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Post by richardw on May 2, 2004 9:18:18 GMT -5
Aye the things I see when I don't have a gun...
richard
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Post by richardw on May 4, 2004 7:17:48 GMT -5
Friday, Saturday and Monday - not a lot of fish rising but those that were proved catchable.
Beaten in the race to my tripped sedge by two younger fish (but still over 3lbs apiece!) in a violent white spuming weir pool, a brassy, green and primrose finned 6lb-er dissolve before my eyes at the commotion I had just caused with her colleagues. One fish-splashing session and the monster was still happy to hold her preferred position. The second was too much. After releasing the second fish. I crept into position again hoping that now the sentries were both downstream she might fancy a bit of a sedge. Followed then a bitter sweet moment, as with the tripping sedge overhead she eased back a little and then edged to her right, into the white water, and simply dissolved. Come mayfly time and I will be back (but of course her attendants will be as well...).
Saturday was drawn to an early conclusion as some house proud gardener thought a really neat way to get rid of the lawn clippings was to chuck 'em in the river. Everything stopped. I had a quiet but clear word with the culprit who lamely said that he didn't know it was a problem!
So, heading home for an early bath and passing the lower beat I see two ne'er do wells poaching! I would have needed two vehicles, not just the one I had, to block them in - so they did escape in the end...
The light on Monday evening was exquisite. The day was ended by sitting at the fishing house with a bottle of ginger beer gazing in awe at the two great beech trees just downstream of me. The left bank beech has its roots in an island built of ancient sediments and limestone tuffa rock. There are cowslips at its feet. The right bank beech is rooted in soil peppered with sizeable stones and has a spring on its upstream side. It is much taller but instead of cowslips it has flag iris between its roots. They both have that lovely fresh cloak of new leaves and the evening sun picked it out to perfection against the deep blue sky.
Aye the things I see when I don't have a frame left in my camera...
richard
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Post by keenfisher on May 4, 2004 15:05:14 GMT -5
Richard
Fished the wye (Peacock water) on Saturday.
Water very high, bottom stretch (hotel) almost unfishable.
Water coloured until about 10.30 then cleared.
Lots of Hawthorn flys and hatches of Olives till about six.
Fished till about 7.30 then gave it neck. Landed 9 lost loads!
The "Dry Fly" only rule can be quite challenging in such conditions!
Regards
Chris
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Post by richardw on May 5, 2004 7:33:13 GMT -5
Richard Fished the wye (Peacock water) on Saturday. Water very high, bottom stretch (hotel) almost unfishable. Water coloured until about 10.30 then cleared. Lots of Hawthorn flys and hatches of Olives till about six. Fished till about 7.30 then gave it neck. Landed 9 lost loads! The "Dry Fly" only rule can be quite challenging in such conditions! Regards Chris Sounds like a very satisfying day Chris. Do you agree with me that the strict "single dry fly only" rule actually adds to the pleasure when such hard conditions have to be overcome? Did you find the fish accepting hawthorns or were they still preferring olives? richard
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Post by keenfisher on May 7, 2004 10:12:14 GMT -5
Apoligies for the delay in replying Richard but i have been at work earning fishing tokens.
>Do you agree with me that the strict "single dry fly only" rule actually adds to the pleasure when such hard conditions have to be overcome?
Yes however on days like last saturday the challenge can become almost unbearable. Im not a stockie basher and as such prefer to walk a river even if im not catching. The thrill of a fish taking a dry fly cannot be matched by any other type of fishing imho.
>Did you find the fish accepting hawthorns or were they still preferring olives?
I didnt see any hawthorn flys being taken however the fish were certainly gorging on the olives mid day and late afternoon.
It did seem to fall very flat late afternoon. And fish were very shy to rise let alone take.
I have another day booked and cannot wait. The best river in England imho for fishing quality and splendid senery.
Chris
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Post by keenfisher on May 7, 2004 10:13:13 GMT -5
Please ignore the silly smilies in the previous quote. heaven knows were they came from!
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Post by keenfisher on May 8, 2004 13:13:29 GMT -5
Just back from another day on the Wye.
River much higher than last week and coloured on the hotel stretch.
No fly life at all till about 12 (very cold and windy early on).
Mainly olives hatching but not in any quantity.
Mixed bag of Browns, Rainbows and grayling.
Saw a large brown (circa 2.5 lbs) sitting the the most obviously difficult spot to cast to. Still it was an excellent sight and will provide some rod bending sport for someone.
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Post by richardw on May 8, 2004 16:50:45 GMT -5
Great stuff Chris.
I too found it hard today, in fact at one stage I jotted in my little book that it was a slow start to the season. Having written this opinion it dawned on me I should actualy flick through the pages to the same time last year. Guess what. It was just the same last season. You cannot beat keeping a log! No matter how simple it may be, it will prove useful sooner or later.
Personally speaking, I found today one of the most satisfying days (afternoon really) fishing of my life. I was on a Wye tributary and every fish that was prepared to rise was in a difficult spot. I had to work hard and think hard to even get the fly on the water in the right places and then of course deal with the presentation.
Charles Cotton's Black Fly was accepted early on but later the Kite's Imperial in only size 16 was the recipe for the quite small (two settae) olives that were in abundance but only occasionally being taken.
It was a superb day. Late afternoon I sat on a corner and watched a tiny trout (one of this year's) holding station in a miniature lie amongst the marginal cress and darting to intercept food. Three yards away a one and quarter pounder was doing the same thing but mid-stream. I wonder if it was the baby's mother...
Having sat so quietly watching for about 20 minutes, I must have seemed part of the scenery as a hare came down to the water's edge on the opposite bank (roughly 4 or 5 yards from me) and drank from the river, oblivious of my presence.
The lapwings were dive bombing anything and everything that ventured near their territory in the big meadow opposite. Possibly 5 or even 6 pairs by my attempts at counting. There were none last year due to ill-timed chain harrowing. This year the harrow was used before April, leading to these marvellous results.
I'm taking a day next week on the Wye so your updates will prove most helpful to me, thanks.
Now exactly where was that 2.5 pounder? (So I know to leave it alone of course...) ;D
richard
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Post by WarrenSlaney on May 9, 2004 5:38:52 GMT -5
Having sat so quietly watching for about 20 minutes, I must have seemed part of the scenery as a hare came down to the water's edge on the opposite bank (roughly 4 or 5 yards from me) and drank from the river, oblivious of my presence. Lucky devil!. Was it at the back of the 'Brothers'? In the whirling dervish that is pre-mayfly, we get to see nowt. When you fish the Wye, pack your Chatsworth Aphids Richard.
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Post by richardw on May 9, 2004 16:33:33 GMT -5
Goodness me! I might have known you would know exactly where to expect a sighting. Yes it was right on the apex of the bend exactly where you had done all that bank work this last winter. I was sat at the water's edge in front of the "Three Brothers".
richard
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PSB
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by PSB on May 10, 2004 13:39:57 GMT -5
Greetings to Richard, whether near or far, I have been walking and fishing the river in a virtual sense via your posts and through your diary notes its possible to gain a feel for the seasons development, all the time waiting for a gap in my schedule to actually do some real fishing. Well the big day beckons and Wednesday & Thursday this week will find me wandering the banks of the Wye in the hope of a fish or two. The weather today in Manchester has been dreadful with thunder storms and loads of rain. Fingers crossed on that front ! The kit is ready and tomorrow night is dedicated to a good few hours of tying, any advice of what a mere novice like me should be tying will be gratefully recieved. I will update the site on Friday with how the fishing gods have treated me. Rgds Paul B
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Post by richardw on May 10, 2004 16:34:54 GMT -5
The kit is ready and tomorrow night is dedicated to a good few hours of tying, any advice of what a mere novice like me should be tying will be gratefully recieved. I will update the site on Friday with how the fishing gods have treated me. Rgds Paul B I used all sorts of flies today because the fish although willing to rise were swapping about as different flies came down. Positive IDs today: Large Dark Olive Turkey Brown "Small" Dark Olive Midge Alder Sedges large and small Drake Hawthorn (although now only a few) Daddy-Longlegs Several other olives (one type with a gold and green body and two settae) You will have your own favourites. I caught on Kite's Imperial, Grey Duster (sparse), Grey Duster (bushy), Cotton's Black Fly (big), Sturdy's Fancy (18 as a midge). A tip that may come to nought but if it works will be important: Warren told me about the greenfly bloom that occurred on Sunday. It carpetted the water and fish were taking them. Today no greenfly! What follows a bloom of greenfly? Swarms of Ladybirds. What is the underside of a ladybird like? A black oval. Maybe a little foam beetle like the Hi Vis is worth having ready in case of the opportunity? Two more weeks and the fish will be paying a lot more attention to the surface when looking for a meal. Don't forget your overtrousers and wear them so you instinctively sit, kneel and crawl as needed. Have a good time. Blow the weir at Black Barn a kiss from me... richard
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Post by richardw on May 10, 2004 17:02:11 GMT -5
For those of you who get to the Wye over the next week or so, you might enjoy pausing from the casting and have a look at some of the life going on in the water right now.
Today every margin where the current was "just right" (you'll see what I mean) there were little shoals of fry. I asked Warren and Gareth what they were and they were unanimous that the tiny fish were grayling. My word! What fast little beasts they must be compared to trout that will sit in the gravel for weeks and weeks. Grayling eggs must hatch in only a day or so. I was watching grayling spawn last week. Now millions of tiny results are all working for a living.
Less common and very wonderful to behold, were the brook lampreys breeding. They are very energetic little movers of gravel and sand. Warren was able to get some photos of these primitive fish that make up a valuable link in the food chain.
There are lots of other things going on, but these two I'm sure you will agree are quite special. Aren't we blessed to be anglers?
richard
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PSB
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by PSB on May 11, 2004 2:35:26 GMT -5
Richard, many thanks for your timely reply and advice - there's more than enough choice there to keep me busy, fortunately I already have very good store of black foam bugs in 16s that have saved the day before on a couple of the welsh rivers.
Come rain or shine I will have a great time soaking up the atmosphere of the river safe in the knowledge that whilst I am wandering the banks of the Wye I will be in a little world of my own.
Beautiful scenery, timeless tranquilty and the chance to dream of a fin perfect brownie all for £30 a day. Life cannot be all that bad can it ? rgds Paul
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Post by WarrenSlaney on May 11, 2004 3:24:56 GMT -5
Just a quick note to the regulars on the Wye. You will begin to see a new face on the river bank. He is something of an investment and his name is Gareth Pedley. I first met him seven years ago when he came to the Lathkill Valley on a day trip with his geologist Father. After seeing our rivers and catching the bug he disappeared to Fishery College for 4 years and after a 9 month spell in NZ comes to us as our new Wye Keeper, formally qualified and bursting with ideas. Gareth has a passion for habitat improvements and river restoration so I can see a good portion of my willow coppice whips going in his direction at the back end of the year.
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