Far from the crowds

 It really does not get much better than this! Yesterday three of us fished one of the less popular lengths of the Derbyshire Derwent at Darley Dale. With probably the thick end of a mile of fishing we barely saw another angler and boy what they were missing.

I formed the advance party and noticed fish moving from the off. My first couple came to a LDO imitation but then I needed to don my jacket in response to a sharp rain shower. This seemed to cause one of those subtle changes in conditions that anglers sense, before long a mayfly hatch was in full swing.

 For about 30 minutes the fish went completely loopy and I swear I would have got a rise to a pigeon! By the time I got the call to say Phil and Rob had arrived I had stopped fishing as it was just silly.

 Like all good things though conditions swiftly changed and it was like this for the rest of the afternoon with some lean spells and at times more productive.

 We had the stretch of river basically to ourselves and explored all the spots which get rarely fished. Phil got into many tight spots assisted by his quick switch to a southpaw cast, a skill to be practiced given the bank on which DRAC have the fishing rights.

Another one for Rob

Derwent Wildie

 The honours waxed and waned through the afternoon as each angler enjoyed his share of the sport. I needed a couple of welcome Kelly brews to refresh and fortify myself with a crafty pork pie.

 All in all a great afternoon in pleasant company and great surroundings, oh to be alive and in Derbyshire!

As the sun started to set we explored further upstream and managed to pick up a couple more fish before last knockings.

Mohican Mayfly

 The winter before last I had tied up several Mohican Mayflys, an Ollie Edwards pattern. It is quite intricate to tie and takes me a good 40 minutes but they are a killing pattern. They hardly made it onto the leader in 2011 but this year was one to remember, Rob and Phil also enjoying success with this pattern. My fly box was looking decidedly sparse by the end of the night. Well that may be it for the drake this year, I might get one more chance. However, after yesterday's success it won't be the end of the world if I just reflect on a great afternoon on the stream.

Mayfly - Diamond Stuff

 I'm just back from a short session on a local lowland stream and managed to find some fish on the drake. This brook is not known for having a large head of fish and upon arrival I was wondering whether to even thread the rod up. Plenty of mayfly but no rising fish is business as usual for this water, coupled with that the recent rain had run quite a bit of colour through the stream.

 Well I came up to a pool that I've had some limited success in and decided to give it a go. Soon I noticed the odd fish rising and took a fish on the nymph. Deciding to swich to a dun pattern it was straight into dry fly action as I took these two beauties amongst others.

 It was time to show some restraint in this pool so I moved on having thought I spotted another rising fish further upstream. How wrong I was for the second time this evening as it turned out to be a cow! (Don't ask).
There are few sections on this brook where I feel confident and having fished a couple of my favourite spots without seeing another rise I called it a day.

River Derwent

 My first trip to the river for some trouting was well overdue having been distracted so far this year by weather conditions, apathy, decorating and other piscatorial matters. Monday I was hoping that the fish may have switched onto mayfly and headed off to the Derwent at Darley Dale, arguably the jewel in the crown of the DRAC trout waters.

 The fishing I found was quite tough though and certainly not yet 'Duffers Fortnight'. My fish were taken on quite small patterns not the large budgies that I'd hoped to be throwing at the trout. JT style olives 16 and Griffiths Gnat 18 proved to be good patterns in the heat of the day.

 The river looked in great condition and running at a good level. Fish were rising through the afternoon and it was best to target these and 'fish where the fish are'.

 Hopefully next week I will be out again and catch some of the more frantic mayfly sport.

Cove's PTN

On Monday evening I again adjourned to Foremark for the last few hours. I really needed some time to wind down and so got out of the way round at Bramble and Sunblest area's. My successful fly was again the Cove PTN, what a cracking pattern it is. Retrieved very slowly, almost static, and the takes when they come almost rip the rod from your hands. Not quite as prolific as my last trip but still enough to keep interested. I never take a fish from the river but have no qualms about administering the last rights to a stillwater rainbow and the fish from Foremark do taste superb.
As I walked back to the car there was a rise starting in the sailing club bay but I had run out of time for a last cast. The latest report from the reservoir suggests the fish may be starting to move out so I'll have to think hard before having another session particularly as I've seen my first mayfly of the year tonight.

Stillwater Trout

As I didn't want to gamble on the DRAC stretch of the Dove being in nick I decided to have a couple of hours at Foremark this evening. I've always lived pretty local to this reservoir and it is now only ten minutes from Egginton. How things have changed there since I first fished it with Dad in the 70's, the latest improvement is closing before dusk can you believe! Yes, I had to vacate the premises by 2045 this evening. At one time Flamingo Bay would have been a knitting match until the anglers could just make their way back to the car park in the gloaming with talk of fish captured and chances missed.

 I made my way round to Bramble Bay and it wasn't long before I was reminded how hard Ifor's rainbows pull as the line fizzed through my fingers making my old Intrepid Dragonfly complain loudly. Traditional stillwater tactics did the damage, a Cove PTN drifted round on the breeze.

Fish also came to the nymph in Sunblest Bay where there was a great ripple with the odd fish moving. I had expected to see masses of the hawthorn fly but perhaps this would have been earlier in the day. The last take I had took me by surprise as I just checked my watch, the rod was almost pulled out of my hand! Great fishing, but it would have been good to fish until dusk as the hooter was sounded twice. All for my benefit as I walked back to the car I was the last man out. At least I got to walk the dog in the light.

My Quest for Barbel

The weather outside is awful so I've spent Sunday morning so far catching up on some surfing. This a site from a guy in Nottingham, Richard Easom, that has loads of info for the barbel angler. There is one mention of Forest but I suggest you skip over that. Up the Rams!!

Sutton Brook

I was going to take a rod down this evening but it was so cold I just grabbed the camera. The water was quite mucky so glad I didn't bother. The tree above has come down over the winter, it is just near our lower access.


The run above has produced my biggest trout from the brook, I even needed to use my net!! Tough casting under those trees though.
The upper limit is shown below:


The photo above is again near our lower access and these trees have been removed also since my last trip.


That tree root looks like it should hold a lunker.

This section above has been kind to me but has lost a lot of tree cover over the last couple of winters. I seem to remember that we cleared one out on a working party.