First taste of boat fishing

Iver Fly Fishers had an outing to Draycote reservoir on Saturday.

I was in a boat with Reg.

For an inland water it was surprisingly choppy! Dry, some sun, but very windy.

I tried a floating line, then a sinking line (I was later asked what sort of sinking line and had to admit I had no idea!)

I had 2 droppers so I was fishing with 3 flies at a time – first time I’d done that. It’s not too bad with a floating line, but with the sinking line you really have to watch the rod tip to avoid pulling the first flies in too far – I had several horrendous tangles as a result.

I tried many flies – Peter-style montana, PTN, red buzzer, an orange blob. I tried an orange booby on the point, leaded damsels, an Alley Cat (Peter’s Cat’s Whisker variation), and a white Cat’s Whisker.

Nothing till 5pm when I finally caught a 2lb 12oz trout on the Cat’s Whisker. Around that time I noticed little flat winged flies appearing which I later identified as midges of some sort. Most of the club members caught 5-8 fish using buzzers – and when I checked up on midges I found that buzzers are recommended flies.

I had been a bit disappointed in the lack of fishy interest in my flies, but when I got home I saw that my Alley Cat was a lot smaller than when I’d started. It had looked like the one on the left. So fish had been nibbling it without me noticing.

 

Haywards Farm opens

Last day of February and Haywards Farm opened. Peter took me  for a morning’s fishing. He caught 4 (and a brown which he had to put back) and I caught 3.  I managed to net them all myself which was a first for me. And I caught them all on a Cat’s Whisker which I made!!

Looks a bit bedraggled, but did the business!

 

Over the winter you make flies

I haven’t fished since October, but I have been making flies:

An orange booby (good use for old tights)

Montanas Peter style

and today I have been making montanas with light beads so they won’t sink too fast. Peter says to let it sink slowly and then do a slow smooth retrieve

 

Ladies fly fishing day at Albury

Vale End, Albury held a  Ladies Fly Fishing Day today, and I had booked a session as an improver. Fantastic day with casting lessons, guided fishing, cooking demonstration, BBQ lunch, fly tying demonstration and more fishing.

I hooked a fish and was going to try to net it myself, but managed to lose it before I even had the net in my hand! I eventually caught a 2lb rainbow at 5.30 on a blue flash damsel, the Albury favourite fly, and let someone else net it for me. It fought well.

My casting has improved – sometimes the line actually floats in the air before landing on the water.

More Ladies Days are planned for the future – excellent! Contact Tony Hern for details.

 

First fish caught at Bourley!

Finally caught a fish here! A small but perfectly formed brown trout of just over 1lb. Caught with a cat’s whisker I made myself.

 

Christened my rod!

Reg and I went to Barn Elms today, getting there at 9 when they opened. I fished here for a bit

but didn’t have much luck. I caught the trees behind several times, but no fish. Reg next to me caught 2 and we then changed spots. Of course he then caught another one! But I then caught one with a montana on my own rod (first fish caught with my own rod!), and another trying out Reg’s flashy 7 section Orvis Frequent Flyer rod. I’d forgotten how good it is to catch fish!

There were lots of little dragonflies with pale blue black-tipped bodies looking for all the world like tiny flying neon lights. And there were brown ones too. Later I found they were black tailed skimmers (Orthetrum cancellatum), the blue bodied ones being male, and the brown ones being the same species but female.

On the water there were a family of mute swan, moorhen, a great crested grebe and a couple of cute dabchicks. Saw a peacock butterfly. Flowering on the bank were

water mint

(mentha aquatica)

valerian

(valeriana officinalis)

purple loosestrife

(lythrum salicaria)

and many more (I was there primarily to fish but couldn’t help being distracted a bit)

 

More flies

Made some more olive nymphs earlier in the week:

Then had a go at cat’s whiskers. Used 2 different patterns, using lead wire to weight them.

  

 

I’m rich!

My damsels made £3!

 

11th June

I’ve gone into production with the weighted olive damsels. Reg reckons he can sell these for 25p each!

 

First Brown Trout!

I was invited to Iver Flyfishing Club’s meeting at Haywards Farm today. They were having a competition, but were happy for me to fish with them. It was a sunny morning with an east wind gusting, making ripples on the surface of the lake. We started at 9 and I was allowed to go to the agreed best spot as a beginner. There were blue damselflies, and sandy brown ones everywhere. Also the occasional dragonfly. I was so absorbed in my fishing that I forgot to take a picture of the venue. Next time…

Reg caught his 4 fish quite quickly. I’m not casting out very far yet, so several people who had already got their 4 fish came over to help me.

I started with an olive nymph, tying it on myself for the first time (and losing it ‘cos I didn’t tie it on properly!). Then my white nymph, which also fell off, but on the bank so I didn’t lose it.

Then one of Reg’s cats whiskers which got inextricably hooked onto my fishing bag when one of my back casts went wrong. It is now permanently on my bag as a decoration!

I tried a bright yellow thing to no effect, then one of the other fishermen (sorry, forgotten names) lent me a glittery damsel and cast for me to get my line further out which got me my first 2 rainbows including one of almost 4lb (my biggest yet).

 

Then he left with his fly, and I borrowed a similar fly from Reg which attracted 2 more fish. The 4th one I lost because I didn’t keep my rod up, but that turned out well as I then caught a lovely brown trout which I gather is quite rare and tastes delicious.

I found 2 flies on the ground, so I finished 1 fly up.

 

 By 12.30 I had my limit, which was good as everyone had warned me that the fish tend to stop feeding around lunch time. Once home I gutted them all, and the smallest one I filletted. It took me over an hour to fillet it, but it was my first time. We had half of it stir fried in a Chinese-style supper. Yum!