May Days

May has got to be one of the best months of the fishing year. Perhaps the only strife has been the agony of choice with so many possible destinations to try. Naturally though, May wouldn't be May without a trip or three to the rivers for trout. With an afternoon off today, I was off to Gortleigh like a shot, encouraged by reports that odd Mayfly were showing. And how! From around three in the afternoon the first juicy sample showed up. Another then landed on my sleeve- other smaller olives were also out and although it never went utterly ballistic, it went from being slow to a productive little session:

Best pattern on the day was the "fly line Mayfly"- a real no nonsense job, floats perfectly and doesn't sink after a fish or two. Sadly the trees claimed the one pictured above! Rises were not extremely numerous, strangely, but a dry fly in the steady water accounted for six fish to 11". Great fun- just what afternoons in May were made for!

Elsewhere, sport has been challenging, but also fun at Colliford Reservoir, Cornwall. A dry, not especially windy day saw even the regulars scratching for bites. A team of three did prompt odd takes though- and had I taken my chances, the day would have been much better. I did take a brown of 12", but lost two others, one of which leapt clear and looked a good deal better. Most chances came from getting in amongst it by submerged cover and presenting a couple of bushy "loch" style patterns along with a Daiwl Bach or cruncher on point. Hard work, I must admit, but a great fishery for those who enjoy exploring. Also along to capture the bleak, beautiful scenery was Frazer McBain- who was as surprised as I was to spot a group of noisy spawning carp in one corner of the lake!

Poppers for Trout

Taking trout on poppers is a refreshingly different approach to fly fishing, but why has so little been written on it? Admittedly, these bold creations do look big and conspicuous compared to our subtler fly patterns, but they can be surprisingly good. Hatchlands Fishery was the venue to trial a few new poppers and capture some images of the method in action:

For those who have yet to try the method, it is a fun way to wind up the trout, which come chasing after the popper. Sometimes you get attention literally every cast. The problem is getting these fish to take- you can either stop the fly entirely and let the fish decide or, better still, speed up to try and prompt a take. Either way, it is great visual fun, highly active and frustrating in the best possible sense!

I have to admit, the real key tactic was to fish the "popper and dropper" though. A nymph tied on a three to four feet link to the popper was superbly effective at tempting those fish that followed but wouldn't grab the big target at the surface. The popper thus gets fish chasing and aggressively switched on, whilst a nymph then provides a subtler, easy meal in close proximity. A win-win. The dropper took the bigger fish, but the popper also had its moments and Paul Hamilton got some cracking pictures.

On the road again.

The start of that small window of opportunity that is the British Summer is rapidly gathering pace, with a need to get out and fish while the going is good. This is usually with material in mind- but any excuse to escape the office will do, basically.
First stop was a cracking little session at Woolaston Court, South Wales with friend and ace Bristol tyer John Horsfall. On a C&R ticket we had a fun day trying out new patterns. I've never seen such an array of beautifully tied flies on one tackle bag as John's selection. They certainly tempted me, as well as the fish, and it was his own, unnamed tungsten headed lure that was the king, taking four rainbows. I am also itching to try an ingenious looking may fly from John's vise.


Otherwise, it has been back on the stream, hurtling around north Dewvon in search of the perfect, craggy stream. After some stunning urban shots I couldn't wait to see what photographer Frazer McBain would make of a wild setting. I also need to look out perhaps- after giving him a quick casting lesson with my brook rod he took three brownies all on dry flies! This lad is wasted on the golf course.
If the wild images are half as good as these, I'll be drooling:

The Stream that Time Forgot!

Back to my first summer love last weekend, getting lost on a wild, Westcountry stream, the thoroughly beautiful River Okement above Okehampton. On this occasion it was with the Westcountry Rivers Trust's Toby Russell and photographer Simon Steer to get a story together on a truly unspoiled location.
Armchair fishing this isn't. Across a field bursting with spring bluebells, we found the river rocky and sheer in places. Despite some rain in the week, the water was utterly clear and inviting. Shady corners, bright riffles, deep and secretive pools- this place has all the ingredients for an adventure. We carried out a little kick sample along the way to get a few clues and unsurprisingly, found a vast array of invert life- various stoneclinger nymphs especially prominent:

The trout themselves proved a real challenge on the day and were both easily spooked and rather shy. Small sized nymphs proved the best answer, fished NZ style on fine tippets, a little hare's ear or spider as good as anything for several small but very beautiful brownies. On other occasions, I'm sure I simply spooked the fish- easily done in low water with size 14 waders, even when on your guard!
It's the wild magic of the place that will stay with me though- a really rough hewn and stony sided beat, the wet black of rock slopes under lush spring leaves. Perhaps May is the best month of all for a fly fisher?