The Lion Tamers visit Dovedale

We had an interesting day at Dovedale.

Plenty of fish to dry and nymph. We began at the bottom and finished around the car park. Nothing showing but I started with a JT Olive and lost a belter of a fish on only my second cast. It actually bent my hook.
After a few more speculative casts with no luck, I changed to the duo.

My first. After losing one that straightened my hook.

I was soon 'in' and a nice little brownie took my little nymph. I lost one in the next cast and then had a couple more.

Another.

I know I should wade deeper and closer but I found a swim I fancied, chickened on this occassion and cast a little further. I was soon into another. This time a gorgeous brown about 15"

The Taming Cast

The 'Laird' Lockett

My best of the day

More taming from 'Bone'

I then caught a couple that both smacked my sedge. I love it when this happens!

I did lose a couple of rather large fish in a nice place. I know where they live and before long I will have them!

Both Mick (Bone) and Jon had success and it is amazing the improvement in our techniques, just a year on.

In all, a super day with my fellow 'Tamers'

Today on The Wye

My first day as a member of The Peacock Club.



I have to say I was really looking forward to this day, having booked just over a week ago when the weather was truly lovely.
I was taking Keith, a really nice guy from Leicester who, I had met last year when on a 'John Tyzack weekend' (Pi.. up) on the Tees.
Keith had never fished the Wye before and that worried me a tad as I have only been half a dozen times previously and did not want him to rely on me for info. I still have very basic knowledge in fly fishing and anyone who has been with me will certainly endorse this!
We met at the hotel at 10:00 and discussed tactics. (blind leading the blind). The Wye was low but several anglers had had good days in the previous week (Glen Pointon, Dave Woods, John Tyzack, and Mick Martin). No pressure then!
The idea was  to start at Cauldwell Mill, fish for a couple of hours, have lunch and try near the town later.
Walking up the meadow we saw another angler in a nice spot that I was going to suggest to Keith as I dearly wanted him to catch on his first visit.
So, change of plan, we wandered further up, found a couple of likely spots and began to cast.
It was far from warm and a NW wind was building up which didn’t help.

Luckily, having missing a take on my second cast, I caught a nice little rainbow a couple of minutes later..
We’d only been there about 10 minutes when Jan turned up and informed us that there were 11 anglers on today and 5 were just upstream on the same stretch.
We made an instant decision and drove up to Scot’s Garden.

The wind had got up and we both found it very difficult to cast. However, I spotted a rise and I sat for some while, watching a fish that was obviously on the feed. I couldn’t tell what it was taking but I fluked a cast to where it was and it took my little sedge almost immediately. A lovely rainbow was landed, just over a couple of pounds I reckon.
I can honestly say that was a great moment for me as it was the biggest trout I had caught outside the ‘town’ section.
I then lost one and missed a few takes before it was time to walk downstream.
We walked through the busy town and Keith was amazed how the huge trout there were competing for the bread with the ducks. I have to say, it is an eye opener even to some one who has seen it before, and I remarked, “You can have a crack at them later.” The smell of fish and chips then stimulated something in my brain and I wanted some.

I managed a couple more

But we resisted and wandered downstream. I then managed to catch a couple more, missing several, just past the Rec.
Keith then caught his first wild rainbow. We were made up! He was obviously delighted but not as much as me. The wind was causing all sorts of problems. It was so blustery and you really had to time your cast.

Tummy clock ticked and the chip shop called. We made our way back to the town and had some fodder. Although only about 16:30, it was getting much cooler and the crowds had gone. I suggested to Keith that we might try this stretch now and call it a day.

Take a big net for the town section

A change of leader and a LTD sedge landed me a few nice trout to about 4lb.

Keith lost two. The Police arrived and Keith was questioned as someone had reported us fishing the hallowed water! (The policeman was very courteous and obviously knows what a poacher looks like. All good banter!)

At about 17:00 we packed up.

An excellent day

LTDFFA

Just recovered from the LTDFFA do at the Izaak Walton Hotel.

Met some great guys and had a memorable fly tying demo from Paul Gaskell.
Glen showed us a couple of patterns, tied back to front as usual. A lovely buffet, a great hotel and copious amounts of beer. One of the Tamers didn’t turn in until 5 in the morning yet we all made breakfast. There are some who didn’t!!!

The photos tell their own story.

Testing the bed

Mick 'one brace' Kent

The Master at work

Proper tying

Glen struggling to focus

Jon sporting a 'King Tut'

Low light shrimp patterns from Paul

Well I have not blogged for a while, I have either been too busy or not fishing.


The lion Tamers have joined a select group of fisherfolk and now have access to an exclusive beat of the River Dove. We are going to a meet soon and I will post more news later.

I have joined The Peacock beat at Rowsley which gives me access to the River Wye to Bakewell and the right to fish the River Lathkill as featured in Izaak Walton's book.

In the meantime, I have been tying! Glen Pointon nipped round the other evening to pick up the membership cards I designed for the new Dove syndicate.It didn't take long to get on the vice and Glen showed me how to tie a killer for the Wye....

He also grabbed the guitar and was surprised it was actually in tune!

Two new Lion Tamers have been press ganged...

Dino and Yica join Bone and me for a pint in the Cow. Jon was milking cows at the time.

Me and Bone had a day on Blithfield. Conditions were lovely for sunbathing. Unfortunately we could not find the fish.

 We have booked a holiday in Crete with a couple of other lads.

Bentley Brook

I have been asked to post this again. Sorry if you have read it before!

I joined LADFFA last year. The Best club in England! They said. Isaac Walton himself fished the streams.


The Forums said, ‘Try Bentley brook on the estate’.

I decided to try out Bentilee brook.

Now look, without getting angry, I know where ‘Bentilee brook’ is! I was brought up on the said council estate and it is about time LADFFA sorted its maps out. They even spelled it wrong.

I programmed my very good value RAC Sat Nav from Halfords and guess what? It wanted to send me all the way to Ashbourne! The RAC are going to get a curt letter off me too!

Any how. I only went to Bentilee brook (on the ‘Estate’) the once and was shocked to see how small it was! Mind you it is a casters dream. I managed to reach the far bank on more than one occasion, I can tell you!

I did, however, feel a little intimidated by the amount of dubious comings and goings from residents of the nearby houses. Trust me to pick a day when the local teenage girls were out in force on a fancy pushchair walk. A bit of a nuisance but it is nice to see them baby minding for their parents; who says family values are a thing of the past? Having said that, it was no worse than Dovedale.



Having waded up through the culvert to the drain area; I was in my element, I have to say it is easy wading, avoiding the attentions of the local dogs (take a wading stick and some meat), I only managed one small stickleback and that was foul hooked; (for the technical I was fishing the ‘quadro’. I hit the stickleback with my point fly; a home tied striped nymph (‘size 2 Waddington with half gold tungsten bead, medium olive dubbing, badger hackle and a grey minkie tail). I also had three droppers. Illegal I know, but I did manage to swop the whole rig for a very strange hand rolled cigarette and rabbit pelt from a young guy who was admiring the alloys on my car.

I asked his name: ‘Shy Ted’ was his reply and he was well shy, trying to hide his face in on of those hooded things you can get from any fly fishing shop these days. A great leveller, fishing, I thought. He must have been some expert on the brook though, judging by the amount of caked up fish slime down his top and his piercing ruby red eyes, which I imagine was the result of concentrating on his flies drifting between discarded cider bottles. (We really do need a work party there soon).

He did give me a piece of advice. “We use Jeyes Fluid. That get’s ‘em all on the Dove!” I have heard of the “Yanks” spraying their flies with WD40 but I shall certainly give the old Jeyes a try on my next outing.

It is no wonder people on the forums say Bentilee Brook is difficult!

My lasting memory is quite positive, however. The sight of the huge water voles scuttling around my feet was a delight. What large tails they have.

Imagine my surprise when I met the same guy at Dovedale selling dust caps just a week later. I bought some spares and after the some pressure, I lent him my new hand made 7” #3 rod for him to try. He has promised to give me a review. He also showed me his box of ‘live red flies’ how I would love to be able to tie those!

Luckily for me when I arrived back at the car park I noticed that my dust caps must have rattled loose over the cattle grids so managed to replace them. I owe him one! Would have cost me a fortune at a dealership.



It is a shame that those poor young kids at Dovedale have to live in caves and things and have to wander up and down a path all day with not even a shirt to their name. They should take a leaf out of that ‘Shy Ted’s’ book and get a house on The Bentilee Estate; they even give you money to live there if you haven't got a job. I presume that is where all the LADFFA subscriptions go!

I am eagerly awaiting the review of the rod he borrowed.

1953 Invoice

I found this in an old book given to me by a dear friend at Xmas. She bought it in a second hand shop. The book is a fascinating read: Fly-Tying: Principles & Practise by Major Sir Gerald Burrard, Bt., D.S.O., (Retired)
The guy who owned the book ordered the following.
Mail order was so different.
I note the Polar Bear and Condor quills.
What would he have tied from this lot?
Can someone help with the address as although the handwriting is beautiful, I can't make it out.?

"I think they can see your gut, Sir!"

Warmer weather please

No posts for a long while. Bone and me did venture out prior to Xmas but the results were not worth blogging.
However, I am getting excited about the forthcoming season.
I am the only one out of the three of us to have joined The Peacock club. This will be mainly mid week during the school hols. So Billy No mates but too good to miss for me.
We have just found some excellent waters for the weekends!
More to come!!!!