Lacock trip with no bait just fly.

Spent an evening fishing Lacock as I had the season ticket. Surprised the Upper Bristol Avon still held a fair bit of water although the weed growth was impressive with cabbages and rannuculus everywhere. I searched an eddy under a Willow with a small pink Grayling nymph and hit stiff resistance. The fish hugged the bottom and embedded itself in the weed. I had flashes of gold and hoped, just hoped it might be my first Barbel on the fly. After a colossal struggle on my 3 weight with 3lb tippet I managed to get the fish in the net. It was no Barbel but a lovely Chub which I conservatively guessed at about 4lb. After that things slowed down until the final hours of daylight when on a shallow stretch I caught a plentiful number of Chublet and Dace on the dry. Disappointed by the rubbish on the bank and a persistent scrambler/quad biker in the field - why do people want to spoil these nice stretches of river and countryside. I was concerned I might disturb the hard core bait fisherman but as I came across no one I am keen to return.

Cam Brook swim...

A few pleasant hours firstly cutting back excessive cover and then fishing a second stretch on the Cam Brook. Don't get me wrong I love cover but there comes a time when you need to get a cast in and a light bit of  low branch removal can open up pools that just need to be fished. Amazed I actually went for a swim at times despite the low water much to the amusement of the rest of the Cam maintenance team. It just goes to show even the little Cam Brook can surprise you and we all need to take care when wading. The fishing was slow but I found a few on the nymph and missed several to the dry probably due to fishing the duo. You might have noticed not much blogging of late - I have been out but busy with the family at all other times in the summer we finally deserve. Incidentally dry fly Dace fishing on the Chew has been great with some fish approaching a pound.

Southbourne Kayaking

Lovely Friday kayaking out of Southbourne with my bro and a friend, Pat, from his village. We set off with feathers, lures and a bit of squid I had left from an unsuccessful boat trip out of West Bay. Is it me or are charter boat trips just an excuse to fill small boat full of fee paying punters putting them on marks which are fished day after day just on the off chance someone on the boat might catch something half decent? Every time I go out I come in disappointed and really wonder whether the skipper has actually made an effort to put you on the fish. Anyway enough of the whinge back to kayaking where even if you don't catch fish its a wonderful experience and bit of exercise chucked in. We fished just a half a mile offshore. Rich picked up a Black Bream immediately. I had many tentative bream plucks and wished I'd taken my coarse hooks or fly hooks. I changed tactics and went onto a weighted eel and on the first cast hooked into nice little Gurnard. Rich and Pat went on to catch some Mackerel and I ended up with a second Gurnard. Not quite enough to feed the family but a pleasant day on the ocean nevertheless.

It's that time of year again on the Chew, what the fish and fly fisherman has been waiting for ...

Got back from Cornwall Sunday night and my wife allowed me to indulge on Monday night as I was desperate to get out and fish in the summer weather. The Chew came up trumps after a slow start. The Mayfly increased throughout the evening and in the last hours of daylight I was festooned in Danica with fish leaping everywhere. Funnily enough my first couple of fish were not trout but Dace and small Chub but soon the wild Brownies began to dominate. Most of the fish I caught were getting on for a pound with a couple of larger fish. Having fished the stretch many times earlier in the year I just couldn't believe the numbers of trout this little river sustains which are rarely so visible. On one shallow stretch in the low water I clocked nearly a dozen fish jostling for position at the tail of a pool all over 12 inches in length. Needless to say I used just a dry fly in the form of a Parachute Adams or olive Klink and tried to focus on the larger fish with my casting. I ended up with over 20 in the net and some large ones evaded capture. 

 

Cornish Coarse on the fly

Just spent glorious week in Cornwall. Not much fishing other than dabbling with a bit of coarse fly fishing on a local campsite lake - that was until I was told it was banned due to health and safety reasons. While it lasted I caught Roach and Rudd on the dry and nymph. I have to say most sport came with some tiny bread flies I tied for Mullet but I did get sport on some Size 16 pink Grayling nymphs and parachute flies. The Rudd were incredibly fast and enjoyable to fish for on the fly even though none were more than palm sized. My brother caught a couple of nice Carp, one on my Size 10 bread flies linked to a bubble float. 

Surf was uninspiring with best session a 3-4ft day at Crantock which was sheltered from the predominant NW wind. The weather however was in the main great with endless days on the beach rockpooling, bodyboarding and relaxing with the family.

My son Henry paddleboarding up the Gannel at Crantock.

And finally the fish are on the dry on the Chew...

Afternoon on the Chew I fished almost exclusively with Olive Klink on short 7' leader. It was simple and effective at targeting the wild fish which hugged the banks and overhanging vegetation. The odd Mayfly was starting to emerge but the fish were not targeting them and rises were quite low key. The birdsong was wonderful today and the Dippers as bold as ever. I managed about half a dozen fish, nothing big, but it was good to be focused on the rising fish. Water low and lots of Otter tracks today in the mud. The weather was mild with hazy sunshine making my fly almost invisible in the faster runs with only a splash to indicate a take. Managed to get enough video footage today for a short edit which I hope is enjoyable watching - makes a change from photos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yezai3LPfTA&feature=share&list=UU_2d7dQIp6f2QhxWfZTZ3lA

River Chew gives up some lovely wild ones today

Late afternoon session on Chew. Arrived just when a good Large Dark Olive hatch was coming off. The fish weren't rising but were feeding sub-surface. In the first pool I must have caught half a dozen fish with two beauties one of about a pound and another even bigger. After the first hour things went quiet and only went on to catch a few more small parr. I did miss a head and tail rise on the dry from a big fish. Finished in a hail storm which was nice!

Not a bad start..

then it got better...

and better  - beautiful wild fish from the Chew