Weather and Olympics

Obviously, like most other people, fly fishing has taken a back seat recently, what with the weather and Olympics. I've been pretty much glued to the TV for the last two weeks, with the exception of one evening. The Olympics has been amazing, and I'm feeling a gaping hole in my TV sports life now, but hopefully that will be filled with some good evenings of fly fishing in the next few weeks.

The one exception came last Tuesday evening, when, after busy weekends for the last month, I decided to try out the River Aire. To semi-quote Phil Collins, I could not feel it In the Aire tonight....the other night. Anyways, bad puns aside it was high and coloured, a usually shallow fast riffle was a chocolate maelstrom. Sat on the riverside for an hour before deciding that dinner and yet more Olympics would be a better option.

So, now that its all over (I even got to see GB win a gold and bronze in the canoe sprint finals on Saturday, epic) I decided to spend an hour at the vice this evening. Below are my first attempts at sedge patterns. Top two are Coyhaique Caddis patterns from this months FF and FT, and the bottom is a deer spun sedge I copied from my fly box (bought a couple of years ago when I didn't know what a sedge was...but it looked nice!).

Fishing and tweeting

Started using twitter a lot more these days,  not for shameless self promotion, more to try and get engaged in the UK and worldwide fly fishing and general angling community. After a year and a half in the north I thought it may be useful to try and connect with more like minded fly fishers, and twitter seems like a decent place considering the about of people/tweeters I've found!

So, if you want to hear about my fly fishing experiences in less than 150 characters, follow me here and I'll follow you back.

Anyway, back to the real reason for this post. Had my best day all season so far last weekend with nine fish in the net including this beaut below

A little too big for my 11" net and I reckon it was around 12-14", this picture doesn't do it justice. Yeh, yeh, yeh I hear you say but honestly it doesn't! Its kinda wrapped around my hand, didn't want to mess around too long trying to take pictures so its a one shot attempt with my phone. Fell to a nymph pattern I tied using V-rib tubing in olive tied around the hook shank, with hares ear and a black tungsten head. Took me by surprise at he was right close to a gap in the bank, thought I was hooked into the bank until he started thrashing! Just middle left of this photo below is where he was sitting, about 3 metres in front of the large bubbles.

Had some interesting action on the dry fly, got one on a CDC emerger. There was no surface action so I guess they were taking either very small terrestrials or nymphs close to the surface. Also managed one on a sherry spinner without a spinner in sight!

Doesn't look like I'll be out for a couple of weeks though, got a day at the cricket then olympic tickets so optimistically I'm thinking the 12th August.

Tight lines to all, and look me up on twitter if you're bored!

Tenkara flies

So, tenkara is getting pretty big over in the UK right now and I had the chance to try it out about two months ago. Its different, but fun, and if you get the chance I'd definitely recommend at least giving it a try.

As everyone knows, the weather has been god awful for fishing, I haven't been out for at least three weeks for various reasons, so my fly box is absolutely rammed. Tonight I thought I'd try something new and tie up some tenkara flies as I needed a change. The resulting flies below are my first four tenkara flies, very quick and relatively easy to tie, now I just need to save up for that new tenkara rod...

Hmmmm don't think I'll be fishing this weekend! Leeds and the surrounding areas have been hit with some serious rain this morning, I reckon if there was anywhere to fish this weekend and you're feeling brave, head to the hills Sunday for some small stream action in the upper reaches. You would have to be brave mind...

 These were taken outside my flat this morning.

One of those days...

Looking at the weather forecast thursday morning it seemed that thursday itself was the only day I would fish all weekend, so I headed up to my favourite spot.

It was nice conditions considering the recent weather and within hald an hour I had a decent fish on, taking a GRHE deep in a pool. If I am honest I was not expecting a fish at all, what I have learnt over the last 2 years fly fishing was completely ignored, and with my fly line dragging ALOT, and my fly in an odd place, I was just retrieving line to cast again and BOOM, fish on. Maybe this is why after 2 minutes he shook me off, just as I was about to get him in the net..."oh well" I thought, decent start and things can only get better (deep breath as I recall my misplaced optimism).

Next pool, saw a few fish rising so tried a Royal Wulff to try and get them excited, which worked pretty well, although after hooking three and losing them all I started questioning everything. No answers came to mind, so I just carried on.

Moved on to a tried and tested long straight reasonably deep run and FINALLY landed a half pounder after losing another two, which made the day. Well I say made the day, I would've been perfectly content fishing with hardly any interest from fish, it is pretty relaxing (most of the time)...

Anyways, here are some pictures from the day, with a nice picture of the fly I used from my phone camera, which decided, for once, to actually focus on something. I need a decent camera quick...

Annual guide day

Had my once a year day out with Steve Rhodes of goflyfishinguk.com about a week ago. This is the second time I have been out with Steve and it never disappoints, the vast wealth of knowledge he has, and the fact that (like a true Yorkshire) he tells me I'm casting like an old lady when my line piles in a heap 3ft in front of me always makes for a good day!

Tough conditions for this particular day, but managed 4 fish, including a 1 1/2 pounder on a dry fly which was unbelievable for me! Never forget that full head out of the water rise....

Steve also introduced me to a couple of new techniques. Tried out a tenkara rod, which is tough to get used to but can give the most delicate presentation. Also tried French nymphing, where a 4m nylon leader is used with no fly line out. Again, a different casting technique is needed but the nylon leader means you don't get any disturbance when lifting off.

Because of the success of the day this annual event has now become a bi-annual event, with a day in September already booked. It is worth the money because I get to fish a new stretch of river, learn heaps about entymology, fishing techniques, fly tying and presentation.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the day, this is just a local stream in Meanwood that I didn't know had small brownies in.

Finally...the duck has been broken

And it was broken in style! By style I mean a half decent day then a decent half day, more George by Asda than Mr Porter... but never the less it was a good week!

Buckden (as I found out last week) is a notorious stretch in the Bradford City AA for being a slow starter in the fishing season, picking up around May normally.
After a slow start I managed to hook into a decent fish, which moved about 3ft to take a Mayfly nymph, quite a sight in shallow clear water. This finally gave me the confidence in my methods I was looking for! The rest of the day I was upstream nymphing in riffles and the head and tail of runs and managed 5 in total, including 4 on a home tied GRHE, first wild river brown trout to a home tied fly. Great day!

Another irrelevant photo, but until I can find that damn lead that connects my camera to my computer, phone pictures will have to do...

So, following this boost I went for a half day on the River Aire at Keighly. Only about 300yds of fishable river here, but again picked up a few fish on my home tied GRHE including my first ever grayling, until some kids thought it was a good place to throw rocks into the river (cue grumpy premature old man rant under my breath...)
So all in all a fantastic week.

Without a doubt makes all the frustrations, wading accidents, rock salmon and tree trout worth it.

Here are a few home tied Mayfly nymphs I made after I embedded the only one I had in a root sticking out the bank....