|
Post by terry on Jan 1, 2022 12:31:54 GMT
Happy new year to all. Let us hope things will change for the better
|
|
|
Post by johnesmithson on Jan 3, 2022 11:21:12 GMT
Thanks Terry, happy 2022 to you and all Devon anglers. Time to start planning for the new season. I've taken the plunge and booked Prince Hall for a week in June with a group of friends to celebrate a big birthday and imminent retirement...might just get a bit of fishing done!
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 4, 2022 16:40:14 GMT
And to you all. Here's hoping 2022 will be memorable for all the right reasons. I hope you are starting to plan for the new season. I'm personally pleased to put 2021 behind me from a fishing perspective and think I marked it either a 3 or 4 out of 10. How would you mark your past season?
|
|
|
Post by johnesmithson on Jan 4, 2022 18:32:07 GMT
Fair to middling I would say Pete, maybe 5 at a push?! I picked away on most visits to Dartmoor but none really stood out. One thing that might turn out to be useful this season is studying some short video clips which I took by setting my little camera up to do some remote filming as I fished three different pools. I spotted a number of interesting things, including how jumpy and high my rod tip is when I retrieve slack, which probably affects the drift adversely. Also, that if I was going to rise a fish it would be on one of my first casts, and finally, how fishing almost straight upstream is neither good for attracting fish nor hooking them.
|
|
|
Post by yeoman on Jan 4, 2022 18:54:09 GMT
Happy New Year to everyone as well. I too found the 2021 season to be very poor, I knew it would be as I started with a bang by taking a lovely Exe Springer of about 8lb at the end of March, on about my 3rd cast of the season, and it was downhill from there, the cold April and wet May didn't do anything any good, imo. A big fat 3 for me.....
|
|
|
Post by terry on Jan 4, 2022 19:17:11 GMT
Great at least Iโve got this lovely little board posting again. Do not despair this year will be better than the last. Wonโt it?
|
|
|
Post by halfstoned on Jan 4, 2022 20:26:54 GMT
Fair to middling I would say Pete, maybe 5 at a push?! I picked away on most visits to Dartmoor but none really stood out. One thing that might turn out to be useful this season is studying some short video clips which I took by setting my little camera up to do some remote filming as I fished three different pools. I spotted a number of interesting things, including how jumpy and high my rod tip is when I retrieve slack, which probably affects the drift adversely. Also, that if I was going to rise a fish it would be on one of my first casts, and finally, how fishing almost straight upstream is neither good for attracting fish nor hooking them. I would say about a 4! Coldest April/May I can remember, fly life was a bit thin on the ground (our rivers are suffering just like the rest of nature) but I would like to echo johnsmithsons statement about filming yourself, it really has been interesting to look back at how i approached my fishing and things i could improve on, made me get out more and try different places if nothing else.
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 5, 2022 8:07:22 GMT
I do think the cold start played a part in the poor early season trouting. I was on the river fishing mayfly, and it was just dropping after the lift we had end May/early June. The fish I caught then were all head and thin body more like a March fish. yeoman, I feel your pain. I had one salmon. I'd had one come off a few moments before and thought my chance had gone.
As ever though, I am looking forward to the coming season with the same excitement I always have.
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 6, 2022 13:39:47 GMT
Carrying on this thread a little and moving it in a slightly different direction (apologies) but did you have a memorable fish or moment that made a poor season feel a little better?
Do you have pics?
I'll show you mine if you show me yours!
|
|
|
Post by johnesmithson on Jan 6, 2022 19:32:48 GMT
As well as some end of season sea trout success in the Hebrides, and my first Dartmoor peal for many years in June, I broke my chalkstream duck with this fish from Wrackleford on the Dorset Frome in August. I must apologise that it was on nymph, but at least it was upstream, size 16!
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 7, 2022 7:52:29 GMT
Nice John, many congratulations.
You don't have to apologise how you caught the fish. It is about fishing the correct technique for the conditions and looks like you did just that. Great!
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 7, 2022 16:58:24 GMT
I think this is probably my favourite moment of last season.
|
|
|
Post by yeoman on Jan 7, 2022 17:37:57 GMT
Lovely photo....Emma looking Glamorous as always! Not sure about the grizzly fellow behind, mind...๐
|
|
|
Post by halfstoned on Jan 7, 2022 18:31:41 GMT
I think my most memorable was this fish from a little Dartmoor stream. Only 11" but one of the best I've had from there in a dozen years of fishing it. I also had a bigger fish fall off at the hand on a different day, both occasions were late in September and I wonder if they had migrated upstream ready for spawning? As an aside I also got a shot of these mining bees which had tunneled into the river sediment that had been caught by exposed tree roots. Something I've never seen before.
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 8, 2022 10:19:30 GMT
Lovely photo....Emma looking Glamorous as always! Not sure about the grizzly fellow behind, mind...๐ Do you mean me or the dog?
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 9, 2022 8:36:37 GMT
Lovely fish Halfstoned!
|
|
|
Post by Pete Tyjas on Jan 9, 2022 8:42:00 GMT
I also cut back the amount of tackle I was using and have pretty much fully embraced bamboo for nearly all of my trout fishing with an occasional dip into glass rods too. I'm really enjoying it.
|
|