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!

Wellow, Chew and Bristol Frome all within three days...but it has not been easy!

On both Saturday and Sunday I managed to get out at some point. On Saturday PM I fished the River Chew at Compton Dando. In the first half hour I had netted three fish - two small Brownies and an average sized Grayling for the Chew. After that 2 hours of searching likely runs without success. All fish came to the nymph and I did not see one rise. The level was high but colour clearing. It was a hot sunny day. Went to a nearby lake with the hope that the Carp were on the feed. Unfortunately I think the previous weeks run off and now hot sunny conditions had sparked an algal bloom. Casting any line resulted in a green blob at the hook end!

Sunday evening fished the Bristol Frome. Despite fairly clear water and warm weather exceptionally quiet with just the odd rise. Managed to tempt one clonking Brownie of about 1.5lb in a very shallow run just below a big riffle as I speculatively searched the river for a take. I watched it come up just a yard or two away to take the Klink despite it not showing before. I love it when that happens such a surprise and to think your fly can induce a rise when naturals might pass by. I came away thinking that the Chew and the Bristol Frome need to settle a bit before fishing improves - I almost wondered whether the resident fish had got washed downstream!

Nature day on the Mendips

Family trip to the Mendips. We took in Velvet Bottom and Stockhill. Glorious summer day with light winds and blue sky. The butterflies were out in force - Marbled White, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and Green Fritillary were abundant. Managed to net some Common Lizards and a Sloworm for the lads to have a close encounter with - I think we were a bit late for the Adders. Some nice meadow flowers for us to identify - Common Spotted Orchid and Harebell. 

Green Fritillary

Common Spotted Orchid

Harebell

  

Common Lizard

Sloworm

And finally the rivers return to some normality - Wellow Friday fish

The sun was shining after nearly a months break as the rivers were almost unfishable on the fly. Fished the Wellow from about mid afternoon onwards. Lost count of the number of wild Brownies with most coming to an Olive dubbed Klink dry fly. At a couple of the deeper pools where there was no surface activity I twitched a heavy nymph through the deeper elements and hooked a couple of good fish. The Wellow seems to have a fairly consistent size of fish with most around 8"-10". Many have striking contrasting marks with creamy underbellies and heavily marked backs. Red and I fished two sections although the upper section has less pools and with still high water it was not easy to fish. Unfortunately stumbled across a mink at one point.

Southbourne Kayak and last light on Wellow

The last week or so has had more and more rain. I took a day off on the eve of the longest day for some sea kayak fishing on one of the few dry days recently. My brother and I launched from Southbourne with Black Bream and Mackerel the target. Unfortunately the light winds forecast were not sustained and before long we were trying to drift in 15 mph onshore winds with a swell to go with it. Despite several hours of jigging, feathering and bottom fishing, mainly with squid, we ended up with just two Mackerel. We had a few knocks on the squid but no hook ups. On the way back to Bristol I took slight diversion to the Wellow for the last two hours of light. The river was high but clear and fishing was tough. I clipped a the tail from a Paradun in the light after covering numerous fish without success. As soon as I had done this the fish started to come. Ended up with 4 wild Brownies to about 10 inches.

Yesterday went to the Wellow again but the water was too high and coloured. Red and I ended up at one of the lakes and despite several early plucks on a Shipmans I failed to catch. Red hooked a nice fish on a G&H Sedge. Loads of Carp near the surface but not really in a feeding mood. This week looks drier but I think it will be few days before the rivers are fishable on the fly.

River Chew continues to run high

Visit to the Lower Chew on a sunny day among the heavy showers. The river just about suitable to fish on the fly with a fair bit of water coming down and coloured. I fished fairly deep and noticed the fish took when movement was imparted rather than on the dead drift. A few rises occurred in the eddies but I failed to tempt a fish on the dry. Ended up with just two Grayling and two hooked but lost fish.

Red and I then headed to the Upper Chew where the stream was clearer but fishing was still slow. I really feel the fish here have to fight against the odds as I disturbed two Herons and saw Mink prints on the silt. The stream is small with little cover apart from undercut banks and the odd stump left undisturbed. I ended up with three wild Brownies to about 10", two of which had Heron/Cormorant damage.

After the weekend thought I'd have a change on the following Wednesday which was just about the nicest evening of the week and headed for one of the local lakes with Carp on the fly in mind. Surprisingly no Carp action but three Rainbows on the surface Shipmans Buzzer and Green Buzzer drifted 18" below the surface.