Upper Chew and Publow - blankety blank.

After a few weeks away in Cornwall I checked out Chew at Compton Dando but still too high and coloured for my liking and headed onto Upper Chew which I haven't fished for what seemed like ages. The stream was high but running clear and looked lovely in the August sunshine. I started with anticipation and excitement but as the afternoon wore on this turned to disappointment. Despite the lovely weather the stream appeared fairly lifeless. I didn't see one rise although I did spook one small Brownie. Pools that usually produced Brownies or the native Rainbows failed to show any movement or hint of interest in the dry or nymph. No Kingfisher either perhaps he was at the lake with all the other inhabitants! The limited returns in the book echoed my experience.

On the way back home I had bash at one of the local lakes again not a single rise to target and just a solitary Carp took a cursory nose at at my bread fly and turned in disgust. I know it is not catching but fishing but when you have limited time windows and you want to fish you do want to catch fish. Don't get me wrong I love the environment in which I fish but if it was purely about wildlife watching I would take my family along and not be distracted by the fishing. A bit downbeat I know but I am in need of some inspiration!

Bristol Frome returns to relatively normal level but where are the fish?

Fished Bristol Frome tonight. Caught three average Brownies on the dry. River lower than Chew but still high for this time of year. Again fish are just not around. A few small shoals of Chub and the odd Brownie are the only signs of life. Chub just too easily spooked but all three of the Brownies I saw rising readily took a small Klink. The Frome is quite heavily segregated by weirs and riffles so I think it is going to be some time before the stretches I fish start to return to the form they were in earlier in the year- perhaps I need to head downstream and fish with the dogs!.

Chew Dace save the day as river fishing remains hard

Home without the family has left me time in the evenings for some fishing. Back to the River Chew after waiting a few days for the high water to subside. The river was still high and tinged with colour but looked just about fishable on the fly. I found it tough again connecting with a few small Grayling on the nymph but little rising apart from small shoals of Dace.

In the end I scaled down to a Size 16 Klink and had some good sport with the tiny Dace. Ended up catching about four tiny fish in one fast run. Eventually connected with two average size Brownies on the dry just before dusk started to fall but the window is small as evenings seem to be closing in. I am convinced the heavy river flows have dispersed the fish as runs where I would have been guaranteed a few fish have just not produced..

Cornwall Summer Hols Part 1 - Surf, Sea Trout and Pollack

Just back from first summer holiday week down in Cornwall. Weather was in the main vast improvement over previous years with lots of sunshine and some sporadic heavy showers. Kayak fished on the Lizard at Kennack and caught lots of Pollack on the ebbing tide and a handful of Mackerel. Still no Bass evident. Shore fished a number of marks over the week plugging for Bass all on the incoming tide but no joy - this is getting frustrating.

Fishing for Pollack on the Lizard with my fishing buddy for the day Lisa.

Fished one of the local streams and caught numerous Brownies to about 8" mainly on the nymph. At one fairly shallow run my fly was hit by a bullet that went skyward. After  a colossal struggle in the small stream I bought my first confirmed Sea Trout to the net. Not huge at just over a 1lb, this fish which was a bar of silver with a bluish tinge, gave me immense satisfaction. Although initially I thought it had taken the dry when it was in the net I realised it had taken the Size 16 Goldhead. Releasing it I waded upstream disturbing another much larger fish but that was it fro the evening. I have to say catching this powerful fish in the small stream was fairly familiar as it was not unlike hooking a 2lb Rainbow on the Upper Chew.

A good sized Brownie for this stream

My first confirmed Cornish Sea Trout 

I surfed about a half dozen times mainly confined to sheltered spots - Aggie, Lusty Glaze and Great Western due to the big swell and southwesterly winds.Although yesterday had a nice little Magic Carpet session on Perran as the winds had flipped to offshore. Surprisingly Great Western at about 4' gave me the most enjoyment mid tide coming in when the closeouts can't really make up their mind whether to break or not!