Sorry about the lack of posts all but ill be getting on top of it soon so keep checking in now and again and see whats new!
I’ve had a few trips out on my own over the last few weeks and also a few trips out with my mate Sion Lewis, AKA Lewy 🙂 but due 2 family commitments i really haven’t had the time to sit down and write about the trips so i’ve put a load of photos together of the days out so hope you like!
Well finally I had the chance to get out and do a bit of proper grayling fishing without the possibility of killing myself in the process due to high river conditions and wayward tree trunks!
Sorry for the lack of posts over the past few weeks, between the river being in flood,and personal problems im back and will be updating much more often so please keep on checking out what I’ve been up to.
With the rivers finally dropped off nicely and the weather back to a constant mean, the chance of a blue sky over head and easy wading was grabbed by two hands and I was off out the door like a shot. The river couldn’t look any better but the morning frost was a little hard so I knew I should have left it a little bit later, but I had to get out. In the past years of grayling fishing on the Taff the magic hours have been from half eleven and to as late as three in the afternoon, just before dark at the moment…
I knew it would be slow at first but I couldn’t help myself, I only took the bugging rod and left my dry fly rod at home. As you avid followers will know, I usually carry two fly rods but thought bugger it and just stuck with nymphs for the day… Not like me ey, Kie ;)… I knew there was a good chance of a hatch of olives could come off, but I have a little trick up my sleeve for when this happens. Anyway, as I thought, it was slow as hell at first, only taking a few out of season browns and not even a sniff from a grayling I moved further upstream and changed my approach.
ALL anglers fish the most likely looking spots, I mean the first crease or run which comes into sight. I do it all the time and am sometimes bit on the ass because of it. I decided to fish the less likely looking spots, fishing the water that I wouldn’t usually expect to catch grayling at this time of year, but today, it seemed that’s only where I could get them! I managed a few around the 9″ mark so it was well worth a shot.
As time went on I seen the odd olive floating by so I moved into the head of the pools thinking that that’s where the nymphs are hatching so that’s where I would be if there was a fish at this time, sure enough after a few casts I managed one grayling over the 1lb mark and it went a little bonkers after that for some time. As I was looking down river I could see fish rising so I upped sticks and moved down to the tail of the pool to have a little fun. This is where the dry rod would have come in handy but I’ve been working on a few little things to cover this so a quick little change 🙂 and I was soon into fish after a few tweaks.
All in all a great day out with many grayling to the hand and im so looking forward to the next trip out.
Photo gallery below
Well it happened once again with the rain coming in and making the main rivers unfishable and deadly again.
With the rivers being out I knew that the streams would be the best bet and most often or not they are totally fishable even when the rivers are way up. My good mate Lewy fancied a change from the bigger rivers and sewin fishing so this was a good opportunity to do so, so the stream it was.
We set off around 12 taking it easy just thinking we would just have a few hours out and be home early to keep the wives happy 😉 The stream was not untouched by the heavy rains and she was pushing and coloured but it can fish quite well in these condition and from past experiences I knew that it would clear later on in the day. Dry fly was not an option so it was nymphing till the river cleared, I was looking out for fish on the fin but it was just pushing too much and too coloured. There was an abundance of stone flies hanging in the air and a few olives but it made no difference what was hatching in the conditions.
Sion fishing a fine pool below.
Sion took a few out of this pool and after the takes dried up he worked his way around the pocket water above doing the same by taking fish from every little crease and pocket There was no signs of the river clearing at this point and with a few odd showers we didn’t expect it to really.
As we moved around the stream, we both took turns fishing spots and going fish for fish, many fish were caught and every one of them were beautiful little gems. I took a lot of photos throughout the few hours we were out and usually i’m the one behind the camera but Lewy took over for some time catching a few shots of me holding a few little gems
I’ll leave you with a few photos of the day below.
Well what a suprice the river Taff is up and coloured once again.
I just wish this weather would sort itself out and calm down so we can wet a line before the season ends, feels like it never going to go away.
Well if anyone gets out and manges to wet a line good luck.
Im so glad that the weather made improvement from raining hard most of the weekend and giving me the chance to wet a fly before I had to back to work on Monday.
Waking up this morning and seeing the weather had broken I was relieved to say the least. It felt like the rain was never going to stop and i was thinking no fishing this weekend for me.. After a quick coffee and putting the gear on i was on my way to the Rhondda around 7 am. Before i entered the Rhondda i give the Taff a quick look to see how the old girl was running. She was still pushing a fair bit of flood water and a fair bit of colour also. Unfishable really. The Rhondda was in much better shape but still running with a good force but clear. I know after a good flood and dropping water it can be unbelievable fishing on times. As usual i had my both rods with me, My greys 10ft 3wt and the greys 8ft 4wt. Im known as two rod Terry around these parts:) I feel naked with only one so even if i don’t use its always with me. French leader set on the 10ft and the dry on the other. With so much water i put a 3.5m gold head hairs ear on the point and on the dropper a 2.8m P.TN vereant
Starting off with the french leader i picked my way up river very gingerly fishing all the slack water i could find and placing my feet as careful as i could, i didn’t want a wetting and didn’t fancy taking a swim either. I come to a very fast deep run and made my way across the river so i could fish the slack part behind a few submerged boulders where if i was a trout ide be hiding. I set my video cam on and thought ide show you a few videos using the french leader with good success.
After making these short videos i made my way up river a little further to the slower water hoping that there might be a fish or two on the fin, at this time there were a few B.W.O on the water so i was betting there was. But before i got to the slower waters i see a lovely rise on the far side of a fast run, just beside a huge rock. I had a size 14 olive pattern on well hackled for the fast water so you can pick it out easily. Getting myself into a good position i mad a few casts to judge the distance and flow. Atter getting it right after a few casts,well more than a few cast i managed to fool him. Here he is below
Well the way it was going i thought it just couldnt get better. (WELL THATS WHAT I THOUGHT) Trout started to rise in good numbers all down to the better hatch of olives on the water and i was steadily making good numbers. This is why i like to use two rods because you can change over with no bother at all. As i was making my way just watching the bank for the really slow and small rises, hoping for a better size trout to be feeding i seen a small little splash under a tree branch just touching the water, well not a splash it was more like a little jet of water, nothing really i just thought minnows, but something just told me to check it out. I made my way to a spot over looking the water and to my SURPRISE!!! i seen this large trout just mopping up the olives just under an over hanging bush. I got the camera out and shot this video 🙂 I was just fascinated watching him taking the flies. I think im really lucky to see this and catch this on camera on are river.
The adrenaline started to pump and i knew that i had to go into stalker mode as i call it:). To get to the spot where he was feeding i had to walk about 100 yards back up river and make my ways down to where he was feeding.. As i as walking back down i was wishing he was still there and still feeding. As i got closer i could see him just coming up under the bush. I moved down past him trying not to make much noise in the water and not to send any ripples across the water. I greased the fly up and put mud on the tippet and dipped both in the water before casting. I knew that i had one chance and one chance only. I made the cast and the fly just drifted bang on-line where he was feeding and the drift was perfect but he didn’t even move. So i sat back and watched for a few moment and i seen that he was started to take one out of every few olives that pasts. He rose and i left it for a moment and i made the cast. It all kind of went in slow motion and he just sucked it in and i made the strike . He just sat there for a second and then he started to shake his head and straight away he was fully out of the water tail waking down river. There was no way i was going to stop him so off i went. After a wild few runs and jumps i managed to get him to hand. Cracking fish and im still smiling writing this 🙂 after a few quick photos i slipped him back to fight anther day. Here he is
What more can i say after catching this fine trout. After releasing him i just sat there just taking everything in and after that i headed off home with a hell of a smile on my face just thinking it just don’t get better than that…
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