“IF AT FIRST…………”
This Springtime has been a time of excellent fishing at many of the various stillwaters around the North of England. There have been some fantastic hatches stimulated by the variations in the weather with lots of cloud, rain and sun in an ever changing sequence.
I was up at Churn Reservoir above Sabden in Lancashire and two anglers already on the water when I arrived drew my attention to the prolific hatch of Mayfly that they reported has been going on all afternoon. They indicated that a big Mayfly imitation fished in the gentle ripple had been catching fish almost every cast.
I could not wait and I tried fishing some imitations myself but had little success; fish were slashing and flashing at the flies but, nonetheless, rejecting them. Were my flies poor quality? Had I tied them on to the leader badly? Were my imitations too small or too large? Was my presentation technique putting them off?
I addressed each possibility in turn and tried to carry out the appropriate remedial action but with no success. Ten or eleven fish splashed, boiled at and even nipped at my flies in the first hour but without a single take. I changed flies and leaders. I changed rods and lines. I even changed the techniques used for tying the knots that secured the flies to the tippet. I tried fluorocarbon tippets instead of ‘mono’ and then on to a manufactured tapered leader but all to no avail. Plenty of interest but no takers.
I pondered over my pork pie
It was the kind of session that drives the average fly fisher to distraction and I could feel my frustrations mounting to breaking point. I then did what I often do in such situations. I put my rod down on the bank, selected from my bag a special pork pie purchased on Bury Market that morning and went for a reflective walk along the bank munching my pie (it may not be healthy eating but it tasted good). It had a calming effect and I became a little more positive and started to think and observe the water.
About three hundred yards away I noticed some signs of surface and near-surface feeding in a triangular bay near the car park into which the wind was blowing. There was little evidence of the Mayfly hatch in this area but fish were feeding. A change of tactics and a change of fly might just save the evening for me.
A change makes all the difference
I changed to a 9ft 6in rod with a Cortland WF8 floating line and a straight leader of that new Flushing Mill fluorocarbon 6lb breaking strain. There was a stiff breeze from my right and a good wave on the water. On to this I tied a size 12 gold headed Pheasant Tail Nymph ordered on the internet from Sportflies.com earlier this week. I like their flies and I had been itching to try this particular one all evening.
I cast near to a very recent rise, let the fly settled into the water for just five seconds then began a very slow retrieve. I guessed that the fish were feeding in the upper layers rather than on the bottom. Suddenly, on this first retrieve, I was into a fish of real fighting spirit that leapt from the water three times and tried several times to dive for the deeper water during the fight and was then netted. It was a rainbow, a sporting three pounder and I was able to shake the barbless hook gently out of its mouth before guiding it back into the water to recover and fight another day.
I was fishing from the shallow side of the bay and the water was so clear that I could just make out the shadowy figures of cruising fish where the sandy banking dropped off into deeper water about twenty yards from my fishing station.
Altogether I landed six of these ferocious rainbows between two and half and four pounds in weight and, even thought they each put up a very vigorous defence of their liberty, the disturbance did not deter the other fish from accepting the same fly. What a memorable end to what had promised to be a miserable evening.
Footnotes:
Perch
During this session I also hooked three perch, one of which was well over a pound and a half in weight. The initial pull against the hook and line was quite strong but the fight soon goes out of these fish compared to trout of similar weight. With two of them, merely taking the tension out of the line allowed them to slip off the hook and there was no need to handle them at all.
Rivers
River fishing has been much more difficult because of localised flooding, high levels, fast current and colour in the water. I like to fish rivers but, on the odd occasions that I have ventured on to the river bank since Easter, fishing has not been enjoyable and returns have been very disappointing. I will await a more settled spell before trying again. I need the practice because I have a week’s fishing already booked for September, much of which will be spent on rivers in the northwest of Scotland.
Sea Trout
I have just finished re-reading that classic by the late Hugh Falkus about fishing for sea trout. It’s been re-issued by the Countrywide Book Club and, after so many years, it contains so much interesting and fascinating information that applies also to the wider range of fishing. If you have not read this book make sure that you get a copy.
I will be trying for late season sea trout on the Inver and the Kirkaig in the late Summer encouraged and stimulated by his words of advice. Falkus makes you feel as if you are on the bank fishing and he is standing behind you whispering in your ear. A marvellous author and a book well worth recommending to all game fishermen.
Tight Lines!
Eddie Caldwell
