I didn't get as much fishing in as I hoped to before my trip to Canada.
I was going to try and get out today but it would be too much of a rush as I have washing to do bags to pack-that sort of thing.
Also off course, make sure I have everything-passport money etc.
So its off to Canada via Dublin to pick my daughters mum up-hope everything goes well-fingers crossed.
Im hoping to take my grandson out fishing on the banks of the Belle River,so all success or lack of it will be on my next post.
See you in a couple of weeks.
Flymanpete
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Mid April.
We had a bit of a flush out last week which gave the river a well needed refreshment.
The trout have been very active with hatches of large dark olives and march browns ( been reading up on fly life--very interesting) around 1-00 to 3-00pm.
Plenty of rising fish but sometimes hard to tempt on the dry fly.
I had a couple the other day-no problem-hooked well in the mouth but yesterday out of the dozen or so I managed to fool into taking my fly, I only hooked one and that caught outside the mouth.
Getting more fish on the nymphs but losing a lot of them-some good ones at that.
Still, its nice to be active with the river fishing well,I thoroughly enjoy it.
I don't seem to get very far from the bridge,its not down to laziness,I just seem to find the action there and the time soon goes by.
At the start of the season I vowed that I would get a move on up/down the river--try different spots but it never works out that way--what the hell I enjoy it.
Talking about bridges-Wolfclyde--my watercolour is ready to pick up.so I must get it framed and hang it pride of place on my living room wall. When I am too old to get out fishing I can sit back, look at it, and dream.
I am away next week to Canada via Waterford and Dublin. I have to pick up an old acquaintance and take her over to see our daughter. I hope all goes well.
I will probably have another two or three days fishing, then get ready packing etc.
No fishy pics on this post,but a nice painting of a bridge.
Wolfclyde Bridge on a Spring day painted by Andrew Lyon
The trout have been very active with hatches of large dark olives and march browns ( been reading up on fly life--very interesting) around 1-00 to 3-00pm.
Plenty of rising fish but sometimes hard to tempt on the dry fly.
I had a couple the other day-no problem-hooked well in the mouth but yesterday out of the dozen or so I managed to fool into taking my fly, I only hooked one and that caught outside the mouth.
Getting more fish on the nymphs but losing a lot of them-some good ones at that.
Still, its nice to be active with the river fishing well,I thoroughly enjoy it.
I don't seem to get very far from the bridge,its not down to laziness,I just seem to find the action there and the time soon goes by.
At the start of the season I vowed that I would get a move on up/down the river--try different spots but it never works out that way--what the hell I enjoy it.
Talking about bridges-Wolfclyde--my watercolour is ready to pick up.so I must get it framed and hang it pride of place on my living room wall. When I am too old to get out fishing I can sit back, look at it, and dream.
I am away next week to Canada via Waterford and Dublin. I have to pick up an old acquaintance and take her over to see our daughter. I hope all goes well.
I will probably have another two or three days fishing, then get ready packing etc.
No fishy pics on this post,but a nice painting of a bridge.
Wolfclyde Bridge on a Spring day painted by Andrew Lyon
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Last week of March
Well the good weather has continued,we still have blue skies and light winds,unusual for Scotland at this time of the year (any time of the year up here) I am making the best of it while it lasts.
However, the river levels are getting a bit low so some rain is needed to give it a good flush out.
So for the final week of March I ventured out twice and had mixed fortunes. The first day I failed to catch--well I did hook two good fish,one was a grayling and the other a trout,but they slipped the hook before I could bring them to hand ( catch and release at a distance,they call it)
Both were in shallow fast water,a place that I wouldn't normally cast a line, but thinking about it now the reason why they were there could have been because there is more oxygen in the faster water--
I was saying that the river was running low.
I then missed a day and went out again, this time with better results.
I thought that I would do an afternoon session so arrived at the river about 3pm thinking that there may be some fly life on the water with rising trout here and there, but no-not a thing-the river looked a bit dead.
Walked up and downstream but couldn't see any rises to cast my dry fly to so opted to fish nymphs again.
Tried the fast water bit again and soon hooked a nice brown trout of about 11", a couple more jabs but nothing else.
After an hour or so I could see the odd fish rising so I quickly changed to the dry and had a take first cast,but no hook up resulted.
Tried chucking the dry fly at other rising fish but that was it,no more offers.
Back on the nymphs and soon had a very nice trout of about 1lb and a bit.
It gave me a good fight for its size-I don't think the photo does it justice-it was far chubbier and more beautifully coloured, not really shown on the picture below.
The end of an enjoyable afternoon at Wolfclyde Bridge on the last week of March
2 nice brown trout--I am happy with that.
However, the river levels are getting a bit low so some rain is needed to give it a good flush out.
So for the final week of March I ventured out twice and had mixed fortunes. The first day I failed to catch--well I did hook two good fish,one was a grayling and the other a trout,but they slipped the hook before I could bring them to hand ( catch and release at a distance,they call it)
Both were in shallow fast water,a place that I wouldn't normally cast a line, but thinking about it now the reason why they were there could have been because there is more oxygen in the faster water--
I was saying that the river was running low.
I then missed a day and went out again, this time with better results.
I thought that I would do an afternoon session so arrived at the river about 3pm thinking that there may be some fly life on the water with rising trout here and there, but no-not a thing-the river looked a bit dead.
Walked up and downstream but couldn't see any rises to cast my dry fly to so opted to fish nymphs again.
Tried the fast water bit again and soon hooked a nice brown trout of about 11", a couple more jabs but nothing else.
After an hour or so I could see the odd fish rising so I quickly changed to the dry and had a take first cast,but no hook up resulted.
Tried chucking the dry fly at other rising fish but that was it,no more offers.
Back on the nymphs and soon had a very nice trout of about 1lb and a bit.
It gave me a good fight for its size-I don't think the photo does it justice-it was far chubbier and more beautifully coloured, not really shown on the picture below.
The end of an enjoyable afternoon at Wolfclyde Bridge on the last week of March
2 nice brown trout--I am happy with that.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Good weather-trout feeding the return of our resident osprey? How bad is that.
Got round at last to doing my blog .
I went out Thursday and what a lovely day it was--too good in fact for fishing, the trout don't like bright weather,they get spooky and hard to catch, but I was in for a pleasant surprise.
First of all,
I heard it before I saw it--right over my head- the returning osprey.
It was being mobbed by crows and gulls with noisy oystercatchers giving their penny worth.
The osprey looked on the small side so I am not sure if it was a juvenile or a male.
Whether it was our local bird or just passing through I don't know,any way I had some fantastic views of it hovering over the water ready to pounce on an unsuspecting trout,unfortunately it moved on down river without diving.
Back to the fishing,
I started off just before the bridge and after 30 minutes I was into a nice grayling,which was duly netted photoed and released.
I used my new iphone to take the shot dropping it into the water at the same time.
All is well with it however,I was lucky,water and electrical gadgets don't go well together.
I have now bought a waterproof bag(used for water sports,all your gadgets go in it and it hangs around your neck) to keep my phone dry.
I have also purchased a new camera,this time its water proof being able to take shots underwater,that should be good.I am looking forward to using it.
So after catching the grayling I moved further up river but had no further offers.
I then turned round and went the other side of the bridge,there are good spots just downstream,but nothing doing.
A couple of fish rising but I couldn't tempt them to my fly.
I finally returned to the spot that I had started at,had a chat with a fellow angler and contemplated packing in and heading homeward.
"Sod it" I thought, lets give it another go and to my surprise winkled out 3 nice trout from the same spot as the grayling.
So it all ended up a successful day.
I was happy.
A nice view of Wolfclyde Bridge on a sunny day
I went out Thursday and what a lovely day it was--too good in fact for fishing, the trout don't like bright weather,they get spooky and hard to catch, but I was in for a pleasant surprise.
First of all,
I heard it before I saw it--right over my head- the returning osprey.
It was being mobbed by crows and gulls with noisy oystercatchers giving their penny worth.
The osprey looked on the small side so I am not sure if it was a juvenile or a male.
Whether it was our local bird or just passing through I don't know,any way I had some fantastic views of it hovering over the water ready to pounce on an unsuspecting trout,unfortunately it moved on down river without diving.
Back to the fishing,
I started off just before the bridge and after 30 minutes I was into a nice grayling,which was duly netted photoed and released.
I used my new iphone to take the shot dropping it into the water at the same time.
All is well with it however,I was lucky,water and electrical gadgets don't go well together.
I have now bought a waterproof bag(used for water sports,all your gadgets go in it and it hangs around your neck) to keep my phone dry.
I have also purchased a new camera,this time its water proof being able to take shots underwater,that should be good.I am looking forward to using it.
So after catching the grayling I moved further up river but had no further offers.
I then turned round and went the other side of the bridge,there are good spots just downstream,but nothing doing.
A couple of fish rising but I couldn't tempt them to my fly.
I finally returned to the spot that I had started at,had a chat with a fellow angler and contemplated packing in and heading homeward.
"Sod it" I thought, lets give it another go and to my surprise winkled out 3 nice trout from the same spot as the grayling.
So it all ended up a successful day.
I was happy.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A good start to the trout season.
I have been out now three times since the beginning of the season and what joy it has been to get away from the the house.Winters up here in Scotland seem to last ages.
Now there is a bit of spring in the air,mild weather and good river levels have brought the trout out to feed.
I have had a few,good size at around 12oz to a pound and a bit, a couple of nice grayling have come to the net as well.
I will be posting some pictures of my catches as soon as my camera dries out--had a little mishap-it got a bit wet.
The birds on the river have been active-with pied and grey wagtails flirting about and the odd kingfisher speeding by.
Over head the buzzards have been displaying trying to compete with the crows as to who is the best manoeuvre'r in the sky.
Oyster catchers are in, in numbers, laying out their territory and making a right old racket doing it.
I am sure that the odd swallow and sand martins are about but I haven't seen them yet (too busy casting my fly.)
And of course the favourite--our local osprey he will be here soon.
(Not finished yet with this blog-be back later.)
Back again.--
Didn't go out today until 12-00, it was a bit windy but I had nothing else to do so off I went.
The idea was to just fish the dry fly but as I walked the river there was nothing rising so I put on the nymphs and soon was into a nice fish a grayling of about a pound.
Todays grayling
That was the only fish I had,but I was happy to catch something,see if I can do better tomorrow.
I managed to retrieve some of my shots from my waterlogged phone so here is a tout I caught yesterday.
Now there is a bit of spring in the air,mild weather and good river levels have brought the trout out to feed.
I have had a few,good size at around 12oz to a pound and a bit, a couple of nice grayling have come to the net as well.
I will be posting some pictures of my catches as soon as my camera dries out--had a little mishap-it got a bit wet.
The birds on the river have been active-with pied and grey wagtails flirting about and the odd kingfisher speeding by.
Over head the buzzards have been displaying trying to compete with the crows as to who is the best manoeuvre'r in the sky.
Oyster catchers are in, in numbers, laying out their territory and making a right old racket doing it.
I am sure that the odd swallow and sand martins are about but I haven't seen them yet (too busy casting my fly.)
And of course the favourite--our local osprey he will be here soon.
(Not finished yet with this blog-be back later.)
Back again.--
Didn't go out today until 12-00, it was a bit windy but I had nothing else to do so off I went.
The idea was to just fish the dry fly but as I walked the river there was nothing rising so I put on the nymphs and soon was into a nice fish a grayling of about a pound.
That was the only fish I had,but I was happy to catch something,see if I can do better tomorrow.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Eat Sleep&Fish Enzine
I was asked if I would like to write a short article for a new Enzine about flyfishing the Clyde
Here is my contribution. Edition #3 published February 2012.
The Upper Clyde
It didn’t take me a lot of thought, it was an easy decision—my business down here in London was on its knees, too much debt, not enough orders, now was a good time for a big change.
I sold my house, paid off my debts, loaded my van and headed North.
Living on her own in Edinburgh, my mother needed me, she was in her eighties and was suffering from dementia.
I had been away from home for forty and a bit years,now I was in the position to look after her,to give her a bit of my time and of course a chance to fish the Clyde.
Its only when I am well up the M74 and have crossed the Clyde for the first time that I feel I am nearly home.
My first glimpse of the river is at Telford Bridge,then running to Crawford and Abington.
This is the upper Clyde, it has a long way to go until it reaches Glasgow and then into the sea.
I have made this trip many a time and looked across the fields to the river.
One of these days I am going to be down there”—I say to myself.
Well here I am, it won’t be long now,I am starting to get excited.I turn off the motorway at Abington Service Station on to the A702,I am now heading for Lamington , Biggar then on to Edinburgh and my mum.
What’s all that stuff you are buying she asks me “Em!! Just a little bit of fishing gear—not a lot just a few bits” is my reply. ”
Hope you are going to have time to look after me and not be out gallivanting “she retorts.
“Wont do that mum – I will just go now and then.
I will get you settled first, make sure you have everything - only be away for a couple of hours. Not all the time just now and then “ I repeated.“Make sure you bring me back a fish for my tea then” she says and laughs.“ Will do"
I don’t kill fish from the river, just the ones from our local stocked pond.I will get her a rainbow now and then, she won’t know the difference ,it will keep her happy.
The stretch of the Clyde that I fish is from Wolfclyde Bridge
(that’s where the last wolf in Scotland was shot—reportedly)
up to Telford Bridge just by the motorway.You could not wish for a better brown trout and grayling water.Miles and miles of crystal clear water that would take you more than a lifetime to explore.
I can go out some days and not see a sole.Plenty of cows and sheep to keep you company and there are always dippers, wagtails chirping away by the river side-kingfishers dashing past-buzzards soaring in the sky.
If you are lucky you may get a glimpse of an otter or watch an osprey plucking fish out of the water.
Well there you are—I’ve told you a little bit about the river where I spend my time.
And I’ve told you how I come to be there. My mum passed away last April and I miss her.
I won’t be coming back South, I will be staying up here spending my retiring years fishing the Clyde.
So if you are travelling on the M74 and you look over the fields to the river, that lone fisher could be me—why don’t you join me, you would be more than welcome.
A wee Clyde brownie
Just about to start a grayling seasion at Wolfclyde Bridge.
Here is my contribution. Edition #3 published February 2012.
The Upper Clyde
It didn’t take me a lot of thought, it was an easy decision—my business down here in London was on its knees, too much debt, not enough orders, now was a good time for a big change.
I sold my house, paid off my debts, loaded my van and headed North.
Living on her own in Edinburgh, my mother needed me, she was in her eighties and was suffering from dementia.
I had been away from home for forty and a bit years,now I was in the position to look after her,to give her a bit of my time and of course a chance to fish the Clyde.
Its only when I am well up the M74 and have crossed the Clyde for the first time that I feel I am nearly home.
My first glimpse of the river is at Telford Bridge,then running to Crawford and Abington.
This is the upper Clyde, it has a long way to go until it reaches Glasgow and then into the sea.
I have made this trip many a time and looked across the fields to the river.
One of these days I am going to be down there”—I say to myself.
Well here I am, it won’t be long now,I am starting to get excited.I turn off the motorway at Abington Service Station on to the A702,I am now heading for Lamington , Biggar then on to Edinburgh and my mum.
What’s all that stuff you are buying she asks me “Em!! Just a little bit of fishing gear—not a lot just a few bits” is my reply. ”
Hope you are going to have time to look after me and not be out gallivanting “she retorts.
“Wont do that mum – I will just go now and then.
I will get you settled first, make sure you have everything - only be away for a couple of hours. Not all the time just now and then “ I repeated.“Make sure you bring me back a fish for my tea then” she says and laughs.“ Will do"
I don’t kill fish from the river, just the ones from our local stocked pond.I will get her a rainbow now and then, she won’t know the difference ,it will keep her happy.
The stretch of the Clyde that I fish is from Wolfclyde Bridge
(that’s where the last wolf in Scotland was shot—reportedly)
up to Telford Bridge just by the motorway.You could not wish for a better brown trout and grayling water.Miles and miles of crystal clear water that would take you more than a lifetime to explore.
I can go out some days and not see a sole.Plenty of cows and sheep to keep you company and there are always dippers, wagtails chirping away by the river side-kingfishers dashing past-buzzards soaring in the sky.
If you are lucky you may get a glimpse of an otter or watch an osprey plucking fish out of the water.
Well there you are—I’ve told you a little bit about the river where I spend my time.
And I’ve told you how I come to be there. My mum passed away last April and I miss her.
I won’t be coming back South, I will be staying up here spending my retiring years fishing the Clyde.
So if you are travelling on the M74 and you look over the fields to the river, that lone fisher could be me—why don’t you join me, you would be more than welcome.
Friday, February 10, 2012
My French Leader set-up
I had tried the so called French Leader Method a couple of years ago without success.
After obtaining as much information as I could from the Internet, down the Clyde I went to give it a go.
Well!! what a mess I got into.
"How are you meant to cast this thing without the need of the fly line" I thought.
I could not get my line out whatsoever, it ended up in a tangled mess around my rod and feet.
After a half hour or so of exasperated and embarrassing effort, not wanting to be noticed by my fellow anglers, I packed it in and went back to more conventional methods.
Then-at the beginning of last year I decided to have another go.
I had come to realize that my lack of success was part due to my rod and set-up.
This time I had opted for a 10ft #3, this would give me the required length and softness to be able to cast my extra long leader.
With further small modifications and lots of practice, I was finally able to apply this method quite easily with some confidence.
It is now my main method of nymphing and I am using it on the Clyde with great success.
My rod is a 10ft #3 Marryat Tactical and Orvis Battenkill reel loaded with #3 flyline.
The lightness of this set-up enables me to fish with an outstretched arm for long periods.
Attached to the fly line, loop to loop, is a 9 metre Hends Camou tapered leader.
I cut- off about 2 metres from the small end of this leader and tie on 2 metres of 8lbs bs mono.
The reason for this is that the small float stops need to be a nice tight fit to enable you to adjust the group of stops to the right position for the sighter.(a lighter line would not have the required diameter )
Attached to this (loop to loop) would then be your tippet section.
The distance from the loop to the first dropper, I set at 1m, which is about the shortest distance from the sighter that I would want to position it.
While fishing, by sliding the stops up the 8lb mono section I can increase this distance to suit the depth and angle of the sighter.
I fish 3 nymphs with the heaviest on the point (the heavier the point fly the easier it is to cast.)
I don't want to go too heavy with the nymphs, as they need to travel down stream naturally and not like a set of anchors.
As I want all my nymphs to be hugging bottom the maximum distance I would set them apart up from the point fly would be 60cm.
So thats the set-up,but you may need to twiddle around with it to meet the conditions of the day.
The whole idea of this method is to be able to present your nymphs to the fish,at distance, at the speed of the current.
I make an upstream cast and while holding the rod up high let them trundle down past me.
The sighter would be held half out of the water, any dip or stop could indicate a take, most cases will be the nymphs snagging bottom, but after a while you can identify what is a bite or not.
I fish this method on the upper Clyde at Lamington,Abington and Crawford.
Its not a massive water but nor is it a little stream.
Whilst shallow wading, using this method, I can almost present my nymphs near to the far bank.
I would normally enter the water at the tail end of the swim and work my way upstream on a short line
I may only be using half of the 9 metres of leader (czech nymphing its probably called)
Depending on results at the end of the run, I would then go back down stream maybe on a different line, this time using the full extent of the leader.
I have had a lot of good days using this method and I hope to continue, this coming trout season.
However when the season gets into swing and the water temperature rises, I am going to concentrate on the wee dry fly on a shorter rod to see if I can hook up with our resident monster broonies.
After obtaining as much information as I could from the Internet, down the Clyde I went to give it a go.
Well!! what a mess I got into.
"How are you meant to cast this thing without the need of the fly line" I thought.
I could not get my line out whatsoever, it ended up in a tangled mess around my rod and feet.
After a half hour or so of exasperated and embarrassing effort, not wanting to be noticed by my fellow anglers, I packed it in and went back to more conventional methods.
Then-at the beginning of last year I decided to have another go.
I had come to realize that my lack of success was part due to my rod and set-up.
This time I had opted for a 10ft #3, this would give me the required length and softness to be able to cast my extra long leader.
With further small modifications and lots of practice, I was finally able to apply this method quite easily with some confidence.
It is now my main method of nymphing and I am using it on the Clyde with great success.
My rod is a 10ft #3 Marryat Tactical and Orvis Battenkill reel loaded with #3 flyline.
The lightness of this set-up enables me to fish with an outstretched arm for long periods.
Attached to the fly line, loop to loop, is a 9 metre Hends Camou tapered leader.
I cut- off about 2 metres from the small end of this leader and tie on 2 metres of 8lbs bs mono.
The reason for this is that the small float stops need to be a nice tight fit to enable you to adjust the group of stops to the right position for the sighter.(a lighter line would not have the required diameter )
Attached to this (loop to loop) would then be your tippet section.
The distance from the loop to the first dropper, I set at 1m, which is about the shortest distance from the sighter that I would want to position it.
While fishing, by sliding the stops up the 8lb mono section I can increase this distance to suit the depth and angle of the sighter.
I fish 3 nymphs with the heaviest on the point (the heavier the point fly the easier it is to cast.)
I don't want to go too heavy with the nymphs, as they need to travel down stream naturally and not like a set of anchors.
As I want all my nymphs to be hugging bottom the maximum distance I would set them apart up from the point fly would be 60cm.
So thats the set-up,but you may need to twiddle around with it to meet the conditions of the day.
The whole idea of this method is to be able to present your nymphs to the fish,at distance, at the speed of the current.
I make an upstream cast and while holding the rod up high let them trundle down past me.
The sighter would be held half out of the water, any dip or stop could indicate a take, most cases will be the nymphs snagging bottom, but after a while you can identify what is a bite or not.
I fish this method on the upper Clyde at Lamington,Abington and Crawford.
Its not a massive water but nor is it a little stream.
Whilst shallow wading, using this method, I can almost present my nymphs near to the far bank.
I would normally enter the water at the tail end of the swim and work my way upstream on a short line
I may only be using half of the 9 metres of leader (czech nymphing its probably called)
Depending on results at the end of the run, I would then go back down stream maybe on a different line, this time using the full extent of the leader.
I have had a lot of good days using this method and I hope to continue, this coming trout season.
However when the season gets into swing and the water temperature rises, I am going to concentrate on the wee dry fly on a shorter rod to see if I can hook up with our resident monster broonies.
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