Flyfishing FWSW

As the first day of my season yielded fish in difficult circumstances I figured
a second try might be in place.
This time I had more time on my hands to check out the stream

Off course the water was still high and dirty but the spot that worked a day
before fished well in the morning.
Plenty of bites with lots of misses as the fish would often grab the tail of
the squirminator. 
You would feel the resistance of the bite and the moment when the fish let go.

I caught the same mix of roach and dace but this time one of the roach had
had some size to it.
I tried other spots nearby but had no luck.
With the crowds coming out on a sunny warm day I retreated to the forest
where I had no luck the day before.

In the forest I tried a few of the deeper spots and felt takes.
Did not run into any trout but one of the dace I caught had some size to it.
Although temperatures will taper off to more normal values for February
the lack of rainfall will hopefully clear the river for next weekend trips.

Alas no food pictures due to lockdown in Germany for the foreseeable future as all eateries are closed.
Same as in the Netherlands where there also is a curfew between 21.00 and 04.30 hours.  Trying times.

Within one week we went from a cold snow storm to warm springs days.
As I had to renew one of my fishing licenses I opted to fish the stream for
the first time this year.

Off course it would be difficult as all the snow had melted and all ditches
and stream where in flooding stage.
The spot I choose to start my fishing session had fast colored water.
Whatever I tried I did not get any bites.

I tried an hour or so to no avail, as I had some time to kill before 
picking up the license I did some sightseeing in the area.
I went up what the locals call the mountain which is the first major 
hill in an otherwise flat landscape.

The license process did not take up much time so I had time left over
to spend at the water.
Off course I could not end my first fishing day in a blank so I went to
the one and only spot that could save me.

The good spot also suffered from the high colored water.
The plus side however was the large current seem with slow moving water.
Fly of choice was the squirminator that was heavy enough to get deep and
had a large enough profile to be detectable by the fish.

It took some time before I had the right depth and speed figured out but
then I ran quickly into fish.
Small fish but at least some action in difficult circumstances.
I was happy to end this nice day with the first fish of the season.

The planned holiday in Florida soon became fiction this year.
Plan B was Germany, I was lucky to clear to border a day before travel restrictions where put in place.
As you can imagine the hotel stay and dining arrangements where odd but at the river it was business as usual.

I had the river for myself which, a bonus in these dark times.
My hopes for an warm fall dissappeared as I dogded rain and cold mornings.
Having said that I also expirienced sunshine.

This late in the season the river was ultra clear.
Nymphing did not produce results, dry fly fishing was the best method.
The brown trout where few but grayling where plenty.

The grayling where tough, they where rising on the tiniest of flies.
My fly selection of large segde patterns that had worked in the past failed.
The two size 19 sedge patterns in my fly box that yielded grayling on a frequent basis where treasured as gold.

I had originally planned to stay for two weeks.
With the knowlegde that more pandemic misery would follow I figured
it might be best to extend my stay while it was possible.
In hindsight I am glad I made that move.