Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2012 22:21:50 GMT
I thought you might be interested in a few pictures separated by nearly two and a half centuries…..
My first Tenkara season isn’t going so well. It started in drought with good pocket water on my home river being no more than dips in mud and pools becoming runs. Then, as we all know, the heavens opened and they haven’t closed since and what with that and work I haven’t been fishing so much. But some friends suggested a long weekend in Derbyshire and of course I leapt at the chance – naturally enough for their company and some quality time with my over half and if there happened to be a river near by and the mayfly out and about then so be it! My goodness, so there was, and a day on the Peacock at Rowsley water on the Wye was booked before the blink of an eye or, it has to be admitted, a proper consultation with said other half. Hey ho; it wouldn’t have been the first and is unlikely to be the last.
What a fantastic river it is. I am seriously envious of all you northern folk (north to me anyway) and your lovely hills and even more lovely rivers. Having crossed the bridge at Bakewell the day before and nearly fallen in at the site of massive – I mean really massive – browns and rainbows and on one of the few dry and sunny days I was at the hotel at least an hour before time and my eagerness to get going had to be assuaged with a bacon sarnie and coffee and a purchase of flies in addition to the statutory river-check. As I am not yet fully confident of the tenkara I decided to split efforts between a 3 weight western rod and the 14ft TenkaraUSA Ito and started off with the western kit with a small Greenwells dry as I couldn’t see any flies coming off. I found the currents complicated at first, as often the case on a new river, but soon got the hang of it and after an hour or so had a small brown and one lost.
With a blank banished it always seems easier to relax into the day and I then took the keepers advice and slowed down, took some time out and spent some time looking about. A few flies were moving and a single mayfly fluttered up to a tree. I hid the 3-weight for a while and unleashed the Ito. What a difference. It was fantastic for a river of that size and I was able to control the fly way better than on the western rod. It was a bit blowy and I did struggle somewhat against the wind and it was easier on some stretches with the wind blowing the way I wanted but when it was right it was so right it was fantastic. Early afternoon the mayfly really got going – not a huge hatch but a good one and certainly better than I am used to in Kent. It was almost as fun watching the flies sailboat down the river and trying to photograph the moment of the rise. Not successfully I am afraid but if anyone wants about 56 blurry pictures of splashing water, I’m your man.
End of day the tally was 17 fish; none big but all beautiful and a mixture of brown, rainbow and grayling. About a third on tenkara. For me anyway, both methods had something to offer on the day. For those fish on the other side of the river and against a wind and with a big mayfly imitation then, obviously, the western rod held out. A tenkara tatsujin would presumably have managed with ease. However when it came to smaller flies and when the wind dropped or was kind in its direction then the tenkara was more satisfying and more productive. Guiding the fly down the foam lanes and lifting the line over undercutting currents was just fantastic. And no question, a small fish on the tenkara rod was a far more thrilling experience. Not that it took longer to land the fish, not much in it I guess, but every little wiggle and wriggle could be felt.
It was a great day and adds to another real red-letter day a few weeks before being guided around John Gierach country cold streams and beaver ponds in the Colarado rocky mountains near Boulder. Its been a funny old year so far – not only these two trips but also a week in Tokyo, no fishing but had fun watching shoulder to shoulder locals yank out carp from small concrete swimming pool size ponds in the middle of the city. Lots of travel then but not enough time on the Teise. Not even yesterday when rain again prevented play. So instead other half and I wandered around Scotney Castle, a national trust tea room with attached old pile. Moderately interesting (and nice rudd in the moat) but I’d rather be fishing. I did wake up though when in a dark corridor I came across this print. It’s from the river Wye at Monsal Dale from 1767. Other half was cycling with friends on the Monsal Dale cycle path when I was flexing the tenkara on the river.
And it looks to me like these two fine fellows are doing something very similar. Look mum, no reels!
My first Tenkara season isn’t going so well. It started in drought with good pocket water on my home river being no more than dips in mud and pools becoming runs. Then, as we all know, the heavens opened and they haven’t closed since and what with that and work I haven’t been fishing so much. But some friends suggested a long weekend in Derbyshire and of course I leapt at the chance – naturally enough for their company and some quality time with my over half and if there happened to be a river near by and the mayfly out and about then so be it! My goodness, so there was, and a day on the Peacock at Rowsley water on the Wye was booked before the blink of an eye or, it has to be admitted, a proper consultation with said other half. Hey ho; it wouldn’t have been the first and is unlikely to be the last.
What a fantastic river it is. I am seriously envious of all you northern folk (north to me anyway) and your lovely hills and even more lovely rivers. Having crossed the bridge at Bakewell the day before and nearly fallen in at the site of massive – I mean really massive – browns and rainbows and on one of the few dry and sunny days I was at the hotel at least an hour before time and my eagerness to get going had to be assuaged with a bacon sarnie and coffee and a purchase of flies in addition to the statutory river-check. As I am not yet fully confident of the tenkara I decided to split efforts between a 3 weight western rod and the 14ft TenkaraUSA Ito and started off with the western kit with a small Greenwells dry as I couldn’t see any flies coming off. I found the currents complicated at first, as often the case on a new river, but soon got the hang of it and after an hour or so had a small brown and one lost.
With a blank banished it always seems easier to relax into the day and I then took the keepers advice and slowed down, took some time out and spent some time looking about. A few flies were moving and a single mayfly fluttered up to a tree. I hid the 3-weight for a while and unleashed the Ito. What a difference. It was fantastic for a river of that size and I was able to control the fly way better than on the western rod. It was a bit blowy and I did struggle somewhat against the wind and it was easier on some stretches with the wind blowing the way I wanted but when it was right it was so right it was fantastic. Early afternoon the mayfly really got going – not a huge hatch but a good one and certainly better than I am used to in Kent. It was almost as fun watching the flies sailboat down the river and trying to photograph the moment of the rise. Not successfully I am afraid but if anyone wants about 56 blurry pictures of splashing water, I’m your man.
End of day the tally was 17 fish; none big but all beautiful and a mixture of brown, rainbow and grayling. About a third on tenkara. For me anyway, both methods had something to offer on the day. For those fish on the other side of the river and against a wind and with a big mayfly imitation then, obviously, the western rod held out. A tenkara tatsujin would presumably have managed with ease. However when it came to smaller flies and when the wind dropped or was kind in its direction then the tenkara was more satisfying and more productive. Guiding the fly down the foam lanes and lifting the line over undercutting currents was just fantastic. And no question, a small fish on the tenkara rod was a far more thrilling experience. Not that it took longer to land the fish, not much in it I guess, but every little wiggle and wriggle could be felt.
It was a great day and adds to another real red-letter day a few weeks before being guided around John Gierach country cold streams and beaver ponds in the Colarado rocky mountains near Boulder. Its been a funny old year so far – not only these two trips but also a week in Tokyo, no fishing but had fun watching shoulder to shoulder locals yank out carp from small concrete swimming pool size ponds in the middle of the city. Lots of travel then but not enough time on the Teise. Not even yesterday when rain again prevented play. So instead other half and I wandered around Scotney Castle, a national trust tea room with attached old pile. Moderately interesting (and nice rudd in the moat) but I’d rather be fishing. I did wake up though when in a dark corridor I came across this print. It’s from the river Wye at Monsal Dale from 1767. Other half was cycling with friends on the Monsal Dale cycle path when I was flexing the tenkara on the river.
And it looks to me like these two fine fellows are doing something very similar. Look mum, no reels!
