First fly session of the year on the upper river

I've been getting itchy feet not being on running water, so decided enough was enough, and jumped on to the upper river for my first fly session of the year in search of those wild river brownies.

I started off fishing the duo, with a gold bead hares ear on the point as I was there at dawn and expecting the fish to be deep down. Wading in and fishing a short line, just flicking it upstream, unfortunately I didn't get any takes, despite trying various pools and glides. 

As the morning progressed, I changed to a pheasant tail nymph on the point and a partridge and orange on the dropper (both home tied :D) and flicked it out a lot further, watching the end of the fly line. After a repeated pattern of moving upstream a couple of steps and having a couple of casts, eventually the fly line shot forward and this small but stunning river brownie put up a nice spirited fight (it took the partridge and orange)...

Happy now - I've had my running water fix!!

Best part is, I had a great time, and didn't spend any money on bait.

The first spring tench and a go with the new Drennan Acolyte 14ft plus

I managed to get a few hours fishing in yesterday afternoon so popped over to a local pond to see if I could bag my first spring tench.

A walk round the lake first found that, other than a few bits, nothing much had been caught all day.

After plumbing the depth at about 5ft, I started on maggot to a size 18 wide gape pellet hook and 3.5lb drennan supplex hooklink with the new drennan acolyte plus rod in 14ft. I missed a couple of bites on the drop (silverfish in the upper water), using a float with a long, sensitive tip to show any movement clearly as bites were cagey. I didnt get any interest after that so eventually switched to double caster which brought an instant bite, and after a short but spirited tussle on the new acolyte I had my first spring tench in the net - only a little'un.

 

 

The rod, a stepped up version of the much coverted acolyte ultra, is brilliant (I went for the 14ft model). Tippy enough to enjoy the fight of small fish, with plenty of spare power in reserve. Its got more of a through action than the ultra, which is designed primarily for silverfish. I reckon I'm going to enjoy targetting chub (and even barbel) once the river opens. Weighing in at only 156g, its suited to lines of 4lb to 6lb+ and hooklengths of 3lb to 5lb (in comarison, the acolyte ultra is 2lb to 4lb and <1lb to 3lb hookliength).

End of season highlights...

After a poor last day of the season, without much to write home about, I thought I'd share my highlights for the 2013 / 2014 season. It's been a bit up and down for me this year, with certain targets achieved and others failed (notably, another year without a 5lb chub). 

Ironically, the biggest chub of the year came right at the start with a 4lb 12oz fish, and there have been a fair few other 4lb specimens (11 in total this season - which represents a big improvement on last year), including a river pb of 4lb 10oz. My favourite capture is probably the 4lb 4oz river tees chub that I caught in pitch black on boilie, simply for the experience of hooking and landing fish by torchlight (exhillerating). A target for this summer is to do more into dark sessions on the river, in search of chub and those elusive barbel. I also intend to be a bit more patient, and try for multiple catches of chub on the wag and magg rather than the usual roving approach.

 

 

 

 

A big success story for me this year is with the river grayling. Prior to this season I hadn't caught a grayling over a pound, now I hace numerous pound + specimens, including a personal best of 2lb 4oz. The nice thing is that I caught these with the centrepin, which is a great way of fishing. My target for next year will be to continue this, and hopefully capture another  2lber.

 

 

 

 

 

I have done very little piking this year compared with the two previous. I suppose the reason was that I didnt think I could better my personal best for the river, even though I know there are one or two fish that could do it. This coupled with difficult winter conditions meant that other species to precedence. I did, however manage a trip in between floods in the christmas holiday, and managed a fabulous pike of 24lb 13oz, just 2oz shy of my pb. My target for next season will be to bank another 20, a feat I've managed in the last three seasons - there is little to beat the feeling of a 20lb pike going over the cord of the net.

The perch fishing has been frustrating for me, simply because I know that the river tees is a fine perch river with fish to over 4lb. I did manage to up my personal best to 1lb 13oz, which I'm happy about, but clearly there is plenty of room for improvement. I have a couple of very specific pegs at very specific times of the year in mind for next year, and I hope to give them a good try. My target is a 2lb+ fish next season.

I always try to do a bit of plugging for bass in the summer, simply because of the challenge. Sometimes I can go for half a dozen trips without a take, but when they do hit the lure, its a brilliant experience and fight from the shores of the Yorkshire coast. Imagine my delight then when the first trip out provided two wonderful fish to the lures - well worth the 3am wake up call! I will be trying again when it warms up!

 

 

 

 

As well as the above targets, my aim is to really target the river next season. My first tees barbel and a 5lb tees chub are my ultimate targets, and I think the key to this will be switching from my usual fishing at dawn to fishing into dusk in summer.   

 

Now its time to get the fly gear out - just cant keep away from those rivers!

A couple of trips on the River

2 March 2014

River conditions seemed ideal for a grayling or two, so I decided a trip to the upper river was in order. Back in October I was getting a bite a cast from tees grayling so I was hopeful.

I was using a Drennan floatmaster, coupled with an Okuma Sheffield and 3.2lb drennan float fish to a size 16 kamasan animal hook. Two pints of maggots as bait and feed. Standing in the river, I was having a dozen casts into each likely pool, but was really struggling - where were the grayling??

I finally managed a bite, and realised pretty quickly it was a trout given the athletics it showed. Nice to get a bend in the rod though...

This was repeated in the next bit of water, with a bite straight away (its interesting that, whenever you move to a new part of the river, trout are always the first to bite - very aggresive feeders)..

I didn't get the grayling I was after - wonder where they are hiding?? Still I've got a few locations for trying the fly during trout season.


9 March 2014

After have one or two too many real ale's at the pub last night, I didn't manage the usual 6am start today! I wasn't going to go but felt better after a good breakfast so grabbed the gear and popped to the river in search of Chub. The river looked spot on, and with the mild temperatures I was hopeful. It was good to take in some fresh air anyway!!

I had two rods in use, the first a drennan specimen barbel 1.75lb, with hair rigged pellet and scolded pellets in a feeder, more hopeful than anything just cast into the main flow. The second rod was a drennan series 7 1.75lb avon quiver, using cheesepaste as bait (and pallatrax cheese liquid attractor).

 

After spending an hour in the first swim without any indication, I moved on and found a nice chubby looking swim. The barbel rod got constant attention but without a positive hook up - this often happens when chub are mouthing the bait. So I brought it in and concentrated on the cheesepaste. The first bite was one of those that in hindsight I should have hit. A recast brought a very positive bite within minutes and I soon had this nice 3lb 12oz chub in the net.

 

I moved on and tried different stretches, but didnt get any more bites in the bright conditions. Took a few photos to pass the time, as you do...

 

 

 

One more trip till the rivers close.....

A day fishing the stick...

I managed a trip out on Wednesday fishing the stick float. I'm a big fan of watching a float, mending the line, holding back, appropriate feeding and doing everything possible to try and tempt a bite. Unfortunately, conditions were difficult with plenty of flow and extra colour. Well I was there so had to try!

The stretch...

I opted to try the drennan matchpro ultralight, in 13ft, using an abu 506 closed face reel, 3lb line and a 2lb hooklink to a size 18 drennan silverfish match hook. Dace were the target, as they migrate to these lower reaches during winter. Using double maggot on the hook, I was flicking out a few maggots or casters each cast to keep any fish interested. Starting at a depth of 7ft at two rod lengths out, I gradually increased the depth by a couple of inches each cast until I got the first bite, which resulted in a nice dace of about 4oz. Half a dozen casts and three fish of a similar stamp later, I thought I was in for a bumper catch and was enjoying it. Unfortunately, and amazingly, no more dace were caught in the next 4 hours! I did, however, land a nice perch which put a smile on my face. But it was a difficult day....

Still its nice to be out on the river, especially as there is two weeks (and just three more river sessions) to go.

A couple of carping blanks at a new venue....

With the rivers in disarray, I have switched my thoughts to different targets and species. I've never been a carper, avoiding that style of fishing in favour of running water and fishing of a more wild nature. Commercials are a definite no no, however I have found a venue by accident really that Is deep, not stocked and has a small stocking of large carp (at least large by local standards - i.e. fish over 20lb). It looks to be a difficult venue, but I like the feel of the place...If I catch one fish from it this spring and it beats my rather poor 12lb 4oz pb, I will be a happy man.

Some pics.....

A complete wash out......time to tie some flies

Well, Today was a complete wash out, so I took the opportunity to take a few photos at the awesome power of the river in flood....

 

 

 

 

 

So I've decided to stay in and start dreaming about fly fishing. I've knocked up a couple of 'bugs' in the hope of a few winter grayling on the fly next weekend. Looking forward to trying out my new fly gear, which I managed to obtain at a bargain price and pay for through selling a few bits and bobs, but cant wait.....I really want to try get in to this fly fishing lark seriously...

 

 

 

 

 



Last cast chub....

With the forecast to stop raining about 7am, I was hopeful of having a few hours fishing. Got there at about 7 and it was lashing it down. I was a local river for pike, and decided to park and walk a couple of miles in the dark without fishing, and them work my way back the two miles, trying different spots.

I didn't bother with a seat, a full on roving approach. Basically the rain just didn't stop, it absolutely poured, all morning. I tried swim after swim, the river was becoming ever more coloured, and the pike weren't feeding. 

Wasn't all bad though, plenty of wildlife, including a fox on the opposite bank completely oblivious to my existence; an otter that chased the roach that I was reeling in quickly, before it saw me and disappeared; a salmon that leapt clear of the river right in front of me, that I would put around the 10 to 15lb mark; a par of kingfishers and a heron!

After trecking back, dripping wet, I decided to try one last swim, in the vain hope of a fish. This time, I used lamprey, and the float buried in minutes. Get in I thought, pike! Nope, chub... Happy to save a blank though, didn't bother weighing it, just nice to catch.

Now I'm home, and exhausted!

A small window of opportunity...

I knew that this morning was my window of opportunity, the one I've been waiting for since I finished work for Xmas. The rivers are up and down like a yoyo, and with further flood water currently piling it's way down the wild river, I had to get out. The fact that gale force winds and torrential rain coincided with it didn't help! 

Arriving in dark and parking up, I had a bad start with car becoming stuck, which I had to rock out, but eventually after a fair walk, I slid my way down the bank into my peg. Float ledger fished smelt, my favourite tactic, was the way forward, balanced so that any movement on the bait would be indicated. I flicked out to some slack water adjacent heavy flow, alongside a nice crease, and waited for my chance. Ten minutes later, the float moved away before stopping. I held the rod, heart thumping, and waited. It seemed like forever, but in reality about thirty seconds later, the float laid flat, bobbed, and started moving away. I held the rod, waited for the thump thump of a fish, and hit it. All hell broke lose, the fish dictated everything, and using braid I could feel every movement. She went on run after run and It took a lot of coaxing, but eventually I'd tired her and she came over the arms of the net. A beast of 24lb 13oz. 

There's very little that's beats river piking in winter. Once returned, I sat in the rain, wishing I had a cigar and a whiskey, with a grin on my face. A great way to see off 2013

A frosty morning trotting for grayling on a local river

After last weekends success with grayling, I decided to try the same tactics on a different river. Chris had a similar idea, and we had soon hatched a plan to meet up on Sunday morning. From the response I got when I mentioned about meeting up at 6.30am, I can only assume he wasn't aware of such a time in the morning!

Anyway, after meeting up and walking to the peg I had the best start possible when I realised that line had been gently peeling off my centrepin for the last 150m of walking - at least I knew the way back to the car now.

The fishing was slow to begin with, but regular changes of pegs soon had us both hitting into the odd grayling or suicidal trout. Mr Vimes had 3 grayling to my 2, of a decent stamp as well, and vice versa with the trout. 

It was a good morning, hard work but a nice bend in our light float rods. And as for the scenery...

Grayling fishing with the pin after the first frost

I was on my way back from the lakes going over the pennines and I drove passed the river Greta and the upper tees, and saw signs to the upper swale, and I just started thinking about grayling, especially given the frosts. A few brownie points later I had my pass stamp for a few hours on the river, armed with a pouch full of maggots, float rod and centre pin and chest waders. A grayling trotter float, 3.2lb drennan float fish and size 16 Kamasan B911x finished off the rig.

After a few small trout, which were quickly photo's and released, I eventually hit into a very solid fish, clearly a grayling and a good one at that. What a fight on the centrepin, and I was chuffed once it was eventually landed at 1lb 10oz, my second best grayling to date...

Nothing else happened on this peg, so I wandered on.

 

The next peg was ideal, two separate flows of water causing a big crease in the current, which just shouted out to be trotted. 

 

Second cast and i had a fish on, another clonker and a long drawn out, twisting sort of fight. Landed, and at 1lb 8oz, another good grayling...

Next cast, same again, this time at 1lb 5oz...

It went quiet after that, so another move soon had me hitting into a very good grayling, this time at 1lb 9oz 

A final fish of 1lb 2oz rounded the short session off nicely!

I was a happy man!