Friday 22nd April, mainly Winlaton mill

You cannot beat a cheeky Friday holiday to spend on the river… certainly beats work that’s for sure. The whole week had been very bright and warm at about 15-16°C.

 

So .. it was little or no shock when I checked the weather on Thursday that temperatures were due to plummet to 8°C and chance of snow!! As it turned out the weather wasn’t quite that bad, for all it was certainly chillier the skies were clear and pretty much remained that way all day. Fishpal had the river at +2” but it looked normal to me.

 

I set off towards the river about 11am and had decided to have a look up to Rowlands Gill , I started off at the weir pool, but it has to be said I wasn’t really “feeling it” up there today so I fished rather quickly down past the BBQ run then decided to climb out … empty handed .. and jump in the car to Winlaton Mill.

 

Plenty of empty car parking spots awaited me and I landed here about 12.30. I had taken off the gold head hares ear as I was snagging the bottom quite a bit , so on went a couple of brown spider type of things.

 

I walked up past high dam and started fishing just past “dog walk run” This is a really nice run.. very “popply” and fishy looking. Right on queue after about 20 minutes I saw a fish rise.. YAY.. as I approached and managed to remain calm, I swung the flies through his station and a slashing rise to the dropper!!

 

A decent fight ensued and I quickly got him to hand, taken on a Greenwell’s spider.. or my version of it!  a nice fish of around 8” maybe slightly bigger. Brilliant, blank off.

 

I was then joined by a galloping black Labrador running straight through my pool and if I hadn’t pulled my line out he would have been entangled….following behind was the owner who now saw me and decided against either apologising or even acknowledging, now I understand that the river is to be shared with all manner of folk and I don’t mind whatsoever but a bit of common decency goes a long way in my opinion. However onwards to the next pool

 

I worked through the next inviting run similar to the last if slightly shallower. Nothing doing here, so I fished to the tree that now lies across the river, this has created a “mini pool” just above the tree. Casting is tricky, with tree branches on the far bank really restricting casting.  I did manage to get my flies into a decent position and had an almost instant take, a smaller fish this time..though still very very welcome. He was quickly brought to hand and returned, again taken on the dropper and again on the Greenwell’s spider.. this fly seems to do really well early season when Olives are about.

 

I fished through the slower run the other side of this fallen tree , I suspect there will be some bigger fish to be had here when the season gets into full swing. the water looks nice and deep and has a slow eddying current.. but not today.

 

I got out and walked back towards the stone bridge crossing just upstream of this so I could fish through the bridge. Nothing doing here OR at the run at the other side. However to “bend pool” always delivers!  and so it proved again as a smaller fish came to hand, around 6” taken on the Brown spider and again on the dropper.. as all three fish were today, odd that.

 

There was a regular riser who I bothered for a good half an hour, even switching to the dry fly..I did get a rise out of him but he pulled up just short… OR I missed him, let’s go with the former eh!

 

 

That was about me for the day today. A decent or certainly improving day on the river. three fish, a missed rise, and a few flies about is a lot better than I have done so far this season. With the missus away this weekend I should hopefully get a couple of days out on the river

Bank holiday weekend 2016-2017

A few reports rolled into one for your delectation …

 

Firstly Good Friday 25.03.16

 

My intention was to get out around lunchtime, knowing full well that the river doesn’t fish overly well before noon at this time of year but as usual I couldn’t contain my excitement and was out on the river by something like 10am. It was fairly bright and maybe around 12°C when I landed

 

There were plenty of dog walkers and runners around when I landed at Winlaton Mill. I walked up to just above high dam and didn’t spot any fish rising on the meander up there.

 

As suspected it was slow going, no rises … no flies , nothing doing. I did lash through the fly box as I worked my way down to the stone bridge… not good. I was at the bridge about 1pm and had a hook up under the bridge, what looked like a semi decent Grayling was on and off before you could say BLANK.

 

I worked down to the bend which is a particularly good pool and had a very decent pull here but again managed to miss it.. That was about it for this trip , I was away by about 2pm … probably the time I should have landed there truth be known.

 

 

 

 

Monday 28.03.16

 

Mrs Blood must have had enough of my witty repartee as I was given a pass for an extra Bank holiday treat. It was a totally different day to the Friday , being overcast and a fair bit cooler. So.. I decided to have a little trip up to Rowlands Gil. My excitement finally burst at around 11.30 and I set to….. getting on the river around 12 noon… a bit more like it but still a little early for so soon in the season I feel.

 

I plopped into the river right on the split… my god the floods have totally changed the river here…. the island that split the river in two has been “scoured” almost flat, a tree trunk that had been sat at the top of this part has gone…..it must have weighed around 4-5 tonnes, incredible.

 

the changing landscape was as good as it got today!! I fished all the way down to the caravan park, most of the debris has been dumped just past the BBQ’s thus totally changing the pool about 50 yards downstream.

 

Despite my best efforts I managed to pull another blank off today leaving the water around 4pm…2 in a row…… I’m on a roll alright

 

 

Saturday 9^th April

 

It was noticeable warmer today , clear skies and maybe around 13°C give or take the river was showing +2” on Fishpal , I had my new starter with me today and we were up by high dam at around 1pm.

 

There was noticeably more fly life about today and as John worked through the First pool we notice a fish rise…happy days, John had a go at him first … then I did as I followed him through the pool but he wouldn’t play.

 

We worked through the two nice runs just above high dam .. I noticed one other rise and a few olives showing so stuck a Greenwell’s Spider on the dropper. As John had to be away for 3 pm we decided to get to the stone bridge and fish through there…..I went through first and … nothing, a hatrick of blanks was on the cards as I worked through the bend pool …just coming out of this run I noticed a fish rise. My problem is trying to remain calm and just slowly work towards him through the remainder of the pool, he rose again as I got close, within casting distance, first cast , he ignored. Second time around he went for it though and the line tightened. I stuck into him and he was on!! a short fight ensued midstream before I got him to the net.

 

A very nice wild fish maybe about 13” taken on a the Greenwell’s spider.. quickly slipped back to get on with his business.

 

That was just about it for the day, john hooked and lost what looked like a similarly decent fish so he’s on the right track!!

 

It’s been a pretty slow start to the season, certainly slower than the last few years that’s for sure.

 

All being well I will be out on Saturday up at Rowlands Gill see how I get on..