Flyfishing FWSW

So off I went for another go at catching fish in February.
It was a stormy day, strong wind gusts and some rain.
On my way to the water I came across a white cat in the field and thought
it would be a good omen.

First stop was the reservoir where I figured I would soon hook into some sort of perch or maybe a pike … not so.
The water was clear, no life to be seen except for some cormorants, gulls and crows.
I wondered what the crows where doing on the shoreline, I checked it out and found a two dead fish on the shore.
A good day for the crows, I had no bites or following fish.
The wind had picked up considerably during the morning which made casting difficult.
The streamer was more often found in the shrubs lining the water or my clothes than at the fish level … next stop river.

With all the rains the river was once again high and dirty … 
On my sure shot spot nothing was moving despite trying several depths and weighted nymphs. 
In fact almost all spots I normally fished where unfishable due to strong current and stained water.
The last spot finally delivered some fish to my surprise.
A few small dace and a small brown trout took the nymph at the end of the day.
Finished the day at the pub for a meal and

The snowdrops start to bloom, usually the white flowers are the first in spring but I already noticed a yellow flower springing up.
Fish activity was minimal but after all it is still winter.

Fourth session on the water, third blank …
No signs of fish … no bites at all. On the plus side they opened the pub for me even though it was closed so I ended the day well. Afterwards I went to the syndicate to renew my licenses.
Next time I will fish the reservoir hoping that the perch might have a go at the flies I toss.

With the rain and snow melt I should have known that todays fishing outing would be a mission impossible but then when you want to catch fish you have to go to the water.
The bike ride in the morning was a tad challenging as the head wind even at 05:45 in the morning was pretty strong.

When I past the first major stream and heard the roar of the water I knew what I was in for.
The last leg of my ride was at daybreak and although I spotted numerous deer I was upwind from them and the odor of my socks sent them running.

At the stream visibility was very poor, the current very strong.
I tried all the known hotspots but not a single bite, still I did spot one fish.
The only other fisherman was a two legged feathered one, first time I came so close to a silver heron and subsequently the pics came out quite nice.
I had hoped the short break in the weather temperature wise would yield some dace and roach but
there was just too much current and stirred up silt (at least for my taste).

My wellies where once again too short for these water levels and the cold water reached all the
way to the toes.
After a couple of hours it was pretty clear to me that I could spent my time better at the pub and dry out at the fire.
Weather forecast for the next few weeks is dismal so I guess time is better spent tying flies.

Second time out on the river and now with some lower water as it had not been raining for a few days.
The reason it had not been raining was the fact that cold weather had arrived.
Winds had shifted to the east as high pressure over Russia dictated the weather.
I opted for a late and short trip this day due to the cold and hoped to fish a while when the temperature would climb just above freezing in the afternoon.
The river looked fine, some clarity in the water.

The conditions and small time window meant I would fish the best spot first and indeed it yielded my first fish of the season, a small brown trout.
At the other spots I visited I could get no strikes and also did not spot any fish moving about.
With the sun low in the sky and nothing showing I opted for the pub visit.
On the menu today Broccoli soup, porkchops with egg, bacon, baked onions and potatoes, dessert coffee with a Tiramisu cake.

When I left the pub the temperature had already dropped to 19,4 F … I think fishing will be slow in the coming weeks / months.
On the plus side I spotted the first snowdrop blooming, always a sign of hope.

The first fishing session of the year took place under ghastly conditions.
Basically it rained all day and the river was in flooding stage.
All the spots I visited yielded no bites and after a while it came up in me
that continuing fishing would be senseless.
All I could do at the end of the day was to visit the pub and dry out in front of the fire, first trip – first blank