Invitation to Fish I made good use of two guest tickets, courtesy of Cowpe Fly Anglers, to invite Graham Marsden and his fishing mate, Dave Colclough to this wild and scenic fishery overlooking the Rossendale Valley in east Lancashire. The fishery, a century old reservoir, lies at one thousand feet above sea level and when I fished it alone the previous week there had been a howling gale from the north and temperatures more suited to early February than early May. However, on this occasion the wind had died down to a breeze that swirled around the surrounding hills and the sun kept showing through the scattering clouds. Everything looked set for a good day’s fishing in an idyllic environment.
Talking Tactics & Catching Rainbows We talked tactics in the car park and I suggested that we fish the near end of the dam and start with buzzer. Whilst I talked, Graham and Dave tackled up and were quickly at the water’s edge. First cast, with a buzzer on a twenty foot leader, Dave hooked a feisty rainbow which took some subduing before it was netted and photographed then returned to the water.
Before I got chance to cast a fly, Dave was into another fighting rainbow and Graham’s rod was bent nearly double with his first of the day. These fish were in excellent condition and fought like demons before they were netted. They leapt and tail walked and then took more line off the reels with deep surging runs. All this and the sun shining, too. There were two or three other anglers on the water, but Dave had the hot spot on the angle of the dam by the fishery entrance. It provided a very good, firm footing and was not too far from the car. I struggled a little with the windy conditions, but Dave and Graham were like a pair of well oiled machines, getting very good distance and obviously presenting their buzzers well enough to excite the trout as they got a succession of plucks and takes.
The chairman of Cowpe Fly Anglers, Ted Wilson, welcomed us to the fishery and joined us for a while and gave us a very helpful account of where fish were to be found and the best flies to catch them. Certainly, from May onwards, imitations of various terrestrials would catch fish. He was persuaded by Graham to part with a few specialist flies from his fly box and there was an expert exchange of general angling information and fishery management. He surely made our two guests feel very welcome on the club’s water. A Specimen Brownie The highlight of the day was the capture of a beautifully marked brown trout by Dave Colclough. It was a magnificent specimen that we all agreed weighed between three and three and a half pounds. It was full finned, had a broad and powerful tail and incredible red spots dotted along its body. It took Dave’s buzzer fairly deep after he had cast his line and allowed the leader to sink. After a dogged fight Dave steered it safely into his net.
I was delighted for Dave. A wild brownie in the three pound class is a fish to remember. I also felt a little vindicated because I, too, landed a smaller brownie some weeks earlier and had my fishing return sheet gently queried because stockings by the club on this water have been of rainbow and blue trout; no brown trout. However, the bailiff, who has lived and worked on the reservoir for many years, had some recollection of a stocking of brown trout some twenty to thirty years ago. It could be that Dave’s magnificent specimen was a true wild fish, a descendent of the original brown trout from years ago. A Blue Trout Dave was on form and he caught the only blue trout of the day. It was not a very big fish but it punched above its weight and had the muscle of a fish twice its weight. This was true of most of the trout hooked that day. I had one on my hook that bent the rod alarmingly and had two long surging runs which took off plenty of line. When it was landed it was a superb specimen but only of two pounds rather than, as we had expected, a much bigger fish.
Graham fished steadily all day with very few pauses as he relentlessly pursued the Cowpe trout. It was a welcome experience for me to fish with two such knowledgeable and competent all-round anglers and to garner hints and tips from their combined experiences. They even had me nostalgic for carp fishing and river chubbing after so many long years absence from the coarse angling scene. A Competitive Twist At the end of a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating day, as the sun was disappearing, that little competitive edge was demonstrated by Graham, who fished for as long as possible in order to catch up with Dave’s final total. Dave, who spent a fair while resting during the afternoon, stopped fishing when he reached ten. He doubled my score but by late afternoon I admitted defeat and packed up. Not Graham, he needed one last fish to match Dave and get himself in to double figures for the day. Alas, it didn’t happen but is was interesting to see Graham’s determination; there’s plenty of life left in the Old Dog yet. A Note from the Old Dog What a lovely water, barren but beautiful probably sums it up, the stone walls surrounding the reservoir somehow adding to the sweeping panorama of the Rossendale Valley beyond them.
I’ve fished these comparatively little reservoirs like Cowpe before and their promise rarely matches the reality. They always look full of fish and yet it’s such hard work to coax the odd fish from their depths. But as we dived from the car and scanned the water from our high vantage point we could see fish rising right below us in the corner into which the wind blew. Not one or two, but several fish and that’s how it was all day, fish rising freely almost everywhere, but mainly in that corner. Cowpe looked like it had more promise than most, and that’s certainly how it worked out, with no shortage of fish to the half dozen or more anglers who fished that day. As is my usual habit I always take any opportunity to fish the dry fly and that day was no exception. It often means sacrificing catching more fish but I can’t resist the lure of the dry fly. Having caught a few fish on buzzer I could resist it no longer and caught one almost straight away on a hopper. Then Ted came along and showed me a foam beetle that he said was deadly on Cowpe. And so it was, I caught a few fish and missed a lot more before I lost the fly.
It was a great day, not just the fishing but the company. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful and the water is a fitting tribute to a club that was formed only two years ago. I have only one regret; that I don’t live nearer and have the opportunity to join the club and fish the water on a regular basis. At £ 160.00 for a full season I reckon that’s a bargain, but if you want to give it a try first get a day ticket at £ 15 with a two fish bag limit. A day’s sporting ticket is available for £ 10. Competitive? Who? Me? And by the way Eddie, I had the first fish, not Dave, and then I let him have the best corner swim. And I only fished on because I was enjoying it so much! Anyway, he’s a better fly angler than me…… A smashing day, thanks to Eddie and Ted for looking after us so well. Contacts: Club Membership – Ted Wilson 07786 181630 Day Tickets – Quix Newsagents, 63 Burnley Road East, Waterfoot. 01706 214897 Ted Carter’s Tackle Shop, 85-89 Church Street, Preston. 01772 253476 |
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