Just got back – terrible homeward journey this evening.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a half-pounder on a hackled Red Quill (my own dressing – see below). Saw John Aplin by the river. He recommended a small sedge, twitching it now and then, as described in his recent blog article. I tried it and got a swirling rise from a good fish almost straight away, but when I tightened there was nothing there. I had to stop shortly afterwards in order to drive to Piddletrenthide, where I was staying, and get something to eat (and drink!).
Saw two members by the river yesterday. They’d fished the same stretch that morning, but saw no rises and caught nothing. At one point, I heard what I thought was probably a pike or very large trout slashing at a smaller fish in the margins. Whatever it was, it was definitely a fish, and it certainly wasn’t taking a fly!
Today was slightly better, although I ended up blank. When I arrived there were a few olives around. I didn’t bother to check, but assumed they were probably spinners left over from the previous evening. By 1030, though, there was precious little sign of fly life apart from the odd crane fly in the bankside vegetation. During the next couple of hours, I managed to find and cover three rising fish. The first showed no interest in anything at all. Same with the last one. I spent some time on the middle fish, though, resting him every now and then to make sure I hadn’t put him down. He ignored my Red Quill, but rose (short) to a size 14 Little Red Sedge. I tried him with a Hare’s Ear Nymph, but he wasn’t interested. An interesting couple of days. The river looked absolutely lovely in the September sunshine, and I didn’t really mind the slightly awkward cross breeze.
The Red Quill dressing is one I discovered nearly 40 years ago on the Derbyshire Wye, when it was the only pattern to succeed in September with the wild Rainbows on the stretch near Bakewell. Since then, it’s proved reliable at the back end of the season, particularly when the fish are rising short to other olive patterns. It’s meant to imitate an olive spinner.:-
Hook: 14
Tying silk: orange (but not Hot Orange – it should turn a sort of mahogany colour when waxed and wettened)
Body: Undyed peacock quill from an eye feather
Hackle and whisks: Dark red or even dyed maroon cock.
Looking forward to next season.
Tom
The Club is a private one, founded in 1877, of approximately sixty-four members and six Town Rod subscribers. The Club’s waters consist of about 12 miles of wild brown trout & grayling fishing in the main River Frome, River Cerne and River Piddle, together with attendant carriers and side streams. The waters extend both above and below the town of Dorchester and the Club employs a part-time keeper.
The Angling Trust's guidance for anglers during this second lockdown. Fish safely, locally and respect the ‘rule of two’ during lockdown Click Here :-- Advice for Individual Anglers
Price £50 per ticket per day or three days for £100
Day Tickets are only available during the trout season and only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Bank Holidays. (season 1st April – 14th October)
The Police have made it quite clear that poaching is a crime in progress covered by the 1968 Theft Act. Members should always call 999 to report it and not phone the keeper. Without a report the police will not be aware of the extent of a problem.
If possible note or photo vehicles.
Stress if you are vulnerable/elderly or at risk of intimidation..
In order to give the call handler an accurate location they recommend putting the “what3words” app on your smartphone. Click here…
Angling’s representative body, the Angling Trust, has a web site for anglers to record sightings of cormorants, goosanders and mergansers throughout the UK: www.cormorantwatch.com The site is easy to use and will gather vital data to help persuade government of the need for action to protect fisheries.
Invasive plants and animals can carry diseases that kill fish, block waterways and banks, interfering with fishing. They can be small and hard to spot, so are easily spread on damp clothing and equipment.
Protect the environment and fishing you enjoy, by keeping your kit free of invasive plants and animals.
To find out more please visit
the NNSS Website