Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2012 21:06:28 GMT
Myself and Peter managed a few hours out on a very coloured, cold and flowing little trib. of the R.Welland today.
It was all a bit "last minute" as I only got the all clear at 11am and it is over an hour away for myself but much more local to Pete.
Soon enough we were both there and setting up "T" rods...my choice, again, my 11.5-13ft sagiri and Pete a Nissin 2 way zoom rod which is fishable at 9.5 or 11ft, or something close to that.
Pete's rod being a fair bit stiffer than my Sagiri which is ultra soft/light actioned.
His was probably the more sensible choice of tools as the brook was pretty much bombing through with only 6 or 8 inch of visibility. That would mean the use of some serious tungsten sacrificial flies in order to dangle the point flies close to the bottom in the expected taking zone.
My rod just isn't made for weighty flies but I was determined to fish it anyway...just so nice.
This brook is a similar size to venue where I had success last week (10-14ft wide & averaging 18-24 inch deep but with some unexpected holes up to 5/6 foot deep). It tends to flow more though and is far more overgrown and has a few more silty areas but is also mostly stone, sand & gravel bedded.
We've also both fished it 6 or 7 times over the last couple of seasons so know some of the winter holding zones.
My rod was still rigged from last week so while Pete was deciding flies, spacings, etc. I just dropped in some near and far bank very slight slacks. The 3.5mm tungy top dropper was just swept away though...far too light for the conditions.
I scrounged a 5mm tungy bug from Pete ;D and tried this instead.
Better but still not great and my rod tip was seriously undergunned, bending round about 10 inches just to hold the flies in the flow!
By the time Pete was ready I'd already decided to either retreat back to the car for one of my stiffer Kiyose rods or seach out some very slack zones and fish just those areas on lighter flies.
I chose the latter option...I do love the Sagiri.
I knew just the swim to try, with a waist deep mid to far side slack so slipped into the water on the near side whilst Pete went walk about.
Lowking slightly downstream.
The reflected glare of the low sun in this shot shows the take zone.
Fish were down as far as the trailing branch mid stream and from the middle to close to the far bank.
Straight over...mini ditch entering the water.
...and just upstream.
1st cast I was in but whatever it was came adrift after 20 seconds of just holding deep with the odd thump, very strange fight?
After a couple more casts the 5mm tungy was binned-far too heavy!
On went a 3.5mm tungy #14 HE bug up the top, a #18 orange shrimp with a 2mm fluo orange bead on the middle and a #16 2mm fluo yellow beaded pheasant tail on the point (Pete does well with this one for roach).
That was far better. Now every cast the tip was twitching, dancing or just sweeping round. The slack must have been solid!
1st one landed, a small chub to the top dropper.
2nd a welcome little perch, though it had been too cold for these with the recent frosts...top dropper again.
another little chub...feel huge on the T with the flow.
I added fish every few minutes after this (all chub), missing lots of takes with everything to the top fly until this double chub haul!
One on the top and one on the yellow head.
That there fly.
Takes were slowing and my feet were numbing fast so i was thinging about a walk.
The last 2 fish from there were 2 small roach again to the top fly!
I'd had 13 fish plus missed loads; 9 chub, 2 roach and 2 perch but strangely not a single dace? (lots in there)
Time to find Pete and warm up!
He was upstream in a too fast zone, IMO and had had nothing!
Up there we saw this "health and safety gone mad sign"...
...neither of us had drowned, been crushed by falling trees or burst into flames...guess we were just lucky! ;D
Pete relocated down below where I'd been in a swim I know holds fish but is deep. He soon landed a couple of roach and a dace...we don't do "dry nets" and I added another chub from the "slack".
Pete in the undergrowth.
Heading back to the car in near darkness I had a half hearted "catapult" into a slack glide just below a cattle drink. I'd seen good roach here last year but could barely see my green line so wasn't confident. Lifting up slowly I felt a gentle twitch-tap...fish on.
Best fish of the day which fought really well in the faster water and it had taken the orange mini shrimp.
Roach of that size are rare in there and also very hard to take on fly in winter...I was chuffed.
The next 3 casts also resulted in hook-ups...2 more smaller roach(still palm sized ones) landed and another fish lost.
All three roach from here took the orange shrimp a fly that has never worked for me before...don't know why I fished it today?
total for me - 17 fish; 10 chub, 5 roach and 2 perch.
Hope reading this helps while away some of the cold, dark winter nights for you. If you can get out and be brave there are fish to be caught even if, like us, you're miles from the nearest grayling.
Enjoy (I did
Dee
It was all a bit "last minute" as I only got the all clear at 11am and it is over an hour away for myself but much more local to Pete.
Soon enough we were both there and setting up "T" rods...my choice, again, my 11.5-13ft sagiri and Pete a Nissin 2 way zoom rod which is fishable at 9.5 or 11ft, or something close to that.
Pete's rod being a fair bit stiffer than my Sagiri which is ultra soft/light actioned.
His was probably the more sensible choice of tools as the brook was pretty much bombing through with only 6 or 8 inch of visibility. That would mean the use of some serious tungsten sacrificial flies in order to dangle the point flies close to the bottom in the expected taking zone.
My rod just isn't made for weighty flies but I was determined to fish it anyway...just so nice.
This brook is a similar size to venue where I had success last week (10-14ft wide & averaging 18-24 inch deep but with some unexpected holes up to 5/6 foot deep). It tends to flow more though and is far more overgrown and has a few more silty areas but is also mostly stone, sand & gravel bedded.
We've also both fished it 6 or 7 times over the last couple of seasons so know some of the winter holding zones.
My rod was still rigged from last week so while Pete was deciding flies, spacings, etc. I just dropped in some near and far bank very slight slacks. The 3.5mm tungy top dropper was just swept away though...far too light for the conditions.
I scrounged a 5mm tungy bug from Pete ;D and tried this instead.
Better but still not great and my rod tip was seriously undergunned, bending round about 10 inches just to hold the flies in the flow!
By the time Pete was ready I'd already decided to either retreat back to the car for one of my stiffer Kiyose rods or seach out some very slack zones and fish just those areas on lighter flies.
I chose the latter option...I do love the Sagiri.
I knew just the swim to try, with a waist deep mid to far side slack so slipped into the water on the near side whilst Pete went walk about.
Lowking slightly downstream.
The reflected glare of the low sun in this shot shows the take zone.
Fish were down as far as the trailing branch mid stream and from the middle to close to the far bank.
Straight over...mini ditch entering the water.
...and just upstream.
1st cast I was in but whatever it was came adrift after 20 seconds of just holding deep with the odd thump, very strange fight?
After a couple more casts the 5mm tungy was binned-far too heavy!
On went a 3.5mm tungy #14 HE bug up the top, a #18 orange shrimp with a 2mm fluo orange bead on the middle and a #16 2mm fluo yellow beaded pheasant tail on the point (Pete does well with this one for roach).
That was far better. Now every cast the tip was twitching, dancing or just sweeping round. The slack must have been solid!
1st one landed, a small chub to the top dropper.
2nd a welcome little perch, though it had been too cold for these with the recent frosts...top dropper again.
another little chub...feel huge on the T with the flow.
I added fish every few minutes after this (all chub), missing lots of takes with everything to the top fly until this double chub haul!
One on the top and one on the yellow head.
That there fly.
Takes were slowing and my feet were numbing fast so i was thinging about a walk.
The last 2 fish from there were 2 small roach again to the top fly!
I'd had 13 fish plus missed loads; 9 chub, 2 roach and 2 perch but strangely not a single dace? (lots in there)
Time to find Pete and warm up!
He was upstream in a too fast zone, IMO and had had nothing!
Up there we saw this "health and safety gone mad sign"...
...neither of us had drowned, been crushed by falling trees or burst into flames...guess we were just lucky! ;D
Pete relocated down below where I'd been in a swim I know holds fish but is deep. He soon landed a couple of roach and a dace...we don't do "dry nets" and I added another chub from the "slack".
Pete in the undergrowth.
Heading back to the car in near darkness I had a half hearted "catapult" into a slack glide just below a cattle drink. I'd seen good roach here last year but could barely see my green line so wasn't confident. Lifting up slowly I felt a gentle twitch-tap...fish on.
Best fish of the day which fought really well in the faster water and it had taken the orange mini shrimp.
Roach of that size are rare in there and also very hard to take on fly in winter...I was chuffed.
The next 3 casts also resulted in hook-ups...2 more smaller roach(still palm sized ones) landed and another fish lost.
All three roach from here took the orange shrimp a fly that has never worked for me before...don't know why I fished it today?
total for me - 17 fish; 10 chub, 5 roach and 2 perch.
Hope reading this helps while away some of the cold, dark winter nights for you. If you can get out and be brave there are fish to be caught even if, like us, you're miles from the nearest grayling.
Enjoy (I did
Dee