A JANUARY DAY IN YORKSHIRE………
January has been characterised by snow and ice, frozen waters and then high winds and heavy rain. An added handicap has been a fractured fibula and ankle ligament damage sustained in a fall a couple of weeks before Christmas.However I managed to get out to a couple of waters eventually and enjoyed a pleasant, sunny but windy afternoon. I had not fished for over a month and, on arriving on the bank, found that I had left half my equipment at home. Well organised or what?
I travelled over to Raygill Fishery in West Yorkshire and was pleased to see Bernard in the new fishing lodge at last. It’s an impressive stone building that blends in with the Lothersdale scenery and will be a welcome refuge for anglers in bad weather. Fly fishing at Raygill is temporarily restricted to the Quarry Lake only. The bottom lake is being converted into a coarse fishery, mainly because of problems caused by the feeder stream which leaves the water very cloudy after rain. The very top lake, previously a specimen carp water will become the second trout water in the complex.
Another change at Raygill, in personnel this time, sees the departure of Jim Curry. Currently in New Zealand, I believe that Jim will, on his return, join the staff at the massive Stocks Reservoir, a few miles away in East Lancashire. Jim is an excellent instructor and guide and has been more than helpful in recent years at Raygill. He was witness to my first “double”, a fine ten pounds plus rainbow that I netted last year.
The water in Quarry Lake is always very clear and it’s like looking into a huge aquarium at times with browns, rainbows, blues, goldens and artic char swimming around. It is very instructive to be able to see how the fish approach flies and how several fish will, on occasions, ignore a fly that passes right in front of them and then, when you are about to lift the line out of the water, another fish suddenly takes interest and hurtles in to snatch the bait.
On this visit I tried several usually dependable flies, GRHEs and small buzzers on a 4lb monofilament tippet. Nothing happened. Bernard wandered along the path to feed the fish in the holding nets and suggested I try a Pink Zonker. It’s not the kind of fly I have in my fly box but he suggested I purchase a couple from the lodge and increase the length of my leader. The water was very clear and the clarity can be deceptive and, to be truthful, I do not think I was anywhere near the depth at which the fish were swimming even though I thought I was.
The Pink Zonker went on to a sixteen foot fluorocarbon leader; casting was a wee bit difficult but the “takes” came as the result of this new tactic and several rainbows and a very fit brownie were landed. To be honest, I would never have used a Pink Zonker but its demonstrates the value of listening to the local experts. I think I would have had a disappointing blank otherwise.
Information: Telephone – 01535 632500.
……..And Back to Lancashire
Four or five miles down the road to Burnley from Lothersdale, I called off to visit a couple of club waters belonging to Colne Water Angling Club, of which I am a member. It’s close season at the moment but it does no harm to have a walk around and see what’s going on. The club has fishing rights at two reservoirs, Laneshaw and Churm. Both are in the hills but whereas Laneshaw is very exposed, Churm has more shelter and is a picturesques, gin clear water. It has more of the flavour of the Highlands than the bleaker Laneshaw where strong westerly winds can be quite a problem. However, both promise well for the new season.
Colne Water is the local river and the fishing club has access to several stretches and the fishing is mainly for wild brown trout. The club celebrates its golden jubilee in August having been formed in August 1952 to fish Colne Water on lease from the Corporation. Under careful stewardship, the fledgling club has survived and thrived and now celebrates fifty years of quality fishing for its members.
Memberships Information: The Secretary, 10 Sun Street, Cowling, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 0BB.
