Only a few days of the trout season left now and to make the most of it my good friend, Nicholas Steedman, and I spent a day on a small stream hoping to find some late season trout. A cold night meant that the fishing was slow in the morning although we both caught some lovely small trout in their spawning colours:
A superb hatch of various insects in the afternoon brought some great dry fly sport. The fish were clearly feeding hard before the winter and we were both able to pick off a number of fish that were picking off duns and emergers.
The standout fly of the day was this hot spot nymph:
The hot spot is tied with the new Harvey Angling micro fibre which is perfect for creating a bright target point on nymphs. However, it’s so fine that you can also use it for bodies on nymphs. The olive fly in the photo below was particularly good during hatch in the afternoon:
It’s great to have the dry-fly setup once again and my go to pattern early season is the pheasant tail emerger. Fishing is still slow but I enjoy just creeping around the river when the hatches start. At the moment the large dark olives are coming on around 11am to about 2pm and then they tend to peter off, but in this time you can have a little fun, they don’t turn their noses up to this pattern and It have accounted for many of my big fish that I’ve managed to catch over the years on my local waters!
I’ve had a few problems over the last few weeks and unable to go fishing or even tie flies but im on the mend now and hopefully i’ll have a few trips out soon. Sorry for the lack of posts guys!
Last night I decided to sit down and start tying a few dries ready for the coming trout season, it’s not far away and im counting the days down till I can stick my feet in the water that hasn’t been fished all year; pocket water, my favorite! Fast shallow runs with rocks everywhere with flity trout laying in wait for passing prey. What more could a fly fisherman ask for 🙂 This is what im talking about below
I’ve got a load more dry-fly patterns to tie up and post soon, im just waiting on my new hooks to arrive from Phil, http://www.flytyingboutique.com/
Why is it that every time you book a date to meet up with your mates and fish, the heavens open and smash your plans to bits.
Well I woke up at 8am to the sound of rain yet again against the window and the sight of black skies. First thing I done was check the river levels of the taff and its colour. Its only over the bank where I live and I can see a fair bit of the river from my window. It was a little high and with a slight colour to it but fishable. After a quick chat on the phone to Toby about the conditions he was on his way over with Nicholas
It wasnt long before the boys turned up and we were all on our way to fish the Rhondda. By this time the rain was coming down hard and it wasnt looking good for the river. The problem with the Rhondda is that there are so many run offs from the streets and roads that any good amount of rain affects the level and colour. In the space of getting the gear on and setting up, the river was totally unfishable, very disappointing for the boys traveling so far. It was a quick think and we were on our way to the clydach to try to make the most of the day. At this time, the heaven opened up yet again and the day looked to be a disaster. It was really disappointing and I kind of gave up and thought there was no point of going on but we pressed on and had a look . When we checked the stream out it was looking perfect and totally fishable but it wasnt for long. About half hour in with a few small trout to hand the river just went like soup 😦 Mother nature was against us this day. But myself, im damn sure its Toby’s fault, Stormbringer as I call him. After following Nicholas up-stream and watching him take a few trout out of the soup, we all decided to make a move. On the way back down to the car and after a little chat, we decided to give the Rhondda another look. I didn’t expect much but when we got there the river was running much clearer and looking not too bad. It was still running with a fair old flow but we were just busting to wet a line. For the conditions, we all set up on the french leader with a mix of heavy nymphs. I found myself in the middle of a long fast flowing run with a fair old depth to it so i cast the leader around 10ft up river and laid it on the water. As the indicator came close I rose it out of the water and for a second the indicator stopped so I struck and fish on, on the first cast too. It was looking good. We all made up for the lack of fishing and with a good number of fish to hand. It was great to finally catch a few and give the boys a bit of fun. It all turned out quite well at the end and here are a few photos of our trip out
I found myself planning a trip to the clydach with a bunch of friends this weekend,Ceri Sweeny, Toby Jefferies and Nicholas Steedman. Due to the weather we been having here in south wales it was the only chance to wet a line in the stream, all the rivers in the area where all in flood and just unfishable. I blame Toby, Storm bringer as i call him, every time he even thinks of coming over into wales the clouds open up and all hell breaks loose ;).
The day started out outside my home where we all met at 9am and after a chat we made a move to the clydach, It wasnt the best of mornings with heavy cloud cover and the threat of rain looming. After a short drive ,we arrived at the clydach and me and Nicholas went down the bank to see how it was running, but before we even got there we could hear the stream raging in the valley. It must have been the highest ive ever seen it and was running with heavy colour but it didn’t stop us giving it a going over. Due to the condition with high colour and raging water it was all down to the klink and dink. High bright pink post klink and a Hares ear red tag . As there was four of us we split up, me and Ceri headed up river a few hundred yards away from the other boys so it wasnt so crowded. Ceri was the first to step in and in no time at all he was into his first fish of the morning.
Ceri Sweeney quickly bringing a wild browny to hand in no time at all below.
As we moved on up stream fishing the back ends of the runs and pools going fish for fish we were quickly getting into good numbers and some lovely looking wild trout. With the water pushing it made the fight so much better and on a few occasions we had to give chase down river a few yards when hooking into a better size fish. After a while, i gave Nicholas a ring to see how things were going down stream and after a quick chat ,Nic was on his way up and from there we all stuck together and all took turns fishing each run and pool we come across. I have to say it was Nicholas’s first visit to the stream and fair play he was doing really well with a good number of trout to hand and some really fine looking trout too. It was a pleasure fishing with him again and by the looks on his face i think he really enjoyed the day.
Nicholas below with a fine stream trout.
As the day went on the rain decided to put an appearance in giving us all a good dowsing but it didnt dampen the spirts.We took this opportunity to have a break in the cover of the trees and have a bite to eat and a chat. After just a short time the rain stopped and we commenced fishing. Immeadiatly, we were all back in the zone as i call it, catching trout in the back end of the runs and along side the fast water. I don’t think it could have got any better the fishing or the company. We come up on one run and Nicholas was kind enough to take a short video of me using the klink and dink with a little success.
As we all moved up stream we started to fish water i have never fished and i have to say it was just perfect. It was a little tighter than the lower waters but made good fishing and tested the casting skills. By this time the stream started to drop and clear up a little so Toby and myself set up the dry and give it a whirl. We did have a few fast takes but nothing really was interested for some reason. Maybe they were just hooked on the nymphs because of the flood water, i don’t know. So back on the nymphs and back into the fish straight away. We all had many more fish to hand but time was flying at this point and due to the long walk back and the drive back for Toby and Nicholas it was that time to leave. It was a cracking day out and i enjoyed the company and the fishing was just outstanding. What more can you want.
I’ll leave you with a few more photos of the fine fish we caught
Toby below with a fine trout.
I just love looking at these colours on these wild stream trout, just beautiful.
As friday day was coming to its end I decided to have a walk down to see how the Rhondda was looking after the recent rain to see if there was any possibility of fishing it the following morning with my mate Dan. It was still running high but running as clear as a bell. It was all set then to fish in the morning, well we thought it was.
The following morning I woke to the sound of rain on my flat roof. After dragging myself out of bed to have a look to see how the Taff was running to gauge how much rain we had in the night, it was clear that we had a fair bit but I was hoping that the Rhondda wasn’t effected too much. It’s surprising with the Rhondda, it rises quick and falls just as quick. Not bad having two cracking rivers on your door step. As I was thinking and hoping that it was fishable, my mate Dan rang to say he was on his way and to meet him by the train station. After a short wait, Dan arrived and we made the dreaded walk to have a look at the Rhondda. I could hear the river and I knew straight away we had no chance, I looked over the wall and it was running way deep and fast with a slight colour. That was the end of that so we had a quick chat and then decided to check the clydach out . We put are marching boots on and away we went. We finally got to the stream around 9ish and all looked good. It was Dan’s first time on the clydach and I just couldn’t wait to show him around. I know Dan loves fishing the stream and I knew that he was in for a treat. The stream was running with a fair flow and coloured but I knew that it would clear off later in the day. Dan set up on the dry straight away and I could see that he was itching for the first cast so I left him to it. Myself, I set up on the klink and dink because of the water colour knowing that I had a better chance with the nymphs but also knowing there was a chance on the dry. I put on a Size 14 hare’s ear klinkhammer, and on the dink a 2m gold hare’s ear jig. When I’m using this method in the stream when it’s coloured I tend not to cast the fly line out, I just use a long leader and get in as close as I can and hold everything of the water to minimize drag on both the nymphs and dry and it works very well for me.
Dan below tying his very large dry on at the start of the day.
These are the kind of runs that are all over the Clydach and what more can I say but beautiful, I’m a lucky man. Every corner looks better than the last and every pool and run holds a golden gem. As the day went on with many fine trout to hand, Dan my good mate was a little camera-shy for some reason and took over taking the shots and a few short videos of me using the klink and dink. Just want to say, Dan thanks for taking the photos and the great videos mate. I hope the flies come in handy;) As I was saying Dan shot a few cracking videos of me catching a few trout in a lovely looking pool. Here they are.
The video below was my best fish of the day for myself. It put up a cracking fight taking me down river and trying its best to snag me up in the tree roots but after that little commotion, he slipped into the net and after a quick photo was released to get on with its business without harm
Here is a better shot of the trout from the video above 🙂
After catching that fine stream trout me and Dan just sat back and had a bite to eat and just talked about the fishing as you do and a few other things. After Dan talked my ear off 😉 I thought it was time to move on, Dan I just had to get that in mate :). At this point the river was clearing up a little and a few brook duns started to come off along with a few olives & stone flies. With this hatch on we were just waiting on the fish to start rising but it just didn’t happen. They were just hooked on the nymph and didn’t bother with the dry for some reason. I found out Dan was a bit of a purist at this point on the streams and didn’t really want to change from the single dry fly and it was hard trying to convince him to put a nymph under his dry; the stubborn bugger. Dan being Dan just had to go on with the dry for a little longer and prove me wrong by catching a fair few in one long run, I take my hat off to his perseverance and determination to catch on the dry, here is the stubborn bugger below getting into a good position.
As the day went on me and Dan got stuck right into it fishing hard with many trout to hand and a few good fish lost at the net. I’ve got to say Dan lost a right lump in one run and was very unlucky not to land it . I’m sure it would have been the fish of the day by miles, big head shake and a flash and gone. It’s never a nice thing losing a good fish but chin up and move on and find the next.
After a long days fishing with dan with a good number of lovely wild trout to hand its was that time to make a move home again. Not an easy decision to make with the fishing being so good and having great company to share it with. Thanks Dan.
Just two more video from the great day’s fishing on the klink and dink along with a few more photos.
And finally the view of the river when we were going home
Had the chance to book a day off yesterday so i jumped at the chance and made plans to fish the Clydach stream, Its been a long overdue trip. I started out around 8, and set my self ready for the 2 mile hike and off i set.
As i got to the stream, i noticed that it was at a low level due to the lack of rain. We really need a good shower to give the system a good flush through. Due to the low levels, i made my way to the deeper runs and pools, although i did try my luck on fishing the small pockets of water with good success. Finally, once at the deeper runs i changed from using a single fly to using the clink and dink method due to the lack of rises and fly life. I think this was just due to how early in the day it was because as the day went on the rises increased with a good number of olives on the water. After just a few casts, a lovely browny obliged to my dry. After a quick fight and photo, he was slipped back to get on with his business.
After releasing the fish above i headed to front of the pool just casting into rough water working the nymph. After just a few casts the clink went under and a lovely trout come right out of the water and shortly after a few jumps and dashes he came to hand. Not very big but what a beautiful fish. What more can one want in these wild streams.
After moving on up stream picking a few more fish up the fly life started with, Brook duns, olives, and stone flies.With these coming off the fish were rising more freely. I could start targeting fish and stop casting blind like most of the morning. Just the way i like it. Moving on up stream i come to a pool that i could see a few fish rising in the back edge so i thought i would give the video a bash. On with a size 14 olive and video set on,and away to go.
few more photos
Yellow may dun below
After a lovely few hours fishing the Clydach with many trout to hand i thought i would make a move down onto the taff to make my way home. As i come down river to cross over i seen a fish rising on the far back and i just couldnt help myself, i just had to have a cast. Same fly, Size 14 olive, Second cast and away she went. What a lovely end to the day. Here is the last fish of the day before the long walk home.
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