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!

River Dee

This week i had a couple of days with Phil on the River Dee at Llangollen. It was a gorgeous place in the valley and even had a Steam train chuffing past every hour or so.

It started off great and before Phil had chance to tackle up i had this really nice Grayling on bank. I saw a fish rise in the fast water and cast my black link a few feet above and as it drifted down it came up and took it.

The wind was a bit cool and very gusty. Unfortunately it was downstream and into me so casting was not great and as much as we persevered with dries it may not have been the most productive method The weather was a bit better on the second day at least no cold wind! I cast at quite a number of fish with the dries but struggled to find what they wanted. We switched over to beads in the afternoon and Phil managed to catch a Sea Trout of at least a pound. A first for him and it made the trip.

Lintrathen

I was picked for the Barclays v Bank of Scotland match at Lintrathen and as we tackled up it felt like being a good day. It had fished well the day before, my partner was Stuart, a Barclays scot from Glasgow an sprits were high. As we headed out is started raining and did not stop all day, at times it was torrential. We persevered though and managed to pick up a few fish on ace of spades and cormorants. The Loch had emptied though as all the anglers had headed for shelter and it it felt a lonely we place. There were a few boats in the bay next to the lodge so we decided to try there so at least we could ask others what they had done. As we drifted out of the bay we saw a boat catch a few and followed in behind taking a few ourselves - we had found the hot spot and now needed to dry off!I didn't get my camera out as it was so wet but this is another photo on a better evening.

Competition day i was with Tom Ferguson and the weather was much better. As Tom was just getting in the boat it moved and he toppled backward with a nasty crunch of his back against the boat and boat dock. Fortunately didn't go in but even so had cut his hand and lip and bruised his back badly. It meant for a tough and painful day but he kept with stoically, a tough character! We popped in my hotspot and i had interest straight away but it didn't stick. We then moved into Tom's favourite area and i managed had a great small brownie, lovely to catch a wild fish and and return it safely. We went back into the bay and fished there most of the day and i managed to catch 4 fish which was a good result for the day. Vernon, Ralph and John were top rods for the day with 7. As the rain came on at at just before 4 it was a wet end to the day again and i was feeling miserable but as the result filtered through that we had won by 29 fish to 43 spirits rose and it was a great end to a pleasant few days in scotland

Return to the Brann

A disappointing return to the Brann this time as water levels seemed down and we did not see any fish at all. However it is a fantastic place to be among the hills. There were a few large ephemeropteridae dancing together but the fish did not seem interested while we were there maybe later when they lay their eggs and die off.

Mayfly on the Wye

We arranged the trip this year to see if we could co-incide with the mayfly season. As the year is running a bit late and with a cool wind there was a small mayfly hatch but they were not pre-occupied yet. There were a few fly about in the morning, Iron blue dun, dark olives and a few small buzzers. I started on a hares ear on the bottom and it was slow going. I did manage to catch one from underneath a tree and a nice brownie. That was enough to relax up and thought i would then fish dry fly all day. I walked around looking for fish rising however they seems to be all on different things so couldn't find a method. I had one on a black klink and anothe on a fark olive but it was fairly slow. Around 4 o'clock the mayfly started to come off so i thought i would sit around and see if they cam on. I tried to catch a few but seemed to be too slow as they fluttered up to the top of the trees. I noticed one drifting down and caught it in my net. It couldn't escape from its case properly so i freed it and let it dry out but it would never fly.

There was the occasional splashy rise so I put on a Grey Duster and persevered. It was floating down great and i saw a fish very slowley saunter up to the surface and sip it in, i struck and a great Mayfly caught brownie, just what i was after.

Barclays National 2016

Two days on draycote and it was in great form. Loads of fish around but you still neee to be doing the right thing to catch them. Clearing were on top form and won the day finding the bigger fish with 3 at around 5lb. nine foot down on the buzzers and a bung did the trick but techniques varies with daiwls, and emergers as well as the blob accounting for a good number. Everyone bar one had their 4 fish limit which was a great average for the day.