Fly Fishing in January
I don't know about you but I am no fan of January. Granted this year has been mild (very mild) so far, but generally it has been wet, grey and yuk. There is light at the end of the tunnel. January has flown by and in the next few days we begin the count down to March, the new river season and reservoirs opening their gates. But I cant wait for March, there is all of February to get through yet! So is there anything viable to chuck a fly at? Here are a few ideas.
On the reservoir scene Farmoor has enjoyed quite a renaissance and the good news is that it remains open throughout the year. Its a concrete bowl (comprising 2 separate lakes), so perhaps not every ones cup of tea, but if you want the chance of a full tailed, over wintered Rainbow this is definitely the place. Boats are available on Farmoor 2 and it sounds like it is going off. I have just spoken with one of the rangers and the boat rod average is over 18! Currently typing with one eye on the diary! There is also a catch and release lake, Farmoor 1, that is home to some monsters which just love a Buzzer swung on the wind, a Cruncher twiddled back slowly or an ultra slow fished Blob. Sunburst Yellow is a favourite. By the way if you like fishing Booby style tactics then F2 is just brilliant. Check out their fly fishing section on the Farmoor website
Farmoor Reservoir - open all year for fly fishing
But what about the rivers? I get several calls a week about the Exe and its population of Grayling. It is of course possible to catch these fish at this time of year but the major hassle is water height. The Grayling also seem to hide themselves away very well and the only way to extract one is by going super deep with heavy bugs, fished with an indicator of sorts and possibly a Czech/French style leader. This latter approach certainly provides a great deal of sensitivity and the ability to offer the most natural of presentations. A friend of mine did just that a couple of weeks ago in fairly heavy water conditions and managed one Grayling although I think it was the mended Salmon Kelt that snaffled a rubber leg nymph which surprised him most of all! If you are tempted then my advice is to keep checking the network of Farson Digital watercams for water conditions. You can see the Exe camera here
Or you could head to a chalkstream. Many have closed their doors for Grayling fishing by this time of year but John Aplins beautiful stretch of the Frome is still taking bookings and judging by his twitter post this morning it sounds like conditions could be just right. They also have a camera here.
The River Frome - Early Season
I have a few more hardcore days in the office to finish and then I have got to have a crack at one of these although there is something else. Fly Fishing for Pike. As we move towards spawning I guess our chances might diminish somewhat but there is always the chance. And even if now is not quite the right time, I have had some brilliant sessions by early March. Intermediate fly lines and highly mobile streamers proved irresistible to fish like the one below during a hectic session in early 2011. This is also budget priced sport which has to be a consideration after the expense of Christmas and now yet another hike in fuel prices on the horizon!
And I do believe the sun is shining through my office window … the season is on the way!
Big Brown Trout worth Blogging
So back to the blog. Of course I usually fill this up with all the people I take out on my fly fishing courses while adding some notes regarding our adventures and the occasional review. More of that soon. But for the moment I have to say that in 2010 I am making sure that I am not only booking out days to spend guiding or managing the shop. Instead after 4 years of growing the shop, raising a family and generally doing some quite crazy hours I have realised that I just have to get back out on the water more often. I had got to the point of rocking backwards and forwards on my office chair a little like a junkie, mumbling to myself. At this juncture I knew that something had to be done and before long had booked in some Chew trips, a couple of competitions, a session on the Bourne, some Sea Trout fishing in Wales and of course how could I possibly forget Farmoor?
And so with a couple of good buddies, James Warbrick Smith and Lewis Hendrie, we descended upon this incredible venue with a growing reputation expecting to sample some of the hard fighting Rainbow Trout which this Oxford based still water has to offer. I could not have imagined for one second what was in store. Rather than bore you with a blow by blow account I am going to post some pictures here and in my next post a short video to show just how strongly this fish swam away. What a great advert to keep those Catch & release sceptics at bay. Plus I have added the press release circulating the web right now. While this Brown was an amazing event and one I will never forget for the rest of my days, in all honesty the Rainbows we caught made it equally spectacular. Super hard fighting fish weighing up to 8lbs. In fact a 4lb razor finned fish was pretty much average!!! In recent weeks James, a Farmoor specialist, has taken them to 13lbs! Before I wear out the exclamation mark key ….
Sorry once again about the lack of posts, there are moves afoot to resurrect my blog but on an entirely new platform, so watch this space. Thanks to those who have kept checking back. Now do the sensible thing. Take a day off work, pack the rod and get down to Farmoor, I know I will be! And before I forget a VERY late happy new year and I wish you an incredible season ahead.
Copy Press Release Circulated 12/05/10
NEWS STORY: Leviathan Farmoor Brown Trout
Farmoor 1 in Oxford is gaining a reputation for its ability to produce grown on Trout of superior quality and Hart Flyshop owner and full time fishing guide Nick Hart has been making the two and a half hour journey from his home in Devon to sample some of the fantastic sport that this catch & release venue has to offer.
During a recent trip Nick hit the jackpot when an enormous Brown Trout appeared close to the margins and showed signs of feeding. Several attempts were made to get the massive fish to eat but staunchly ignored until Nick extracted a Mini Minky from the box of James Warbrick-Smith, a Farmoor specialist who has caught several specimens to double figures.
Nick said “as James passed me the fly I just knew it was the one. I have fished with James all over the world and he has the ability to tie meticulous flies that have “eat me” written all over them. The fish had entered a bubble line created by a pipe running treated water back into the lake, so by using the current I was able to get a really natural presentation of the tiny bait fish as the highly mobile mink fur wafted in the current. Farmoor is home to many species including coarse fish and we had seen several fry near the margins during the day. The Brown could not resist my imitation and without hesitation accelerated and snaffled the fly.”
“We could not control our excitement as I set the hook and line began pouring from the reel. First and foremost I was keen that we beat this fish in quickly to ensure that it could be revived and returned as soon as possible. I am lucky enough to spend a huge amount of my time guiding people and see my fair share of fish but my heart was pumping hard throughout the fight and when it hit the net I could not contain my emotion. What all the whooping and hollering from far off must have looked like I don’t know!”
“Lewis Hendrie, an up and coming young guide was also with us and it was left to him to expertly net the fish. Then by using an SLR camera and our iPhones the two guys were able to rattle off some shots in a matter of seconds. With pictures in the bag we all sat looking at the fish in astonishment as we gently revived it in the margins. The Brown had taken less than 5 minutes to land and was in good health. We were all elated to see it power away into the depths”
Farmoor stocks Brown Trout at around 2lb so this specimen was a true grown on giant that has spent many years gaining weight in the depths of Farmoor. However it is not its first mistake as the same fish had been previously captured at a weight of 17lb 7oz. Judging by the overall length and girth of this fish it weighed every bit of that. However Nick was keen to see the fish go back alive and felt that the extra trauma of recording an exact weight was not worth the risk to the leviathan’s health. In Nicks words “it was just a privilege in its own right to see this fish and I owe a massive vote of thanks to my mates James and Lewis for all their help in ensuring we got a record of the fish. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience made all the better as we were out on a day out together and a fishing moment that will live with me for the rest of my days. This Brown eclipsed my previous personal best Reservoir Trout and I don’t expect to beat it in a hurry, if ever!”
Fly Fishing versus THE FLU!
Allowing Parisian outfit Accent Mix by Vmix FM to pump electronica through my eardrums (at quite a high volume) is probably not the best cure for the Flu. But its more enjoyable than Nurofen. So while melodic tunes course through the office what else can I do to help cure this quite pointless illness?
A trip to the cinema last night to enjoy the Fly Fishing Film Festival may have helped, but its that time of year when the phone rings constantly and the web orders spike as gifts are stockpiled for more than a few lucky anglers. So work had to come first and unfortunately the same has to go for the Itchen trip I had been invited to attend later this week. Two kicks in the butt and then my missus gives me flu, thanks sweetheart!
Nick who organised the film festival event playing out of the Exeter Vue Cinema on 24/11/09 was on the phone earlier today I understand (I was blowing my nose at the time!) and I am sure the evening was a massive success. This review regarding the London showing earlier in the year by Charles Rangeley-Wilson certainly seems very favourable.
A quick break to tap out a blog is definitely helping my flu head and I always enjoy a bit of Twitter in between booking in courses or chatting about the latest in fishing tackle. My new iPhone is here to help with that (how did I live without the calender???) but right now I don’t really want to go near the touch screen. I doubt you need the gory details! So gadgets are out too … (is the iPhone guaranteed against snot!?)
So when I am feeling like life has just given me a kick in the arse there is no better thing to do than think about a particular fishing day or perhaps a fish? So right now I am thinking about this ….
Do reservoir Rainbows get much better? This fish taken on Farmoor last year was just one of an epic haul that James Warbrick-Smith and I enjoyed. I am feeling better already as I begin plotting a new Farmoor trip to make up for the Itchen, the need for overtime and my snotty iPhone!
