The Continuing Adventures of the Fluff Club, Episode 30

An icy Trout from the last episode

(In which the identities of the Fluff Boys are disguised).

Thirty! Flipping heck! Wish I had thirty comments, or even thirty likes, to understand what you readers think, though.
Cold, but not nearly as cold as the last FC episode; seven of us eventually assembled for the fray, magnificent indeed but down on the last time. Moorhen's lake was unruffled save for the inevitable hubbub from the many fowl, both tame and wild. The woodburner, hot coffee and a bacon sarnie make for a good start on a winter's morn. The Professor, Admiral, Inspector and Whytee were just about good to get when Jackdaw then Rodney and Dell-boy rocked up. "What sort of time do you call this?" asked the Professor, Dell-boy replied "I didn't even know what day it is, never mind what time". It's a worry.
Two other anglers set up quickly, keen to grab the prime spots. Funny how some folks are in such a hurry to relax and chill.
I started off twixt the bird feeding stations in front of the lodge, using a Marsden's Mohican fished deep and slow. After half an hour and just one visible follow I took the little bridge onto the island to fish towards the right-hand aerator. Noticing a couple of swirls out in the middle I extended the cast and as the fly splashed down there was a nearby swirl then a firm pull. A pretty two pounds nine ounces Rainbow did its level best to escape but soon came to the net. Time to take off that fly to try something different, so I moved swim as well, off the island and along the bank to a spot in front of the road entrance. I have never used a Snake fly before, despite having tied a few. I selected a four-inch black one, with flash strands along its sides and green-fritz beard under the bead-chain eyes. I dunked it hither and thither to get it good and wet, cast out and it floated, eliciting a swirl from a trout before a couple of tugs from me sank the fly.
The Inspector and I watched the guy on that promontory on the east bank playing a fish, seemingly for an age. We were unsure whether it was a good fish or he was being very cautious with a too-light clutch, every time he bent to pick up his landing net it shot off again, but finally he netted it; a good 'un after all.
The Inspector moved again, not being one to fish a swim for too long. Today he had forsaken his buzzers for Snail patterns from the USA, although the modus operandi was the same: cast, let it sink slowly and watch the end of the line for signs of a take. Over in that treed corner nearest the road it worked a treat!
That guy on the promontory had his second and moved off to join his pal fishing in 'duffer's corner'. The Admiral took up the vacant spot and was soon into a fish. "Aha!" thought I, there was obviously a pod of fish over there, the formation of these pods seems quite commonplace at this fishery. The Admiral was using a nymph pattern we tied recently at one of our weekly sessions, but I can't remember which. Over on the far side the Professor caught next, using a little gold-bead grey marabou fly with a collar of the infamous Hends No.17, again from a recent tying evening.
Meanwhile, second cast of the Snake elicited a tug which came to nowt. The next chuck the line went solid, battle commenced, an exciting tussle with many strong runs before the Rainbow was safely netted, a fin-perfect fish which pulled the scales down to four pounds thirteen ounces. My two-fish ticket filled I checked my watch: far too soon to return to the domestic bliss and inevitable chores, I didn't want to set a dangerous precedent.
Dell-boy moved to the promontory. I joined him, he told me he hadn't had a touch yet. Surface swirls from time to time actually gave away the presence of two shoals or pods, one milling about in the treed corner, the other dead in front. I asked Dell-boy why he was using such a short leader, he explained that it was longer when he started but that a lurking bench had shortened it considerably. It was 7lb breaking strain so I tied on another six feet of 5lb fluoro and knotted a BFD variant on the business end. He made a cast and promptly missed a strong pull. On the next cast, however, he hooked-up and shortly had the trout beaten, I netted it for him, despatched it and headed to the lodge to get it weighed and bagged. At the lodge I looked back to see him already playing his second, that was Dell-boy's day done.
Jackdaw was yet to catch despite hogging 'duffer's corner' for quite a while. Rodney was on the island, where I'd caught my first, he was slightly miffed at Dell-boy's success and shouted across "You're just catching there, I'm doing all the fishing over here!" which elicited a two-finger response, presumably in confirmation that Dell-boy had indeed got two in the bag. The Inspector, further around, had his second, again using the Snail pattern.
I thought I should try to help Rodney and moved back onto the island. His problem seemed to be that his #3 weight brook rod couldn't reach the fish out in the middle, although some trout passed in front of him from time to time. I gave him one of the BFD variant pattern that Dell-boy had caught with and before too long he had a couple of takes but managed to miss both.
The Professor had now taken over the hot promontory position, covering the pod over near the corner. He missed three takes in successive casts before he hooked-up on the next, followed by two more trout in short order to complete his four limit. The Admiral now took over the hot spot while the Professor joined me in trying to help Rodney catch. He asked Rodney if he could try the rod and as it passed hands I spotted a zig-zag swirl where the fly had just landed, "That's a take" I exclaimed, the Professor quickly thrust the rod back into Rodney's grasp, while the hooked trout shot to our left, energetically performing three high leaps! Rodney, for reasons that only he knows, dropped the rod tip low and started to re-arrange the line lying on the ground; the line out in the lake promptly went slack. Funny that. The Admiral had completed his brace, from you-know-where, so the Inspector gave it a shot, and in short order filled his triple ticket. I think I definitely need to tie some Snail patterns soon.
It was just as well that both of them had finished, because the Jackdaw was making a bee-line to the zone regardless, the determined look on his face indicating his intent to fish there even if he was standing on someone else's toes. I don't know what fly he was fishing, although he rarely likes to change, but when he was into his second trout the Professor and I finally convinced Rodney he ought to move to the fish. There were no more "Fishing, not catching" comments. The Professor accompanied Rodney to coach him, but it was now lunch time so I packed up. As I drove from the car park I could see Rodney playing a fish and simultaneously fiddling with his cap-mounted HD camera. It seems, despite this distraction, that he actually got his brace. Good, it’s not every trip that the Fluff Boy attendees all manage to bag-up, in fact I think this may be only the second occasion in these thirty episodes.
Me yacova na gauna ka tarava.