Saturday 19 May 2018

A bit of Wellow heaven...

Beautiful run of weather for May with average temps at 25C. Spent lovely morning on Wellow fishing beat downstream of normal haunts. Lower section usually interrupted by angry Rainbows but not today. A lovely wild Brownie taking the nymph under a shady run.


Fishing was slow and very few rises. No upwings coming off despite mild weather. Mainly Caddis and Chiromonids in great rafts over the water. Moving upstream I came across a wonderfully wild section of Wellow with mixed cover and open gravel runs. Having fished a number of sections of the Wellow this area is about as good as it gets.


Beautiful Demoiselle

Went on to catch another two wild brownies on the nymph all relatively deep in oxygenated runs.






Sunday 13 May 2018

Wellow and Chew back to back

Beautiful weekend saw me fishing Wellow on Saturday with Red and on my own at River Chew on Sunday. Both days despite warm weather proved difficult with no Mayfly yet and just a few upwings coming off with very few rises. Masses of Chronomids in swarms over the rivers. After frustrating few hours on Wellow, with just one tiny par on the nymph, walking back to car a rise was spotted. Red handed me his rod all loaded up with a small dry black knat pattern, scramble down the bank, and a few casts later a lovely little brownie in the net. Stalking a fish like this makes it a special.


Sunday similar situation on Chew. Really difficult with few fish. Managed a couple of Grayling from fishing heavy nymphs in faster flow and a couple of small Brownies all sub surface. The Balsam seems to be less prevalent this year with the banks well covered in nettles. Hardly any sign of other fisher folk as I was cutting virgin trails through the undergrowth. Managed a swim in one pool which I was convinced was wadeable from previous visits, lesson learnt always be wary where you can't see the bottom as contours change dramatically each year.





Friday 4 May 2018

2018 First Fish of the Wellow

Finally water had dropped a little for a nice afternoon session on Wellow. Overcast but mild the water was clear, but not gin clear. Tried the dry for a few rising fish but missed the takes as they were quick little rises from smaller fish. After the rises stopped went to nymph and connected with half a dozen fish in one turbulent pool all coming to the net. Best a lovely long slender Brownie of about 14 inches. I was pleased to hook a number of smaller fish some no longer than my finger which indicated the resident population were doing well. My final fish was on the dry a confident take mistaking my Klink for an LDO.