New Season - New River

Out of fishing hibernation and thoughts go towards the year ahead. Spring is beginning to dawn and I love it.

Not so much a new river I suppose, but a new one for me. I have enquired about membership with BABAA after reading some encouraging posts from fly fishing blogger BloodyFishing.

So the River Blyth it is then?

I had a very disappointing season last year on the Coquet. There was a number of reasons for this.

• the weather was terrible. biblical downpours made fishing difficult to say the least.
• the distance to the Coquet from home and work meant a 45 minute drive to riverbank. now this may not seem like a long time but im a family man and every minute counts when you are trying not to spend too long away from home.
• 2012 was challenging year in other areas of life, nuff said.

I have never fished the Blyth before but the BABAA membership is reasonably cheap so i could still splash out on day tickets for the Derwent if it doesn't suit.

I can reach the Blyth in 20mins which will give me an extra hour on the river with each trip, plus the possibility of 'cheeky' visits after work when time allows.

I have missed fishing and am keen to get out. I need to find out when the river is stocked and plan for an early march trip.

The remainder of February can be given over to replenishing the fly box. I still have a well stocked box of feathers and furs so no spending needed there. Black Spiders, GRHE, PTN, coot wing spider, top of the list.

I own a 7 1/2 ' Shakespeare Trion rod which would seem to be ok for the heavily tree lined blyth. 

Its been a lovely day today, the kind of day that whispers promises of the spring thats around the corner. Sunlight dappled water, the colour green with a azure background, the sound of birdsong and insect drone. the sparkle of broken water as trout feed. Cant wait.

The cost of obsession.

I keep on spending but fishing keeps on giving. Every outing throws up another essential piece of kit that I never knew i needed. Last trip to the Coquet showed me that I needed.... New tippet, water proof fly box and better gravel guards. Three things that I never new existed a few years ago. Now I cant live without them.

Flyfishing keeps on giving though. Im obsessed.

The more time that is spent flyfishing the more new challenges are discovered. My current challenge is to get to grips with downstream wet fly. I know that after a few more sessions I will find some useful downstream skills that will serve me well. I also appreciate that I will never master even this relatively easy area of flyfishing. I will never become an Expert. They dont exist. There are only better flyfishers on different days to different fish in different locations under different weather conditions.

This is the enduring charm of Flyfishing.

I have in the past cultivated other obsessions. I have held on to a few but they have ceased to be obsessions any longer. I still play tennis, but am no longer obsessed. I still run, but no longer obsess over it. I play guitar, but no longer spend hour after hour practicing. I support Newcastle United but my mood no longer depends upon results.

I enjoy the peace and nature and challenge and wildlife and location and event and, and, and..... the gear.

Now where can I get a fluorescent indicator leader....furled of course?

Downstream Wet Fly

Started at the car park just outside Rothbury and fished downstream wets towards Rothbury. Now this is not a technique I am familiar with, in fact I have never tried this for a whole session...thats the plan for today. I get the impression I am making things difficult for myself by being an upstream purist, I am certainly not catching very much recently.  I planned to switch to dry fly only if a substantial hatch of Mayfly presented its self, it didn't.

Started with gold bead rabbit fur nymph on the point and Stewarts spider on the dropper. Took this lovely wild fish after 5 mins... look at the colours... 

Took fish at regular interval on this set up, all were wild and quite small though. Stopped for cheese and tomato sandwich just before town and headed back to the car. 

I'm beginning to wonder where all the stocked fish are going in the Coquet? after speaking to a few other anglers (trotting worms) the consensus is that the stockies are elusive. Are there any in there?

perfect camouflage

The Coquet wild brown trout are a beautiful hard fighting fish but I would like to hook something a little bigger once in a while.

Switched to green tungsten rabbit fur nymph with PTN on dropper and fished some likley looking sections upstream towards Ladys Bridge. Fished a smashing sheltered 'S' bend just off the golf course and hooked a few more WBT. Pink bead rabbit fur nymph proving to be most popular.

Rain stopped play at around 6.00

I plan to tie some more rabbit fur nymphs before my next visit and concentrate on the stretch before Ladys Bridge again. I find the rabbit fur a bit more 'buggy' looking than hares mask and the tungsten bead gets the point fly down to the bottom  lot quicker than a standard bead. Not sure if the colour has an effect or not but its worth a try innit?

Need a new pair of gravel guards before my next session. The cheap Snowbee neoprene jobbies lasted all of 2 sessions before the zips popped... must be my fell runners calf muscles.

Also, need a waterproof flybox for my dries. Oh and a new rod would be nice, 9' for a 4# should help with the wets/nymphs.

Always learning, always spending.

First at Felton

Belta of a day so I blasted up the A1 to Felton after work. Parked at a farm east of Felton village and made my way down to the river. It is an idyllic place, very peaceful.

Anyhows, wallked downstream to a large gravel bank and fished my way back up to 'the way through the woods'. 

Managed a few wild fingerlings to a home-tied coot wing spider pattern. changed to a PTN and Waterhen Bloa set up and snagged a few more. 

Was casting into a pocket of still water under some branches when I felt an 'odd' pull/snag, out pops an otter looking more surprised than me, spies me and rockets off. That could explain the lack of fish?

Next stop upstream of Rothbury I think.

First whole day fishing 2012

May have to wait.

Quack Quack

Second visit to the Coquet, second duck.

Wednesday after work I shot up to Pauperhaugh for my second (rushed) dip of the season. Parked at the bridge and walked downstream a ways to a likely looking pool with lots of overhanging branches and fishy riffles.

Over the past few days Ive been researching replacement rods as a birthday present to myself. So I took out the 7'6" Odyssey 4# as this is the closest to the size rod im considering (vision Cult).

Tied on a olive dry and began prospecting. Managed to catch some salad on a backcast and lost the first fly. Decided to try New Zealand style with a Klinkhamer and gold ribbed hares ear. Caught an overhanging branch after 10 minutes.

The bulls in the adjacent field began to congregate at the waters edge, probably getting a closer look to have a laugh, so decided it was time to move on.

Having lost all self respect I thought I would try a bit of nymphing near the bridge, there had to fish there? I even stooped so low as to try out a 'thingymabob' I know, I know, a kick in the pants from dangling a worm, but i was frustrated. Not a thing. Even managed to turn my tippet into a spring when i tangled around a bit of old fence in the water.

if fish lived in trees...

Back on with a dry and black spider on the dropper and up the river we go.

Next stretch saw fish rising.....fantastic, i can do this. Got a nibble then nowt more. Managed to tangle me tipped though. As i was bankside cutting off the mess a number of rises caught my attention. I was in such a rush to get at the fish I didnt measure out enough tippet and ended up with an adams 600mm from my leader. The sun was setting by now so I decided to try anyway. Of course no fish came near my sorry excuse for a cast which wasn't long enough  to turn over properly.

The end of the session turned into casting practice as it so often does (too late to find another spot, too stubbon to admit complete defeat). In my efforts to get a short leader to turn over I created the mother of all wind knots (too much force knot). This tangle was monumental, a knot of gordian proposions. The furled leader was dead. it was time to trudge back to the car and then home to wine.

A fishing trip best put down to experience. I will not be wasting any money on an expensive rod very soon. That would be folly. I may search out a fishing guide / ghillie though I think that may be money better spent.

The Coquet is a beautiful river though.

First of the 2012 season

Ok the title is a bit misleading. I caught nixy on my first fishing trip of the season this year.
dashed out of work yesterday and drove at breakneck speed to the Coquet just west of Rothbury (Ladys Bridge I presume, but when getting to know a new river I am never fully sure if I am where I think I am).

By the time I stood in the river it was 5:15 so only managed an hour before it began to get dark. I actually had to think twice about which way around to attach reel.....handle to right or left??? it really has been ages since my last fishing trip!

Didnt have a clue what fly to use so tied on a black bodied Klinkhamer as there were no visible rises but a few hatches of dark flies here and there. The Klink brought a couple of tentative nibbles from something on the inside bend just below the car park then nothing else. Persevered for a while moving up stream until just below the bridge to the golf course. Changed fly to a small adams to try an stimulate interest but nowt was either there or interested.

Not the best start to my season, but still it was super just being in the river watching the wildlife and enjoying the sun setting behind the hills. Clocks go forward this weekend so my next trip will at least be an hour longer.