Flyfishing FWSW

Started early and found that my hot spot was not producing any fish.
Tried the mill pool early in the morning and caught some roach and a dace.
Outside the village I did quite well at a weir and probably caught my best
roach of the season but it did not want a picture taken = jumped out of my hand…

Fled to the forest to escape the burning heat and battled a nice trout that
fled into a deadfall, could not get it out so I had to sever the leader.
The fish got away be it that it now owns one of my barbless nymphs.
The hot weather drained me so I had to recharge at the pub and while I
was at it I had also lunch.

Headed out again into the forest at my old haunts and got three small brown
trout to show for it.
Donated some dries to the trees trying to catch dace, it was a jungle out there and
when you miss the lightning fast strike of the daces you end up in the trees.
Last port of call was the spot where I had lost a good trout earlier.
Did not have any hopes for trout and when I got nibbles on the nymph I thought
it where little dace.
I was wrong off course as a trout took the nymph and once again took me in the
deadfall.
This time I tried to apply maximum pressure on the light tippet and with
some luck I landed the fish.
Sun was setting and as this was the icing on the cake it was back to the pub again
to get dinner … after all somebody requested food pics here …

On my way to the pub I inadvertently made a video call to the Speyco company
so sorry for that Tim, at least we had a nice chat.
Hope to receive a Speyco reel soon to be fitted to my Bamboo rod that my buddy
Wiebe made for me…

Still lots of Mayflies about plus other insects so fish are feeding on top … at times though
and it really depends on the location.
I found today that the open spots did not yield any dry fly action but the protected areas
in the forest had rising fish and more insects around.

Started out late at the chub spot hoping to toss flies at cruising chub but I had not taken in account the wind.
It was blowing so hard that the mayflies flew backwards.
Only some tiny fish where visible in the surface.
I tried to fish the nymph but the wind constantly picked up the fly line so no joy.

Tried the home waters next and noticed the water was low, very low.
Fish plenty but no takers.
A few carp where spawning and the trout I spotted scooted off leaving only a cloud
of mud behind.
Things where not going well at all.
At the mill pool I spotted fish over a sandbar and got one pretty deformed roach.
Nothing much happening at the mill pool either so off to the forest where I managed
a tiny dace, a small roach and a small brown trout.
The last fish was the largest of the three and what was even better was the fact that
I spotted it rising and got it on the dry fly.

Already late in the day I decided to take a break and headed to the pub … where the
cook had his day off … bugger.
Luckily the landlady was able to conjure some French fries with a curry sausage so I did
not leave the premises with an empty belly.

Figuring the days results where a bit meager I pondered if the golden hour would mean
something at the old haunts which I had not fished for ages.
We’ll it did, at the first spot where I suspected fish I hooked a little brown trout.
Not long after that another trout hit the nymph but managed to throw the hook.
At a bend in the stream fish where rising, I believed it where dace.
I continued nymph fishing and had takes but the fish where quite small.

The sun was already low in the sky and light was fading but I still had one spot to visit.
A submerged tree stump was my last hope for catching something decent.
I could see from the strike indicator that fish where present and inspecting the nymph.
First I hooked a decent dace that came off, then a small one.
Next I finally hooked something sizable and could see that it was a trout.
Unfortunately the hook came out and I cursed myself for losing the fish.
The only thing to do was to continue fishing and hoping the spot would yield some more
fish.  It did as a while later I caught another good dace.

The icing on the cake was the last fish of the day.
When I hooked the fish I knew I was in for a battle and when I saw color I knew it was
a trout.  The trout tried to take me under the submerged tree stump and surround branches
but I could counter every escape and finally held a fine trout in my hand.
Couldn’t have hoped for a better end of the day that started so mediocre.

As I had a mission at the hatchery I was bright on early on the road.
The weather was in total contrast of yesterday’s downpour, clear blue skies.
Since I was early I found some time to fish the stream and noticed that the
rain had swollen the stream by a couple centimeters and that the water was
off-color.
For some reason I could not get any takes until at last a roach ended the misery.

With some spare time left I checked out the pool just as the weir was raised.
My nymph glided effortlessly along the pool until the indicator suddenly disappeared.
I was into a good fish and yes, finally a good trout.
Maybe it was the fish I lost yesterday but I think not as this fish looked smaller.
Happy nonetheless I went to the hatchery and met up with one of the regulars
for some work.
Clouds soon appeared and the wind picked up.

In the afternoon I went to the pub for a meal and did a little fishing afterwards.
My German flyfishing-buddies had their day out today and by pure coincidence
I ran into them. Before I knew it I was back at the beer garden chatting with them
while disposing some wheat beers.
They had done pretty well and from what I did hear large trout where being caught.
Called it a day in the afternoon, great to be out and about today.

Mayflies everywhere but no fish on them.
Tried the usual haunts and managed a few roach.

Tried the mill pool and got a nice dace on the nymph.
Still could not get my head around the fact that I never catch any perch in the mill pool which
should be the ideal spot for them.
So again I tossed a lure in the pool and behold I got a solid bite … I think it was a decent trout
but as happens often to me it threw the hook …. bummer.

The rain started in earnest and it was pouring constantly.
Off to the woods to look for fish but boy it was totally dead … I wonder what is wrong with the more
remote parts of the stream as you never see something moving there … well except the mayflies and a pair of nutria’s.

Ended the tour at the pub where I dried out and pondered what ever happened to the fish.
Tomorrow I have a little chore at the hatchery, at least I can look at some trout.

Hot and sunny weather was the ticket for a little exploration to find the big chub.
Mayflies plentiful but nothing rising for them.
The first fish I came across where a couple of hefty carp and they were surface
feeding.
Could have had a go at them but without a proper net I decided to leave them be.

At the mill the weir was raised so the flow was almost non-existent.
Tossing a small tungsten nymph in that stagnant pool did of course not do the trick.
A light unweighted midge got a few silver fish.
Off course in time the weir was lowered and water began to rush downstream so
back to the weighted nymph that yielded perch and roach.
Spotted the perch jumping at the weir …. Have not seen that one before,

Further downstream the bream where stacked but they had no interest at all in the
fly, other fish were also absent or unwilling so it was finally off to the chub stream.
Again loads of mayflies but no rising fish.
I spotted one stationary smaller chub near a rock and when I tossed my sedge near
the stone I had an instant take, the hook came out though … fish lost.

I had expected more activity in the surface but it was pretty dead concerning rising fish.
With some luck I nailed a small chub on a dry and that was it.
Bigger ones spotted but all moving around at high speed not looking for surface food.
I cancelled the dry fly fishing and had a last attempt with the nymph for a big chub.
After a few drifts I hooked a solid fish but the battle was short as the hook came out
I saw color and suspected it was a big chub.

Ended the day at the pub and ran into some acquaintances from my German syndicate
so I stayed to long in the beer garden.
Last action before sunset was to probe a bridge which yielded the last fish of the day,
a nice roach.

I was early out and about on this day and surprisingly catching loads of roach.
The normally more eager dace where keeping quiet.
The mill bypass was still not finished and now they estimated that it would be ready in June … six months late.
Off course the budget for the works had been exceeded accordingly and what I could figure from the German
newspaper reports was that the weekly progress meetings where not happy affairs.

The issue the local fisherman have with the works is that the lowering of the mill weir due to the works
has caused the water level upstream to drop several feet meaning all the fish are gone because
there was no place to hide anymore.
Maybe they will return once the works have finished.
What I did notice in the village where the logs put in vertically in the streambed at the most desolate
featureless section of the stream in the middle of the village.
I am pretty sure these have been put in by the local fishing club and will in the end be part of a
construction to create deeper pools in the otherwise flat sandy bottom.

On this day the pub that I frequented in the past was reopened under new management as I sat
down at my usual spot in front of the fireplace I noticed that they had done some rebuilding works.
The fireplace was molested with a glass cover, sheer sacrilege for something build in 1794.
Sure it would be more fuel efficient but it just did not seem right to do such a thing.
I tried to order a beer and some food but was told that on this opening day only the beer garden
was open. It was a miscalculation from me that things would be as in the past as on this day the
only food could be obtained from a snack caravan in the yard and the only beer served was in
plastic cups … bloody heretics 🙂
At least the band they hired was pretty good and the weather stayed warm and nice.
As I sat in the beer garden I ran into some of my local fishing club members so I spend maybe
a bit too much time drinking that fishing but it was sunny and warm so not a real punishment
to be outside.
Afterwards I tried for larger trout in some of the upstream sections of the stream but could not
get any fish although there were some sporadic rises from fish every time in different spots.
A nice day to be in the outdoors.

The session did not turn out as planned as the usual suspects would not cooperate but if you know your haunts there is always something possible.

After the housemartins I finally have seen the common swifts again soaring above the city.
Also spotted today the first big mayflies.

I went on another excursion to the stream, still not warm and struggled to get some fish.
This day was another one colder than Christmas so one for the records.
Due to some miscommunication my buddy and I ended up at the wrong spot which was
only good when fish where stocked.
It did not take long to figure out that the fish where scarce as the usual telltale signs of
fish presence just where not there.

Still a deep fish nymph did yield some of the smaller fish from the deeper holes and I
actually lost a trout that was about legal size.
My buddy was in conflict with the trees and streambed constantly and was not that
happy as he was in his own words “more busy with tying on tippet, flies and getting untangled”
than fishing.
Oh … just wait untill all the foliage is fully out … sheer hell in the jungle 🙂

As fishing was not that great I took out the landing net for some stream sampling.
I kicked up some stones and debris with the net positioned downstream and got a nice
collection of scuds, caddis larvae and a stone loach.

After a while my buddy and I concluded that the stretch we where fishing at sucked so
off to a more urban setting where fishing could be better.
I managed a few dace and roach and for a moment it got exciting as a brown trout
raced behind a roach I had caught.
Off course I tried to get the trout but he would not come out of lair for a go at either nymph
or streamer.
Dace where rising in the stream so I ended the day with a dace on a sedge pattern.

The pike season has opened at the Neighbors so I tried to get one and behold one was actually
following my fly.
Unfortunately that following was all the pike did and whatever I tried to get another response
failed.  After donating  lure nr.4 into sunken debris at the mill pool I called it quits and switched to
tactics for the silver fish.

There where insects about (some kind of small mayfly) but no rising fish.
Even with the nymph I got zero hits so I wondered if I would blank today.
I decided to search for fish in the more sheltered locations in the nearby village and when I looked
onto the stream from a bridge I noticed a rise further upstream.
I went upstream and watched for a while and yes, it where dace surface feeding.

The sedge yielded one small fish but rises where not really consistent so I tried a nymph also.
The moment the nymph went down it was grabbed by a larger dace.
Alas the action was short lived as no further fish showed themselves
Other locations in the village did yield some dace but those where tiny.
I called it a day and checked out the nearby nature reserve to see how the geese where doing.Greylag Goose (Anser anser)

Forecast was a warm day and indeed it was, the wind however was a factor I had not thought of.
Plan A. was to check out the chub stream and see if there were any chub feeding in the surface.
Plan B. was to check the usual haunts for fish.

The wind was way heavier than I had expected and to fish the open water of plan A did not seem
like a good idea as that surface feeding would probably be off.
So plan B was set in motion but the water in the stream was pretty low and I hardly could get any
fish. The nymph yielded some smaller dace and behold a gudgeon but that was about it.
Off course I made several casts to the goldfish I spotted but to no avail.