Guiding Service

My guiding services are now available to assist fly fishermen on both game and coarse rivers. I'd be happy to advise and arrange your special day anywhere from one of Derbyshires finest trout and grayling rivers to your own local coarse river. Email Mick Martin for details and options. Please copy and paste into your own email info@rivererewashfoundation.co.uk











Sunday 6 September 2009

Dreary Dovedale To Giving It Large At Mayfield

Dovedale

I set out early morning from Dovedale car park to be sure of virgin water instead of rods popping out of the bushes later on in the day and better still I had the place to myself. Her Majesty was still coloured a little from this weeks heavy rain and slightly up on the normal summer level with no insect life or signs of trout to speak of. I had one offer from a good fish nearing the stones but I couldn't escape a negative feeling that this stretch wasn't going to produce the goods today so I decided to up sticks and try Church Mayfield instead. Arriving back at the car I couldn't find my car keys so after emptying my pockets 25 times I ended up back at the stepping stones cursing and swearing. To my relief I eventually spotted the large pink key ring on the captains car keys lying on the riverbed, thank God for that, my missus would have killed me.
The Car park bloke approached with his hand out and I worked out with 50 visits a year that makes £100 on top of the membership fee - worth considering when joining LADFFA as they have no parking.
In Dovedales defence fishing wise, it was very early and things could have picked up later on, but it just didn't feel right if you know what I mean and I suppose friends will tell me it was on fire later in the evening - who knows.


Church Mayfield

On arrival I spotted rising fish along the food lanes under the banks and even with the colour holding, the fish weren't taking any prisoners with tons of surface action. I spent a short while trying a few flies and ideas until I decided to give it large with the size 12's. Its funny how we anglers assume going small will unlock the key to the door when sometimes larging it proves the way to heaven, often resulting in smashing takes on the supersize dry you've offered them.


I will not try to explain why or waffle on about matching the hatch as too many anglers frustrate and hinder themselves searching for a match while trying to solve the invisible puzzle for today. In my experience anything in your flybox is worth a try, especially with no obvious signs of flylife and I have many previous experiences under my belt of matching not catching.




Dry fly action to die for and just me lapping it up like the game junkie I am and although I say so myself, the trout were pretty large today mostly wild fish with only 3 stockies out of 25 browns.
The pictures below justified my quick exit from Dovedale as matching what Mayfield had to offer today would have always been a bridge to far for Dovedale, except for maybe Mayfly season but still doubtful. The best flies were size 12 F-fly and LTD sedge both in hares hair.



Just for the icing on the cake the Ladies put in an appearance just to widen my smile even more. As always they where wriggling like eels for the camera, but I did manage a couple of shots worth showing you.





I know from old that September could throw a few golden days at you and today was a perfect example of brilliant dry fly sport still available as autumn begins to flicker and the nights feel cooler - Go get em boys.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know how you feel - I went up to Dovedale a couple of weeks ago - I just couldn't get into it - came away after an hour.