WOW talk about a tale of two trips,
Firstly Saturday 8th April.
The weather didn’t look too good for fishing it has to be said, not a cloud in the sky combined with unseasonably warm at about 18°C is not a good combination for fishing, well that’s my excuse.
I had decided to familiarise myself some more with the cricket club to rugby club stretch of water today, having fished it for the first time earlier in the season.
So armed with a couple of cheese pasties and a cold drink, I arrived at the water about 12.30 fishing with a fishing buddy today. We started fishing about 200 yards above the footbridge where there is some fast riffly water, Malcolm fished through these runs before the bridge first and took a couple of small brownies, one either size of the bridge.
We swapped over here and I took first dibs on the next stretch, some very inviting deeper pools but as time wore on…and I worked my way through my fly box, it clearly wasn’t going to be my day, we worked our way all the way down to the rugby club, seeing very little rise and me…..not getting a single bite.
We did try a drive up to Winlaton Mill …. And Rowlands Gill but day trippers were out in force so that looked like that. However if nothing else I am persistent. I parked back up at the cricket club determined not to blank!! And low and behold just above the bridge I had a gentle pull on the black spider…and next cast he was on… and what a monster….he must have been at the very least 4” long.. blank off!! I had another 10 minutes fishing just under the bridge but nothing!! That was that for the day.
I’m not too sure about this stretch of water to be honest, I may give it a go later on in the year see what it is like, there are some very fishy looking pools but not a lot of action in them .. so far.
Monday 10th April was different again, being a weekday and a fair bit cooler the day trippers and dog walkers were conspicuous by their absence , I mooched up to Dog walk run at Rowlands Gill, landing on the water almost on the stroke of High noon. I was armed with a Greenwell’s spider on the point and black spider on the dropper…. And for the first hour it looked like a repeat of Saturday was on the cards, I worked down to the first run after dog walk then fished it through again but with a Goldhead on the point. Towards the end of Dog walk I had a pull…happy days, some action at last.
A few olives were now coming off and fish were starting to rise around me, one decent looking and so the fish seemed to switch on, after a few missed pulls I landed the first of the day a nice small brownie of about 9″ taken on the black spider.
Now in the slower water above high dam I spotted a confident riser as I worked downstream. I stopped about twenty feet above him rise after rise sometimes in quick order too, so I set about him! cast…cast….cast…fly change, cast cast, he didnt want to know , three or four flies and 15 minutes later, nothing.So on went a dry…my version of an Adams, although it looks a bloody monstrosity to be honest, first cast and a swirl but no hookup, then nothing. Hmm another change to a Griffiths Gnat this time and this was the one first cast and a solid hookup a short but acrobatic fight ensued before he slipped into my net in the shallow water…a triumph of persistence ! a very nice 13″ brown taken at 13.49.
This was folled half an hour later by a similar sized fish also taken in this slow water..somewhat downstream taken on a wet Greenwells spider.
So out I climbed and jumped back in just above the bridge, managing to cross the river without falling in as I had spectators from the bridge.First cast into the streamy water that enters the bridge and another fish on, a small one of around 6″ a nice silvery brownie taken on the “striped spider”.
I was then approached by a couple of EA Bailiffs .. which is a rare treat on the Derwent, permit checked and a bit of craic, I was off down stream. Nothing doing until I got to the bend where I had to highstick midstrem to get to a likely spot and a strong pull ….. he was in the fast water there and it was difficult to turn him but eventually he came to hand and another fine fish again about 12″ andagain taken on my now scruffy Greewells spider.
That was about it for me, I had time to take a greedy out of season Grayling of 7″ on the striped spider , it was now just after quarter past three, I had one more very strong pull off a persistent riser who I was bothering right on the bend butI missed this one.
The two trips really couldn’t have been more different, conditions were considerably better on Monday but I was really surprised at the amount ofdecent fish on the fin. I ended up with six fish on Monday three of which were plus 12″ so was pretty pleased with that.
Days on the river 