The Continuing Adventures of the Fluff Club, Episode 17
(Names and places are disguised to protect the innocent).
So, the Turkeys across the water have voted for Christmas. I suppose we did the same here back in June. Now to the important stuff.
At our recent FDG Fluff Club meeting upon my mentioning today's venue the inestimable Chaz J recommended #18 imitative nymphs and then demonstrated three patterns in the second half of the guest evening. Just one more (slightly) political comment: surely there's an MBE or a knighthood pending?
The day dawned bright, soon losing the night's chill; we were in for a pleasant mix of sunshine, clouds, and a few puffs of breeze. This is the warmest November I've known in the UK, just three weeks ago there were actually tadpoles swimming in the margins of a pond I was looking into! Crazy world, … is it us?
Another breakfast RDV a few miles away from the fishery. Strangely these last two breakfast-based trips didn't attract the Jackdaw, he's usually the most enthusiastic when it comes to a cooked English. The fishery was actually expecting us. The Professor, Dell-boy, Rodney, the Lumberjack, Whytee, plus our latest addition Galilee, all assembled in the car park, the Sailor was already there and fishing. A magnificent seven, possibly one or two more than our last visit to this fishery, which hasn't featured in any of the Fluff Club episodes I've written to date. The four pools lie in a small chalk valley, spring fed and famously clear. I love sight fishing, you can tell if your fly is not the one you should be using.
The Lumberjack and I agreed to both target taking one trout from each of the four 'lakes'. No pressure then. We both started on the first one, fishing small, imitative patterns as previously advised. Half an hour gone it was still nada all, then the Lumberjack switched to a green Damsel lure and took his first trout first cast. Shortly thereafter I looked across to the second water to see his rod hooped over into a second fish, and minutes later I saw that the Professor, further along, was 'in' too. Opposite me, Rodney shouted that he was getting follows but no takes. That was a pattern everyone experienced during the session.
On my umpteenth fly change a PTN variant elicited a take, I struck, felt momentary resistance, then nowt. Reeling in I found that the micro-ring connector was not on the end of the copolymer tapered leader; very unhappily this meant a trout at large with the fly, nine feet of tippet, and the micro-ring. I sincerely hoped the flattened-down barb would soon leave that fish unencumbered. Time passed, I persevered, pattern changing, until a #16 GRHE sporting an orange Glo-brite tag-tail proved to be exactly what a two-pound Rainbow had been looking for. Phew, off the mark at last; apart from Dell-boy everyone else had already caught fish.
Onto the second water, after a couple of half-hearted follows but no take, interest in that fly dried up and I changed to a 1" long olive Damsel, missed a couple of plucks, then managed a hook-up which instantly changed into a fish lost. The micro-ring's Davy knot had slipped again. It is usually so reliable, but I realised that the smoothness and softness of the copolymer were allowing it to slip under pressure, it really needed a dab of superglue. It happened again when a passing tree grabbed the fly, so I cut several inches off the end to get to thicker diameter line than the 5x tip, in hope that would do the trick. At long last I had a follow to a larger Damsel pattern, which thankfully turned into a take and after a short fight I was two from two.
Onto the third water, and the Lumberjack sauntered over to tell me he was done, four from four, also that the Professor had his four, although three had come from the second pool almost in successive casts to his PTN variant. We Fluff Boys were outnumbered by other brother anglers spread around the fishery, some of whom stayed put in presumably their favourite spot, even with folding stools to sit on.
It transpired that Dell-boy was yet to catch, but Rodney and Galilee had both secured their brace. The Lumberjack and Rodney went to 'assist' Dell-boy, when along came the Sailor from the furthest end, and confessed he had uncharacteristically caught his second and last on a blue-flash Damsel! So much for the esteemed Chaz's assurances we ought to go small and natural.
Once most of the Fluff Boys had pointed out I appeared to be struggling, for which I thank them, Rodney hooked a fish for Dell-boy so he wouldn't go home fishless. As the guys began to depart I looked in my Damsels box, in which there was one solitary BFD. I tend not to tie flies I don't have confidence using, and I don't know why but this is one pattern which just didn't seem to rock my boat.
I put it on for a reason I can't explain, cast, and Wallop! This proved to be a better rainbow, three pounds or so. Now to try for my fourth fish from the fourth water. The Professor and Galilee bade me farewell, and I walked along the new bank looking for fish. Near some trimmed rushes I spotted a nice Brown trout about two rod lengths out. Stealthily and keeping low I moved closer, flicked out the fly, and the Trout visibly turned toward my fly when I gave it a little jerk. The next cast was a bit wayward, but when I lifted off the BFD the target turned to see what had caused a movement behind it. I flipped the fly back and the trout took! I set the hook with a firm lift. This was a real cracker so I played it very carefully indeed, taking extreme care with the light tippet, while haunted by the possibility the micro-ring problem would strike again. I also wished I had more power than I could exert with my 4-weight outfit. Time turned into an eternity but at last it was safely in the landing net!
As I headed off a guy approached "That's a good fish. We saw you stalking it, what fly did you use?",
"You're not going to believe it" I replied, "it was that very traditional stalking bug, the blue flash Damsel!".
Back at the car park I found the Professor and Galilee still chatting, they paused to admire the beautiful fully-finned flawless Brownie, easily best of the day at exactly six pounds.
Tils nasta gang. (Sorry, I can't do umlauts).
So, the Turkeys across the water have voted for Christmas. I suppose we did the same here back in June. Now to the important stuff.
At our recent FDG Fluff Club meeting upon my mentioning today's venue the inestimable Chaz J recommended #18 imitative nymphs and then demonstrated three patterns in the second half of the guest evening. Just one more (slightly) political comment: surely there's an MBE or a knighthood pending?
The day dawned bright, soon losing the night's chill; we were in for a pleasant mix of sunshine, clouds, and a few puffs of breeze. This is the warmest November I've known in the UK, just three weeks ago there were actually tadpoles swimming in the margins of a pond I was looking into! Crazy world, … is it us?
Another breakfast RDV a few miles away from the fishery. Strangely these last two breakfast-based trips didn't attract the Jackdaw, he's usually the most enthusiastic when it comes to a cooked English. The fishery was actually expecting us. The Professor, Dell-boy, Rodney, the Lumberjack, Whytee, plus our latest addition Galilee, all assembled in the car park, the Sailor was already there and fishing. A magnificent seven, possibly one or two more than our last visit to this fishery, which hasn't featured in any of the Fluff Club episodes I've written to date. The four pools lie in a small chalk valley, spring fed and famously clear. I love sight fishing, you can tell if your fly is not the one you should be using.
The Lumberjack and I agreed to both target taking one trout from each of the four 'lakes'. No pressure then. We both started on the first one, fishing small, imitative patterns as previously advised. Half an hour gone it was still nada all, then the Lumberjack switched to a green Damsel lure and took his first trout first cast. Shortly thereafter I looked across to the second water to see his rod hooped over into a second fish, and minutes later I saw that the Professor, further along, was 'in' too. Opposite me, Rodney shouted that he was getting follows but no takes. That was a pattern everyone experienced during the session.
On my umpteenth fly change a PTN variant elicited a take, I struck, felt momentary resistance, then nowt. Reeling in I found that the micro-ring connector was not on the end of the copolymer tapered leader; very unhappily this meant a trout at large with the fly, nine feet of tippet, and the micro-ring. I sincerely hoped the flattened-down barb would soon leave that fish unencumbered. Time passed, I persevered, pattern changing, until a #16 GRHE sporting an orange Glo-brite tag-tail proved to be exactly what a two-pound Rainbow had been looking for. Phew, off the mark at last; apart from Dell-boy everyone else had already caught fish.
Onto the second water, after a couple of half-hearted follows but no take, interest in that fly dried up and I changed to a 1" long olive Damsel, missed a couple of plucks, then managed a hook-up which instantly changed into a fish lost. The micro-ring's Davy knot had slipped again. It is usually so reliable, but I realised that the smoothness and softness of the copolymer were allowing it to slip under pressure, it really needed a dab of superglue. It happened again when a passing tree grabbed the fly, so I cut several inches off the end to get to thicker diameter line than the 5x tip, in hope that would do the trick. At long last I had a follow to a larger Damsel pattern, which thankfully turned into a take and after a short fight I was two from two.
Onto the third water, and the Lumberjack sauntered over to tell me he was done, four from four, also that the Professor had his four, although three had come from the second pool almost in successive casts to his PTN variant. We Fluff Boys were outnumbered by other brother anglers spread around the fishery, some of whom stayed put in presumably their favourite spot, even with folding stools to sit on.
It transpired that Dell-boy was yet to catch, but Rodney and Galilee had both secured their brace. The Lumberjack and Rodney went to 'assist' Dell-boy, when along came the Sailor from the furthest end, and confessed he had uncharacteristically caught his second and last on a blue-flash Damsel! So much for the esteemed Chaz's assurances we ought to go small and natural.
Once most of the Fluff Boys had pointed out I appeared to be struggling, for which I thank them, Rodney hooked a fish for Dell-boy so he wouldn't go home fishless. As the guys began to depart I looked in my Damsels box, in which there was one solitary BFD. I tend not to tie flies I don't have confidence using, and I don't know why but this is one pattern which just didn't seem to rock my boat.
I put it on for a reason I can't explain, cast, and Wallop! This proved to be a better rainbow, three pounds or so. Now to try for my fourth fish from the fourth water. The Professor and Galilee bade me farewell, and I walked along the new bank looking for fish. Near some trimmed rushes I spotted a nice Brown trout about two rod lengths out. Stealthily and keeping low I moved closer, flicked out the fly, and the Trout visibly turned toward my fly when I gave it a little jerk. The next cast was a bit wayward, but when I lifted off the BFD the target turned to see what had caused a movement behind it. I flipped the fly back and the trout took! I set the hook with a firm lift. This was a real cracker so I played it very carefully indeed, taking extreme care with the light tippet, while haunted by the possibility the micro-ring problem would strike again. I also wished I had more power than I could exert with my 4-weight outfit. Time turned into an eternity but at last it was safely in the landing net!
As I headed off a guy approached "That's a good fish. We saw you stalking it, what fly did you use?",
"You're not going to believe it" I replied, "it was that very traditional stalking bug, the blue flash Damsel!".
Back at the car park I found the Professor and Galilee still chatting, they paused to admire the beautiful fully-finned flawless Brownie, easily best of the day at exactly six pounds.
Tils nasta gang. (Sorry, I can't do umlauts).
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