I took a walk along the wee stream this afternoon.

She is in fine fettle for the start of the season on Friday

 

 

While I was out, late afternoon there were three trout taking #18 stoneflies

from the surface - it's back to the bench for me :)



#16 SULFUR

Soon it will be time to fish again.

They might fancy a Sulfur for lunch;

this one drifts along in the film trying to break through

 

 

Here you can download the catalog for the Wild Trout Trust Annual auction
http://www.wildtrout.org/sites/default/files/auction_files/wttauction2013.pdf

                                          This is lot #35

fins

Yes, folks,

just fins

 

these wild browns are so beautiful.



This little guy took my dry Sulfur #18 first cast through a long ninety second drift.

Now, that is one long slow drift alright.

It was the first time this year that I had fished my Hardy Fibalite glass 7ft #3/4

Crisp as the day she was built and spot on accuracy this is a classic 1960's glass,

plays fish softly and positively, almost as good as bamboo

The thing is those little trouty teeth can wreck a fly.

First cast, one fly, one fish, fly gnarled beyond recognition

 

I can see the satisfaction in his eye for the perfect wreckage of a good dry fly

 

 

The river was high  so I took a trip toward the headwaters.

I found a pool where some small browns were taking emerging baetis in a slick,

 a dozen or so fish rising freely and gently.

My offering of a #18 reversed parachute Greenwells yielded five in ten minutes.

I then changed to a #20 revpara Rusty emerger with a tiny slip of bronze mallard

 for a hint of wing, tied by my neighbour and friend at Small Fly Funk, Andy Baird,

result...

another pretty brown.

I had a dozen for the evening and returned to my open fire.

The local streams are low and clear

I have moved home from London to Armoy,

Northern Ireland

The streams have beautiful, sometimes fussy brown trout

taking BWO, caddis olives and Tups Indispensibles

I'm home