Dull day but still a few takers on the Hodder
And the ramblings of a dry fly author!
Okay – not every day is the sort of day that you feel like writing in-depth stuff about fishing. However, at times a record of angling events is a worthy thing to undertake and if nothing else it serves as a good personal record for future reference.
A nice
pool on the Hodder which was running peaty and fast on the day in question
I have currently reached a sort of writer’s block, which is based perhaps of
personal laziness rather than much else. Then again, maybe laziness is not the
right word as I have already happily written a somewhat unique study of
Spate stream dry fly fishing on
the Northern becks (as yet
unpublished due to me not finding a publisher with the necessary insight).
Incidentally, I have also previously written a
few books on ancient myth and legend etc which ‘have’ thankfully found
publishers with the necessary foresight to place confidence in their production.
http://www.merciangathering.com/learbooks/books.htm
Then again, I have also written a substantial fantasy novel, aimed at the youth
market, which will hopefully knock that Harry Potter fellow off his top
spot too, but again this work currently has no home.
In light of the above I suppose that laziness is not reality the correct term I
am after. Maybe I just need a jolly good rest whilst some nice friendly
publisher gets on with saying ‘yes please Pat’ to my proposed
Spate stream - dry fly manuscript.
There must still be a few real angling publishers out there who have not fallen for the commercialised lure of the stocked lake fisher with accompanying giant rods, heavy lines, monster flies and closed minds to the delicate art of the true wild country dry fly angler.
Yes, I realise that money talks, majorities rule and that publishers want to cover their backs financially - via appeasing thousands of safe anglers. The sort of fisherman that are happy blasting out shooting heads with their pals on man-made concrete bowls, whilst us more antisocial types seek out bleak, remote locations and faster flows with a diminutive dry fly. Sorry if this sounds like an advert for the movie 'A River Runs Through It' but you may get my gist! Perhaps writing so passionately of wild fish in even wilder places laced with timeless beauty is not a commercial certainty for most safe-bet angling publishers.
All I can say in favour of my constant literary angling efforts is that I write in honestly about an aspect of the sport that is in the main 'undiscovered' and greatly in need of explanation. My desire is to see my dry fly work in print, not for VAST commercial gain (honest) but to help keep a vital, yet woefully misunderstood element of the wilder British aquatic country sport ALIVE!
I reiterate that if you are an angling
publisher who was like me brought up on chasing sticklebacks in sandy ditches
with a net; watching Jack Hargreaves on TV after school and who appreciates the
marvellous call of the wild beck then please help me to promote this work.
Right – enough of my internal ramblings and almost psychotic searching for that
elusive genuine angling publisher. The following article is written with
picture content rather than a surplus of words so that I can get that rest,
which may be well over due.
Early summer on the Hodder is a magical time and although the grayling are not yet in season they still take the fly intended for trout well at this period.
A few hundred yards down stream and the current was deeper and slower, making rising fish easier to spot - but also easier to spook.
As per usual, a drop of water the night before a fishing trip is a welcome bonus
and will frequently get the fish moving to natural hatches.
Alas though on this particular day the river was a little higher than one would
like and more in keeping with salmon fishing. Sadly too, hatches were almost
none existent. This happens at times on all rivers; one day the place is
brimming with all manner of hatching duns and spinners then the next day the
place is almost lifeless.
Nonetheless, I managed to take several browns and a few bigger grayling all of which were carefully returned to grow larger.
A nice Hodder grayling which was quickly photographed then returned.
Holding the 'Silver Lady of the Steam' carefully in the current is very important so that recovery is complete after the fight. Never let them go back until you feel their strength return. I took this shot myself, which was quite an achievement at the time as my hands were wet and slippy.
Wild beauty: the Hodder's trout never seem to get to the larger proportions as their River Lune counterparts, yet they are still wonderful fish and time spent pursuing them with a dry fly is never ever wasted.
Now this little chap was again quickly photographed and released without harm, yet a second look at this snap suggested that it was a small sea-trout, a baby salmon or something in between. Nevertheless - they all eagerly take the tiny dry fly and that is what counts the most.
This is the type of general olive that can be very effective on the Hodder in early summer. Nothing too fancy but it does the business, time after time.
Successful flies on the day were general olive duns and black terrestrial dressings tied on light 18 - 20 hooks.
Top tip for the Hodder in early summer is to incorporate a touch of orange into dun dressings.