Fishing with Ben - 4 fish - my new good luck charm!

Decided to take Ben fishing today. It's 8am and we are ready to tackle the lake, its calm and a warm stunning morning.

We decide to take a boat for a while and see what happens. This is only Ben's third Trout fishing trip and I'm really hoping that he'll catch something. First we try the south side of the lake, he's got a damsel nymph on his rod and I've got a CDC Buzzer. Nothing, quiet, no action.

We move to the centre of the lake just past the island, the fish are jumping and swirling but no takes, we're on dry flies now. Ben is really casting well and it seems his determination as an athlete has helped him visualise his cast technique. Graham rows over and has also caught nothing, he also comments on Ben's great casting. Then.... right in front of us Graham hooks a fish!! I couldn't believe it and this makes me even more determined to catch. Graham moves away and Ben suggests we move the 20m or so to where he was fishing.  I put on a small (tiny) dry brown thing  - so does Ben. I've got one!! Just shows that if they don't take it in the first few minutes they are not going to take it at all. And another, then Ben gets one, I get another and loose yet another. That's 4 fish in 30 minutes! Amazing, I cant tell you how happy we were, right place, right time. All on that tiny little brown thing!!

No Trout but a Red deer for my Mother-in-Law

Just got back from fishing from 2.00 to 5.30.  Absolutely no luck!

I went to the far end to start with, as you suggested, but the fish must have moved because there was no sign of them.  After about an hour I moved down to the far side of the island.  No luck.  Then moved to quite close and right of the island and the pier.  There were plenty of leaping fish – but none wanted my varied choices of flies.  I followed a tip from Bill who gave me a floating sedge; he said it was a definite catcher, and if that didn’t work to use a dropper of a buzzer as well as the sedge.  I did both – and not a sausage!  So you see, everybody has their own suggestions, but they don’t all work all of the time!

There was no sign of anyone else at the lake until I was just leaving, when two cars arrived (5.30-ish).

While I was at the far end of the lake in the boat, I saw a red deer on the path moving toward the gate.  When it got that far, it started to pace back and forward as if it felt trapped.  I then lost sight of it.  Also, I am probably well and truly burned on my face in spite of my hat.  It was a stunning afternoon.

Hope you enjoy your brown trout.  What a catch!

Brown Trout - my first!!!

I just couldn't resist a trip to the lake today. Its calm and cloudy - perfect for me to catch!

I took a boat right up to the far corner of the lake - no mean feat in itself I have to say. Lots of fish were jumping and taking insects from the surface. The two people who had just fished before me both caught a small black dry flies. I asked myself why would this be the case when once again there are so many damsel flies around. Counter the advice I decide to start with a damsel - the same as I had used earlier in the week. I wish I new why, but they just don't like my damsels!! Last visit was a fluke...

The water is flat and clear - I can see the damn things swimming straight past my fly, I try two more different damsels - nothing not even a sniff. OK, time for the small black dry fly recommended earlier. As always, in a few minutes I have a fish, it really is fighting and at first swims directly for the boat. I couldn't pull in the line fast enough! Oh no I dont want to loose it, I recover the situation and after a few minutes manage to land the beautiful thing. It was my first Brown trout and at 2.2lb is pretty big. Its so stunning with its spots and square dorsal fin. I was always afraid that I wouldn't recognise if I had  one or not - but there is no mistaking this - its definitely a Brown trout. So easy to make me happy!! I'm told they taste better than Rainbow trout too -so you know what we're eating tonight.

There is No Pattern to Trout Fishing!

Determined to fish a few times this week I went to the lake early this morning. Happy with my last catch on Sunday I thought I'd deploy that same tactics. First fly is the Bronze Fuzzy Thing from a few days ago.

I see Graham in the distance and as he rows nearer he's effing and blinding as usual - this means no fish for him. I must add that he caught his full quota of 6 last week, so he knows a thing or two. He's using a floating/dry fly and had no luck. This makes me think that the fish must not be feeding on the surface. There are almost no jumps and definitely no boiling up at the surface taking insects.

I fish for 30 minutes before my mother-in-law arrives - now the stress starts as she's been catching lately and I would hate to draw a blank today in front of her. What shall I do? Carry on with my tactic or put on another fly? Two people row past having caught 2 trout on a dry damsel fly!! What! Are they lying to me? I'm told fishermen will often mis-lead people.

I go up to a calmer part of the lake and put on a dry damsel, I'm doubtful but hopeful, I love it when the water is flat and I can see the fly floating on the surface. Next minute a big boiling at the surface and I've got a fish!! Now to land it. My record in landing trout with a damsel is abysmal!! I've lost two like this before and I MUST land this - what's more a fisherman is watching me from 20 metres away, I have my pride at stake!

This fish is really fighting, I'm also using 7lb fluoro carbon line so must be careful.. Finally I land the fish - I'm so pleased. 1.12lb and that means I've caught two this week. Cant wait for Saturday to try again... Still I repeat what I said in the title - there is no damn pattern to Trout fishing or is it just me!..

Three Fish Only One Trout

After ten days of not fishing at all - work has been so busy and weekends bad weather - I finally got down to the lake this morning at 8.30am.

Not many people have been catching over the last few weeks so I decided to test out some advise I got a few months ago. The really old man whom I used to have to help out the boat seems to have disappeared - I do hope that he is still with us! He said to me to use a small fluffy bronze shiny thing when fishing times are tough.  This was my first fly and I was fishing from the bank. I was delighted and stunned that hos advise seemed to work - quite quickly I had a beautiful 1.10lb trout.

I changed fly and put on a Dial Bach and got a small Perch - never had that before and they are really beautiful. Further round the lake I was back on the Bronze Fuzzy Thing and got a small Pike!!! Very small - maybe 10 inches long - luckily for me it didn't bite through my line, they have the most ferocious teeth I've ever seen on a fish (apart from a shark!!).

I was so peaceful standing in the sun, watching the beautiful lake and multitude of birds - Ten days is too long a break.. I must make sure I go some evenings during the week.

Got the Droppers so Where are the Trout?

There's not a drop of wind and the lake looks stunning. Two other people there but they are on a boat so I can't interrogate them. I take the small agile boat and head out to the far side of the lake.

I'm testing my new droppers. (a dropper in an extra fly or two or three added to your like)  I've been watching Hywel Morgan on Sky ( Hywel Morgan ) he seems to fish with droppers all the time. So on his advice I create just 1 dropper to start, 8 inches long and 50cm up from the end fly. I'm concerned that I will struggle to cast this without tangles and I prove myself correct, I'm starting to think I need a lesson. No fish with that so I switch to my normal set-up.

There are fish around but they are not taking from me! I use buzzers, dry flies, damsel nymphs and many more - its frustrating and I feel like my casting is very poor today - again I think I need a lesson. This is what happens when you watch a pro like Hywel, I feel like a total amateur.

Eventually a get a take on a nymph looking thing, pulling it below the surface. I'm really pleased and feel that my day has been retrieved.

I row around the corner and there is one of the other people. He says to me that he has caught 3 trout already and they are going mad for his dry Damoiselle fly. 'Just cast it in and they are gorging themselves - go on give it a try'. So I throw out the anchor and put on a dry Damoiselle. These have not worked for me in the past and this didn't work for me today. In the 20 minutes that I was there he pulled out another 3 fish! All on the same fly - what am I doing wrong? I need to know!

Trout Flies have arrived - I'm out to Conquer but am Humbled

Monday morning. I'll go out for a few hours as the weather is supposed to be bad for the rest of the week. So maybe I only fish on Saturday.. grrrrrr

Graham is back, obviously he's been there since 6am and is effing and blinding having no luck at all. The other chap always there early has had one on a black and cream lure.

I put on the smallest fly I've ever used. Its hook is unbelievably small and I wonder if it will work. First tactic, Strip it through the water just below the surface. Instantly a fish is hooked, I'm so excited and all in view of the other two fisherman. I arrogantly call out to Graham that I have one and promptly lose it!! I could cry, serves me right, I need humility!! I'm sure it must be to do with the size of the hook how can that really work to bring in a big fish - I clearly didn't hook it correctly, it was on the line for 2 minutes and then shook itself free and the fly was fine.

Ok, now to try my new Blue Holo Shuttlecock Buzzer from Ebay. Gavin the guy I bought it from hand makes them and has been very helpful with tips for fishing buzzers. These things are so small its hard to believe the a fish will take it. It has a tuft of feathers on the top to make it float on the surface. In it goes and in 10 seconds I have a trout. I must keep this one on the line, I must! I land a beautiful 2.4lb trout! Phew I'm relieved. Again it goes,  I hook another and its lost!! The fly is wrecked, its wont float and I must move to another.



Now the fish are taking Damoiselle flies - I also have a new Damoiselle fly from Ebay - all my others have never worked... I throw it in and lands beautifully on the surface, take, strike, I have another fish.. I'm so happy. Then I lose it! What's happening to me? Why now, I've never lost a fish before, what's going on? Is it because I am using these tiny little hooks?

So I go home with one... I'm satisfied but it could have been THREE!!!!