Laxey River - Town Section

[custheyder]

Yesterday was Cornea and today it was the turn of Laxey. I must confess that I've never fished this river before. I've kept looking and thinking there must be fish in there!

I parked up at the Shore Hotel and looked into the river in it's channel. 6 foot walls either side and no obvious way to get in. I wandered upstream a bit... nope. I'm got getting in here. On the far bank I spotted a break in the wall and some steps down. Eureka! ... back to the car and drove round to park up and get started.

I turned a few rocks and noted the dominant colour of the nymphs was a dark olive. A quick look through the weaponry and there it was, a solitary fly with a colour match. On it went.



This really is pocket water fishing and very quickly I was into fish, There seemed to be a hungry little trout behind every rock. It wasn't long as you can see from the picture that I was out of the stone channel, but there was still no bank access to the river.

There are some good pools on this river.



and the fish that are in them are much bigger than the average.



In fact I'm very impressed with the size of fish I'm catching. Every other fish is reaching eight to ten inches. The casting has been easy with very few trees to contend with.



...and the fish keep coming. The air is heavy with hawthorn flies in places so I swap to a hawthorn imitation. The blank dangly legged monstrosity certainly has it's place. This chap loved it.



Many more fish fell to the fly as I worked upstream. Remnants of the mill industry can be found in the river.



... and there are some excellent pools and glides just before the the river splits. Unfortunately I was out of time to fish them properly. It was a bit of a struggle to get out. Fortunately there is a bridge at the junction of the rivers with a path up one side. An easy escape! I had visions of clambering up a hanging root! Any easy walk down the road that runs parallel to the river to the car.



This has become a favorite Tenkara river... for absolutely sure and I've only covered the first quarter mile!

[leckie]

Cust,
Well you certainly missed the rain...the river looks in great nick...and that brownie is a real beauty...deep bodied...nice markings and a big tail...perfect. Great pictures and report and usual...keep up the good work...we're all envious...and get some shots of these river into the May competition

tight lines

Alex

[paul1966]

Excellent! Reading these reports is the closest I'm getting to doing any fishing at the moment as the rivers here are way up and coloured. I'm hoping there may be a few sewin when the water drops back. How's the rod preforming?

[custheyder]

Alex... We had the rain on Thursday and Friday, but the water here clears very quickly. I can't enter the comp... I'm the judge!

Paul... I am really happy with the performance of the rod. Smooth curve when hooked into a fish, plenty of backbone to handle the biggest of the fish I've had so far and casting is precise and accurate. Well, as precise and accurate as my casting ever is! I'm still adjusting the gentle forward stroke. I keep trying the hammer tap, and that just doesn't work with such light lines. I hope the sewin are there for you when the rivers drop a bit. Fabulous sport,

Cust.

[custheyder]

Another fishy picture from Laxey with a close up of the hawthorn imitation.

[Deleted]

A proper achievement Cust.

The river looks quite tight & no doubt in the skinny water the fish will be unforgiving of heavy feet and casting.
I enjoyed how you worked it out & caught so well in those conditions. Admirable!

Stevie.

[custheyder]

Stevie... This is one of our more open waters and the casting was simple compared to other rivers on the Island. You are right about the fish though, they are extra spooky. Wade quietly and cast softly. I tend to tuck myself into the vegetation at the waters edge and target pockets from there.

Cust.

[custheyder]

Had a couple of hours on the Laxey again last Friday. I had intended to fish the top of the town section so I started off at the football club about half way. A short walk downstream brings you to some playing fields where it's possible to get in. No kids pestering me this time.

As I tackle up (decided a new tippet was in order) I could see fish rising in the big pool you can see in the second picture, so I made my way down to that and was rewarded with 3 fish that came readily to the dry fly. By the time I've worked my way past the playing field and a little higher to a good pool beneath a bridge at the old warehouse I've had 15 fish. It's just crazy! Every pocket behind a rock holds a hungry trout.

I still haven't made it to the upper section. Clambering up drain holes to grip the railings of the bridge I puff and grunt my way over the top. In my youth I'd of been up this as quick as a ferret up a drain pipe, but it seems I'm carrying a few extra pounds. Still I've made it with a good haul of fish. I didn't even get as far as the pool with it's own door!

More discipline required... I must ignore the big tempting pool ... walk past all the very productive pocket water.... Close my eyes as I walk through the door and then, only then start fishing.... who am I kidding! I might never fish that top section.

My father tells me there are some tremendous pools higher still up the right hand fork and others tell me there is fabulous water to the left by the old distillery. My wife tells me I have next weekend off. Guess where I'm going.

[leckie]

Cust.
Well done you...15 fish in a two hour session...that's very impressive ...you should be given a retainer by the IOM tourist Board for the interest that you are generating for your island... Great stuff....you'll be teaching us how to cook the trout next ;D
Keep the reports and pictures coming...they're fab.

Alex

[custheyder]

My son is a wuss! ... Can't put it any simpler than that. How can I take him fishing when he won't unhook the fish himself because he won't touch them? He's nearly 16 for goodness sake! ...All advice greatly appreciated.

However, I do keep trying so this time it's off to the Laxey river to see how he gets on with this Tenkara lark. I'd taken him through various casts in the garden but it was time to get on the river. He's as tall as I am (possibly a fraction taller, not admitting that yet!) with the same size boots. An old pair of waders (I know there is a leak somewhere, but no idea where!) and his grandfathers wading boots. So off we went to the river. I've looped a wading stick over shoulder to use. I know the river can be a bit tricky but I'm a strong confident wader... my son, well maybe not so much.

Some more instruction on reading the river and where the fish might be while I set him up. He starts casting and the line goes out beautifully. then he lays all the line on the water and it swirls and pulls and is a right mess. Next bit of instruction, keeping the line off the water and a drag free drift. To be fair his casting is pretty accurate to the spots I've indicated but the fly is not fishing.

A quick demonstration and on the second cast I'm into a small trout... I did say there was a fish there. Teenage muttering but he takes the rod back and the flies are fishing much better.

We cross the river so that his right hand is over the water and casting is much easier. He's targeting a good looking pocket but not quite getting the drift, still it shouldn't be long before he catches his first Tenkara trout. I borrow the rod again to demonstrate how you can land the fly in the pocket of slacker water round a rock and hold the line off the currents so it stays in that area a little longer.... fish on! ...teenage muttering again.

I hand him the rod back and we move up river a bit. Now the casting is getting even tighter. The line is off the water and he's tracking the fly much better for a drag free drift. Bingo! a small trout grabs it....



Not the biggest fish in the world, and he only hung it for a few seconds while I snapped the picture then it was back in the water. Fred was very keen to keep the fish in the water as much as possible until it was released. Not that he was going to release it.... it's slimy and they squirm!... did I mention he's a wuss? Anyway, once unhooked it swam away sharply to the tumbling waters. The beam on Fred's face says it all.

A bit of vegetation was hooked, but he followed instruction and didn't try and tug it out. Collapsing the rod and pulling the line or walking to the snag and unhooking from it. Casting tight to the retaining wall he eventually catches a pink buddleia on the far side. He looks and me and I look at him. "Are you going to get that for me?"... "No. Off you go." It's not deep, but there are some deep holes across this section. Another opportunity for instruction in the proper use of a wading stick. Plant it firmly before moving your feet.... that was after a couple of tight rope walker moments with a swinging stick plunge in quickly to steady a wobble. I sat on the bank grinning like a loon, camera ready, like every good father does in such circumstances.

So he makes the far side, unhooks the fly from the plant and demonstrates his bow and arrow technique.



Time is pushing on there are fish to catch! Fred is now fishing well and I want to get to the big pool ion the second picture of the first report. As expected it's full of fish. Fred's cast is getting lazy without the sharp stops that really send the line, so I'll just telling him to sharpen up when a fish grabs the fly and darts off across the pool. Fred laughs and comments that casting isn't everything to catching a fish! He has 3 more fish out of the pool up to 8 inches. He's a happy lad.

Lunchtime and we are just about at the tennis courts where I left the car. Deeper wading through the edge of the pool and we head back to the car. 1pm and hockey training at 2pm so we eat and head back to Douglas and the NSC. Fred wants to go fishing again, but he's got to solve this "fish touching" phobia or I'll hardly cast a line!

Good job my son... nice fish.

[leckie]

custheyder,

I think your son is a natural when it comes to fishing with the T rod....he even holds the rod right with the extended index finger on top of the handle. He's smiling and wants to try again...what more can you ask for. Don't worry he'll touch the fish...eventually

Alex

[custheyder]

I got his grip sorted early... latex gloves are next to try him with for the fish.

[Deleted]

If he doesn't like wearing the gloves and still won't get his hands dirty why not team him up with a small trout net and a pair of forceps, not touching the fish and a safe release

nice to see fathers are still introducing their sons into fly fishing

[custheyder]

That's a good one... will try that.

[Deleted]

Cust, Tell my 5' 2" 13 year old daughter will handle, gut, cook & eat them. That should be enough to motivate the neanderthal in him.

Stevie.