River Trent, Shardlow

Last night I fished in the same area as opening day but was not lucky enough to tempt a barbel. The weed was also a lot worse than last week which is a known problem with the Trent through the summer. One chub saved my blushes and this was taken from the third swim I fished in a reasonably short session. Although it is always nice to catch a barbel we should not curse chavender as he has prevented many a blank. He is not in the best of condition at this time of year though and this chap did a passable impression of a bream. I didn't weigh the chub but guess he was around 4lb.

Opening Day

Well it is years since I have fished opening day of the coarse season and I had forgotten how magical it is walking along the bank knowing that no-one has cast a line since March. As I had arranged to meet up with Andy and Dave from Sheffield then the River Trent at Shardlow was the venue. As I had a variety of jobs to attend to today by the time I arrived at around 1100 they were already filling their boots with some lovely fish coming to traditional Trent float fishing tactics.
I had decided to try for a barbel so moved a little further upstream to the faster water. The river was not too wide here and I guess I was fishing threequarters across below an obvious snag. After being out for a curry and some refreshments last night I was anxious to get the Kelly on and get some tea down me as I was still feeling a little jaded.
Bites were few and far between but after just over an hour fishing the odd one started to develop. A big drop back and what I think was a chub but it was soon off. Then a real bite, no indication problems here the rod was straight off the rests and I picked it up off the grass with the baitrunner going!!
The fish was straight into a snag but eventually the pressure told and after a very spirited fight I netted a 6lb 2oz beauty. This fish was in great condition and made some tremendous runs setting the drag spinning.
So for me a great start; good company, Kelly on the go, sun out, and a barbel.

What a Tench

Last night I had intended heading for the River Dove after trout but felt pretty tired after work and didn't fancy the drive. What better I thought to just unwind sitting on my basket for a couple of hours watching the evening pass by. I had some corn in my basket and hemp in the freezer so that was bait sorted and I headed off to the pool I had fished a few weeks earlier. The peg I had the five pounder from was free and so I plonked myself down and threw some hemp and corn in whilst I tackled up.
I would fish just over the marginal reeds where the depth is about 8' before a rapid drop off. It is effectively right under the rod tip and so I sat well back from the edge. Now for the wait I thought as this pool does not give up its treasures easily. So for 2 hours I patiently waited for some activity on the float. The only sign was one perch that succumbed to a bit of prawn. When the bite came it was un-missable and the rod arched right over. There are reeds to the left and the fish made for these but I managed to bully it into open water. I had taken some advice from Steve and used a 1.5tc rod, if this had been on my float rod then it would have ended in tears. Time and time agian it made for the snags and all I could do was just hold it hoping the 4lb bottom and 14 barbless would hold. They did. I managed to get my net out at full stretch and after one refusal in went the tench.
Well as it went in I knew that this was a special fish and I rested it in the margin whilst I got the scales ready. I did not realise quite how big though as it pulled my Flyweights round to 7lb dead, my best tench by a country mile. The size of the fish was awesome with a prominent back and huge girth. After a quick photo it swam strongly off but that was me done in. It was getting late but there was no need for a last cast, one very satisfied customer the fish left me slightly bewildered. My tench fishing has not been easy this year and I can now confess to 5 blanks at Findern, 2 at Triangle, and 1 at Melbourne Pool. This has more than made up for those. Get in there you beauty!!!

Derbyshire Derwent

The first two weeks in June have been consistently good mayfly sport on the Derwent for the last two seasons. It was with this in mind that I met up with Phil at Red House for what we hoped would be the cream of the mayfly sport. We had a grand afternoon out allthough the fish were a little unco-operative making this the first year for a while that I don't think will see a fish to my mayfly patterns. As Phil knows this stretch well I also learnt a few more runs to try in the future as to the uninitiated a lot of the water at Darley can appear unfishable. We started in some grand looking water towards the top end of the section and I soon saw Phil into a fish. There were some feeding at the top of this section but they seemed to remain just out of casting range.
It was soon apparent that the fish would be hard earned and rising trout were few and far between but we persevered with our dry patterns. I could not get one to stick and worked my way upstream to just above the big bend. From the state of the banks this section appears to have been hardly fished and we located some fish rising against the far bank. This was an assortment of flys hatching including some dark sedges so I turned to the famous LTD pattern and it soon accounted for the beauty below, a fantastic Derbyshire brownie. It put up a great struggle, hardly surprising just look at the tail on it, what a paddle!

Another fish soon came to hand on the same fly and so it was time for a rest and to get the Kelly on whilst Phil fished up the section. Refreshed by a mashing of tea and a pork pie we decided to explore further upstream. This was a short sortie however as we did not locate any fish on the fin.
For the last hour or so we moved down to the mid section which was very busy with other anglers particularly considering it was a Monday. The fishing seemed to get tougher with few rising fish and those that were feeding taking something quite small just under the surface.
The wading on most of the DRAC section is quite exciting to say the least and we ended up in typical Darley swims; about half a rod from the bank and the water already half way up your waistcoat. The cover made an overhead cast impossible so a side cast backhand flick was required to cover some difficult fish in mid water. Luckily I managed to fluke one of these on a PT emerger after they refused a size 18 shuttlecock that I had tied before as a banker (or so I thought). Presentation though is everything, particularly on this slower section where the trout have ample time to inspect your offering. So quite tired casts do not deliver great presentation and after a while thrashing about under trees we retired gracefully after a corking afternoon out in the Derbyshire countryside.

Darley nearly mayfly

This year I am wondering if the mayfly will pass me by. Looking at the reports on the forums and knowing its track record I thought the Derwent at Darley Dale was an absolute banker for some drake action. Time was at a premium however and leaving home at 1130 the drive was almost a full hour to cover the 28 miles. For the last two seasons I have enjoyed some great sport on this stretch so I cannot complain really, however it was a bit disappointing that there was know real hatch through the afternoon. When I finished at about 1545 there was the odd mayfly appearing and hopefully any other anglers will have enjoyed a good evening sport. Fish were hard to come by and my favourite stretch at the back of Oker yielded none which was a bit of a slap to start with.
I eventually found some feeding fish but could not get a take from them. They were either taking something just below or very small off the surface. As the fly that I was later successful with was an emerger then I suspect that it was the former. After going through my box at these fish the one fly I overlooked was the Petit Merde that Brian gave to me on the Wye last summer, these must have been worth a try. The more frustrated I became the worst my presentation so I ended up leaving them. At Darley there are some very slow stretches that are hard to get down to and put out a line, sometimes perseverence in these spots pays dividends as I think the fish are very rarely cast at as it is so awkward.
Eventually I managed to take a few fish on a PT emerger. This fly is tyed on a Partridge Klinkhammer hook size 18 and uses PT body and tails & CDC loop wing. Quite simple and effective today too. No real lunkers today but as ever the Derwent trout are very pretty. If all goes to plan I'll have another go at them next week. These have been the hot weeks on this stretch for the last couple of seasons, perhaps the cold night and also the cool wind have not helped today.

An evening at the vice

With duffers fortnight fast approaching I have been studying the other fly fishing blogs and forums with interest for the latest information. I hope to have a few good sessions on the Dove and the Derwent so have made sure my boxes are full of deadly mayfly patterns. However, when doing so I have mislaid my pouch of St Bruno, what rotten luck.

Back to Ellastone

My spring tench campaign had somewhat faltered this year so after GP reported mayfly appearing at Ellastone it was time to pick up the fly rod. I had a few hours this afternoon so headed off with hopes of some good sport. There were no other anglers on the beat and I soon noticed the odd may coming off and a very infrequent rise. The fish have not really turned onto them yet to herald the start of Duffers Fortnight. Some larger dun patterns were tried and got the odd slash from the fish but they were not really taking the drake. I also observed plenty of yellow may duns amongst the green drake.
Well I then fannied about for a while fishing nymphs and also had a go on the duo, a technique which I have become crap at as I use it so infrequently. Eventually the penny dropped that the rising fish were not on the drake but taking large dark olives. I quickly matched the hatch and began catching at last, the trout now taking my olive pattern with gusto. In a little under an hour I took four fish of which the one below was the best. Another of a similar stamp was lost. As the clock ticked towards 7pm the activity stopped and consequently I called it a day. A good return to Elly for me and still the cream of the mayfly fishing ahead.