I went up to the club water yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. I haven’t fished this week as frankly I am very sore and its all a bit of a struggle. I thought though I might manage a short time up there if the wind wasn’t too strong as I hoped to use a light line approach and hopefully dry fly tactics.
Set up with a single Bobs Bits in black tied using Paul Davison of Troutwatch`s variant I headed for the south bank away from other anglers and with the breeze coming over my left shoulder. There was nothing showing but tons of fly life on the water. Some big olive coloured daddy long legs were especially apparent.

After about ten minutes my attention was drawn to a fish rising about 40 yards away off the dam wall. After it rose a third time and then jumped I decided to go cover it. From the dam wall it was still a long cast away but the wind was right behind me. After a few casts in the general vicinity of the rise I spotted the fish. It was sitting with my fly right at the end of its nose. I patiently did nothing and it continued to sit there not more than one inhale from my fly. It continued to stay just/short of the fly so I decided a twitch might be in order.
The fly moved and the fish backed off then returned under the fly. I twitched it again and the fish spooked.
Another cast and leaving the fly again I couldn’t see the fish but was very aware of nervous water round my fly and am sure a fish refused. I was toying with changing the fly but decided on one more cast. The wind was really getting up now and getting strong and cold. The fly sat on the ripple and suddenly there was a clearly audible pop as the fish seemed to take the fly. I lifted but it wasn’t attached. I cast again and as the fly drifted to the left a fish sucked gently at the fly. It was barely perceptible but I seen it and struck. But no fish again! The wind was very strong and casting was almost impossible so I returned to the south bank. All fish activity stopped as the wind chill encroached. I ended up heading back to the car to get my Simms Primaloft jacket. I then varied flies trying a few parachute patterns plus nymphs and buzzers underneath but nothing moved. I managed to fish the majority of the south bank and it was only as I was ready to head back towards the car that a fish swirled at something not two rod lengths away. I covered it but had no offers and it never showed again. I stopped for a cast on the dam wall as the wind had dropped again but no further activity was forthcoming. It was a short session but it was good to be out despite the blank.