Early trout on the Cam

After a blank first session on Wellow I was keen to use the warm spell to open my account. I'd hooked several on dry and nymph on the Wellow on the first Saturday in April but for whatever reason I could not get them to the net. The Cam meanders through wooded glades and is generally siltier than Wellow and harder to wade so care is required particularly when water clarity is not at its best. The fish appear to be more localised in pockets but are quite often a larger than average size. I love this stretch as it is partially covered in mature woodland offering a cacophony of bird song in the spring.

After a an hour of not locating fish I finally found a section of 30 metres or so where I hooked three lovely browns on the nymph taking Grannom emergers. My final fish was a bit of surprise, a large Rainbow in the shade of a usually unproductive run. It rose in front of me just 10 yards ahead. A trusty Klink delivered a yard ahead of the rise and it was on pulling me all around the little river. I was pleased that my 3lb leader remained intact. Fish are not stocked here so it must have travelled some distance from the Midford.

A pair of Mandarin Duck where on the river looking for nest sites in the hollowed trees. A lovely session in the spring sunshine not seeing another person in three hours.