Hooray For Noddy!

Fathers Day! this means I get sent fishing with a pat on the back and a special lunch, no bread and dripping today. Where better than my home venue the Wye, especially when the rivers finally running at a good level and the day seemed favorable for a good hatch of mayfly. I arrived around lunchtime and set out from the layby in search of a little solitude and after a short walk downstream I began targeting the clear shallow runs where most of the recent colour had faded into the deeper pools. I landed a wonderfully coloured brown on my second cast and quickly followed with a few rainbows, all taken on my deadly drake pattern which has derived from a super Philip White pattern and has proved itself everywhere, especially with a few Trugg upgrades. I did pass another rod with an ASBO but we can't all be happily mad I suppose, unless it was one of our international members who canna speaka da lingo.

After a couple of hours I decided it was lunchtime and with a Fathers Day Special picnic the girls made for me I made my way to Riverside for a nice piece of grass to picnic on. Well the first suprise was my most excellent Noddy blanket and things got really exciting as I emptied out the goodies. You know when your told its not just about catching, its the whole experience, well after this picnic I think I understand, especially the bottle of Old Golden Hen and the Monster Munch. After relaxing with Noddy for half hour while watching the mayfly begin to show in a few numbers I had a few flicks at Riverside catching a few more.

My next stop was the pumping station in the hope of the long shallows around the barn producing especially with all the fast water just above. Experience payed dividends as I found the fish hard on a good mayfly hatch rising everywhere, instantly I began catching. I was in no doubt that I'd landed in fish paradise where these beautiful unsuspecting fish slowly turn and chase, slowly rising upto the surface and confidently sipping down my fly in the most beautiful slow motion, in fact I cannot stop thinking about it today. The barn section can prove difficult on its day driving the best of us to insanity but not today, I witnessed trout fishing at its absolute best and I've now finally been to paradise after all these years of fishing. After a couple of hours the hatch faded along with the fish so I made my way into town for round 2 of my picnic while watching the cricket, what a perfect day.

 
I finally fished through town where the fish where still very obliging on poly prop spinner, larrys pride and mayfly, so much so that I set off  home way before dusk, totally exhausted from the finest days fishing ever. OMG this river is unbelievable.