First Carp on the fly

My first real effort to catch carp on the fly rod. Not a great day to start as not particularly warm with heavy showers. Started feeding with a few handfuls of white bread. Used a white foam fly I had tied for Mullet. After many frustrating takes, a snapped 6lb leader on a big fish, a couple of returned Rainbows, I finally hooked played and netted a nice 2lb Common Carp. The fly needed clipping down to get a good hook hold on the takes - the curve of the hook had to be exposed. I ended up with just the one Carp and three Rainbows al on the foam bread fly! Little and often with the real bread, leave until nearly all is consumed and cast your fly to the vicinity of the boils. The little carp gave a good account of itself burying itself in the weed beds.

Somerset trout stream

Fished a Somerset trout stream today with Red. I hadn't fished it for a fews years and hoped the good sized resident wild Brownies were still present. Covered a mile of stream jungle with some nice deeps runs, pools and cascades. The stream had a fair amount of water running through that was slightly coloured after some heavy rain from the prevoius 24 hrs. Today was warm and sunny though with a stiff breeze. Fishing just under  rod tip most of time with bow and arrow cast invaluable today. Ended up with half dozen deep coloured wild fish between 10-13 inches. Initially taking nymph but mid afteroon on the dry. Incredible views of Kingfishers skimming my ear as they darted under the tree canopy. Glad I had returned and was not disappointed. Trout fishing doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg if you do your research and know where  to look.

It's been a while but it was good to back on the Bristol Frome

Set off at 19:00 and 5 minutes down the road and I was fishing my first pool. Water incredibly clear at the moment. The main storm drain/sewer runs alongside this stretch  so there is an odour which is easy to blame on the Frome but in reality the river has quality water which supports good stocks of fish. Second or third cast brings a nice little Brownie to the net on small green Klink. I miss several rises from the same pool and decide to rest it and move downstream. A little deep bend off the back of a riffle gives shelter for 3 big Chub (2-4lb). I approach from below but fail to get my fly tight enough to the opposite bank. The Klink disappears and I play a Chub of about 10oz to the net. Chub remind me of fresh water Pollack they dive for cover but the fight is not sustained. Next stop a deeper slower section I don't normally fish but notice a number of rising fish - I don't catch the rising fish but net a nice little Roach on the nymph. Noticed trout in the Bradley Brook tonight - now to catch one!

Tip pays off for some big wild Brownies

Late afternoon session after a tip had got me frothing over a stretch of river that Red had reliably informed me, after a recce fish the previous day, held some leviathan fish. The river was not great on this stretch - silted, shaded and in some parts smelly. It didn't look fishy with just the odd dimple here or there giving away any form of life. An impressive hatch of Scarlet Tigermoths was on the wing drifting above the beds of nettle and Comfrey. I waded up just about getting my fly 10' ahead as the tree canopy was making any form of line weighted cast impossible. The dead water suddenly exploded as I drew the dry towards me away from the far bank. A nice fish of a 1lb that darted everywhere in the small river. Next a fish dimpling in one of the faster runs. Without knowing its size I cast and it jumped onto my Klink. It raced downstream past my legs and launched skyward 10 yards downstream. I could see the fish was in excess of 2lb. After several more bursts and brushings with my net the line went loose and I cursed what could possibly have been my best wild Brownie ever. I persevered on upstream wading through deep silted sections. Another small faster run under some Hawthorns and a small rise gave me hope. First cast and I hooked another good fish that raced downstream. This time I got it to the net a lovely 1.5lb wild Brownie. Still trying to figure out why these big beauties like it on this stretch and not a small one in sight!

How do I know whether a Chew Brownie is wild or stockie? Chew wild Brownies genetically have what I call the black spot, more evident in bigger fish.  These fish are cursed with the devils thumb print behind the eye. Check out my post of 2nd May 2011 from the Upper Chew to see a stockie with lots of smaller speckles but no black spot.

Lower Chew Jungle - bitten and stung but plenty of fish

Day off today and afternoon session on Lower Chew. Summer in full swing walking through the fields of corn and barley. A couple of Yellowhammer sing from some overhead cables and two young Buzzards screach in the bankside trees. The orchard meadow is full of Meadow Cranesbill and Meadowsweet. Butterflies are out in good numbers - Common Blue, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Green Veined, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Red Admiral and Gatekeeper.



Common Blue



Peacock caterpillar

First deep pool a medium Grayling and average Brownie on weighted nymph. After battling stingers, persistant horseflies and Himalayan Balsam I connect with some lovely Brown Trout, the largest just about a 1lb and a nice Chub of about 1lb. Some on the dry some on the nymph. All in one run under an overhanging Alder. Three fish in three casts. Finished off with some Dace - again some on the dry, although incredibly hard to hook, and some on the nymph.

 

Chub on the dry

Best Dace of the day