Planned Trips and Others

I don't know about you guys but I like to have a few things to look forwards to in the Close Season, so I usually try to make sure that I have some trips lined up.

So far I am looking forwards to the annual trip to South Andros for a weeks Bonefishing in June with some friends - probably the most exciting time that I have had with a fly rod. I hope that this is an ongoing annual event - and I may extend it to organise other weeks there if I can find the space!

Also I am looking forwards to the annual trip to Scotland for Salmon on the Tweed at Traquair. - A regular very enjoyable week with a fantastic bunch of chaps - sometimes the Salmon fishing gets in the way!

It seems a bit selfish but I would love to go back to Russia for the Trout on the Varzina - I may organise a trip there - but also there's Norway/Finland etc - which perhaps may be a better alternative and something a little different.

Lastly - I am tempted to talk she who must be obeyed into a trip to Canada for the Salmon and Trout - but there's a lot of house points needed before I can broach that subject.

After all of that I have anew season on the Wharfe to look forwards to - and I am always willing to help people with that if they would like a trip guided or not.

Conatct me if you have any ideas or need any help.

What to do in the Close Season

It's the age-old question - how do I pass the time while the season is closed?
Of course it's everybody to their own - some like to sit back and contemplate life, reflect on a last year and envisage the things that will be done differently in the new season, some like to forget fishing completely and have a total break, some never stop - chasing Grayling whilst they can and then Reservoir fishing when available, others like to stock up on their fly collections, tie up the patterns for the next season and tidy up their tackle.

As for me - I'm a bit lazy - I tend to have a quick rush near the start of the new season, tidy up the tackle, tie up those flies, and then plan the year's trips.

Everyone to their own.

Whatever you like doing - the main thing is ENJOY YOURSELVES and chill out!

Have a Happy New Year and Tight Lines for 2007 (really I don't like that phrase - but in the absence of a better one?? (any suggestions?)!

Time for the Lady

Finally the Trout season has ended and it's time for the Lady Of The Stream - the Grayling.
Already they are shoaling and the trout are fading out of activity. - And the weather is changing ready for the traditional Grayling Season.

It's wet, cold and windy.

For those that hang up their boots and refresh themselves until the Spring - its time to clean and tidy the tackle, and start to fill up those fly boxes again.

Get ready for the end of season sales from some of the big stores - there's usually some bargains on offer. In the meantime get tying.

Personally I love the Grayling fishing - it gets me out and really concentrating on the fish as I find the Grayling a far harder quarry that Trout. It's also a time for some more specialised flies - as the Grayling are rarely mid-water - either grubbing at the bottom or top feeding. This is where the Czech Nymphing really gets into its own, mixed with the trusty Klinkhammer and some traditional wet flies.

The ladies England National Team fished my local river over the weekend - I must chase them up to get some feedback - on the fishing and the flies that they used - as I supplied some of them.

Tight lines for the Ladies!

The Phantom Menace - Signal Crayfish

I had a rather sobering experience on Sunday that made me sit up and think about what's happening to the local river - the Wharfe.

This season has been tough - but more worrying the hatches have been less - and the usual 'stone turning' have shown very few nymphs clinging to stones. Unlike previous years where there have been dozens. Now - is this due to the weather? - I don't think so - we have always had hot summers - this has been a bit exceptional but nothing to write home about. But . . .

On Sunday evening I was having a chat to another angler - who told me about the numbers of Signal Crayfish in the river - now I knew that there were some (I have even cuaght them on a nymph) -but when he explained that he had caught some via other means I didn't believe him. - So he demonstrated. - After 1 hour the 'other means' contained some 30-40 signal crayfish - and big ones at that.

I'm not gettiing into a debate about whether he should have put a net out - but that number of Signals in the river can only be a problem. The signals are a big problem in that they eat fish eggs, nymph larvae and undercut the banks with their burrowing. - Also their constant digging causes cloudy water etc. This cannot be good.

Does this explain the lack of nymph life and the poor hatches?

It's certainly food for thought.

What can be done about this widespread problem? - I believe that the Signal is not only having a detrimental effect to the native species - but is also ruining the fishing!

It's also the case that we are getting bigger river trout - over 6lbs in places - but is it worth it? - And what will the impact be on the Grayling - which are not stocked!

At Last - Some Water . . .

This season has probably been the worst for some time regarding fishing the local river (the Wharfe). - The season started slowly (I reckon that the bad cold weather put the river at least a month behind) and its got steadily worse as the weather has got hotter and hotter. - Levels now are as low as any I have seen before - the fish are sluggish and very fussy.

But - at last we have some rain. As I sit here the skies are black and its chucking it down. Hopefully this will go on for a few days and get some water back into the systems.

We can only wait and see.

Starting A New Season

How do you go about starting a new season?

To me there's frantic tying of flies - new fly lines and a general trawl around to see if there's anything new on the market that I fancy.

As a minimum all the reels are cleaned up and greased, all of the backing and connections to the fly lines are checked, the fly lines are cleaned (and replaced if necessary), and new leader loops attached EVERY TIME!.

Also I always throw away any leader spools and get new - as I know that I need total confidence in the set up.

The I wait . . . . .