LATE AUTUMN TROUT FISHING IN THE PENNINES
Tuesday, 30th October 2001 and a mere eight weeks to Christmas! I have just returned from a session on a water that lies on top of the hills straddling Lancashire and Yorkshire and the temperature surged to around seventy degrees Farenheit by two o’clock. I had previously quizzed the club secretary about this water and he took great pains to remind me “Put a good warm coat on, you’re up in the hills on this water and it gets very cold.”
I started with my Barbour (plus clip-in lining) and waxed baseball cap but it became so warm in the sunshine that I swapped over and finished the session in short sleeves! I think we’ll pay for this unseasonable warmth later in the winter and I imagine it will be a safe bet that I won’t be fishing in short sleeves eight weeks after Christmas.
It was like early August with bright sunshine and a steady westerly wind. The trout were down a bit and an early morning angler informed me that he had done best with a muddler just under the surface but the fish were chasing rather than taking his fly.
The water in this fishery comes directly off the peat moors and looks almost like a good burgundy wine. It is a deep red, what used to be called, in the fashionable ’50s, ox blood. Despite the colour it is clear enough and when I tried a Cats Whisker I could see it easily twenty yards out and three feet down in the water. The trout, with the sun shining through the top layers, looked bright red until they actually broke the surface.
And what fighters! On this particular day I netted two rainbows and each fish had me initially convinced that they were at least five pounders. They took the fly with a strong pull and bored deep until they were turned. They both shook the fly from side to side and fought with true tenacity. Each weighed in at a pound and half but each was a pound and a half of broad shouldered energy and pugnacity. They were in magnificent condition.
I had tried those little leader rings and I was quite doubtful about them to start with. They looked too fragile to take the strain that a good fish would exert upon them. I had an eight pound butt down to a three pound tippet just to try them out. I suffered two tangles around the knots on the rings but it was quite windy anyway. However, they stood up very well to the two fighting rainbows and looked to be moderately successful after this first trial.
The weather will change for the worse in the next few days but I really enjoy midday fishing in the bold, bleak surrounding of the Pennines with plenty of fresh air and a flask of hot soup. As long as the clothing is suitable for the weather, a two or three hour session usually produces some good fish at this time of the year; not necessarily very big fish but trout with great fighting qualities.
FOCUS ON A FISHERY
LANESHAW RESERVOIR
This water is under the stewardship of Colne Water Angling Club and lies next to the main road out of Colne towards the Yorkshire boundary. In fact, this is the easiest way to find it; directly across the road on the right from the boundary sign is a track leading to double gates. The track follows the edge of a plantation to the reservoir and car park.
Recommended flies include buzzers, black and peacock spiders (dry or wet), black spiers, sedges and fry imitators. In recent weeks I have caught fish using Montana Nymph, GRHE fished near the surface and a light brown weighted nymph fished near the bottom.
In early October I found an area of quiet water in the far right hand corner from the fishing hut and there were several fish swirling around just at the surface. I dropped a dry black spier over one of the swirls and was immediately broken as the fly touched the surface film and a large fish intercepted it. I’m reluctant to confess to this and it’s a long, long time since I was broken. I fished a three pound tippet and I think the take surprised me so much that I jerked back with the casting arm by reflex – hence the break. There are big fish in this water and they are not line shy. I have since used Drennan Double Strength 4lb and Maxima 4lb to good effect and I think even bigger tippets would be acceptable.
The regular club members are a friendly lot and will come over and chat and discuss tactics. Having said that, the water is quite a big one and there has never been more than two or three others fishing on the days that I have fished. Best of both worlds!
Day tickets are available between 15th March and 30th September.
Colne Water Angling Club has another reservoir fishery and a stretch of the local river, Colne Water.
Inquiries about membership and day tickets to the:
Hon. Secretary
10 Sun Street
Cowling
Nr Keighley
BD22 0BB.
