Perfect Day......nearly

Tied some flies and packed the car the night before. Planned the route and even the general tactics. I made the detour to Fraser's angling shop in Gateshead on the way home from work and picked up a day ticket for the upper Derwent. 

Music, Wine, and Fishing

I had the full day to fish, well until 3.00pm anyway (you can guess where I had to be at that time on a Saturday in September??). I left the house at 7.30 and arrived at Allensford at 8.00. Fantastic, only 30mins travel. Geared up, and sussed out a spot and was wetting my line at 8:30...fish were rising to flies! The plan was to fish a beaded hares ear nymph on point and a parachute adams on the dropper. Started next to the caravan park on a very trouty looking run of water. I had misjudged the depth of water and the beaded nymph caught on the bottom, a branch as it turned out. Walked up to where the snag was to see if it would free itself from a different angle and BANG the tip of the rod snapped. This is the third snap in three weeks. The last two happened during a holiday in the lakes and the fantastic people at John Norris replaced them both. We shall see if they replace the third. Luckily I had a spare rod.

A Trouty Run

 Decided to fish nearer the A68 bridge where there is a bit of a wear, again with a GRHE and Adams duo. hooked and lost then caught my first. These little wild Derwent brownies fight hard for their size

Yes. you little dancer!

 The river here has a lot of variety, fast stoney runs, slow fairly deep pools. I decided to change tactics after a bit, I was getting nothing with the GRHE, so I put a spider pattern wet fly on the point. Nowt with the spider so off it came and on went a Copper John......Nowt. The fish were only interested in my Adams so I removed the dropper and fished a straightforward Dry fly. WALLOP! hello my little beauty.

a wild brown number 2 ????

This is much more enjoyable fishing for me as I don't have the worry of tangles and twists and snags as much. I crossed over the A68 to head upstream but couldn't find the path. I tried the other bank but ended up walking through someones back garden / horse paddock. The owner of the paddock came out with her dog (Lexy) and pointed out my error. Lexy wanted to eat me. After helping a driver who had lost her exhaust pipe  I worked my way up river to a smashing little spot just past a waterfall and small stone footbridge.

I spied a very trouty looking spot under an overhanging tree that had to hold a fish. So I crept up and cast sideways under the branches and BANG fishy fight number three, and what a struggle.

yoo hoo! I know you're in there

Time had caught up with me so this was to be my last trout of the 2011 season. A fitting way to sign off for another year. 

You Little Belter! see you later.

 Prior to this trip I had planned to join Northumberland Angling Federation to fish the Coquet next year. Not now. I will be found on the upper stretches of the Derwent in 2012. With a big smile on my face. Best fishing around!

A Straightforward Mind?

Last few times I've gone fishing I have planned to see how things are on the river and select the most appropriate method/fly when I get there. Problem is I can't seem to settle on a method/fly and am constantly farting on with dropper length, Klink and Dink set up, Dry fly only, team of wets, Nymph and Dry......etc etc etc ad nauseum.

When I started fly fishing (only earlier this year mind) I seemed to enjoy it more when I was limited to a single dry fly (adams) rig. I was only limited because I didn't know enough, or to put it another way my mind was concentrating on how to get the most from the method I was using. Now I find I am constantly questioning the choice of method not the way I am fishing the method....hope this is making sense???

If I manage a bit fishing this coming weekend (last of the 2011 season!) I will leave the house with a plan and stick to it for at least an hour.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Christ on a Bike!

I walk the dog every morning through Jesmond Dene through which the Ouseburn runs. Its a small stream which feeds into the Tyne at Byker. I am in the process of trying to reintroduce brown trout into this stream with advice from Paul Gaskill at the Trout in the Town initiative. Anyways, I was a bit suprised to see a cormorant this morning. Bloody big thing it was. I initially thought it was a heron.....

not the actual one with not an Ouseburn Pike

Its a bit worrying to think these birds are frequenting the stream I am hoping to populate with broonies. 

the Ouseburn earlier today

First Proper Grayling

Last week of the summer holidays 2011 and I left my wife with the kids for the day and headed over to the Eden at Kirkby Stephen. Cracking river, really beautiful. Picked up a replacement rod (snapped tip off my 7'6" shaky 4# on the river Brathay the night before) on the way over from the good people at John Norris and got permit from the post office in the town square. Another 15min drive and I was on the river.

Started fishing just below this little bridge. After 2 hrs, a few half hearted takes, and a leg full of river I retired to the bank for sarnies and coffee. I was just beginning to take off the waders to try and dry my feet when the fish started rising. Stepped back into the river where this photo was taken and I hooked this beautiful Grayling on my first cast.

I was fishing a duo with adams on the dropper and GRHE (beaded) on the point. She took the hares ear solidly and i was in. Magical moment. I knew it was special and unlike me managed to play the fish successfully for at least 5minutes. finally taking her to hand and returning after this photo. i estimate 1.5 to 2 lb but felt bigger at the time. 

Spent the rest of the day further up river, met a few bods who told the same sorry story of 'not much happening' and it didn't. not a touch for the rest of the day. Still it was worth it. Must get back soon.