A Satisfied Duffer

I has managed to put to the back of my mind how much rain we had had locally over the weekend so when I got the text from Phil yesterday morning saying the Derwent was coloured at Ambergate it was on with the blinkers. Was it going to be one of those days I asked my self upon arrival when the rain started and I realised I had left the tea bags on the bench in the garage.

The afternoon started pretty slow with the first few fish on small olive patterns rather than big mayfly duns. Sport started to pick up though as the evening came and as I left the fish were starting to really wallop big patterns like the OE Mohican Mayfly.

There are some fantastic streamy stretches at Darley and also some quite slow deep sections than have less features than a canal without the locks. I normally walk past these as presentation has to be spot on so was pleased to take the good fish below on an olive Klinkhammer.

This is a fine stretch of water and there were a few other anglers out as afternoon turned to evening. If was a question of finding the fish though as some stretches were far more productive than others. Wading is difficult in parts and you need to be aware of the depth and proceed with caution. Yesterday I tried a couple of spots that are difficult to get into (and out of!), both yielded good fish. In my book once the angler has reached double figures he has had his fair share of sport for the day so I took a leisurely walk back to the car with a fellow angler as we discussed this years sport. By the 8pm news I was pulling out of Red House and heading off back down the A6. Mayfly were still abundant but the fish were taking the emerger until the last hour or so that I fished. I am now wondering if I have seen the back of the mayfly sport for this year or will perhaps get one more chance.

A Grand Christening

It has been a couple of weeks since I finally got round to buying a new landing net. My old one had served me well since the early 80's but even for me was starting to look a little past its sell by date. I was also slightly nervous about so presumptuous a purchase as a landing net, it implies you are taking the fish for granted and that sort of attitude can upset the fishing gods.

So this morning I set out onto one of my local club waters armed with the new net. For over an hour I sat wondering whether I had indeed created bad karma but fortunately it was not to be. This is my best Tench of the season but I did not weigh it, I have mislaid my balance. It was to be a one bite one fish morning though and I was clearly granted enough good luck to save my blushes but nothing to get too carried away with. This fish left me extremely pleased though.

One of the local residents took a shine to my favourite tench bait and then had the audacity to kip down at my peg. So the net is now duly christened with a marvellous tench, what cracking form. It is a change of tackle for me again tomorrow as I am going to have the afternoon on the Derwent to try and catch some more mayfly sport.

Shadow Mayfly

I saw this pattern in FF&FT a while back and finally got round to tying a few today, buoyed by my afternoon on the Derwent earlier in the week. If is an unusual pattern but I fancy giving it a swim. I hope to get at least one more session in whilst the drake is on. The product placement is a bit vulgar I know but I was quite pleased with this manufacturers fly box I purchased from Walkers of Trowell yesterday. I have been looking for a compartment box for my mayfly patterns and went intending to buy a Wheatley but they had none in stock. I originally felt like I came away short changed but this one is starting to grow on me now.

Tight lines,

Dave.

Derwent Doggers

This afternoon I was fortunate enough to be able to get up to the River Derwent at Darley Dale. After seeing the weather forecast last night I was none too optimistic of some dry fly fishing, particularly when it started to rain as I left Derby. The rain started to clear though as I neared Matlock Bath and I although I only had a few hours fishing it was good sport.

I took several fish on mayfly patterns and by the time I left the fish were really starting to come onto the drake. It does not seem to be quite Duffers Fortnight yet but we must be within days now. Next week I have Monday afternoon off and expect it to be in full swing by then. Fishing was spot on here in the first week of June last season and it may be a little late this year due to the harsh winter. The river looked in great condition with the water being crystal clear, it did drizzle on and off for most of the afternoon but nevertheless a great time to be out on the river. There was also quite a large sedge hatch and although I did rise a fish on the LTD I did not connect.

The fish in the picture above was rising under a tree on the far bank and I eventually tempted him after many attempts and then resting the swim. He was a true dogger and dived straight back for the roots but my tippet held; I knew to give line would end in tears. There he is lying with my rod on top of a weedbed. Once I got him back in the current he soon recovered and swam off strongly.

Today I saw three canoeists who have no right of access on this stretch. I put them all straight but from the look on their face's I might as well have shown my backside in the market place which would be great fun of course unless Glen was passing with his latest floatant.

Muggy Evenings

I've just got back from catching the last couple of hours at Triangle Pond. It was one of those overcast muggy evenings that just screamed tench. Having done my chores with the kids I headed off expecting to find the car park empty. Obviously some other anglers had had the same idea as me as there were a couple of cars already there. I chatted to them as I walked down to my favourite swim but thought about fishing there twice as one of the anglers said it had only been vacated in the past hour. However I decided to fish there as it is in this swim that I feel most confident which is worth it's weight in gold.
Fishing up against the reeds on the near bank my float soon started to show signs of activity and after twenty minutes or so a nice fish of 3 3/4 lbs graced my net. It then went very quiet with no sign of more tincas in the swim. There is a swan's nest close to this peg and since my last visit the cygnets have hatched. The proud parents paraded the new family before me as the light was falling.
Then I had a bite in the gloaming which produced the fish below. This is my best fish so far this year from Triangle and it pulled Little Samson down to 4 1/4 lbs. These fish are exceptionally hard fighting and make numerous runs for the near bank snags of which there are plenty. On the very next cast I hooked a good fish which I lost when the hook pulled as I tried to stop it getting back in to the reeds. Nevertheless I was happy with my evening having landed a brace of good tench.

A Tough Morning at Ellastone

The fishing at Ellastone doesn't really seem to have got going yet this year. With other reports of good catches yesterday morning on the Dove I'm starting to wonder whether there is anything some comments I have heard quite a few times. People tend to think that the short DRAC stretch at Ellastone gets hammered. I have always found that more often than not I'm there on my own and usually have no problem booking on. Normally at this time of year the fishing has really started to pick up but there are no signs of this yet. Yesterday I did have the pleasure of sharing the beat with another angler, Conrad from flyforums.

It was a really bright morning and I went straight onto a couple of nymphs on 2lb Maxima tippet. The water was crystal clear and the lowest I have seen it all year. I saw the odd rise and did manage a few fish on the dry as the morning warmed up but no sustained activity. The DHE was most successful and I also rose fish to a small olive pattern but no hook ups. My nymphs only produced one fish and this method 12 months ago would have got me a lot more on my usual Sunday morning. I also noticed either some black gnats or hawthorn flys as I walked back to the car. It seems to me like we are still a good month behind with the weather, and it will be interesting to see when the mayfly appear this year.

Tinca Tinca Triangle

Last week I took far too much notice of what the Met Office said and by Friday evening had written off fishing the rivers this weekend. Now I suspect that decision was somewhat premature. However, the prospect of my first tench session of the year although much earlier than usual was something to look forward to. The Triangle Pond did not disappoint and yesterday morning I was lucky enough to catch a brace of nice fish.

Arriving quite early but not classic tench early I was slightly surprised to find one of my favourite swims vacant. It was quite cold though and I'm sure it got colder as the morning went on. This was not helped by the fact that in my rush to get out angling I left my wellies at home and ended sitting there looking a bit of a chump in my Barbour and Crocs!!

Fishing tight against some reeds my first fish came to maggots on the drop and put up a great struggle on relatively light float gear. The second fish was a little larger than the above, I'm crap at the numbers game but would put them both in the 3lb+ bracket. Both fish made determined runs for the many snags at this pond and my old Alpha float rod was singing as they made for the near bank. It was the first trip out for my Abu Cardinal that I recently acquired. It was looking slightly worse for wear when it arrived as someone had made a complete pigs ear of fitting the bail arm springs but they are fixed now. The perch was conspicuous by their absence yesterday as I was fishing maggots or maggots and corn on the hook. Normally the greedy little blighters are quickly onto this bait but not one yesterday.

Both fish were taken in about a 30 min spell of action and then bites soon dried up as I think the north wind started to blow. These are great fish and I hope to have another tench session soon, perhaps when the weather warms up a bit though.