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Post by boisker on Mar 15, 2016 18:31:33 GMT
Well... Nothing caught, but that's not really the point for me on opening day... If it was I' d have given up on the dry fly shortly into the session... But 5 hrs out on the river... Technically two rivers as I popped into the Yarty for an hour on the way home..... The sun was out- reasonably warm for opening day, starting at 6 C at 10 am and reaching a barmy 14C by mid-afternoon.... But a slightly annoying north easterly made it feel cooler, accurate casting in some of the tighter confines tricky at times but more importantly probably stopped any chance of a nice little hatch. There were a few flies.... 5 to 6 LDO's and 2or 3 March Browns. Part of the excitement of the day was seeing how the river looked after pretty much 3 months of very heavy flows..... It looked stunning.... But as expected very different in places to last season..... Loads of new woody debris (hopefully the bank management days wont get chance to take too much out), some little pools / runs and favoured spots from last year gone... But loads of real fishy looking new areas.... Some great new shingle banks with deeper channels.... All in all I think the winter storms did us good, a quieter couple of years on the storm / rain front would be perfect as I reckon there's more trout habitat and cover than there was last season... Just need the trout to take up residence now..... Some serious woody debris... About a 20 yard stretch that is barely passable in river, I hope it gets the chance to hang around for a bit... I like short unfishable stretches that provide complete cover for fish More woody debris... The far bank had a large tree stretching over the river last season, but it's been added to with a knot of woody debris and a large new stem stretching from the near to far side.... Completely changed this little stretch... Pushed more of the water to the far bank, formed a little instream shingle bank and deepened the channel on the far bank... This will definitely be holding fish this season! Lovely looking stretch mid-way up the beat, shingle beaches have developed further providing a great stretch of fast flow and pools... C All in all a great first day.... Can't wait to get out with a decent hatch to try out this 'new' river..... And having blanked today the only way is up.....
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Post by pete4fishing on Mar 16, 2016 11:47:44 GMT
Nice to see these pics and a description of how the river looks this year, as a new member of TFFC this year found it very interesting and really looking forward to exploring new waters. Look forward to meeting you on the bank on day.
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Post by boisker on Mar 17, 2016 17:07:36 GMT
Happy to meet up at some point.... Probably best to wait until the season warms up a bit, it will definitely be interesting to see how it fishes this season. Cheers Matt
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Post by pete4fishing on Mar 19, 2016 22:43:58 GMT
Thanks Matt I am really looking forward to this season, with new waters to get to know it will be fun Pete
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Post by boisker on Mar 19, 2016 23:00:18 GMT
I should say I only joined last season so no expert on the clubs water and never made it to all the beats.... So aim to get too more of them this year... Called in at for an hour at the Broom beat this morning, cold NE wind so didn't hand around as it seemed a bit lifeless.... But some nice water, no photo's as I forgot my camera...
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Post by boisker on Mar 23, 2016 23:02:59 GMT
Popped into the Broom Bridge beat yesterday late afternoon on the way home from work, had intended to nymph or possibly duo but when I got there was tempted into just dry by warmer conditions of about 12C, a south westerly wind and reasonable number of flies on the water...... A good midge hatch, couple of LDO's and grannom. Didn't tempt anything (It's def still nymph time) but the river certainly looked more alive and it always felt as though something could be tempted.... I did spot one rising fish, but luck was against me- bizarrely it popped up about 18" from my right knee, turned down stream and spotted me... I think it was even more surprised than I was... A few warm days without that north easterly and the rivers will definitely kick into action.... This afternoon may have been productive as it was relatively still and warm in Exeter, unfortunately I couldn't get away from work early enough to try. Broom bridge was a new beat to me as I never got around to it last season... Some nice looking runs and pools, fairly short beat so ideal for a couple of hours in the way home from work...
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Mar 24, 2016 8:20:00 GMT
Lovely Boisker am enjoying reading. It is still a similar case on the Taw right now. We had a half hearted rise at a fly from a trout yesterday but are mainly fishing duo right now to find them.
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Post by boisker on Mar 24, 2016 10:10:14 GMT
Hey Pete... quick question on the duo, it's been a couple of years since I fished it much.... do you change the depth from the dropper to the point fly much as you work up river, or do you generally stick to an average length and accept you can be slightly short in deeper pools? I tended to the latter when fishing the duo last week, but did feel I was really missing a trick by not covering the deepest sections properly.... basically a longwinded way of saying I knew I was being lazy!
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Mar 24, 2016 19:40:07 GMT
Hi Boisker, I don't shift it a great deal and generally set it length wise depending on the venue I'm fishing and then alter the weight of the nymph if it feels that I am not getting it deep enough.
I fished with someone recently who has a great sliding dry (not a knot) that allowed him to shift the distance between the dry and the nymph a bit.
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Post by halfstoned on Mar 24, 2016 22:42:13 GMT
I was thinking about the same question boisker. It did seem the other day that the takes came when the nymph was tripping along the bottom ( you could see the dry going tap tap tap so I assume it was touching the bottom). Saw online something about tying the fly with a length of nylon through it but couldn't really get my head around it. Also saw someone using some tubing on the head and tail of the fly with the leader running through it. I prefer the dry on a short leader but there must be a way of achieving this and being able to change the depth. I did try using some slide on silicone stop knots with a ting tippet ring between them and the dropper tied to this, but the first fish that took the dry pulled it down to the nymph and kinked the leader. Back to the drawing board! Any ideas gratefully received.
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Post by boisker on Apr 2, 2016 18:47:10 GMT
Popped back upto Broom Bridge for a shortish session this afternoon... About 1.5 hrs...... beautiful sunny afternoon, 13C with a fairly strong wind alternating from upstream to over the right shoulder, although the wind was chilly with the clear blue sky and sun it felt like the first proper day of Spring... Reasonable hatch of grannom, with loads sheltering in the bank side vegetation and some March Browns knocking about... So stuck a dry on and at last... First fish to a dry this season, missed a couple and lost a decent sized fish when the hook pulled... Nice to get some dry action...
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Post by boisker on Apr 8, 2016 18:10:53 GMT
Nice couple of hours on the Axe from mid-afternoon.... Broom bridge for an hour, steady hatch of grannom and March brown... The fish are definitely tuning in to them now, caught 5.... 4 from casts to regularly rising fish, largest 13".... which is as big as I've had so far out of the Axe, three around 11-12" and one 6"..... A good average size for the Axe... Then moved upstream to the lower section of the ford abbey beat... Not much of a hatch by that time, picked up another 4 all 6-9"...... All still on dry fly, but only one was already rising, the rest were just from covering the water... Fantastic to get back to casting to rising fish, I love the challenge of trying to get that first cast right on the money... Busy over the weekend so may or get chance to get out again...
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Post by boisker on Apr 20, 2016 14:30:17 GMT
It's that terrible time of the year when anyone connected to agriculture is likely to be filling in claims for bps.... If you don't know what it is...quick summary- very long winded paperwork that is exceptionally dull! So having started it at 6 am after 6 hours I popped over to the Axe for an hours break (unfortunately I am just about to hit the paper work again!).... 16C, sunny with a fairly stiff breeze... A really good grannom hatch was underway, but surprisingly not much moving... But just nice not to be stuck in paperwork... Picked a couple up and missed one and had 10 mins just sat on the bank enjoying the sun. Got back in the river to fish out the last couple of runs and reach my time limit... First season on this stretch of the Axe and last couple of times I've visited there is a run out the side of a pool that just looked as though it had to hold fish.... But never a touch in 3 visits... At last today I noticed a small rise just a foot out from the vegetation..... First cast slightly short and to far out into the stream... Second cast fly disappears and the water erupted... stunning 15, maybe 16" brown.... Nice to have a fish that takes you around the pool a couple of times and throws in some acrobatics... I'm not sure which is more fun... Casting to a fish you already know is a decent size or having the surprise of a fish you anticipate will be 8-12" suddenly charging off... A great break from the paperwork... Batteries recharged... Love it
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Post by halfstoned on Apr 21, 2016 20:15:54 GMT
Cracking fish boisker, and on the dry, setting the bar high for the rest of us!
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Post by boisker on Apr 21, 2016 21:17:23 GMT
Not sure who was the more surprised me or the fish Funny start to the season for me, generally I've caught less fish than previous years but of a far better average size.... I popped over to the Tone/Hele for an hour on the way home from work.... Lost a fair bit of time chatting to a very friendly dog walker, who was offering me advice on where to fish, the fact he thought the season was about to close didn't fill me with confidence I first fished the beat this winter nymphing... Two main observations it's a lovelly stretch to work up with a dry and it's a lot easier when you can see the bottom and the river isn't so high it lifts your feet off the river bed Looking forward to trying it properly on a nice warm day... Picked up a couple of rising fish, but mostly just mooching about smoking a cigi with the odd cast enjoying not being in work
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Apr 22, 2016 6:17:15 GMT
The section below the bridge can be interesting and takes a bit of practice to learn where you can and can't wade. The pool a couple down from the bridge is really good but I have moonwalked ( In a astronaut way not M Jackson!) across it praying I won't ship water as it is pretty deep.
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Post by boisker on Apr 22, 2016 14:21:43 GMT
I'll have to have a look Pete... I looked in once over the winter bit it was a bit off putting with the higher water and I'd left my map at home so wasn't sure where I could fish.... At least with my new waders I can wade deep again without getting a wet crotch....
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Post by boisker on May 14, 2016 16:40:04 GMT
Had a quick hour on the Axe, loads of spinners around when I got there... First time I'd seen them in any number so far this season. As I only had a short time I just looked for rises, but not much moving. One tail of a pool had a couple of fish rising, one a very decent size for the Axe. Ignored the smaller fish and tried to get into position for the larger, real tricky cast just up from the v where the current suddenly accelerates. After a bit of pondering decided to try for a large aerial upstream mend / reach, made trickier by a willow immediately downstream; first couple of casts didn't land the fly in the right area but did get the mend, third cast much to my suprise nailed it, perfect drift, up came the fish and hit the fly... And I missed it Wasn't sure driving home whether to be mightily p!ssed I missed it or pleased I'd nailed a cast I would never have managed 12 months ago... Still not sure... But great to see so much fly life about, soon be time for warm late evening fishing
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Post by halfstoned on May 14, 2016 17:50:08 GMT
I always think hooking the fish is a bit of a lottery, there are so many variables even down to how you're feeling( long day at work etc...). I would just be pleased to have executed the cast and fooled the fish, I haven't measured myself across a season but I doubt I hook 1 in 4 on the dry could be more like 1 in 6!!
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Post by jezney on May 16, 2016 17:26:50 GMT
Off to the axe for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Never fished here before so looking forward to seeing the river and taking in the surroundings. May stay on for an hour and have a try for a seatrout. Anyone else out?
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