A glutton for punishment, it was up to Pendreich again for an evening of warm sunshine, plentiful fly life, a ripple on the water and eager Brown Trout begging to take a well presented dry fly.
Almost predictably now it was deader than a dead thing from Dead land. There’s more life in a tramps vest to coin the words of the Stereophonics.
Being an on call week my options are limited so I welcome the chance to grab a few hours, and if I get called out, nothing lost, it’s not like I have paid for a permit for the night.
I don’t mind not catching, but the near total absence of fish life does start to get you down. I think I seen three fish move all night, one rose consistently near the weeds on the north east side, and a couple out in the middle splashed, but that was it. Last year you cod see the water literally boil with life, though catching was an altogether trickier matter.
So where are the fish? I know something like 3-400 ( depending who you talk to) fish went in back in June and the catch records don’t show many being caught, either to keep or return. In that time I think I have had 2, both returned.
I know there is an Osprey takes a fish regularly, I have seen it twice and other correspondents on Facebook have commented it can be there daily. The cormorants there early season, are long gone, apparently there is an Otter in residence ( not seen it ). How many fish would they account for in 7 weeks? There used to be a heron about, not seen it in a while, and the swans and ducks have vanished too ( dogs or otters chasing them?). Poachers? I know there are a few but could they remove so many fish?
There is literally tons of fly life on the water. Sedges in particular were abundant. Caenis were about but usually this makes the fish hard to catch, not invisible. Two other anglers, one in the boat, one on the bank struggled too. The chap in the boat said he thought he had turned a couple but never had a touch. Anyway it was still nice to be out rather than watching the flaming Olympics ( yawn). Might try get out for some more productive outings this weekend when the pager gets switched off.
An angler casts on a very still Pendreich when the wind drops
