Ironically on the last weekend before the opening of the official Brown Trout season and I think (other than call out weekends) it’s my first non angling weekend this year. Weather has been dreadful- we had high winds up to the weekend then snow pretty well all day Saturday, it only let up to rain, and today has been very wet as well.
So no fishing. Decided to do a spot of fly tying and a spot of casting practice up the park when the weather brightened up (though it was still raining quite heavily at times). Really need to improve my double haul and for a while was getting somewhere- just need to slow it all down I think. Also practised my Snake lift and my Z-lift and Cut cast for relocating. I have to admit these are casts I seem to be able to do in the field but not so easy on the water with a fly on the end.
Tied a few Hares Ear variants, Pheasant Tail Nymph variants and finished the days tying with a few Black Ants- which I thought were great fun to tie. I doubt there will be too many opportunities to use them but at least if I see flying ants I will be ready, there were plenty here last July- tied a selection from size 12 down to 16.
I also tied a couple of Goddards Caddis patterns yesterday- big hairy Deers hair things- hard to believe they will catch fish but quite a lot of fun too- though a bit time consuming and messy what with all the hair cuttings. I also tied- just for fun, a “mouse” fly pretty much as used in the film Once In A Blue Moon which I have been watching, about trout fishing in the rivers and lakes of South Island, New Zealand. Awesome stuff!. I doubt the Mouse will be much of a killer here but I do think it might be a laugh to try it on a pike up Cocksburn Reservoir during the season. Thursday Nights are Pike nights!
