Differing days on the Wye

June 26th & 27th 2023 

 • River Wye at Ashford on the water EA measuring gauge at .29 water crystal clear 

• Weather partly sunny short shower late afternoon temperature 19 C 

My friend Doug and I had travelled up from Essex late morning to arrive around 2.30 p.m for fishing the Haddon Estate water parking about 1 ½ miles up the Wye from the Peacock Hotel. We started fishing around 3 downstream at the end of the Haddon water fishing up. There were no fish rising but I managed to entice a small rainbow to take the CDC orange tag f fly but lost it before the bank (an exercise to be repeated) . Moving slowly upstream I hooked and a very small rainbow which came to the bank on the same fly, another slightly larger rainbow taken on a red bodied CDC but that was it for the afternoon. Any changes of flys did not entice apart from one more lost, and meeting Doug upstream he had 1 rainbow on a sedge pattern. We took a break for coffee after 5 , and moved upstream of the parking for the evening session planned . There were just 2 other fishermen on the water and reaching just short of a fisherman’s hut in a gentle curve of the river fish were rising and we both changed numerous flies to get a take. Some rise forms were gentle sips with the occasional splashier effort. The bottom line is I lost a small brown and a rainbow from the far bank on two different flys, Doug had one rainbow on an Adams. One of the other members did catch fish upstream of us and came down to offer good advice which was welcome but did not change our success rate. It is a new water for us and we are going to have to develop skills accordingly. We both move further upstream again rising fish no clear sign of what they were taking and the same result until, I reached a sort of natural weir section with turbulent exit riffle with the river pushing a strong current on the left bank. I tried casting into the fast water and almost immediately had a fish take and again lost the fish close to the bank. I changed to a Yellow bodied Humpy pattern as very buoyant and this time a nice rainbow came out if the riffle and took the fly and was landed, a second pull came to nothing and then a firm take and a large rainbow took the fly , it was on some minutes , I had moved down stream to try and tame the leaps below the fins and was trying to bring the fish to the net some 20 meters down river when the fly came back . However, this time it was a broken hook at the bend which was the cause much to my chagrin. (See photo below) I changed to another black fly with a blue underbody that I guess represented a blue bottle and another rainbow was landed again taken from the riffle fast water and another lost. This action was around 9 and after that a further effort in a slow pool below to rising fish and many options of fly failed to connect before packing up around 9.45 where the action had largely ceased around 9.30 pm. Doug had one more fish on an Adams but we both have not cracked the key yet. Bottom line lots to learn.

 Summary

 Doug - 3 Rainbow Jeff - 4 Rainbow ( and a broken hook 😢) 

Broken  Humpy Fly 

June 27th 

We returned this morning and started around 9 fishing where we had left off last night , the difference was stark , not a single rise in sight , we both tried big flys ( me) and small flies ( Doug ) same result not a single offer or a sign of life from the fish . Many female mallards and their offspring , and something. I had not witnessed before about 8 adult Canadian geese going down river about ½ dozen young goslings surrounded in a ring of adults . As they progressed the adults in the lead kept making S like movements with their necks - Strange but at least it kept my interest as the fish clearly did not . We both moved up and down the top part of the river in the Haddon Farm area and about 11.30 we both observed an infrequent rise form around the hut area , I tried for some time to get an offer with various fly’s a good many changes required. as the tree claimed several fly’s yet the rising fish(s) made no attempt ,until a 20 cm brown trout took what was a size 20 red bodied parachute winged fly and was LANDED avoiding a blank. 

We ,left to fish the river from the mill car park again with no result before returning to the Haddon Farm area wherein one last 30 minute session Doug caught a small brown trout on a red bodied CDC fly

 At at 2.30 we both agreed time to go home , a very different day on the Wye . 

Summary 

Jeff &Doug one Brown trout each on a different small red bodied fly

Hot bright days and evenings

June 13th 2023

• River clear and .18 at EA measuring station after Monday thunderstorms with uptick in river level
• Weather bright evening sunshine 25C dropping to 19C at dusk

This was a brief 1½ hour session at the Ellastone bridge pool on the Dove on Staffs bank the DRAC  club water .

I fished just above the bridge , and for the first time braved climbing over the covered barbed wire fence to wade a couple of meters out to facilitate easier  upstream casting . Fish were rising in the pool but 20 minutes with the small Grey Wulf  was totally ignored . Changing to a 18 F fly with orange tag yielded a Grayling from mid stream and the shortly after  a small brown trout close to the bridge . The rising fish eased off and I managed to lose several flies in the trees plus tippet .

A short time on a nymph also drew a blank before tying on a small cream bodied F fly which caught another brown before the setting sun finished the session just after 10 p.m after a 8.30 p.m start 

Summary. 

2 brown trout and 1 Grayling 

June 14th

• River clear and .85 at Doveridge EA measuring station - Normal and .17 upstream at Rocester station - Low 
• Weather bright sunny day increasing temperature to 26 C after midday 

Today I was a guest at a club below Norbury, I had arrived initially at the DRAC Uttoxeter water and was surprised to see the river coloured! 

I moved up stream and fished just after 9 a.m initially with a nymph ( pink collared double tungsten PTN) and after a few upstream casts a 33 cm brown trout took the fly and eventually landed ( see Photo ) A little later after this initial success there commenced a few sporadic rise forms in  the foam line around a small Alder tree . I put on the successful fly from the Derwent last week but seemingly not appreciated by the locals here. A couple  more changes before a change to a CDC with orange tag was sucked down by what I thought was a small Grayling , BUT quickly realised this was a good trout , it moved round the pool shot off downstream taking all the slack line of the reel ,it leapt clear out of the water and realised it was a very  large Rainbow trout , it moved back up stream by now on the reel before darting straight back for the roots of the alder . I had insufficient drag or presence of mind to try and stop the fish and of course it made the roots and an attempt to move the fish out resulted in the inevitable ,of the line minus tippet and fly returned to sender . Shortly after this start with rising temperatures the surface activity stopped , the nymph also failed ,so a break for refreshment and light lunch 

After the break we went much further up river , never observed any rise forms and neither dry fly of nymph achieved anything . 

Returning down river close to where the first fish was caught and with the same PTN tied  on again nothing , just considering ,in what was now a bright hot afternoon ,to abandon the day when for the first time since mid morning a fish took the nymph stayed deep for some time before coming to the net a bigger 35 cm brown trout to finish the day 🤓( photo below). Shortly before my host had also landed a couple of wild trout also on a nymph  , but around 2.50 we returned to the cars and home in this very hot period after this  cold spring 

Summary 

• 2 Brown  trout both on the Double tungsten pink collar PTN

First trout 32 cm 

Second 35 cm trout -Note completely different markings 

Jeff at Derbyshire rivers 

End of Duffers fortnight and who is the duffer

June7th

• River clear and low at .17 at Rocester EA measuring station
• Weather cooling NE breeze temperature around 15C

My friend and I arrived at Ellastone bridge to fish upstream on the Staffordshire side  of the Dove at around 7.30 and commenced fishing just before 8 , were pleased to see constant surface activity from sips to aerial gymnastics from the trout as mayfly were on the water AND coming off the river . Our  first impressions were, that  this was going to be a bonanza at the end of” Duffers fortnight “ This turned out to be wrong assumption both of us tried umpteen fly patterns , my friend eventually caught one 9 inch brown which took of all things a CDC green bodied sedge , I failed completely and around 9.30 p.m put on a nymph which a fish took and quickly lost capping off who was the duffer here ! We packed up at 9. 45 p.m and about 30 minutes before that the activity and the presence of mayfly had both departed as we should have .

June 8th

• River clear , early morning grey cloud and 10 C with late morning partly sunny with full sun in the  afternoon reaching around 15-16 C .

This morning we left for the upper Derwent to meet a friend and as guests to fish this long stretch of water over 3 separate beats that had been booked for the three of us . 

We arrived after 9.30 a.m and having walked this beautiful water started to fish with a small CDC shuttlecock emerger around 10.30 . There were just a very  few intermittent rises and just one spot where one fish with a splashy rise came a couple of times but did not return for me with a few fly changes , I switched to a nymph but kept picking up blanket weed on the jig  hook ( size 16&18) so abandoned the pool to move up river . In the meantime my friend had caught 3 fish had caught 3 wild brown on the shuttlecock CDC emerger and a small nymph 

I went in at the next beat up , easy entry , shallow on the Right bank and fished above a riffle on the far bank with a small CDC f fly with an orange tag for which a lovely fat brown of about ¾ lb took the fly and came to the net .The pressure of another blank lifted a few more attempts to rising fish failed , except on the trees and it was time for lunch at 12.30 . Our host had caught and my friend had one other fish on a nymph .He reckoned the best fish was about 1 ¼ lbs , again we agreed that these wild fish were feisty and gave more than a good account of themselves on a weight ratio basis .

After lunch we fished on for about another 1 ½ hours and this time I had gone down river to the lowest of the three beats again helped by my host who pointed out good spots . This time with a Grey Wulf (14) in riffle water where I had seen rising fish provided  a very satisfying result of firstly a brown of about a 1 lb followed by one closer to 2 lb ( photos  below) where the second larger fish went downstream taking line of the reel before coming to the net .

My friend had one more smaller brown and just before  3.30 p.m we packed up for the long drive home and the 10 mph moving traffic between Junctions 26-24 for no obvious reason .

However we were both happy with our day on the upper Derwent , and appreciate very much the invitation to fish this part of the Derwent tree lined river .

First afternoon trout - Grey Wulf 

Last and best Trout on a Grey Wulf 

Summary

Doug - 5 Brown trout 2 on dry fly and 3 on a small green nymph

Jeff - 3 Brown trout all on dry fly 

Jeff at Derbyshire rivers 

Two Days on the Middle Dove

May 22nd 2023 

• Weather warm sunshine with cold upstream wind gusting to 23 mph - waves under the Ellastone bridge up to 50 meters upstream

 • River level .21 on the EA Gauge at Rocester and water clear 

I had travelled up in early afternoon ( around 3 p.m) for a short spell fishing the DRAC section of the River Dove . There being being no surface activity I started with the nymph moved on through several changes and a couple of dry fly options to encourage a take without any success for over 2 hours . I had moved upstream and down again before I small brown trout offered itself to my Double tungsten pink nymph to prevent the blank that looked firmly on the cards . The wind had increased during the period and apart for 000’s of minute midges in the air nothing showed so at 6.15p.m with cold feet, the effort was abandoned

Summary - 1 Small brown trout on Double tungsten pink collar PTN

 May 23rd 2023

 Today was the plan as an invited guest on club waters the of the middle Dove which having never fished there before was a treat I was looking forward too. 

• River level at Mayfield EA station was .36 after the previous day at .31 with no overnight rain so I assume there is an input of water somewhere . Water was clear 

• Weather was to be 15C high but with low grey cloud cover until about midday. 

 The plan was to meet and start shortly after 8 a.m and the first place visited was the first section. which I understand was at the end of the club water some 5+ miles that the club occupies. After studying the water with my hosts for about 20 minutes the occasional fish started rising in the pool after a fairly sharp bend in the river with a glide running into fast water riffle below as a pool to start around 9 a.m. There continued occasional rises up stream in the foam line or just off, and despite many casts my fly’s were ignored. I changed to a small emerger dry fly with a shiny body and it was taken . The fish exploded all-round the pool and then my worst fear took off down into the riffle fast water below. I of course should have got below the fish at this point but increasing age prevented this .and very slowly as the fish tired it was brought back to the pool a few tired jumps and it was netted (picture below) .I had to revive the fish and watched it swim away , questionable as to who was the more tired . The surface activity stopped completely probably from my activity so I put on a small ( 18) Perdigon nymph the Hends 233 but this club does not allow or approve of indicators and it has to be upstream nymphing , which I of course respected but despite this , I felt ( rather than see the movement of the line ) a nice trout took the fly and eventually without drama came to the net My hosts returned and we left for a stretch with a weir to fish this section of the Dove. I was put in about 75 meters below the weir in a run below a steep earthy bank , I had not seen the rise but my host had and started to fish with a type of Griffith's gnat with a bit of a bigger hackle and the first decent drift where the fish was observed the trout took the fly another fish of a shade under a 1lb and was netted . After that I had put them down, spells of a nymph and other dry fly offerings were ignored. Around 1.30 we all moved much further down river where one fish was constantly rising in a reed bed cut back to the bank .I approached carefully and when I put the fly close enough the fish rose ( or so I thought ) to the fly whereby I saw the flank of the fish , but missed it or more likely the fish had second thoughts as it surfaced . The fish went down and another fish some 5 meters below was also rising a little further from the bank, and the same thing occurred again splashy take, strike, nothing and fish went down. I continued on with many dry fly’s to the occasional random activity but for nought. I left and went up stream where my hosts were catching fish and returned to where the third fish was taken, and this time there were regular rises and near the centre of the river smaller fish taking something from the surface and I could observe the fish in the clarity of the water rise, one of which looked like a small rainbow to me! However apart from having a trout chase my fly as it was pulled off the water changing fly’s numerous times to small fly’s, I failed. The most annoying issue here is I knew why, I should have put on a new tippet perhaps lower  diameter with a proper leader and tippet length , studied more carefully what they were taken and I am sure in this session I should have caught at least a couple of fish , frustration ruled more haste and less speed. However, time was now against me it was close to 3 p.m when I wanted to leave for home, so my day ended. Three superb wild fish, hopefully a lesson learned, (probably not) but a good day on the Dove .

The first fish of the day 

Second fish on Hends 233 Perdigon 

 Summary- 3 Brown trout, 2 on dry fly one on nymph

Jeff at Derbyshire Rivers 

Season Start On Derbyshire rivers

Jeff at Derbyshire Rivers April 30th/May 1st. 2023 

 This is a new era for my fishing blog, as after 25+ years fly fishing at the Norbury fishing club with 8 years on the committee (of which 5 were secretary) ,at the end of 2021 I resigned over the direction of the club by the present committee .I was made an honorary member in 2022 .

At the 2023 AGM where I raised several issues of concern and to the members the present committee decided that it was time for my fishing at Norbury to cease ( including as a guest ) The rules of the club over member expulsion were not followed,just a letter from the Chairman , however, I am moving on to pastures new. 

 I had joined the Peacock club ( Part of the Haddon Estate )with fishing on the beautiful Wye with the wild Rainbow trout ,and with beats on the Derwent ,Lathkill and Bradford all part of the Estate. 

 Despite the sudden change in direction I am also now in Derby Railway club ,so also have fishing on the Dove both above and below the Norbury club waters, combined with kind offers from other clubs to fish their waters. With this background my blog now is “Jeff at Derbyshire rivers” to those that are interested on how I progress understanding new waters . 

 April 30th -Weather cold 13 C slight colour to the Dove and breezy conditions - 

 Rocester EA station .27 on the gauge

 

 My friend Doug and I travelled up late morning and started to fish above the Ellastone bridge on the Dove ,in early afternoon , I fished the pool just above the bridge whilst Doug fished further up the river . I hooked but did not land a small brown on a Hends 233 Perdigon nymph before moving up to Doug which as I arrived had seen a fish rise on the far bank and had changed 2 fly’s and hooked the rising fish , it seemed a good fish , did not show and close to his side of the river it was off! I moved up about 20 meters and with the nymph ( as no rise forms ) I also lost another fish , before a 25 cm Grayling obliged and came to the net. After about 1 ½ to 2 hours having met the DRAC bailiff who gave us a lot of good advice we went down to the Uttoxeter beat where we tried the upper sections for over an hour with nothing showing and nothing to the nymph before returning to the B&B and an evening meal in Ashbourne .

May 1st 

 We travelled up the 35 minutes to fish the Wye with nothing but a beat map! Travelling through the jam that was Bakewell on a bank holiday we fished the stretch I had once fished many years ago ( close to 20) above the town bridge alongside a wide recreation ground . We both pursued this for well over an hour with various dry fly’s but nothing showed and with no result for either of us . Somewhat disheartened we stopped at Haddon Farm to fish further down the Wye where we met a very helpful member tackling up who shared the knowledge of this stretch and moved down river to walk back up to the car park fishing with dry fly ( The Wye is a dry fly no wading river under the Peacock rules ) I had a fish take the fly which I judged was not big but lost it and a second one shortly after which took off downstream. This was on a long shank(14) Roberts Drake fly . I moved up river a couple of pools later and after some time did connect and land my first small wild rainbow from the Wye ( see photo) . These fish are wild and the Wye is the only river where they breed in the U.K . I lost another fish in the same pool and moved up to find a frustrated Doug who had lost one fish , BUT this time seemingly my presence worked as he hooked and also landed another wild rainbow. It was mid afternoon the weather was cold the wind biting unlike the fish so packed up where we met another member tackling up who again freely gave us good advice where to fish including identifying the junction of the Lathkill and Wye which we went to look at before restarting our journey of 3 hours home. This is a very cold spring so far with high water levels and our experience although green with respect to knowledge of the water is seemingly not unusual ( cold comfort ) as several off my contacts have used the words “fishing is slow so far “

First wild trout from the Wye 

 

 May 15th 

 Weather partly sunny max temperature 14 C with cold gusting NW wind 13- 23 mph River clear 

 We travelled up following the pattern of the previous fortnight but started early afternoon on the the Uttoxeter beat that DRAC have and again with the same result , not a single rise , nor a take with the nymph so back to Ellastone above the 1771 bridge . I started with the blue Perdigon nymph just below the bridge and in the centre if the river landed a nice wild brown .I moved up to above where Doug was fishing and despite the odd rising fish on the Norbury bank for both myself and Doug we could not get a take . There was 000’s of small midges in the air in fact keeping your mouth closed was essential , BUT no visible olives or other typical flys showing at all . The result being nothing taken and even trying with the nymph did nothing for us . I suggested to Doug he tried the bridge pool before we gave up for the afternoon where I had my one success , which he did , and after a few casts a nice grayling obliged to the net so at least a blank was avoided for both if us .

 May 16th 

 This morning after an early breakfast we went to the Derwent section of the Peacock Club beat . We had just taken Silver membership which precludes the dry fly river Wye during the month of mayfly season May 11th to June 15th as we expected to be fishing Norbury during this time. Next season we will move to Gold membership as from our first outing of the long stretch of the Wye the Peacock have looks really inviting and with no wading rule for us is attractive. W had just arrived at the parking beside a rather well stocked fishing hut on the Derwent , walked the river with steep banks BUT with purpose built hand rail and steps to enter the river . A fellow member arrived and YET again friendly advice as to where to fish and not to fish was forthcoming from Andy . His advice also matched a marked up map I had obtained from another angler who had been in the Peacock club for over 10 years before joining Cressbrook and Litton which was good . We both walked up river where Doug went in an earlier section and I walked up to an area of a kind of natural U shaped weir before cascading down a lengthy riffle. I had on the Blue Perdigon , and quite quickly I hooked a fish which I judged was not large before I lost it fishing up stream in the centre of the river . A few casts later in the same spot a small brown trout was to hand and then nothing . It may well have bent one that escaped but who knows . I then crossed the river which was shallow here and fished the riffle where I had a take and then a considerable tussle before netting a very nice wild trout about a 1lb ( see photo) We adjourned for a short lunch break , and afterwards I went in where Doug had been earlier and my third and last brown trout for the day came to hand , after loosing two flies on underwater rocks or debris and then a complete tippet and fly on a friendly branch I decided to pack up for the afternoon . Shortly afterwards a smiling Doug returned but very wet having slipped back in the water when exiting made the decision easier to leave for home just before 3p.m , with another experience of the Peacock water and the Derwent under our belt

Wild trout from U weir Derwent 

Derwent River upstream Haddon Estate 

 Summary - 4 Brown trout and a Grayling Jeff at Derbyshire Rivers

With season end and AT last success with a Grayling on a dry fly on beat 2

October 30th 2022

• River tinged with colour at .27 at EA Rocester measuring station rising to .28 at 8 15 p.m 
• Weather . Heavy cloud at midday followed by squally torrential rain for 2+hours followed with pleasant sunshine and a light breeze when leaving at 4 p.m 

The weather forecast kept changing ,but the river was dropping from over a meter to .25 during the week and the desire to go fishing overruled anything else . In particular this was to be my last chance to catch a Grayling on a dry fly from Beat 2 to complete my personal objective to catch both species for all 7 beats on nymph and a dry fly . This completion with nymph was accomplished by the end of May, but despite for the last couple of months of effort on Beat 2 the Grayling had alluded me , for completing  the March to October return.

We ( my friend Doug and guest Paul ) arrived at Ellastone Bridge just after 11.30 a.m and shortly after midday we set off to fish , Beat 1 for Paul and Doug and I beat 2. Doug went in just below the bridge pool and Paul to the Terminus run on beat 1 . Both had chosen to fish with nymphs , which looked like a good decision to me with a swift flow and a conveyor belt of autumn leaves along the foamy line where the current flowed and of course the fish would be . I had tied on a 22 CDC orange tag on peacock body dry fly, however, and went to the lower part of 2 entering by the old cattle slope area. I had tried this area before but fellow member Gary had given me intelligence that it was below this spot where he had picked up Grayling on a dry on previous visits , so this time I shuffled further down river before casting my fly. The conveyor leaf trail looked like a lost cause but I attempted to cast in any moving  small gap, few and far between , there were not any sign of a rise but on the third cast a splash amongst the leaves ,a strike and a 20-22 cm Grayling came to my hand ,complete satisfaction , objective achieved.

I quickly changed to a nymph( double tungsten pink collared PTN),and  there followed 3 more Grayling and two wild OOS brown trout , the Grayling were better and one around ¾ lb. 

There then started to appear some intermittent rises amongst the heavy rain now falling , I changed to a Griffiths gnat missed a take , and Paul appeared bank side to declare they were waiting to move to Prince Farm. We had agreed to fish beat 1& 2 for just an hour and I had lost track of the time with this good sport , so we moved to Prince Farm , with some trepidation as we observed the slippery slope going down to the river. Doug reported 2 Grayling from his pool and Paul 2 Grayling and 2 wild brown trout from beat 1 a good result from these upper beats .

The heavens opened again as we arrived , no chance of a lunch break , so sheltering under the trees until it eased, we then  set off for an hour on 5 , Doug tried the wall glide , but quickly gave up as he thought the fast flow through this narrow section made a result unlikely , Paul  and I tried Jim Flint glide in differing locations, (a moment of concern as one clap of thunder was heard)   , Paul hooked a trout which was off and I touched nothing .Doug went to Duncan’s pool and had a Grayling but  as the rain eased we adjourned for lunch back at the car after about 45 minutes of rather unproductive fishing .In retrospect the river was probably slowly rising after the amount of rain we experienced .( this morning 31/10 it is 0.31 after yesterday) As we arrived at Prince Farm fellow member Steve was leaving and said that he had caught a few trout ( no Grayling)  between  beats 3&4.

After lunch the weather changed quite dramatically there was sunshine a gentle  breeze and a few wispy clouds , Doug decided to fish Snowberry glide and Paul went to Sand Martins , I tried the wall glide ( Doug was right ) before the Sycamore pool , I was pulling line off the reel tossed the nymph ready to recast 3 +meters from the bank and as I went to lift the rod to make a cast to the centre of the pool , I found a stocked brown  trout had taken the nymph on the drop , absolutely NO skill but I landed the trout !! 

I tried Duncan’s pool and the Railway glide and apart from losing a couple of flys my day was ended . Paul passed me by to say he had a small brown trout , and Doug returned for Snowberry with a report of 4 more Grayling there using a bigger heavier nymph from which he attributed his success there, and a slower moving piece of water . It was just shy of 4 p.m and a little damp , time to go home, with more than a little angst and some pushing to get the car out of Prince farm up the slope - BEWARE  readers unless you have 4WD 

Summary 

Doug - 7 Grayling all on nymph 

Paul -   2 Grayling and 3 OOS wild trout 

Jeff  -   4 Grayling and 3 OOS brown trout one of which was stocked fish and one Grayling on a dry fly beat 2 🎣😃

Jeff at Norbury Dove.

Grayling still sought on dry fly from Beat 2 but Beat 5 delivered on Nymph

October 11th 2022 Afternoon

• River with a tinge of colour and .17 at EA Rocester measuring station
• Weather 14C,mainly sunny p.m slight breeze,

Today was the final (or maybe not) attempt to tempt a Grayling on the dry fly on beat 2 , I arrived around 3.30 and started fishing around 4 p.m in the  bridge pool with a Griffiths gnat , there was no sign of any surface activity and nothing could be raised to the dry fly . I moved down the beat ,still no rising fish and fished the glide opposite the logs and where sometime ago there was a cattle entry ( and now a gentle slope for old fisherman!). Again nothing rising except a small disturbance near the Staffs bank ,which turned  out to be a very small trout that took the fly and came to hand .

I moved down and fished the glide before the S bend with no result , changed the fly to a red tag peacock bodied  CDC and fished down the Island run all the way down to the end of the beat and the fast riffles there - bottom line not a single take . I exited the river and walked slowly back up to the churning flow below the Ellastone bridge pool , again not any sign of a rise but raised and hooked a wild trout in the first channel from the right bank , but in the  retrieve the fish left the field of play!

I then cast to the foam flows on the LH bank where I raised many fish ,mostly small, some hooked but all bar one came off ,often small wild trout when the  tension was lost as the fish bounced across the surface .Eventually changing again to a small green bodied  emerger with a white post I finally connected and with a small trout and another  very  small brown came to hand but again not a Grayling in sight . The sport revived my interest BUT moving up to the bridge pool again nothing showed or came to the fly and at 6.15 and dusk looming and the cold I retired for the day. I did see a kingfisher in fact this year these sightings seem much more than my recollections of prior years - a good sign 

Summary - 3 small OOS brown trout on 3 differing small dry fly’s 

Jeff at Norbury Dove 

October 12th 2022 Morning 

• River dropped to .16  but still with a tinge of colour 
• Weather cloudy with early morning shower and lunch time rain Temp 13 C wind WSW increasing throughout morning with approaching weather front 

I had given up again for the dry fly on 2 for the Grayling and decided to fish on Beat 5 from where I started  around 9.15 a.m with a blow torch( red tag )  16 tungsten beaded  nymph as there was not any  sign of any surface activity on the wall glide at all . On the second cast ½ meter from the wall I hooked what turned out to be a fit deep bellied Grayling ( photo below in the net before release ) .There followed 2 in good  condition OOS brown stocked trout all in less than ½ hour before as is  often the case in this narrow run, action ceased , I guess three fish running around scares the natives .

I moved up through Sycamore pool - nothing ,and most of Jim Flint  glide where I hooked  a wild trout which did not make the net and nothing more .

From previous weeks I walked up the shallow riffle area between Jim Flint and Duncan’s pool and on the exit of Duncan’s there is a deeper fast moving channel where I had a nice Grayling previously , but at the tail I had a small Grayling and a very small wild trout before getting a respectable Grayling again in the fast channel, but this time I had changed to the Double tungsten green thorax PTN for these fish.

I moved into  the  bottom of Duncan’s pool where another Grayling came to hand , and then I discovered ( I really did not know I had hooked the fish ) I had a beautiful wild trout that performed several acrobatic leaps at around 24 cm which was released and shot off at pace . The fish was plump and in good end of season condition which was very satisfying. 

I had met fellow member Adrian who went off to fish the cattle drink pool and the top of Snowberry glide , whilst I tried the Railway glide with the only result a fly in the willows , a new tippet ,and not a single take or fish showing .

I move up to Sand Martins where just one Grayling was taken on the same nymph ,returning and crossing over past 2 adult swans with 2 cygnets entering the  Swans nest pool and fishing through again this run , but again with nothing showing or any take .By now I was cold ,and  it looked like rain so I packed up at 1 p.m back to the car where the heavens opened and home .

In summary the mornings sport overall was good but as the narrative shows in spasms followed by extended periods of blanks.

Summary 

5 Grayling and 4  OOS Brown trout 

Jeff at Norbury Dove 

Grayling from Wall glide 12.10.22