Things are looking up.....

This was the first visit to the river conducted this season conducted with a degree of expectation rather than hope. Temperatures have begun to rise and it is beginning to feel springlike. On arrival I noted a sporadic hatch of LDO’s and with some very careful observation it was possible to find evidence of feeding fish in the riffles. Not too many but more than enough to pique interest and occupy the mind.

On with the stripped quill dun and into the river to start stalking the rising fish. It seems funny now but for my first few seasons of river fishing I actively ignored riffles and ‘busier’ stretches of water as I felt that there was too much to contend with in terms of managing drag and seeing the fly and as a consequence I managed to convince myself that there were no fish in those spots anyway. So I made life so much easier for myself by concentrating on the smooth glides! Happily I have managed to disabuse myself of this notion. Of course fishing these areas does demand more application (in terms of drag management) and concentration (in terms of being able to see the fly) but the rewards are there for the diligent.

On this occasion a short session resulted in three brown trout being bought to hand, all as a result of having been targeted and cast at. The stripped quill dun is a new fly to me and I have to say that it looks fabulous but my efforts need to be a little more durable and could do with another CDC feather to aid floatation.