A summer flood

Monday, 17 July 2023 at 19:53

It's a long time - several years, I think - since I witnessed a summer flood in the Dales like this. The levels are dropping rapidly now but the extra water will have done the rivers a power of good.

Absorbing hours

Thursday, 6 July 2023 at 17:02

Of late I've enjoyed some - usually short - sessions on local streams. Water levels have been low but at least in the Dales, there have recently been some small lifts of extra water, though those have run off quickly. It's been a case of pushing a little dry fly about under the trees. I know I could probably catch more by using a spider or PTN singly on the point of a long leader, but I enjoy watching floating flies and never tire of seeing trout take them. Therefore, despite occasional stern-jawed forays with Stewart's Black Spider (size 18), I generally fiddle about with the dries. I find Skues' pattern of Little Red Sedge very good for such exploratory work. Another pattern I use a great deal is a size 18 John Storey (pictured). I've wasted many hours of this lifetime trying to work out what trout take the John Storey for, but even after all these years I have no idea: is it a Yorkshire paradun? A declassé Klink? The pattern works particularly well at sedge time, but its outline and profile is nothing like a sedge, so riddle me that. It's been absorbing fishing - but rain, then some more rain, with more rain on top of that, would still be welcome.

The hook, incidentally, is a Tiemco 103BL - an outstanding dry fly hook.