Grayling on the Dee

A nice easy drive from Cheshire across to Llangollen this morning got me in a relaxed mood. As we started fishing though it seemed as though it was going to be tough with no fish rising. I managed to tempt this lovely Grayling on a black klink. As is usual it took out of the blue as i was watching 3 canoes come past politely on the far bank. I did think that they might have pushed the fish over to my side and was hoping a few more would come down.

Phil was having the best of the fishing though and persevered to land a few including this nice one.

There was still not much moving and the river was running high making wading difficult. I was struggling to get across to the middle where the better fish seemed to be so i decided to stay on the bank and keep moving along the beat. I changed to a ballon caddis as there were a few about being blown out of the bushes. I managed 4 small grayling from the currents off the reeds and bushes close to the edge. They were not big but very entertaining. After meeting a few for Phil i went back and as i knew what i was doing this time i managed 6 including a brownie on the last day of the season. A great finish to the year for me.

Mayfly time

Had a great trip to the River Wye yesterday and a couple of mayfly hatches. They were not massive hatches but enough to keep the fish interested. It was not easy fishing but rewarded with fish like this.

There were a few fish rising when we started but they were not interested in my flies. It was only later morning when i saw a few mayfly about that i put on a grey woolf. One had risen in the pool below on the far bank and it took a few casts to drift over the edge of the reeds where it had come it. But when it did "SPLASH" and i lifted into a lovely fish.

I kept moving up and down the river as the fish seemed very easily scared off but they did return to similar lies. Also you seemed to need a bit of stealth and cast upstream correctly and accurate, but when you did they took the mayfly so visciously that you thought they had come miles to get it. Late afternoon there was a downpour but this seemed to start off a bigger hatch and more fish rising. I had my last fish at about 6.30 and it was all quiet. We left for home thinking it was over but i bet the massive hatch was later!

Barclays National

Barclaycard took the team win at the Barclays National that was held at Draycote this week where 7 teams battled it out. Just a four fish limit these days keeps the result interesting and the trophies spread out. London Northern took the took the Blagdon Bowl for second place.

Draycote was fishing it’s socks off with plenty of buzzers around and all apart from 2 caught their 4 fish limit which made for great sport. Ash Cooper was the best of that with 4 fish for 10lbs 15ozs.

Practice day was flat calm and bright sun for most of the day and as well as the bung we spent a good part of the day trying to tempt the bigger rising fish in the middle to take. On the competition day day conditions had changed to a good ripple and overcast and the hoppers were working great. My best was a light green size 12 on the point that they wanted static, figure of eight or even stripped when you cast at them. It was great sport but why do you always have a downpour just before the finish!