Fools day? I don't think so!

1st April

Was a lovely morning; none of the mist of last week. It wasn't too windy either, which helped the terrible casters three, as it was blowing towards us.

We booked in and had some usual good humoured banter with that lovely chap who does Saturdays. I can't remember his name, which is a bit embarrassing because at least he remembered our surnames!

He gave us some excellent advice as to where to fish..

"Anywhere down the edge with a small black fly, near bank size 14".

Not small by my standards but having tied a load of #14  Shipmans in the pub the previous day, I was feeling rather confident.

The reason I chose to go with the Shipman buzzer was because of what I observed last week. Trout sort of smutting but not really breaking the surface. I figured I needed a fly just subsurface and not too big.

Couldn't fail.  Fished one on the point and one dropper. I soon had my limit and the Shipman content of my fly box was decimated by Jon.

Bone had tied up some suspender buzzers which also proved a success.

Interesting to note: Bone had two Shipmans hooks straightened and me one. I had this before with Shipmans on a different venue. Today the flies we used were tied on top quality hooks, tested on the vice. I would really appreciate any comments about this. Mind you I did land plenty successfully.

We all had our limit and the lucky ones went back.

Jon in sublime mode

All sold at the pub

Happy morning on Blithfield

I decide on an early night. My turn to drive.
Mr Weed has an early night.
Jon has an early night.
Phil leaves his missus up the pub to have an early night.
Bone sticks it out 'till 2 in the morning dancing and singing the Karaoke

So Phil, who lives opposite me  knocked on at 7.00 and we then debated whether Bone would be up or even up for it!
Amazingly his kit was already outside his house and we duly loaded it  into the car. But boy did Bone look rough! He was obviously still under the influence. Glad HE wasn't driving.
We motored to meet Jon and after our usual bet on the amount of road kill we headed off.
It was very misty at Blithfield.
We booked in. We had our camo hats on. The other anglers waiting to book in were treated to some Lion Tamer banter.
'I am Laird Locket of Locharber,' anounced Jon.
From then on the conversations and banter was priceless. Everyone was in fits of laughter. A good start.
We had decided to fish from the bank as the news was that the fish were in the margins. We drove about half way down the right bank and stopped, having seen some rises.

It was a tad misty.  Phil giving it a go.

Bone moaned..."This is a crap place, we should be nearer the causeway.Where's me bag duck?" as he rummaged in the boot.
"What bag?" I replied.
Yep, he had forgot his reel etc. Luckily Jon had a spare.

We took no notice of Bone's  opinions of our choice of fishing spot and proceeded to fish for an hour without a tug: My fault. We moved.

Fish on!

Slightly deeper water.

It's the camo hat that does it.

Nice shot of Mr Weed by Phil

Phil was soon in! On a small black buzzer. He later retiered to the bank for some photography and 40 winks. He too was suffering the effects of the previous night.

Yep we really did catch

And another...

I had one next on a green daiwl bach. Then another, then another, then another. I gave Mr Weed one of my flies and he too caught.
Bone went and kipped most of the morning in the car, sleeping off his hangover.
Jon had to wear the 'Mask of the dread' because he blanked. To be honest, I was very lucky as I chose a fly I would not normally use with a buzzer set up, You never stop learning!
A great day!

Explaining to Bone where we had fished while he was asleep.

The mask of the dread

Mr Weed succeeds. No need to go fancy

Today was our first venture out this year with the fly rods. Blithfield was the venue on the Stoke on Trent Angling Society ticket. Rather good value at a cost of nowt except for the boat hire.

We took a rookey; Mick Lloyd, who has decided he would like to try fly fishing.

Now Mick Lloyd is a great guy. Trouble is he does not listen. We have tried and tried to teach him to cast but he still thinks he is casting a carp rod. We have told him to get a lesson from a pro. But he won't. So things didn't look too good for Mick Lloyd today.

On arrival, at 08:00  the delightful lady, who works on Saturday morning, checked our telephoned booking details.
"I've got Kent and Comerford, (she knows us well) but no Lloyd." she remarked.
"Let me have a look, duck," replied Bone, as he  then proceeded to check the diary...
"Who is Mr Weed?" asked Mick.
Then the penny dropped; Mr Weed was supposed to be Mr Lloyd. We have no idea how you could turn 'Lloyd' to 'Weed' but the name will stay forever!
So..Bone in boat number 6 and Weed and me in number7.

Kent, Comerford and Weed tackled up. Weed asked for fly advice.

Funny, really, how such a simple fly does the business!

"Catching on black buzzers, apparently." I suggested. (did some reckie)
"This OK?" said Weed as he showed me a basic but tidy black buzzer with a red thorax.
"Perfect," I remarked, "might do the job."
To be honest, I thought he had chosen a decent fly but with his lack of casting skills, I thought he might struggle to catch.
I then spent ages sorting my leader set up with what I thought would work.
I tied on my favourite fancy tied buzzers, engine on and off we went.

We anchored, off a bay. I grimmaced at Weeds casting.
"Sit down!" I shouted.
"Got one!" came the reply.
I was made up!, Weed had got one! I put it down to luck.

He then caught four trout in half an hour! He missed loads and lost at least 3.

Why had I not had a touch? He caught his within 10 yards of the boat. I was getting frustrated. If we got back to the pub and Weed had caught and I hadn't, I would never live it down.
Worse still, Bone had also caught two!
It went dead for half an hour. We moved, perhaps 100 yards.
I looked in my fly box. A last resort. A black buzzer with a red thorax and, so plain. One of the first flies I had ever tied. It was a very poor attempt! I also found a little black buzzer type thing that I can't remember tying.
I tied them on.
First cast nowt
Second cast... I decided to move the buzzers through the water. Ha Ha!!!!

I had cracked it. I just could not fail!  One after the other! I have never experienced anything like it!
We all caught our limit and returned the rest.

We packed up.

I asked "Weed" where he got his buzzer from.

"It was the one you tied in the pub when giving me a lesson...you should have tied two!"

The good old standard buzzer. Luckily I had one like it..
Another thing to note is that after unhooking my second fish, I noticed the hook straightening. After every other fish I had to reshape the profile!

Just tied the one in the picture in 2 minutes. Makes you think.

A lesson in stealth.

One of us has lost the plot

My son's band

http://www.justtonight.co.uk/
Well all I could ever do was play drums in a band but Liam is singing and playing a strange instrument.

Don't know what the instrument is.
I also wonder how they shared the three jackets!

Long time since

Well it's been a long time since I posted but here's an update.
We have been fishing but not a lot since our holiday last year. Mostly the odd day out to a trout lake or a river visit. We did paste the 'bivvy boys' on an overnight session (yes we now have bivvies) but we have not done the trout match yet and I can't see them beating us!
Bone, Jon and me have re-joined Derby County Angling Club. I have explained why in a previous post.
We will look forward to our occassional trips to the Wye and are indeed thinking of staying overnight to make a proper day of it.
We want to do a bit of everything and the constraints of being members of trout and grayling clubs didn't really suit us. At DCAC we can have a bit of everything. We have also joined a couple of local clubs that have access to some fantastic coarse, trout and grayling fishing. We could not want for more.

A CHUB FROM THE SOW

BONE' S BEEN EATING PIES

WINDERS READY, NEW POLE PURCHASED

Bone and me had a morning on the Sow the other day. We fished it wrong, as one does on a first visit to a new venue; especially a river. I did catch a modest chub in ace condition. Bone went a couple of days later and had some fine perch. This is one of our target waters; not for massive fish as they don't live there (pike maybe!) but we are going for the challenge. You can jump across it in some places!

You can't join them all!

Nothing to do with this post. But a nice place to fish. We are there if you look close!

Well you can't join them all! Clubs that is. We postponed our membership to one club because of health problems. Hopefully my mate is well enough for the new season and we will re-join Derbyshire County.
We like fishing together but I joined The Peacock on the Wye. Unfortunately no one else did so it left me on my own. I have therefore had not enough chances to get my moneys worth. This is no reflection on the Peacock prices as this is a bargain if you can fish often enough.
So I have decided not to re-join. We will have the opportunity to go day ticket on this fabulous piece of water next trout season, and may try the grayling earlier.
We also joined the LTD on the dove. To be honest it too is a fabulous bit of river, seeped in history and full of large fish. We have not made a decision on this yet.. We could always get a day ticket on this special place too.
We are also members of one of the best value clubs in the country..Hanley Angling Society. Apart from a wealth of coarse venues, we also have The Tean (more rain and I reckon big, big grayling in this stretch possible), The Dove, The Churnet (who really knows what you might catch...possibly a rare disease) and a new trout lake to go for.
DCAS has The Dove at Wolfscote, The Dove further down, Miles of the Manifold, The Derwent, Willington, Hoon, Blithfield, etc etc.
We have to think of the rise in the cost of living, fuel prices and  the days we can go fishing together. We also like the odd day out at Seighford, Ellerdine and other day ticket lakes.
We aint that fond of crowds either.
If we joined just DCAS and HAS it would cost us £280 each for the season. I have spent £700 this season...a no brainer methinks.
I have to say that it is my fault I have not had my moneys worth. The Wye and the welcome you get is fabulous. There is a waiting list so my ticket will be soon snapped up.

Just thought I would some snaps of my daughter who I am helping with her photography. My late Dad, who taught me photo techniques would be made up!

Comments welcomed.