~The dreaded curse......bright sun~

Testing Conditions:

Following one of the coldest Winters on record for the last 30 years, who could be blamed for enjoying some welcome Spring sunshine? However, such conditions aren't conducive to chasing wild river trout in my neck of the woods. A recent day with wall to wall sunshine saw me scratching about on the river. Seemingly, all the trout were cowering beneath undercut banks. That said the warmth spurred a few midge into life and a handful of trout risked cloudless skies to take advantage. Size 16-20 black Klinkhamers proved their undoing and it was actually pleasing to be casting at a few risers.

Paul~

~A #16 black Klinkhamer tempted this Eden beauty~

~Ready to be returned~

~Large Dark Olives punctuate the surface of a smooth glide~

Flurries of Duns between April Showers:

Following the success of Good Friday, it was back to the Eden in search of rising trout. Heavy showers not only put a dampener on things the river had risen ever so slightly too. Thankfully though, just after noon a few LDO (Large Dark Olive) nymphs braved the elements and hatched out into the chilly April air. Where the water slowed, sufficient numbers of winged adults gathered to interest trout. Despite rain nearly stopping play, a good few hours of fun were enjoyed. Ranging from 8oz to 1lb 15oz all fish were in surprisingly good nick. I say that, as I'd fully expected trout to be out of conditions after such a harsh winter.

Paul~

~A solid Eden trout that succumbed to the CdC dry fly~

~A CdC olive dry clamped firmly in the scissors~

~Tony waiting for a rise~

~Rich Rewards-A plump 3-pounder for Tony~

Against the Odds:

Good Friday and snow melt running off into the Eden coupled with icy northerly winds aren't the ideal conditions when chasing Spring trout. However, Tony Riley and I found some decent fish against the odds. Admittedly the first few trout were clearly rising to tiny midge though this early in the season, hungry fish will often pounce on a well placed olive dry fly. After lunch we were treated to a show of Large Dark Olives and sport really picked up. For once the cold was forgotten as we were able to targeting rising trout, a real bonus considering the river levels of late. Fingers crossed, hopefully the rain will hold off for Easter.

Paul~

~Nearly there~

~2lb 4oz of pure wild Eden trout~

~Knottallow on a blustery day~

Cold and Blustery Start to Season:

The opening weeks of the season were dogged with snow melt leaching into rivers and if that wasn't enough, biting cold winds to content with. Anyway a few hardy flies decided to hatch and thankfully there was a handful of trout willing to oblige. Opening day was a none starter for me, as I'd set my mind to catch the first trout of a new season on dry fly. Two days later a brace of trout did respond by sipping down a #14 CdC olive dry fly. The hill tarns too are beginning to wake up and a few hours spent searching the banks of Knottallow Tarn paid handsomely. There's still snow out there and things are yet to warm up proper. But, fingers-crossed, Spring shouldn't be too long in coming now.

Paul~

~A welcome Knottallow resident on an otherwise chilly day~

~The unmistakable shape of a permit~

Mexico Trip:

This week I'm leading a group to Mexico in search of permit. We're heading to the south end of Ascension Bay. Apparently, March is the month for these elusive yet highly prized fish. Of course, if they don't show, hopefully the bonefish, tarpon and snook will keep us entertained!

Paul~

~A belting permit for Mike Bilson on our previous visit~

(photos-John Slader)
~The secret fly.........!~

Oreti River:

The Oreti ranks as one of New Zealand's most popular rivers. And rightly so, as it has a good head of large brown trout where a possible double figure fish is on the cards-with luck on your side of course! Although the upper reaches are sought after beats, lower down the system you can find miles of bank without seeing another fishermen. Mat McHugh and I explored these downstream stretches and encountered some decent trout.

Paul~

~A good fish finally yields~

~A good looking Oreti Brown~

~Mat McHugh of Fly Odyssey examines a bush cicada~

~Up close, a protein packed meal for trout~

Cicadas come Good:

Granted, it might well be what's termed a "mouse year" in NZ, but actually getting on terms with mouse feeding trout was far trickier than I imagined. Firstly the period when this mouse explosion takes place lasts for only a few weeks and even then, it can be very localised. Anyway, we were treated to some decent weather when the warmth certainly encouraged Cicadas onto the wing. These out sized beasties are poor fliers at the best of times and quickly find their way onto the water. Of course, such activities don't go unnoticed by huge trout that homed in on these water stricken insects. Usually with an impressive flurry of spray-nerve wracking stuff......

Tying on an appropriate fly is only half the story though. Having spied a trout, it's then a case of presenting the fly correctly. The softly-softly approach that works so well on my home rivers didn't wash here. Mat McHugh of Fly Odyssey has invaluable experience on New Zealand trout streams and he urged me to land the fly with a definite "plop". Such antics would have every fish bolting for the next county back home. However, here trout would quickly come to investigate any disturbance, hopefully followed by a huge mouth opening to engulf the offering........

Paul~

~Flies need to land with a resounding "plop"~


~This hefty rainbow couldn't refuse a #6 cicada~

~Driving in, a 4WD vehicle is advisable~

New Zealand Adventure:

My aim was to update this blog regularly, however, finding a connection in NZ is difficult when you're off the beaten track. I'd heard a lot about the fabulous fishing on offer down in New Zealand and granted, it did live up to expectations, but there's far more to it than that. Fishing both the back country and high country waters truly is the experience of a lifetime. You need a decent truck to get you close to some of these places and then it's a case of beating the feet. The long walk is always worth it though as you're treated to spectacular views, proper "Lord of the Rings" country. It took me several minutes to absorb such beauty before I even considered tackling up.....

Paul~

~A glance up the valley-stunning~

~Some likely looking water~

~Prior to introducing the scissors-an unruly mess~

~Clipped to shape-that's better~

New Zealand:

I haven't posted for a while, as been busy at the vice preparing for an upcoming trip to New Zealand. Apparently, it's a "mouse year" out there. This phenomena occurs every five to seven years when the yield of beech mast is so huge as to create a surplus of food. As ever, nature is quick to take advantage and not surprisingly, with so much grub available, mice do what they do best and breed like crazy............ Foraging close to the water, many of these creatures perish in the margins, providing a tasty mouthful for watchful trout. So, it's been a case of tying up various patterns that will hopefully get put to good use. I'm heading out there in just over a day now (one more sleep...!) and aim to update my blog from out there.

Paul~

~A nest of mice~

~AAPGAI Members warming up with coffee~

Freeze Continues:

With continued ice and snow, rather than suffer cabin fever, it's as well to get out and keep the old casting arm well oiled. A bunch of the AAPGAI members gather for a seasonal cast on the banks of the Ribble. Although the river level was a touch high, all had an enjoyable session in freezing conditions. Let's hope it warms up soon........

Paul~