Flyfishing FWSW

Today I finally had a chance again to catch my first fish for 2010.
We have had cold weather here continuously since the middle of December making fishing almost impossible due to snow and ice.
The weather forecast was not something to be happy about since extensive rain and an upcoming storm where announced.



Canal

The location for this day was a canal that had a slight flow due to several small streams that flowed in to it. 
The Canal was for the most part ice free although large sections where still covered with hard water.
I noticed that the water was unusually dirty at the section of the Canal I fished.
It started to pour and it did not stop for quite a while.
When I had no hits at all I decided to move eastwards in search of fish and cleaner water.
In the end I found a point where a small stream dumped clean water into the canal.
Confidence came back because these conditions where normal for this particular water.

This canal was used for shipping way back when but was now more or less a derelict body of water. Some of the locks and bridges where still in place but many where also replaced by big culverts. Those sections where interesting because baitfish and thus predators would usually be concentrated there.
At such a culvert my EP streamer was intercepted and my first fish of the year was a fact, it 
Was a little pike.

Today I fished in the Port of Rotterdam with our flyfishingclub.
The goal was to fish for shad in one of the major waterways of the port.



Main channel “Nieuwe waterweg”

Members from the local flyfishngclub provided us with all neccesary info to make this a succsesfull day.
They outfished us big time but luckily almost everybody caught a shad. 


The only fish of the day but my best shad (Alosa fallax) till date. 

The shad where very active during the period untill high tide, then the rain came and all action died down.
The weather guys had once again fooled us with their report, the hard wind made it difficult to get some distance with my 7-weight.



Heavy shipping traffic, we had to watch of for the wakes since they could flush you off the dams.

Despite the less than ideal circumstances I did manage one good shad and missed one strike.
The locals where catching one after another, our best was 6 shad for one guy. 
A date for a rematch has been set, next time the 8-weight and a fast sinking line will hopefully make some difference.

For a change I headed west instead of east to visit one of the larger rivers in
the area I live.
My intention was to take the 6-weight and toss streamers around in a big
murky river in order to catch a nice perch or maybe even an asp (predatory shiner).
When I arrived at the banks of the river and looked at the mass of water I knew it
would be a tough day.


The river

The pilings at a large bridge where my best bet to catch fish.
All those structures in the water should have been a prime ambush spot for predators.


The bridge

I probed the bridge, the pilings and the eddies formed by the strong currents but absolutely
nothing was interested in the streamers I fished.
I did see big splashes in the middle of the river that where probably caused by hunting aps
but then again I might imagined that on this bright sunny summers day.


Signs of summer

The only option left was to fish the many breakwaters along the river.
According to common belief the points of such small dams where a prime spot for predators.
The small baitfish that would try to swim around the points on these little dams had the chance to be swept away by the main river current right into the mouths of the predators.
At least the small bait fish where present among the stones.


The baitfish

Although it was Saturday the amount of commercial boating traffic surprised me.
Every time one of these freighters came along all the silt was stirred up from the 
bottom. 
Still in my book the water clarity should not have been the reason that I was not
catching any fish.



Some more views on the river
After several hours of fruitless casting the idea of getting skunked came up in my mind.
Off course I could not expect to catch something on a river I never had fished frequently 
in the past, the last time I had been there was maybe 5 years ago.
Late in the afternoon I finally had a hit on the fly.
Off course I was happy that skunk had been avoided but it also made clear to me why it
took 5 years to get back to this river.


After a lot of work … mini yellow perch

With the approach of a rain front in the distance and the mission more or less completed I decided it was time to go.
The elusive aps hat eluded me again so maybe in five years time I might return to that river.
Arriving at home I received a mail that some of my friends had plans to head east to fish a 
good trout river, just what I need after this day 

At the end of the month the pike season ends here so today we decided to fish
a last time for Pike at the pond of the local University. 
We arrived at the ponds in the afternoon and met a few fellow fishermen who told 
us of lots of pike activity and catches in the morning hours. 

Although spring like weather and temperatures where forecast for this Sunday it remained cold and grey. 
The pike did not show themselves as they had done on earlier visits.
When I fished a quiet corner of the pond I suddenly noticed frantic baitfish moving away 
from the general direction of my streamer, surely a pike was on the prowl.
When I probed the corner for a second time the streamer was promptly intercepted by the pike.



Pike nr. 1

I was hoping that in the afternoon the pike activity would pick up but several hours
of fishing remained fruitless.
The campus of the University was dotted with ponds so after a while I walked over to
a long shallow pond where I had spotted pike on an earlier trip.


Pond at the campus.

At the end of the pond there was a lot of activity from baitfish so I was pretty sure
that the one or other pike would lay in ambush there.
My first strikes turned out to be debris from the bottom but after a while a pike hit
The streamer instantly and put up a good fight.


Pike nr. 2

I was almost on my way to the first pond when I spotted jumping baitfish at a spot
I had just fished. I could see the broad back from the pike coming out of the water as it chased the fleeing baitfish. 
Thinking it would be easy to catch that pike I doubled back and waited for an attack.
Unfortunately nothing happened and after dozens of casts I decided to go back to the first pond. 
At sunset the sky cleared and the temperature dropped quickly.
Pike where nowhere to be seen, we left when it became dark.
So the pike season is over for the time being, now we are waiting for the opening of the
trout season.

On Saturday May 24th I visited the Flyfair at Fort Altena here in the Netherlands.
This was the first flyfair I went to after a very long time and I must
say it was a worthwhile visit.

In the past the flyfair was held on the banks of the Ijssel river but this time
they choose a 18th century fort as location.
The majority of the members from my local flyfishing club attended the fair and so did
most of the other flyfisherman from our country.

The organisation had provided a nice program with lectures and fly-casting demonstrations.
The flytying tent was staffed with fly-tiers from all over Europe to even some folks from the USA.
Since I was going on one of my major flyfishingtrips soon it was an ideal occasion to stock
up with gear.
We stayed all day at the fair and had a blast.


The moat with windmills in the far distance


Rows of people waiting at the gate



In front of the fort, my buddies pondering what to tell the wife:D







At the Ids Schukken booth.










Inside the main hall




Flytying tent.



Casting new rods and watching a two hand casting demonstration with
Michael Ladefoged from Denmark.

Despite the extremely lousy weather today (it is expected to rain continuously for 72 hrs) we went out to our favorite pike pond this morning.
During the low light conditions in the morning we could not spot any action in the water.
Not only the low light but strong winds and continuous showers roughened up the waters surface.

Later in the morning we spotted fleeing baitfish and both managed to hook and land a pike.
I was using the light rod again with a red/yellow streamer which was in fact a steelhead fly from a set I once purchased during a fly sale.
The pike I got was a small one but a welcome sight since action was kind of slow.


Pike on small streamer.

I managed to hook a larger fish in another pond but unfortunately that fish came off at the last minute.
At the end of our session I had another run in with the pike.
While fishing along a wall I missed the strike of a pike, since the fish had not felt the hook I fished the
spot for a second time and once again missed the strike.
So the weather was terrible but the fish was biting and off course almost everybody else wasted time by staying home.

Today our flyfishingclub held the first 2007 session of the annual pike contest.
After days with only rain and strong wind the sun came out for the first time this morning.
I was not in the mood to haul a heavy streamer on the 8-weight all morning so I decided to skip the pike and try for perch instead.

So armed with my 4-weight trout bum and a small black zonker streamer I headed to the canal we picked for this contest.
After a few casts I was into a nice size perch.


Perch nr. 1

One of my fellow club members was fishing the other bank and immediately hooked into a pike. things where going great.
I moved along the canal and suddenly was in contact with a pike.
I could feel the weight of the fish but the fish came off the hook.


The canal.

After the pike I ran into the perch again, too bad their size was not
equal to their appetite.
I managed a couple of small ones before I ran into a bigger specimen again.


Agressive critters

At 12.00 hrs the contest ended and we assembled at the locks for drinks and sandwiches.
From the scoreboard I could see that at least three pike had been caught.
This day was a succses again.

A couple of days ago I somebody from my flyfishingclub asked for volunteers for a trip to the coast.
Goal of the mission was to try and catch European seabass, mackerel and/or shad.
On the few occasions I had been fishing the coast I had blanked so I opted to go.
It was summer so some fish should be active although I had no high hopes, I guess I was spoiled
to much by fishing Florida in the past.


Location nr. 1

Our first stop was the northern side of the sluice and lock complex of the large corus steel mill at Ijmuiden.
The cooling water outflow was a hot spot for seabass, well it was written anyway.
We fished the point for a while but saw no activity in the water except for diving gulls at the cooling water outflow.
Since there was no action in the water and the wind was unfavourable we decided to move.


Further south

We moved further south to a spot where my fishingbuddy Niels had caught mackerel and shad a couple of weeks earlier.
When I peaked over the big concrete blocks of the seawall I saw the first signs of life.
Loads of baitfish and the occasional big mullet where moving along the coast.
Niels was the first to get into fish.



Niels with his shad.

Niels had caught a very nice shad on the fly.
All I had to do was to copy his actions.
After a while I was into my first shad from the north sea, well
my first shad ever.


First shad.

The fish was not a monster but at least it was a fish.
We had starting fishing in the late afternoon at the beginning of high tide. 
As time progressed we saw diving gulls and hunting fish along the seawall. 
We where running all over the place to intercept the hunters and where rewarded with more shad.



At sunset.

At sunset activity was at a high and I managed to hook my largest shad till date. 
The fish was camera shy though because it fell off the hook just before I could grab it.
We had a great time but unfortunately did not run into the seabass and mackerels, maybe next time.