How would you describe your season?

[Pete Tyjas]

I was wondering how everybodys season went?

Trout for me was excellent, sea trout OKish and salmon not great although I didn't really go for them in any meaningful way (read zero!)

How did 2009 rank as a fishing season for you?

Pete

[Deleted]

Trout ok but mayfly was slightly disappointing. Salmon mixed as I was flooded off twice. Grayling, so far has been good.

[paul]

Absolutely lousy! On our club waters, incompetence limited me to around 60 fish from well over 80 hours of honest endeavour- and only one of those to a dry- all the rest were on nymphs but could equally well have been on spinners or maggots!.

A visit to lapland yielded 20 grayling in a week of 10hrs a day fishing. no char, no trout, no salmon, no sea trout no pike.

The only bright spots were two days with pete on the Taw- one catching more trout than in 2 months on my own; the second after salmon and sea trout- unproductive but a brilliant day.

What was the high spot? Two weeks ago on the chalk with Pete; two things- watching Pete fish for the first time- its a good thing he puts them back else he would outstrip otters, mink, cormorants and goosanders as the main cause of falling stocks.

The second was being able to fish half the time despite a ******** right shoulder falling off a stile in early September. I'd taught myself to cast after a fashion left handed- its not as difficult as gn tries to make out and its definitely easier on any river than the normal right handed (as backhand casting is a doddle left handed and a pig right-handed! I still caught fish!

paul

[troutbum]

A real mixed bag.

Trout was good overall and I managed to fish more river stuff than last season which was good. The big one is still there for next season. Stillwater was slightly more interesting but still prefer the moving stuff.

Bass fishing was quite productive and there did seem to be more around than previous seasons which was encouraging. Had one or two Pollack and some Macky and one Garfish.

Another season gone by without trying for Sea trout and I really thought I would this year. Oh well there is always next season - I blame Pete !! Dont let me get away with not Sea Trouting next season Pete.

Mark

[2009 Season]

Got to agree with Paul,On the club water,trout didn't seem to be around in any great numbers,particularly on the Yeo.
Still great fishing,though,just a bit harder.
Fished a bit in France on Hols,spookiest trout ever but very rewarding when u get em.Managed 2 in about 10 hrs of fishing spread over 2 weeks.
It was really nice to see a proper hatch of olives one evening...never seen that many over here.

[Pete Tyjas]

Ben,

Would you head to France on a fly fishing trip? It is something I have always thought about.

[yeoman]

I think it could be really good,Pete,particularly if you like France anyway.I doubt it would compare to the better known destinations, but then you have got the wine and food!!
It's fairly cheap,as you seem to be able to fish most places with a rod licence only, which is about 70 euros a season or 30 euros for a 2 week tourist one.
I've only got limited experience there,but from what I've seen,there are some lovely rivers.
Fishing pressure is quite heavy in most places and the fish are well educated,but there are some big fish to be had.
I havn't seen that many fly anglers as they tend to favour bait or spinner and if they do fish fly it is usually with a bubble float,so I think the traditional fly angler,particularly with dries,has a good chance as the fish don't see that much of this.

[Deleted]

I lived in Basle for 5 years and being on the FRench border experienced a lot of French fishing the Swiss rivers as theire were fished out! The French tend to be fishmongers and keep everything they catch with obvious effects to existing stocks of fish. No doubt there will be exclusions to this but I suspect to get good fishing you would need to hit the more "exclusive" beats and rivers.

[paulf]

yes to France- agree others views. my only experience is britanny- there seemed an awful lot of water there. finding places- even with good french- is difficult.

guess when you get to alpine foothills theres some great sport but thats a long drive.

seem to remember a good article by jon beer earlier this year about normandy.

[Deleted]

The place that is being rated highly is Bosnia. It appears to offer fishing as high in quality as Slovenia but prices are far more reasonable. Matt McHugh of Fly Oddyssey does a trip[ there. Worth considering IMHO.

[Pete Tyjas]

I like the sound of France and am giving it some thought. The other place is Spain...anyone fished there?

[flyboxfan]

River Tarn in the south of France was really good when I fished there a couple of years ago. Loads of hard fighting trout, chub and dace. Superb

[sandy]

Had a good Season this year. Three trips to Wales so far covering the Upper Severn and the Escley Brook(Brecon) areas. This was supplemented by 10 days early Season June in Orkney and then a back end three weeks there late September. Finished of with a good craic with some like minded nuts in Sutherland last week of the trout Season.

Highlights locally was seeing my brother catch the biggest Wild Brown I've seen taken on a fly in Devon well over 8Lb from Dartmoor on a green mayfly nymph . (Fish returned unharmed for another day).
Best I could manage this year from the moor was 3½Lb in May on an Orange Snatcher . Another Angler from Exeter couldn't believe it as we had just been telling him there were big fish in that water.

I persevered at the upstream nymphing for grayling and was rewarded by a few Welsh ladies of the stream with two pushing over the 3Lb mark. Thanks to Andy and Toby!
I am really keen on this for a winters activity and will be back on the Wye as soon as the Weather improves. I've also got some W/U foundation tickets I will have to use before end of 2009.

The broonies have been very co-operative and enjoyed every minute of freezing to death in waders cursing at them.

Seatrout have been best I've seen for years unfortunately the best fish +5Lb was in the Salt Water Orkney , although a few of the local Devon fish have had me a Merry dance as well .

Salmon has been a none starter with only one small fresh run fish lost close to the bank ..... You Know at Arms length C&R.

All in all a good season and some great folks met and gossip swapped. Only had to kill one brownie of about a 1Lb when he just refused to go back - think he gilled himself on the leader.

Sandy.

[terry]

Sandy,

I would dearly love to know where on Dartmoor you had the 31/2 lb brown let alone your brothers 8lb er.

You did say 8lb wild brown trout on Dartmoor didn't you?

Terry green with envy.

[sandy]

Terry,

I'd love to let you know but then I'd have to kill you .

No seriously I am loathe to post the water on the Web as you never know who might pick up on it and that could have big implications for the water. Not referring to any of our members here but I'm sure you know the score.

If we meet up some time I'll let you have all the detials. The 8Lb was an estimate from the fish as it was returned after measuring with a tape - luckily the Exeter angler had one in his bag.

The Fish was 38 inches long and 16 inches in girth, it was a back end Male fish and in excellent condition .

Both my fish and my brothers were taken on the same water just different stretches . I had my fish in May and his was in September. I have had on and lost good fish in this water before but I was stunned by my brothers catch - as was the guy form Exeter.

I got a couple of poor Phone camera pictures in the dusk just prior to release - wish I'd gone back to the car and got the flash camera but it might have been a bit unfair on the fish.

Hope we can meet up some time and reveal all.
Tight Lines.

Sandy.

[yeoman]

Nov 19, 2009 11:52:27 GMT Pete Tyjas said:

I like the sound of France and am giving it some thought. The other place is Spain...anyone fished there?

I lived for about 2 years in Spain,in Teruel province,and there was some resonable trout fishing,although only in spring as it gets too hot and the rivers too low.
The locals there also tend to knock everything on the head,and generally like to fish with Mepps above all else.
Generally,the best trout fishing was in the higher reaches,with Barbel etc.lower down.
Much to my regret,I was too busy working :'(and enjoying the nightlife ;)to do much fishing,but where I did go was nice.
Several people told me some of the best rivers are in Galicia,
on the Atlantic coast,and are (were??)good for sea trout,but I believe the weather there is even worse than here!!
The Matarrana river where I fished was stocked from time to time with browns of takeable size,but I doubt any got to grow on,what with the barrage of Mepps!!!

[Pete Tyjas]

Just found this, looks interesting although not sure about the gourmet bit, food tends to get in the way on a fishing trip

www.gourmetfly.com/Spacata.htm

[troutbum]

Nov 28, 2009 9:15:48 GMT Pete Tyjas said:

Just found this, looks interesting although not sure about the gourmet bit, food tends to get in the way on a fishing trip

I dont know about that Pete I"m quite fond of a Mars or Topic and a certain guide/instructor I know could eat choccy hob nobs for England

[Pete Tyjas]

Mark, no idea who you might be talking about but one thing is for sure that chocolate hobnobs are the food of gods and an important part of any serious atheletes diet!