I decided to have a few casts on Tuesday evening to see if anything was happening. Not many rising fish at first but then a few sporadic feeders as I progressed upstream.
Then I spotted a consistent rise midstream and covered it and then BANG. A waterspout erupted with ripples radiating out to the banks on either side. Various twists and turns and excursions into bankside vegetation gave me an exciting time before I had this specimen in the net. I removed the fly from it’s upper jaw and as I took it out my tippet came free of the fly. I couldn’t believe that after a good fight for several minutes this had happened and consider myself fortunate it didn’t occur before the fish was netted. It was with great relief that the fish swam away quickly after release. Pleasingly it was a wild fish estimated at at 3lbs plus and size can be seen by the size of the scoop net. This happened at approx. 9.20pm.
The fly that was successful was a green and black Wulff as I had left a flybox at home that had sedges and my favourite grey Wulffs in it. 10 minutes later I had another smaller wild fish with the same beautiful colours and was glad I could see them as the light was fading.
Walking back downstream with the moon reflecting on the river I thought to myself that we are very fortunate to have our Club waters in the excellent condition that they are in and, obviously, the excellent fishing they afford.
Rob Ayles
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