie in the early season, but rather faster.

 

Your choice of tackle is perfect.

 

Keep very low. Move slowly. Wildies will bolt or spook at very little. They're no pushover.

 

Good luck.

[phil dean]

No pushover, but great fun...............

 

don't feel you've failed if you only catch small fish (less than 8 inches), I fish a similar sounding river where a 1lb fish is a specimen, i've never seen a 2lb fish in it.

 

the added advantage of being as careful as paul describes is that you'll probably see a lot more, i've come upon small herds of deer only a few yards from me whilst fishing the river i mention, a wonderful dicovery, as well as peregrin falcons, badgers and foxes.

 

best of luck.

[Snatcher]

I know this is a fly fishing section but upstream worm is the only practical approach for small overgrown streams.

 

It will also teach you watercraft,something you cannot get from reading a book.Do not wear good gear beacause crawling on your belly will come into the equation a lot.

 

Its great fun - enjoy

[Tony U]

Snatcher

Did you ever fish (as a guest of course), the upper reaches of the River Blyth at Whalton?

You used to get a few Grayling there as well, wonder if you can still get on it?

 

Tony

[Snatcher]

Snatcher

Did you ever fish (as a guest of course), the upper reaches of the River Blyth at Whalton?

You used to get a few Grayling there as well, wonder if you can still get on it?

 

Tony

 

Yes Tony I did it was also the place where I was taught the dying art of "tickling trout" . I also "tickled" a couple of seatrout out of the River Eye in my youth.

 

The innocence of youth

 

Ogle burn was the baby Tony. Do not know if there are still fish in it! It is only 4 miles away from my factory,should check it out

[Tony U]

Yes Tony I did it was also the place where I was taught the dying art of "tickling trout" . I also "tickled" a couple of seatrout out of the River Eye in my youth.

 

The innocence of youth

 

Ogle burn was the baby Tony. Do not know if there are still fish in it! It is only 4 miles away from my factory,should check it out

 

Next time I am up I will give it a go, can you still fish in the little burn on the way to Bolam Lake? It was mainly full of Minnows (thats were i learnt my minnow catching skills) but it always used to throw up a few enormous (8oz), wild brownies.

 

Tony

[aliferste]

Here is a fantastic book from Amazon all about fishing small streams just like th eone you describe

 

http://tinyurl.com/zbmav

 

I never regret the day that I bought it, I hand it out to newbies to rivers as it has a wealth of info and tactics

[Dan]

I grew up on Dorset streams like that, rarely enough room to cast a fly, a fly spoon worked well as did freelined worms and cheese! (remember I was just a kid!) if i did use a fly it was always wet and often a nymph, usualy what I could blag from a grown up! I know we look back at things through rose tinted specs but to me that was the best fishing I ever had.

 

Dan

 

Here is a fantastic book from Amazon all about fishing small streams just like th eone you describe

 

http://tinyurl.com/zbmav

 

I never regret the day that I bought it, I hand it out to newbies to rivers as it has a wealth of info and tactics

 

 

Thats not a stream on the cover! the ones I fished were about 10 feet wide but still held 1lb brownies!

 

dan

Edited April 15, 2006 by Dan

[Snatcher]

I grew up on Dorset streams like that, rarely enough room to cast a fly, a fly spoon worked well as did freelined worms and cheese! (remember I was just a kid!) if i did use a fly it was always wet and often a nymph, usualy what I could blag from a grown up! I know we look back at things through rose tinted specs but to me that was the best fishing I ever had.

 

Dan

Thats not a stream on the cover! the ones I fished were about 10 feet wide but still held 1lb brownies!

 

dan

 

10' ????? that is the Amazon mate