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Post by ben wynde on Apr 12, 2005 6:15:08 GMT -5
This year on the Whitewater is shaping up to offer another 6 months of challenging, but rewarding fishing. The work parties over the winter have done sterling work that I am sure all, especially the trout and the river, will reap the benefits of.
In addition there are a few new rods and I am hoping that if we can keep this thread alive it will provide a useful resource and a means of exchanging some information. My first two visits were probably in the wrong part of the day when the temperature was dropping and the wind was picking up with any hatch petering out. However the river appears to be in good health and it was good to meet up with a couple of chaps from the forum. So far I have caught on a gold bead hares ear type nymph fished under an indicator on the stretch below the road bridge at Holdshott Farm and immediately upstream of the Hatchgate Bridge.
Have had offers to a balloon caddis but lost one trout and pricked another at the bottom of the tree lined stretch below the farm. Hooked and landed the most beautiful (and smallest!) dace at the cattle crossing below the farm on a Klinkhammer.
Have already broken my new season resolution – too match casting and not enough fishing.
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 12, 2005 7:56:52 GMT -5
Hi Ben - great idea for a thread! My first trip to the Whitewater was with Ben on the first Sunday of the season. Using my 8ft 6 5wt rod I found a nearly magnetic tendency to foul all available foliage with leaders and flies! Nonetheless there were a few fish rising and in a few of the slower deeper pools it was easy enough to spot the swirls of moving fish. On my first day I blanked although from Ben and a couple of other members I had gleamed some lay of the land. My second outing was last week with more success. By this time I had sourced a little 7ft 4wt rod which I have to say saved me a vast length of leader (not to mention lost time spent tying them!). My first little wild brownie came around 100 yds upstream of the Hatchgate bridge in one of the slower deeper pools which meanders lazily to the right of the surrounding fields. Trundling a little goldhead nymph with a red or orange tail down the swim my line stopped nicely just long enough for my sluggish reactions to respond in setting the hook. A lovely little brownie came to the hand after a brief fight. My second fish came to the same nymph around the same distance downstream of this bridge. This was a tiny fish but again very welcome. I then tied on a heavily weighted Czech style nymph in amber, orange and green. I focused on the deep aerated pools after the runs below the cattle crossing near the farm and a further 50-100yds downstream where the river kinks towards the back stream. The takes on this fly were violent with the line shooting forward on the drop. There were brief tussles in both pools with what were inevitably larger fish (putting a good bend in the rod) which ultimately came off Ah well never mind! Am already salivating about my next outing. Cheers Bri
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Post by JayP on Apr 12, 2005 8:57:16 GMT -5
Hi, What stretch of the Whitewater do you fish? the reason i ask is that i can fish the stretch below Riseley Mill, having never set eyes on the river i'm quite intrigued to hear how it fishes. regards JayP
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Post by Pond321 on Apr 12, 2005 9:39:15 GMT -5
Hi Folks, I am one of the new FDAS rods. I am completely new to river fishing so am finding the Whitewater really interesting (and a fairly steep learning curve!!!). I have made 4 vsits to the river. So far, I have caught 3 brownies - 2 about 9 inches and one about 6 inches. All taken on a size 14 grey paradun. The first came from the stretch just below the weir at Hecklefied and the other 2 just above where the Whitewater joins the Hart. So far, I have caught almost all of the fish I have seen rising. However, I suspect that is because I am missing most of the subtle rises and only notice the loud/splashy rises. I anticipate getting better with practice.... I invested in a 7ft rod to fish the river - and I am glad I did......so far I have lost about 10 flies and I suspect I would be bankrupt if I had stuck with my 8 foot rod. I also invested in a pair of thigh waders which are worth their weight in gold in terms of being able to get at the fish!!! I fish the thursday to saturday ticket and have not as yet spotted any other anglers. Its a great idea to start a regular thread - we should definately keep it going. JayP - I believe the stretch below Risely Mill fishs well but have not tried it myself yet - there are some interesting articles at www.campoz.fslife.co.uk/ken you may wish to read. let me know if you are going down there and we could meet up. Cheers Jon
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 12, 2005 9:57:43 GMT -5
Hi Jon I'm relatively new to river trouting also - so you're not alone! I'm also on the Thu - Sat rotation so perhaps if you're around we could catch up for a beer at some point in-between loosing flies Careful with the thigh waders though as I've already found a few deep holes which challenged my chest waders! Bri
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Post by JayP on Apr 12, 2005 10:04:18 GMT -5
Jon, it was the www.campoz.fslife.co.uk/ken website that got me interested in the Whitewater. Seems like ken may have drowned as his Website seems to have ground to a halt bout mayfly time last year, guess Riseley Mill should stop him drifting into the FAS stretch i fish!! JayP
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 12, 2005 10:34:03 GMT -5
AHa - read the posted website which I take the following excerpt from:
"3rd April 2005
The first day out for the season. Headed out to the Hatchgate at around 2pm where there was already someone parked (David I think). I headed downstream but another angler was already just above the concrete pillars so I headed further down to the jungle to give him some space. Nothing much happening so I alternated between nymphs and attractors till I came across the only rising fish in the river. Ran a Griffith Gnat past him and he took it. However, after a few seconds he came off. Pity as he was a nice wild fish. Looks like my problems of last year are still not sorted. fished all the usual haunts but rises were few and far between. Had the odd take from dace and parr but could not hook up. Met Graham at the bridge and chatted for a bit. He mentioned another two anglers on the water - Ben and a newcomer. Moving up the river I had to leapfrog them and moved right up to Dead Cert corner. As expected a fish rose but he was a oncer. Ben came along for chat and had only taken one fish. On my way back to the car I chatted with the newcomer (Mark?) who had also blanked."
Mark?!? Twas me!
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Post by JayP on Apr 12, 2005 10:46:04 GMT -5
Aha, indeed the river has spat him back out! i'm pleased as his diary makes for great reading! JayP
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Post by Pond321 on Apr 13, 2005 2:47:36 GMT -5
FlyBri,
A beer would be good - I will hopefully manage a short (1.5Hr) session on Thursday and Friday evening with a longer session on Saturday (say 12 - 4). Will you be fishing over the wkend?
cheers
Jon
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Post by ben wynde on Apr 13, 2005 2:49:49 GMT -5
Hi Chaps,
JayP - are you fishing the Farnham Angling Society stretch? There are a few bits near Elstead I've got my eye on for some Chub/Popper action this summer!
Don't expect to see too much of Ken. Rumour has it he finds most of the river too easy(!) and spends a lot of his time in the jungle with a rod that is shorter than he is! Hope he keeps his website updated this year - I really enjoy his reports.
Good to see this thread being snapped up. And all you new guys that are catching, especially if it is your first river are doing fantastically well. And I don't mean that as patronisingly as it reads!
Keep eyes peeled for the Grannom and then, in a few weeks, the Hawthorns....
Regards,
Ben
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Post by JayP on Apr 13, 2005 3:11:15 GMT -5
Ben, indeed I’m fishing the Farnham Angling Society waters, living in Farnham and working in Reading makes the Wey good for the weekends and the Whitewater good for after work. Regards JayP
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 13, 2005 3:25:16 GMT -5
FlyBri, A beer would be good - I will hopefully manage a short (1.5Hr) session on Thursday and Friday evening with a longer session on Saturday (say 12 - 4). Will you be fishing over the wkend? cheers Jon Hi Jon I believe I may well be able to get a short session on Friday afternoon / evening or either the Saturday afternoon slot - so either way I should be around at a similar time this weekend. I'll know more come tomorrow (it all depends on being able to work from home on Friday!!). Keep you posted Bri
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 14, 2005 4:13:14 GMT -5
Jon
It's looking very much like I'll be there on Saturday from 3-6ish so perhaps we can grab a beer (I'll bring some cold ones) and have a chat at some point around 3ish?
If any of the other guys are around and fancy blowing the froth off a cold one then let me know.
Bri
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Post by Pond321 on Apr 15, 2005 3:26:41 GMT -5
Bri - Sounds like a plan. Shall we meet at the Hatchgate bridge at 3? Went down last night from abou 5PM to 8PM. Blanked I fished from Hatchgate up to the copse and then walked down to the concrete pillars and fished up to the bridge. Saw no fish rising and did not get any interest blind casting in likely looking spots. I do think that the river fishes best at midday at this time of year. There was a lot of insect life around - March Browns I think. I also caught what appeared to be a Sedge of some description - although I thought sedges only arrived later in the year. Cheers Jon
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Post by FlyBri on Apr 15, 2005 3:55:31 GMT -5
Hi Jon
I't s looking like a little change of plans for me now. My wife wants a day out on Saturday so we are going to Weymouth for the day. So instead, I will be going to the river this evening (will be there from 4/5ish till dusk) in order to get my fix.
Will you be there this evening?
Bri
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