Since the river was at a very nice level today (31cm) I decided to revisit Trottenden (Beat 2a) in the hope of just a little bit of dry fly action. The omens were good, as there were lots of Caddis and other flies on and around the river, and even a load of Hawthorn Flies with their dangling undercarriages. I even spotted what looked like a Yellow May (though it should be too early for them) landing on the river and floating right down over a long well-stocked pool. Just to prove how numerous the Caddis were, here's a picture of a Grannom taken by our ace photographer, Keith.
Sadly, nothing rose to the Mayfly, or indeed to anything else, despite the abundance of fly activity. Luckily there were still plenty of fish around, but they were staying out of the cold air, though they were taking caddis-like nymphs (as well as the odd Pink Grayling Bomb). A favourite was the Grayling Bug (see below), as tied by Keith and others at the recent fly-tying evening, and they also went for Tony's famous Alpaca nymphs (basically like a hairier Hare's Ear).
I know that the pool over which the Mayfly floated was full of trout, as I hooked (and eventually lost) 3 of them there, and a few more not too far away. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have banned barbed hooks after all, or perhaps I just need more practice? On the other hand, you're not limited to four fish if you keep losing them, so maybe it's not all bad.
It's worth persevering with nymphs at the moment, but it'll be great to start seeing some rises somewhere. Incidentally, if you do visit Beat 2a, be aware that the cattle (and their calves) are now out in the fields, and some of the electric fences are now live, so do take care, and enjoy the blissfully dry spell of weather we're experiencing - it surely won't last.
Tight Lines
PeterB
P.S. The Grayling Bug
