Low flows and an altercation with gravity make for a tough day on the river!

Yesterday was my first proper trip up to my river, what with one thing and another a young family a little boy that is mad for sport, and all the palaver of that goes along with that I’ve had little or no time.

Being friends with the riverkeeper I know what’s going on week-in-week out whatever is pretty much on its knees but there was fish to be caught.

The plan, as per the Blog, was to nymph the fast water in the hope of winkling out a fish or two.

My setup at this time of year is simple, a long rod, to keep well away from the fish and two nymphs, spaced around 60cm apart on my cobbled-together leader. The flies contained very little mass, so relatively lightweight, nothing above 3mm tungsten, and on some slower moving parts, tungsten gives way to brass, a lesson taught to me by Czech Master, he wasn’t wrong!

My target, every time I go to my river, during trout season is to catch a trio of wild fish, rainbow, there are loads in here due to the proximity of the Wye, a brownie, and a grayling! I also make a point of walking the river, to see if fish are rising, they always are on this river and catch on the dry.

After a 2-hour drive, I arrive, with clear skies, bright sun, and a temperature hovering around 24C and that’s at 11am!

After getting set up, I head straight to my favourite nymphing pool, and I am stunned at how low it is.

Knee-deep water at the tail is replaced by ankle-deep flows, still, it’s a start and one of only a small handful of fast-moving water. The tail, so often the most productive area, gave me nothing. It was not until I was fishing in deeper, faster water that I had my first take. A stunning little rainbow that gave a huge account of itself with the fast flow helping his attempts to get free. Soon enough though he was in the net. The pool, all of which only 20 of the usual 70 yards, fished, gave me more than I thought. A total of nine fish a mixture of trout and grayling, and all fighting fit with thankfully no sign of argulus. Something I see all too much of these days on slow-moving summer rivers!

My next haunt was a 15-minute trek downstream, however, on my way, I saw some water that looked right, bedrock pretty much all the way across the river, apart from a 6ft gutter on the far side, water that’s not normally fishable!

I headed over, fishing the whole section, and again quite surprised at just how many fish were holding in this ever so small, but fast section of the river. All brown trout in here with one decent one nudging ¾ of a pound!

As I left and headed up the banking, (which no one is usually foolish enough to slide down, never mind crawl back up) scrabbling on my hands and knees… disaster. I lost my footing, and as I turned, facing from the bank to face away from it to see where I was going, my ever so beautiful nymphing rod ended up below me, on the edge of the river. As I hit the bottom my momentum pushed me forward, as I knelt to try and take the impact, I heard the carbon snap as part of my leg hit it. I could have cried, 2 hours to get here, 2 pools fished, and now what?

I am not in the habit of carrying two nymphing rods while pleasure fishing, so I headed back to the car for the dry fly rod, needs must, and all that!

Well, did I cover some water looking for a riser, I did miles, I deserved a medal never mind a rising fish!

Too hot, no wind, little flow. It was a struggle, to say the least. I had mates on the water too, they saw nothing, I was up against it, that is for sure.

But, a lot of perseverance paid off, I only saw three I knew I could reach, each one on the opposite bank tucked in under the shadows of overhanging branches. weirdly, my usual feel safe for these fish a small CDC and Elk Caddis, was met with indifference!

However, a switch to a high summer favourite, a lumpy little foam beetle, proved to be a good bet. Two of the fish, one grayling and one hefty, little brown could not forego the chance of a decent mouthful.

All in all (apart from breaking my favourite rod) a good few hours on the water!

For more hints and tips for summer water, check out this Blog..Summer Nymphing

Ultimate nymph..The Ultimate River Nymph

Construct your own French Leader..French Leader Made Easy