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Post by halfstoned on May 30, 2016 22:40:28 GMT
A couple of fish on the mega may today but the fish were really taking black gnats and tiny midges,had a few on P Tyjas type shuttle cock midge but most successful fly was the Wickhams Fancy ( from the first fly swap) some mayfly hatching but the fish not really on them yet on my bit of the Yeo.
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Post by paul on Jun 1, 2016 20:01:08 GMT
out at the weekend on the Lapford Yeo. One 12" on a klink. Previous success on a size 20 f fly not repeated. Lots of mays in evidence but none on the water and no rising fish???!!!
But have I missed something? I had mays with me and tried them. I had french partridge- Pete's annual fashion accessory last season- but am stumped by this reference to mega mays!
Can't find it on google and can't remember previous reference with tying instructions on this forum.
Doubt if would increase my success- limited by my casting, presentation etc rather than what i tie on the end,but curiosity leads me to ask for a recipe!
Cheers, Paul
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Post by boisker on Jun 1, 2016 20:38:27 GMT
Hey Paul It was covered in an ESF article... eat-sleep-fish.co.uk/content/2016/04/mega-mayI definitely have found an emerger may type pattern works really well early in the day when Mays are still in the early stages of hatching or if the hatch is sparse
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Post by halfstoned on Jun 1, 2016 21:50:23 GMT
I had the same at the weekend Paul. Plenty of mays about but nothing much rising to them. The mega may is new to me this year but it seems like a cracking pattern. Sometimes the fish really attack it either out of aggression or perhaps it's the give them a nice juicy quarter pounder idea. The best thing about it ( other than its fish taking ability) is that it doesn't twist the leader up like other large mayfly patterns are prone to do. Whether fish target the emerging insect more than the dun I couldn't say but plenty of literature does suggest this to be the case.
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Jun 3, 2016 5:45:59 GMT
It's been similar where I am with the mays too. I've had some good days but it has been a slower year compared to the last 5 or so.
I was working yesterday and we caught a fish that we saw rising to mays but that was it for may feeders. Tuesday was a little better and we fished slack water and back eddies with the mega may and FP and hooked (not always landed!) some nice fish. The rest of the time I've concentrated on working the faster water at heads of pools with a duo set up or fished a midge pattern to sipping fish.
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Post by boisker on Jun 3, 2016 6:23:46 GMT
Funny how variable it can be.. Mays around on the Axe but although some would rise to may pattern they weren't switched on like they are on the Hillfarrance and Frome.... Up on the Monnow today, forecast looking good, hope the Mays and fish play ball
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Jun 3, 2016 6:50:13 GMT
Yup, I just think they are cycles and this one, as far as I am seeing, isn't as good as recently. Sounds like the chalk streams have had a really good year though.
Have a great trip!
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Post by paul on Jun 3, 2016 10:22:28 GMT
Thanks, will have a go!
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Post by halfstoned on Jun 4, 2016 12:51:45 GMT
I think it's been an odd season so far, good fishing on the nymph through the cold spring has been followed by a jump straight to summer tactics of tiny "no see-ums" in the flats or bushy dry flies in the faster water. Obviously hatches of upwinged flies aren't what they were but even the reliable black gnat has been a bit thin on the ground this year,perhaps the cold early on has set things back a few weeks and the best is yet to come ( fly fishing = pessimism and optimism in equal measure!).
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Post by halfstoned on Jun 9, 2016 21:04:51 GMT
Nice session this evening, not much fly life ( mainly gnats) but a few rising fish,caught about 15 on a deerhair sedge just fishing the faster water. As usual the rising fish in the slower pools rejected my dry flies( apart from a splash at a size 22 midge) so I tried them with a black bug ( from Mike Weavers book) had about six takes but couldn't make them stick! Does anyone know anything about this style of fishing? I was striking as soon as I saw the leader move and hooking the fish but they all came off, hook was size 16, too big perhaps? Should you give them a bit of time to hang themselves? Do you use an indicator to spot the takes quicker? Definitely something for the future as I've never had much success with these fish before ( except at Mayfly time).
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Post by halfstoned on Jun 19, 2016 18:44:47 GMT
Morning session for a change this time to try and beat the rain but still spent half an hour sheltering under a bridge! Not much fly life about and some colour in the water. Very few rising fish but those that were took my imitations well enough, never much fun trying to fish dry fly in the pouring rain,found a deer hair sedge to be the best bet ( other patterns kept getting drowned). Tried some duo fishing with a black peacock type bug on the point as my beaded patterns kept catching the bottom, proved fairly successful but still hard to spot the takes in slow water with some fish being missed or just pricked on the strike. Lots of silt on the stones despite the flush from recent rain.
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Post by halfstoned on Jun 23, 2016 22:21:57 GMT
Good results tonight with the black bug again, the few rising fish took it in preference to the dry fly other places I just fished it blind ( duo style) and the fish kept coming. Sometimes in the slower pools a bit of movement given to the fly brought a take. Fishing at long range I found the strip strike to be more effective than trying to lift lots of line off the water quickly enough. Still had a lot of fish come adrift, must get round to trying a wider gape hook.
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Post by halfstoned on Jul 24, 2016 10:00:14 GMT
Finally back on the river after weeks away with a crooked back, fished Friday from 6 till 9 not much rising but caught plenty on the black bug and half a dozen on dry fly. Some fish took the bug dead drift but most wanted some movement given to the fly. The only drawback with moving the fly was the hook up rate left a lot to be desired ( fish snatching at the fly but not staying hooked) , still exciting fishing. If you try the bug watch for takes the moment the fly lands, the slight plop seems to attract the fish and its easy to miss the takes if your not ready , especially if your casting leaves slack between the dry fly and the nymph ( like mine does more often than I'd like).
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Post by halfstoned on Aug 21, 2016 18:52:59 GMT
Quick trip out this afternoon, my friend who got me permission to fish the river wanted to show a life long sea fisherman the joys of river fishing ( getting caught up trees,slipping on the rocks, leaking waders you know the sort of things). Anyway the river was the lowest I've seen it and we both knew the fishing would be difficult. He managed 8 to 10 on his mepps and I was surprised to catch three on the dry fly and miss a few more , even the new recruit caught a fish and I'm sure he'll be back for another go next spring ( hopefully on the fly). Not much fly life about but loads of fry in the margins. While I'm posting does anyone have a good crane fly pattern? I remember rubble saying he had some good fish at the end of last season on them, if we get any water for September I plan to give them a go.
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Post by pusser on Sept 1, 2016 18:24:41 GMT
I had a Good few hours on the Creedy/Yeo (mainly the Yeo) with HardyTim this afternoon. The river is running low but we had some good sport. I managed 2 (well 3 actually, see pics ) to the net, both to nymphs, and I think Tim had 3 with at least 1 to a dry. The fish were of a dec3nt size and gave a good account of themselves on my 6' 3wt rod - great sport! Here are mine ... And, the net works
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Post by halfstoned on Sept 5, 2016 16:50:59 GMT
Out on Sunday for a few hours , my youngest wanted to go fishing but I replied that without waders she wouldn't be able to cross the river ( the railway line goes back and forth across the river so you can't just access from one bank) a couple of minutes later she appeared in her wetsuit and announced that she would swim across if necessary! Managed 6 fish to hand , best about 10" , with some more missed and a couple that threw the hook. It reminded me of when my dad first took me fishing , showing her how to tie on the fly , that you must wet your hands to hold the fish etc.. She seemed spellbound by the beauty of the fish ( as I still am !) and enjoyed mucking about in the river but apparently the water was rather cold. Looks like it may be a case of junior waders for Christmas. How well I remember my own dad using us as an excuse to go fishing " I don't want to go love its just that the boy's keep pestering me, we won't be too long, honest" I'm already planning for next season!!
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Post by halfstoned on Sept 18, 2016 20:18:42 GMT
Probably my last trip of the season today ( where did that go??). Difficult conditions with low clear water and gusty wind. Scared loads of fish no matter how slowly I waded. The only successful tactic was to walk the bank looking for rising fish, creep into position and wait for the fish to start rising again ( sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't) and then make the first cast count. Where I could cast from the bank or sit in the pool below gave the best results but even here I could see fish inspect the fly and turn away. As usual the faster water produced more confident rises. Ten fish all on dry fly (wickhams fancy) which was a nice way to finish. Highlight of the day was seeing a kingfisher land on a branch not 20' away, dive down into the water and return to the branch with its tea. I generally see one or two kingfishers on this stretch but this is the first time I have observed one feeding ( it's normally just a passing flash) just brilliant.
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Post by halfstoned on Sept 27, 2016 20:04:27 GMT
Managed to get a couple of hours off work this afternoon for a last cast this season. Made a mistake by taking my new rubber mesh net with me ( I don't normally use a net on the Yeo as most of the fish are small and it catches on everything) the best fish of my season fell off while I was getting the net ready for its inaugural use!! Then further up the stretch another good fish was on just long enough to get my hopes up before it too threw the hook, so my chance of ending the year in a blaze of glory passed me by. Still , finished with a dozen fish to 9" ( used the net a couple of times, and it didn't catch on the brambles) all but two on tungsten bead pheasant tail, tried the daddy but no takers, sometimes animating the nymph brought a response where the dead drift had failed. Now to start planning for next year, perhaps a new rod would help cure my "rubber hooks" syndrome
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Post by boisker on Sept 27, 2016 20:17:18 GMT
you defintely need a new rod ... You won't catch any more but it will make you smile
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Post by hardytim on Sept 28, 2016 11:22:28 GMT
Managed to get a couple of hours off work this afternoon for a last cast this season. Made a mistake by taking my new rubber mesh net with me ( I don't normally use a net on the Yeo as most of the fish are small and it catches on everything) the best fish of my season fell off while I was getting the net ready for its inaugural use!! Then further up the stretch another good fish was on just long enough to get my hopes up before it too threw the hook, so my chance of ending the year in a blaze of glory passed me by. Still , finished with a dozen fish to 9" ( used the net a couple of times, and it didn't catch on the brambles) all but two on tungsten bead pheasant tail, tried the daddy but no takers, sometimes animating the nymph brought a response where the dead drift had failed. Now to start planning for next year, perhaps a new rod would help cure my "rubber hooks" syndrome Hi Halfstoned, Interesting- I had the same problem fishing the Yeo the previous weekend. Not much rising so used a size 16 PTN with a tungsten bead, hooked over a dozen with only 6 to the hand! It is the first year I have extensively used jig hooks and wondered whether this is the cause. Most were taken on the drop (i.e. within seconds of hitting the water) and I suspect the nymph is descending upside down? Like you perhaps, I feel the season has ended with some unfinished business!
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