Sunday lunch time. Ben and I are off for a quick fish before our trout BBQ (we love trout fishing in Cambridge during calm summer days). The lake is like a millpond and we decide to take the big green boat. We see some fish swilling near the surface in the middle of the lake so we get within 10 metres of them and put the anchor down.
Ben starts with a lure and I start with a tiny size 16 nymph, nothing. Then dry flies, different coloured and sized lures, nymphs and damsel fly dries. We are casting right over and just beyond the swirling fish and retrieving the line through their midst - nothing.
Ben decides to put on an epoxy Buzzer, with red highlights - as always when you've got the right fly he has a take right away! Missed, and a few more times too, then finally he has a fish on the line and lands a beautiful 2lb Rainbow Trout. I put on a Gold tinted epoxy Buzzer and I've got on too. We are retrieving them just below the surface and the fish seem to love it. I land up with one more and we decide to call it a day. Ben's wrist is sore and I don't want to catch my weeks quota in one day. We could easily have caught 3 more trout but it was almost too easy..
Caught 4 rainbow trout in two sessions! My best yet – and, having caught 2 yesterday, I could have caught more if I hadn’t dropped my ‘priest’ into the lake! The fish were leaping so close they were splashing me!
On Friday, after trying a host of dry flies, I eventually hooked one (1lb 13oz) on a Shipman's Buzzer and another (2lb 1oz) on a red-bead-headed lure (Woolly Bugger?)
On Monday, again after numerous attempts with different dry flies, I was twice successful (2lb and 1lb 14oz) with a gold-bead-headed lure (Woolly Bugger?) One of these days I’ll know what the damn flies are called!
After a long hard week, I'm finally going fishing - yay!!!!
Only two of us there and the lake is beautiful. I can hear a Buzzard in the distance and Swans are strutting their stuff. As I did so well last week I decide to start on the little Bronze thing. I see a few fish following it but no takes. Moving up to the top end of the lake by the gate I can see literally hundreds of fish swimming around. I must catch one now surely!
A boy and his granddad have one on the line from the bank, poor child was being given so many instructions to bring the fish in I would have broken the rod over his granddad's head! He loses the fish and I can hear him being told everything he did wrong. I move away they are ruining my chill.
I try a CDC blue Buzzer, more small nymphs under the water and a red headed damsel nymph. No interest! I'm reluctant to put on the Blue Damsel dry fly as I notoriously have no luck with it. But on it goes and I have a take immediately. Interestingly it just swirled over the fly and I caught it by just lifting the rod rather than striking (all the experts say to do this, but I'm normally so excited that I strike and pull the hook right out its mouth).
So, one fish and I'm happy.... Sunday with Ben will be fun..
Just a quick note. I caught three in a feeding frenzy. A small Bronze nymph thing, under the water. Graham and I fished a huddle of trout near the channel on the far side of the lake. He approached on a boat on one side and I from the other. We both had the same fly and I just couldn't stop catching. If I stayed I would have done my quota in an hour. So I took the 3 and went home. Its so exciting when they do that, my heart was thumping and I realise the competitive streak come out in me..
We're off the see Clare and Alba today for the weekend. I'm just popping down to the lake for a quick one hour - that means 2 hours in fisherman language!
I'm on the bank in the far left had corner. On goes the little bronze nymph and the next moment i have an enormous take. It fights like its a shark and finally I have a 3.2lb trout - my biggest yet!!
I tell you this little nymph is proving to be deadly in this lake..... I must remember all of this for next year!!
What a beautiful day! I just had to go for a quick fish this morning. The lake is busier than I've ever seen it, six people! The big question is always 'Which fly to I start with?' - I decide to put on a small green nymph. I'm off to the top of the lake, the wind in north westerly and my casting is not good enough in the wind yet.
I'm practising the double haul and really struggling, I just cant seen to get it right. Been trying to get the muscle memory for the actions (see video above) but when I attempt to put the rod in my hand all the line just ends up in a pile at my feet. I think that I should practice away from the lake, maybe in the garden.
Anyway, back to the fish. One cast and the green nymph is in and I've got a fish! So fast I hardly felt it take. I move round the lake to different spots, dry flies, CDC Buzzers, sedges - nothing.
Now at the bottom side I see a chap just pulling out the fish, 3 in 5 minutes - he's using a bronze nymph. Its really tiny and he's just jerking it through the water. The fish are going mad for it! I try for a few minutes and eventually settle for my 1 trout. Two hours, a beautiful setting and one fish - how lucky I am.
PS: The lake was restocked last week so fishing should be good for the rest of the season now - well in theory!
