I fished on Friday and you couldn’t imagine a more perfect day for it: muggy, overcast and with no wind. The river is still quite high and strong-flowing after the very wet spell we had and weed growth seems to be good this year; quite a contrast to last season. I arrived at lunch time and things were fairly quiet with one or two mayfly showing but the odd rising fish weren’t taking these as there were a lot of black gnats on the surface and a few small olives and sedges were also showing. However, fish soon started taking the odd mayfly dun and after a slashing take a very good fish went tearing off downstream. After several minutes I managed to get him level with me and saw that it was a nice 2 lb fish but unfortunately he tore off downstream again and slipped the hook!
After this disappointing start I managed to land a few 11-13” fish before hooking a better trout which I managed to land this time at 2-5 on a small CDC emerger. After releasing the fish Dave R joined me for a few hours and promptly went one better by landing a lovely golden trout of 2-6! Shortly after Dave left the river I hooked a long fish which I honestly thought was approaching the magical 3 lb mark but although he was over 18” long, he turned out to be a very lean wild fish (see photo) that coincidently also went 2-5. This fish took a Royal Wulff and after releasing him I went on to take a couple more on the same fly.
Late afternoon/evening and I went back on to the mayfly and by this time quite a few trout were greedily slashing at the spinners. Several more fish were landed but it was by no means an easy task as they were becoming very choosy, often only taking mayfly that were hovering just above the surface. All in all a very enjoyable day and it was so nice to see the fishery in such a good condition.
Regards,
Hoot
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