Flyfishing FWSW

We’ll, I mentioned in my previous HSK report I would do a re-run of the trip if possible.
So I talked to my supervisor at work to get some more time off which was no problem
as it was quiet on the project front.

I opted for the last week of the trout season in Germany, closing oct. 20th.
In the distant past the river I intended to fish would be open after that date
due to the fact that grayling where present.
The grayling season extends normally over the winter but alas not anymore on that stream.

Since the fishing had been slow during the past visit I opted not to buy day tickets for
my travel days .. too expensive for what was offered in my view.
My goal for this trip where to catch some grayling and take pictures of the fall colors.

Since I arrived early on my first day I decided to hike to the viewpoint on top of the hills.
I was not exactly well prepared as I had (in hindsight) the wrong coordinates and 
got lost early in my hike … luckily I crossed a hunter who directed me in the right way.
As I went farther and farther up the hill I noticed lots of signs of wild boar tearing
up the soil next to the path.

I was up on the ridge in a pretty dark part of the forest when I heard something
moving in the forest.
The path I was on looked less travelled and it seemed to dead end so I got my
bearing and finally got the correct coordinates for the viewpoint.
Turned out I walked past it as I took a wrong turn.

The fishing, well as previously quite tough … although it had rained the waterlevel
had hardly risen. With the algae bloom ended the water was clear and littered with leaves.
Still the grayling bite was a lot better than a month before and I caught some nice fish.
The brown trout was bite was not as good, had difficulty finding fish and I
did not expect that at the end of the season the fishing club would be stocking new fish.

Having said that I did manage to catch some nice fish and my pb for brown trout.
That pb fish came on a dry fly in a very shallow part of the stream.
I had learned not to ignore the shallows and long casts with sedge pattern often
delivered fish from places I would normally pass.
The weather was usually pretty drab, light rain and fog  – overcast – low temps.

On my last fishing day the sun came out and a lot of sedges started to fly.
As it was in the weekend all day tickets had been sold out so fisherman where
everywhere and many spots had already been ploughed trough.
With no fish in the deeper pools my last chance of a good fish was the shallows
and just by luck I spotted a rising grayling and could nail it ending the trip
on a positive note.

An opportunity arose to make a last minute fishing trip so plans where put into practice quickly to arrange another road trip.
The recent visit to the Harz region called for more and so we left for a 
second trip at the end of the trout season for that region.
Conditions where excellent weather wise while fishing was not always
easy.

I set goals to catch browntrout, rainbowtrout and grayling and all those
goals where accomplished.
I was most pleased at catching the grayling as I had not expected such
large fish in the river.
When I fished a squirmy through a deeper pool I was amazed at what size grayling where chasing the fly.
Off course catching one on sight was the hightlight of the trip.

With international travel being restricted the local region was crowded.
That caused some challenges with dining as due to limited space 
reservations where often required.
We managed to find less frequented places where you could dine without
reservations. 
At some of the more popular places in town we where turned down but
also had some luck being the last guests admitted as the busy hours started.