Chalk Stream Fly Fishing Masterclass

Yours truely on the chalk

Because I do so many different kinds of fly fishing I tend to be a "Jack of all and master of none".  Now I am retired I am keen to improve my chalk stream performance because being a member of the Salisbury and District Angling Club (SADAC) I have, for a reasonable annual subscription, access to a lot of lovely water and beautiful fish.  Acknowledging that local knowledge is king and having not fished the club waters for several months I decided to pay a visit to the office and seek the guidance of the Fishery Manager, Andreas.  After we had swapped a few stories and discussed ways of avoiding backache while fishing he advised me where to fish adding that he would be there later himself.  

 

Andreas focused

So later that afternoon I got to fish with Andreas and it turned out to be a master class on how to outwit the fish and catch.  Here is a summary of the key things I learnt:-

• I am reasonably good at spotting fish but Andreas was better.  I think the fact that his Polaroid sun glasses had side shades gave him an advantage.  I have never bothered to fit mine side shades but I will now.  
• He knew the river far better than me and where the fish's favourite feeding locations were.
• He prioritised the nearest fish, crouched forward and really focused on them and what they were doing.
• If fish were not seen to be actively feeding he left them after a few casts and moved on.
• He used a longer leader than I, say around 12 feet.
• He used smaller flies than I, sixteens and eighteens.
• He was constantly watching the fly life around, both above and on the water.
• If there was no top of the water activity he switched to nymphing.
• When the sedge were hatching he used F- flies, little V shaped CDC flies in brown or black.
• As the evening drew to a close and activity on the deeper water slowed down he moved us to the faster riffles where there was lots of surface activity.

It was a privilege to have fished with an expert who so willingly shared his knowledge.

The reward a pretty brown

Salmon parr

Searching for bigger fish under the trees

Supper!

A stripped and twisted willow twig makes a handy fish carrying handle!

 

 

Beautiful Afternoon at Boringwheel Trout Fishery

Having dropped my son off at Heathrow Airport for his 12 days holiday in the USA, I drove to the LondonTemple, near Lingfield and gave another one of my friends there a casting lesson on grass.  Then as the fog had lifted and the sun was shining I drove south to Nutley to fish Boringwheel Trout Fishery.  The location is just south of Nutley and you turn left onto Cackle Street and then follow this narrow winding road down hill for around half a mile.  The entrance to the fishery, which is on the left is not easy to spot as the name is on the gate and the gate is open.  The first time I went there I overshot and only spotted it after I had turned round.  You then drive up a paved road and park in the tennis court!

 

I was there to check out the water clarity (before I bring any more friends there) and I wanted to try the "gold headed daddy long legs" that had been so successful at Coltsfold Mill earlier in the week (see last post).  Well the water clarity was improved now that we had gone for some time without rain so I decided to fish and bought myself a 2-fish ticket. 

 

I tried the modified daddy down in the corner where the outflow is.  Third cast and I had a firm pull but did not hook up.  When I checked the fly, surprise, surprise, one of the rubber legs was missing! A few casts later and I was in, and I landed a perfect rainbow specimen.

 

I then walked round the lake and fished next to an elderly gentleman called Peter, he went on to catch on drowned sedges and a gold ribbed hare's ear.

Peter into a fish

 

I had a few pulls on a cat's whisker, then I tried several other lure patterns to no avail.  There was no breeze and the water was flat calm.  Occasionally a fish would show but usually just out of range.

 

When the time crept round to 5pm I decided to take the plunge (not literally) and take a boat out.  Now the boats are old but they are very stable and with a couple of pulls on the oars and you glide out into the middle of the lake.  You then need 360 degree vision because activity can occur anywhere.  I targetted fish that showed and eventually a blue flash damsel did the trick and I boated a cracking specimen who managed to pull the boat along before he surrendered.

 

The second fish like the first, was a cracker!

 

Extreme Fly Fishing: Rainbow Trout on New Years Day 2014

Not having had the chance to fish for several weeks I decided to get 2014 off to a good start by going fishing on New Year's Day.  The weather forecast predicted heavy rain and strong winds all day, but I followed Boyd K Packer's maxim of "Do it in spite of the weather". My main concern was finding somewhere where the water clarity was clear enough to let the fish see the fly.  Muddy brown water does not suit fly fishing!  So I went on the Albury Estates Fishery web site, noted that the info had been updated the day before and that it mentioned that the large lake at Vale End had been isolated from the Tillingbourne (river) to safeguard clarity during the recent floods.  The drive was exciting as there were various flooded sections but eventually I arrived there and found a new closed gate.  The instructions said swipe your membership card and I did.  To my surprise (my membership card is very old) the gate opened.  

This access gate is a relatively new feature and is there I imagine to inhibit poaching.  Having got through the gate I parked up as near to the fishing hut as I could as I wanted to set up in the dry.  Another couple of brave individuals turn up and we swapped ideas as we got ready.  The rain did not ease off and the wind experimented with all points of the compass.  I did't mind, I was in the fresh air with a rod in my hand and water in front of me.  I fished a small cats whisker on an intermediate line counting it down to explore different depths.  Eventually I was reward with a sustained pull and lifting the rod found myself connected to a good fish.  Knowing it, if landed, was destined for the dinner table I played it carefully as it's performance told me it was on tip top condition!  As I was on a two fish ticket I decided to make things a bit more challenging by moving location and changing the fly.  Guess what, I fished for another couple of hours working my way right round the lake and I didn't get another pull.  As the rain was getting heavier and the wind more contrary I decided to head for home knowing that I could use the ticket for the second trout on another visit.  I thoughly enjoyed my fishing at Albury.  I regard it as a well run fishery for the following reasons:-

• The fish are raised in their own fish farm and are in excellent condition.
• Careful records are kept of catch returns so stocking can be appropriate
• The waters are well maintained and pretty
• Access and parking is good
• The ticket system seems fair and works well
• Tony Hern, the manager is a splendid fellow and his team are always friendly and helpful
• It is a good place to teach fly fishing and novices have a good chance of getting a fish
• The internet site is informative and kept up to date

At nearly 2lb 8oz it was a nice fish, you can see how wet I got fortunately underneath I was dry!

Some tips on boat fly fishing for trout at Bewl Water, Kent, UK, and success with a magic Booby!

Let me start off by saying the best thing you can do is to join the Bewl Bridge Fly Fishers Club (see link at side of page) where you will get loads of help especially via their bi-monthly magazine the “Bewl Angle”.  As you will see if you stagger to the end of this post it was through reading the magazine that my trip yesterday went from failure to success.

On the practical front here are some suggestions you may already be aware of or you might like to try.  Firstly the whole object of having a boat is to have the ability to be mobile (like the fish) and to be able to cover the whole water (except the bird sanctuary where the really big fish hang out)?  If you’re not seeing fish, and catching, then move.

So you have hired a boat and been given a boat number, before you set off, check it out.  The staff are very good but they often get to clean and check the boats just as it is getting dark. 

Look for an anchor (it is attached to a red buoy so that if you get it caught on the bottom you can untie the anchor rope and leave the buoy marking the spot where the anchor and rope are.  The rangers can then try to recover it.  Oars are a useful plan B, although most of us have the fishing lodge number in our phone which is a better plan B.  Many years ago as dusk was falling at Rosemary’s Lane I foolishly let a beginner operate the engine to take us back to the lodge.  John tried the other way of stopping and sheered the pin that holds the prop on, then he announced that he couldn’t row.  Exhausted, I slept well that night!

 Note the small G clamp I have attached to the edge of the front seat, with the drogue rope attached to it (more about drogues shortly).   Note the landing net with the long handle, I got that idea from the competition boys.  If I am on my own in a boat I usually set up two rods (you are only allowed to fish one at a time).  I will set them up with different lines (say a floater and an intermediate) so I can quickly change my method if required.

 

The drogue is an underwater parachute enabling the boat to drift down wind slowly.  It is called loch style fishing and it means that you are covering fresh water all the time and hopefully another pod of fish.  If you don’t have a drogue then you have to anchor, tie up to a buoy (if it’s allowed) or drift free (a problem in strong winds).

The orange bailer is essential for fellers fishing as it enables you to discretely urinate whereas the ladies have to grit their teeth or motor back to the lodge.   The red cord is the “kill cord”, solo anglers are encouraged to attach the end of it to themselves so that in the event of them falling overboard the engine is killed and they a) don’t get chewed up by the prop and b) have a chance of swimming to the boat and hanging on.  I don't have a fancy armchair type boat seat.  What I do have is a foam one that velcros to the wood seat.  An occasional boat fisher could use an old cushion from home in a strong plastic bag.

The bilge pump (black handle on the left) is useful especially after a heavy downpour. You can also see the second G clamp for the drogue in the left hand corner.

So yesterday, having had a chat with Janet in the lodge, paid my dues and been assigned my boat I had a helpful chat with James, one of the fishery rangers.  He suggested I drift from Beaumans to the cages and used very small flies.  He said the fish were on the top swimming around in small shoals and that I should watch for any disturbance of the ripples and cast to them.  I thought that given the time of year the fish would be on hoppers and daddies so I spent the first few hours fishing them to no avail.  Eventually I gave up on what James had suggested as it got quite wet and windy.  I motored over to the corner of Chingley Wood to get out of the wind.  Within a few casts I had my first pluck on the daddy or hopper but did not hook up.  I tried a number of different drifts and even the corner of the damn, where I saw the odd fish.  Eventually as the weather improved I decided to try round the fish cages.  Whilst drifting between the cages and the grass at Ward’s Lane, right in front of me half a dozen fry leapt out of the water followed by a big rainbow and I realised the fish were on the fry!.

It was then that I remembered that Ray French had written in the latest edition of the Bewl Angle that competition anglers were having good success using tiny booby flies.  I also remembered I had tied 2 the night before.  So out they came and on they went and I came away with three nice 2lb rainbows.    Thanks Ray!

 

If you look closely you can see the tiny Booby in the corner of the fish's mouth. Now I am going to try and tie some more.

 

BEWL WATER FISHING WELL: THE FISH ARE ON THE TOP TAKING DRIES!

 

 

This is the news we have all been waiting for.  Having exhausted myself on the chalk stream over the last two days I thought I would check on Bewl.  I spoke to Rob Dixon, one of the fishery managers and he said a change in wind direction has brought the food and the fish to the top of the water and anglers are catching on dries! Apparently the best action is along the dam and both bank and boat fishers are getting pleanty of action.  My guess is that hoppers and daddies will do the trick.  You heard it here first, now I need to get down there before you do!

Saltwater fly fishing report for Solent, Southern UK

I have taken the liberty of reproducing Justin Anwyl's August report here because it has some very useful info.  I have beach fished with Justin but I think now he mainly drift fishes (loch style) with his clients. During the season they manage to catch thousands of sea bass!
When it comes to fishing he is a "top gun!"


"August is here as is the sun. This season has been a complete tail of 2 halves as in May when we last wrote a note, I was in the Solent in a ski jacket trying to keep warm. Water temps were 12 degrees and Bass were still spawning! which is at least 2 months later than normal. Since then, the water temperatures have rocketed to 20 degrees and the sun has come out big time. Over the last couple of months we have experienced some of the best catches in ten seasons and some of the worst - my feeling is with the lack of blanket cloud and very high visibility a lot of fish have moved into deeper ground as it's the first time ever I've seen not only lobster pots from beneath the boat but lobsters in them - I can't imagine what the reflection is like when looking at the hull! - whatever you are tempted to do, i would suggest getting down deep and put on a larger than average pattern aswell as venture out as early as you can before the light is up - many times this season we have been on the boat for 4.30am and had 50-60 Bass by 8.00am, after that, you'll start to dredge the depths as the fish mover lower against the light..

The website has some larger 4/0 deceivers in white, red and cockroach - try drowning them and you will get pulled! http://www.bass-fishing.co.uk/en/all/c-accessories/f/

Red Cockroach Deceiver 4/0

I've just had delivered the new Seawolf 8/10 "S" series of reels which are based off the original design with the addition of a closed face drag, this makes them even more robust and easier to maintain - they will all be going to Connecticut this year for a good work out as well as Christmas Island to hunt down big Bonefish and GT's. http://www.bass-fishing.co.uk/en/seawolfslargearborsaltwaterflyfishingreel-p-9001.html

New Seawolf 8/10 "S" in Gunmetal Grey

Re the fishery, it is obvious to me that there is pressure on the brood stock as we are hooking up to mid gauge Bass and there seems to be a lack of quality in the usual areas in the early part of the season, as well as a lack of the smaller Bass showing in the harbours - I would be interested in your thoughts to see what your experiences have been like to date this year.
One thing which I have noticed, especially when traveling east is the amount of food in the water, tonnes of bait, either sandeel or mullet fry and this has only just started to attract large shoals of mackerel and Bass - this is the latest I have know this to happen, so maybe if we have a very clement summer/autumn our lines may be graced with a pull into November - fingers crossed. .

This is Good!

This is better! (J McGill)

I have since the last newsletter put up a Facebook page, which you can access via the link on the homepage - a good way to ask questions and keep track of daily catches and experiences.... if you have a question, i'd be happy to help.

For now, the season is in full swing and hopefully we can fish into latter part of the season if the summer extends as we expect it to. Pray for heat, cloud and low wind - not too much to ask!

Tip down and hold!"

Justin
Kind Regards

Justin Anwyl
IGFA Captain/Guide UK/USA
Email info@bass-fishing.co.uk
Tel: 07767 820268 or Tel: 01243 785496 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01243 785496 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting

www.bass-fishing.co.uk

BEWL WATER FISHERY WEEKLY REPORT week ending: 23 May 2013

 

Thanks to Janet Benny in the Fishing Lodge for this:-

Mixed fortunes this week with very clear water, changing wind directions and a fall in temperature. Although some anglers have found the fishing difficult, others have reported having plenty of good sport and catching up to 20 trout. The fish have moved slightly away from the margins, but the still cool water temperature has led them to stay in the shallower areas rather than in the deep water and trout are generally within the top 3 feet of the water.

Stocking resumed after a break for the Spring International with 1600 superb Bulldog rainbows of 2lbs plus and 437 home-reared 2 to 4lbs Bewl brownies, all stocked on Tuesday.

Best areas at the moment, for bank and boat, are on Bewl's North Shore. Canoe club corner, the shore in front of the playground, Bramble Point and further down Hook Straight have all produced fish. Successful flies have been Blobs, Boobies, Diawl Bach, Cormorant and Buzzers while Any Method angling has favoured spinners. Water temperature is 11degC and water level is 98.5%.

Bewl hosted the IFFA Spring Home International Match on Friday 17th May. Scotland were the winners with a total bag weight of 127lb 14oz. Rod average for the event topped 2.8 and full results can be seen on the Bewl website at www.bewlwater.co.uk

 

Also see my recent post "Fly Fishing Duel at Bewl".

BEWL WATER FISHERY WEEKLY REPORT week ending: 9th May 2013

Riding the waves at Bewl and picking up fish high in the water. Eye protection off so you can see it is really me!

 

I didn't make it down to Bewl myself this week (I was on the chalk streams see earlier post), but I plan to go in the next few days, so in case you are planning that too here is the latest from Janet in the Fishing Lodge:-

 

"Bright, sunny weather and changes in the wind direction over the Bank Holiday weekend made the fishing harder for a day or two. The fish are moving up and down the water levels with the changing conditions. They are also starting to move away from the banks, therefore more are being caught in open water. Most anglers are using intermediate lines with various teams of flies. This week's rod average was a respectable 3.92. Best areas for boat fishing are still Rosemary Lane, Hook Straight and Chingley. Bank fishing has been best at Rosemary Lane, Ferry Point and Canoe Club Corner.

Successful flies haven't changed much either - Damsels, Cormorants, Buzzers, Cat's Whiskers, Blobs.

Any method anglers have caught mainly on small spinners.

The Anglian Water-Airflo Southern Heat took place at Bewl on Saturday 4th May. 42 anglers caught 210 trout giving a very good rod average of 5. Winners were the Soldier Palmers with 48 fish weighing 125lb 9.5oz, inc. time bonus.

Breakfast is now served everyday from 7.30 am in The Waterside Restaurant in the visitor centre.

A FINAL REMINDER THAT THERE ARE NO BOATS AVAILABLE ON MAY 15TH, 16TH AND 17TH.

Water Temperature is 11.7degC and water level 99%."

 

Final tip from me:  At Bewl right in the middle of the reservoir there is a floating weather station that produces data that the weathermen (and ladies) interprete to predict the future weather.  Anyone can access these predictions by going to:-

 http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=309&sty=m_menu and selecting Bewl Valley Sailing Club.  There you can get predicted wind speed and direction, gust speeds, temperatures, precipitation etc.  You can also look at a web cam.  I have always found the predictions pretty accurate and very helpful.

 

Here's wishing you "tight lines".

BEWL WATER FISHERY, WEEKLY REPORT week ending: 25th April 13

Lots of boats ready to take us out!

Bewl continues to fish extremely well. This week's rod average is a very high 7.08. It could possibly be much higher as a large group of Belgian anglers had a great day's fishing on Saturday and only a very conservative estimate has been made as to how many they caught and released. The water is at last starting to warm up and the fly life is starting to "move" with good hatches of various types of buzzer. The fish are in the top few feet of the water and in some areas are showing on the surface. The banks are still fishing very well, but boat anglers having better access to the top spots are doing excellently. Best areas for boats and bank have been Canoe Club Corner, Seven Pound Creek and Rosemary Lane. Other places such as Hook Straight, Hatherell's and Ferry Point are starting to pick up.

Best flies are Black and Green Tadpoles, cormorants, Boobies and Buzzers.

1499 bulldog rainbows weighing between 2lb and 2lbs 12ozs were stocked this week.

The fishery are currently compiling a list of anglers who would like to receive the fishing report by email every week.  If you would like to be added to the list either carefully write your email address on the bottom part of your next permit, with dots and capitals in the correct place or send an email to janet.beeney@bewl.co.uk. Water temperature is currently 8.5 deg C  Water level 99.7%

Fly Fishing: River Wandle Magic

Ever since hearing first Alan Suttie and then Theo Pike (renowned author of "Trout in Dirty Places," see the post dated 1^st Feb 13) give talks about how the River Wandle had been rescued from being an industrial dumping ground back towards being a chalk stream with trout in it, I had resolved to fly fish it.  Today, as my son had borrowed my car, I decided to take the bus and the tram and go check it out.  Needless to say nobody paid any attention to me wearing all my fly fishing garb as I travelled to Watermeads, a public park near Mitcham.  I was not brave enough to wear my waders on the bus, I thought that was pushing my luck a bit too far, so I carried them in a bag.

As I walked the bank I spooked a cormorant.  That is bad news and good news.  Bad news because they eat a lot of fish, good news because it was there because it obviously thought there was a chance of a fish dinner!

 Yours truely in the Wandle at last

Anyway I got into the water and had some casting practice.  River fishing is so much more challenging than still water fishing and I hadn't fished a river for 5 months.  I also benefitted from some wading practice, especially as in some areas I sank around a foot deep in silt.  I also had some dodging branches with the fly practice.

No I didn’t see any fish or catch any but there was plenty of fly life coming off the water.

Magical highlight of the day was meeting a splendid chap called Alex Titov an AAPGAI fly casting instructor who was on the water practising. 

Alex Titov

He kindly took a couple of pictures of me (to prove I was there).  He then demonstrated some superb casting and let me video him.  I know when I am being outclassed, watching Alex really was magic!  Please play the video.

BEWL WATER: First boat session this season

So far this season I had bank fished and as it was early season had done reasonably well, but today I only had a half-day available, so to speed up the process of finding the fish I decided to take a boat out.  You can have a half-day boat from 3 pm and the cost of an 8-fish ticket and the boat hire is £40 (say $60) which seems reasonable (especially if you bag up).

A chap in the car park had “bagged up” and he recommended Canoe Club Corner, this was confirmed by Jackie in the fishing lodge.   Jackie and Janet who run the lodge are always most helpful as they want fishers to have a positive experience.

Jackie holding the fort!

Janet collecting the cash!

 

Jackie assigned me a boat number and I collected my life preserver en route.  Because it was my first day “on the water” I carefully ran through my mental check list regarding boat equipment.  I noted that the assigned boat had oars, rowlocks, a bailer (useful for urinating into if you are a chap)!  However, it did not have an anchor.  I don’t usually anchor but I like to have all the options available.  A quick call to Jackie (01892 890352) at the lodge and I was re-assigned to a fully equipped boat.

Having arrived at Canoe Club Corner I watched the 2 boats already there to see how they were fishing it.  They were both on the drift with drogues out.  A drogue is an underwater parachute which slows the down-wind drift of the boat keeping it broadside to the wind.  They were drifting very close to the dam.  The following video clips show them fishing.  Put your sound on to hear my comments.  The video is a bit shaky because I was bouncing around in the waves!

Drifting this close to the dam you have to know what you are doing, and they did!

 

 

Two's company, three's a crowd!

 

I set my drogue up and joined the party trying to maintain a reasonable distance from the other boats and not to motor across their drifts.  I tried out my new Airflo Lake Pro WF8F (weight forward 8 weight floating) pale mint line using the 10 foot rod Airflo Forty Plus NanTec 7/8 rod I had bought at the club auction.  The line sailed out like a rocket and floated like a cork so I was pleased.  Still after 2 drifts the 2 cormorant flies had not been touched so I switched to my other rod rigged with an intermediate line.  I felt I needed to get a bit deeper as there was quite a lot of wave action on the surface.  I had a gold-headed blue flash damsel on the point and a cormorant on the dropper.  Immediately I had a take, but the fish did not hook up.  Then I connected and boated a nice 2lb blue trout.  A couple of drifts later I boated another larger blue.  Then it went quiet and so I decided to move. 

I have never seen the lake (reservoir) so full!

The wind was from the south so I joined several boats drifting the edge of Chingley Wood up towards the dam.  No one was catching and they all moved off.  I then, with one other boat, tried the corner of Chingley.  They caught in close, but I wasn’t seeing any action so I motored across to the Bewl Straight side of Ferry Point and watched 4 bank anglers.  They were catching fish so being careful not to get too close (50 metre rule) I had a few casts from about 150 metres out.  It seemed to go a bit quiet and I was starting to get a bit cold so I moved on up to The Nose.  Here it was out of the wind and flat calm.  I spotted a fish moving at distance and covered it using my new floating line.  It hit the cormorant hard, it was another blue.  

First fish using my new Airflo floating line.

 

Shortly after that I had another 2 fish , all blues.  Then I got a text from my son asking to borrow the car so I packed it in and headed for home!  Back at the jetty the fishery team had just recovered the afore-mentioned anchor lost by someone earlier.

 

NB   A previous post has a map of Bewl Water showing the locations mentioned.





 



 

Good and Bad: Fishing and Fly Fishing on TV!

Over many years my work colleagues, knowing that I was a fisher, would often ask me if I had watched a particular fishing programme on TV.  Frequently, I would reply that I hadn’t seen it because I was fishing at the time!  I then would invite them to tell me what I had missed.  Nowadays here in the UK you have the benefit of being able to conjure up programs you have missed at any time using digital technology.  The BBC version of this is called I-Player and it is brilliant.  Other channels have their own programme recall versions as well.  This has meant that occasionally I have been able to check out a fishing programme during late evening.  

 

Now the bench mark I use for judging a fishing programme is a much acclaimed series called “A Passion for Angling” where Chris Yates and Bob James go on a grand fishing adventure across the UK.  See http://www.passionforangling.info/passion%20for.html

Chris is noted for his eccentric style and his passion for freshwater fishing often with a center-pin reel.  Chris prefers to fish using older methods and tackle, making him one of a rare breed of angler enjoying the cane rods and original fishing equipment of a bygone era.  In his books and films Chris always has a strong emphasis on the enjoyment of being close to nature, and the other pleasures that come with fishing.  What for me, made this series special, is that the two anglers are real gents, who show respect for the fish, the environment and for each other.  Amazon also have the DVD available.

Sadly, there is currently one fishing programme presenter who gets to go to wonderful locations and fish for amazing species with local experts but whose behaviour is disappointing.   He is probably a nice guy but some producer feels that to give the programme interest it has to be edgy.  I particularly don’t like the way the presenter, under the guise of competing against them, is rude to the local fishers who are trying to help him.  For me the programme would be far more interesting if more time was spent on techniques, tackle and the species.  We all know local knowledge is crucial so you should not be “biting the hand that feeds you” rather you should be showing appreciation.

Presenting fishing on TV and making it interesting is a challenge but there are plenty of talented people around who could do that.  Dare I say that golf is a boring game to watch, however, TV producers make it interesting because they have such good camera coverage, with knowledgeable commentators providing interesting background information.  I would like to see an international fly fishing competition (preferably a drift boat loch style competition) covered by a number of cameras (some afloat) with expert commentary and explanations.  Casting, reading the water, strategy, fly selection, manoeuvring and catching and netting could all feature.  I think that if done successfully it could do much to promote the image of fishing in general and fly fishing in particular.

This is how I see it in the UK, please put me straight if you think I am wrong.  I would also be interested in what happens on the TV front in the other 33 countries that are reading this blog.

Can I close by welcoming the fishers in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, India and Romania who have recently started viewing the blog.  You are most welcome please let me know if there are any topics you would like me to cover.  Kind regards  Alan C     alanjec@gmail.com

BEWL WATER FISHERY WEEKLY REPORT week ending: 18th April 13

The wind has changed from the East to the South West and we have at last had some spring weather making conditions for fishing a lot more pleasant. This week's rod average is an outstanding 6.15. Anglers fishing from both boat and bank have reported catching up to 25 fish. Most anglers have been catching at about 6-7 feet below the surface. Rosemary Lane, the front of the playground and Seven Pound Creek are still the best bank fishing areas. Ferry Point has also picked up.  Boat anglers have also found plenty of good sport in these areas and at the top of Hook Straight .

Successful flies have been Cormorants, Cat's Whiskers, Buzzers, Black Tadpoles , Green Damsels, Vivas and Montanas. Any method anglers have caught well from boats on small spinners and shallow plugs.

The Southern Region National Qualifier Competition took place at Bewl on Sunday April 14th. 19 anglers caught 146 fish giving a rod average of 7.68. All but one entrant caught 8 fish and many had finished fishing by 1pm. Winner was John Pearne with 8 trout weighing 18lb 4oz plus time bonus.

Water temperature is 6 degC. Water level 99.5% and water clarity good.

Bewl Water fishing well, I worked hard and bagged up (almost)

The weather forecast was warmer, dry but windy (SW) so I had to give it a go.  Having got my ticket from Jackie in the lodge, I spotted Rob Barden coming back from dropping a couple of bank fishers off so I waited for him so I could say hallo and get some advice as to which banks were fishing well.

Rob is a splendid chap and a great fly fisher, this year he is fishing for Team England.

 

Rob suggested I tried Rosemary's Lane so I jumped in the car and headed south down the A21.  The entrance to the Lane is hard to spot unless you remember the Arena Attractions have their yellow sign at the entrance.  Having parked on the mini dam I decided to fish the windier north bank hoping the wind would have pushed the fish close into the bank (also you don't need to wade).  I caught a hard fighting 2lb blue on a cormorant fly on my 3rd cast,  This is going to be easy I thought, so I changed the fly thinking I would try to catch each fish on a different fly.  The green and white lure did not work so I went back to the cormorant.  The wind got up and veered making safe casting tricky as you can see from this!

 







Cormorant stuck in hat!

Another fisher came by and informed me that he had seen a fisher on the south bank catch several fish.  So I decided to move.  On the south bank near the dam I caught another two fish and then it went quiet.  So I went back to the car put my waders on and went further up the south bank wading out in front of the trees.  I fished a team but the cormorant on the point accounted for three more fish and a black/green buzzer for one more.  Twice I felt a slight take, just like getting an electric shock up the line.  Each time I moved the fly slightly and was rewarded with a savage take.  I only noticed the slight takes because I was "fishing tight", for a definition of wha I mean by that see my post "How to hook more fish" posted 4th March 2013.  My phone went off and my wife reminded me she needed the car so I had to call it a day.

Seven nice fish in the bass bag!





FLY FISHING DIARY REVEALS ALL!

Years ago I was lucky enough to come across three copies of a wonderful fishing diary at a “jumble” sale.  Having flicked through a few pages I immediately bought all three copies.  Two copies have been given as presents but I still have my own cherished copy. 

Muriel Foster’s Fishing Diary covering a period from 1913 to 1949.  Fishing diaries are often kept by keen fishers, but Muriel Foster’s diary will interest even folk who have never walked the sparkling banks of a stream or brook.   Amongst the detailed accounts of locations, flies used and fish caught are wonderful illustrations of everything enjoyed in that environment all meticulously set out.  The good news is that you can still get it on Amazon. Here are some typical scanned pages:-

As I reached the end of 2012 I realised that I had almost filled my fishing diary started in 2005.  Then it had replaced my fishing diary started in 1992.  Whilst the discipline of writing up whole fishing expeditions, as well as odd days on the bank is a little demanding, I feel the benefits are worth it.  I see the advantages as follows:-

·         Years later you can read about a particular trip (one that you may have forgotten) and still get enjoyment out of the rekindled memory.

·         You can remind yourself of what was successful and what didn’t work on particular waters.

·         You can remember the friends you made and the special fish you caught.

·         You can rediscover names, places and hotels you had forgotten.

·         Above all, if you are lucky you can avoid making the same mistake twice (like forgetting to take your wading jacket when you are flying halfway around the world)!

Here is an extract from my fishing diary dated July 2009:-

“Found an interesting tackle shop at Carnation (WA, USA), it was in a pale yellow house opposite the entrance to the Mac Donald Memorial Park and camp ground.  Later I met the owner on the pebble beach at the confluence of the Snoqualmie River and the Tolt River at the back of the camp ground.  He told me that when the sun was high in the sky the ospreys sit in the trees above the river waiting for migrating salmon and steelheads to pause whilst they made up their minds as to which river to take.  It is an ambush!”

Junction of the Snoqualmie and the Tolt.  Ospreys sit in the trees on the left.

Here is another dated October 2011:-

“It was pouring with rain on the west side (WA, USA) so I drove east through the spectacular mountains to Ellensburg and then down the legendary Canyon Road wonderful high desert scenery with the road tracking the Yakima River.  Stopped at Red’s Fly Shop, collected some flies (tiny gold head nymphs) and advice.  I blanked probably because I fished the easy to reach stretches that are over-fished.  A few days later, Shayne at Church, told me he fished a bit further upstream using a dry with a suspended nymph and caught lots.

The Canyon stretch of the Yakima.

Last year on a chalk stream (river Wylye in Wiltshire) 29^th May:-

I worked my way upstream and met the friendly bailiff Jedd who suggested I tried an emerger.  Just upstream of the “slab” pool the emerger was hit by a big fish!  A “tug of war” commenced between fishy fins, assisted by the current, and me, assisted by my eight foot rod.  Suddenly realising that pulling wasn’t helping, the fish shot towards my bank some 4 yards downstream from me.  To my horror it dived into a large array of branches all connected together.  I knew it was still hooked as I could feel the rod tip pulsating as the fish swayed in the current.  I rejected plan A "pulling", and plan B "giving it slack", etc and settled on plan Z.  So still keeping tension on the line with my rod arm I slipped off boots and socks and unzipped the bottom of my lightweight fishing trousers (not easy to do one handed).  I then flattened the stinging nettles between me and the water using my landing net and slid down the bank into the water.  Fortunately the cold water only came up to my knees and the bottom was firm.  Still holding the road in my right hand I tried lifting the main branch with my left.  Being water logged it was much heavier than I had expected and I thought I was going to fail to shift it, but a strange thing happened!  As I lifted the branch the current caught it and floated it downstream and clear.  But I was not “out of the wood” yet (joke), as my line, leader and trout were under another branch.  I thought I was facing failure but decided it was worth having another go at clearing the obstacles and the same thing happened.  The branches when lifted drifted down stream.  Now its lair had been discovered and removed the trout shot back into the middle of the river and battle recommenced with me netting it a few minutes later.  It was a cracker and completely unscathed.  A quick photo to record a bit of “extreme fly fishing” and it was slipped back into the river. 

 

 

Being able to experience fishing like that is a treasured privilege that needs to be remembered and shared.  My blog is my new diary, try starting yours.