Tone....

[boisker]

Ended up popping up to the Tone for about 3 hrs today.... wasn't planned, but ended up working until nearly 1am last night so took a few hours back.
Decided to stick on the nymph, so rather than NZ style with a dry fly I used a NZ indicator... the little wool / needle set up.
First cast... 14" out of season brown.... hook was just in the scissors, flicked out real easy, never really left the water or net and I didn't have to handle it at all... pity it wasn't in season as I may have grabbed a photo.
Few casts later and lifted into the biggest grayling I've seen yet on the Tone, tricky spot just above one of the few deep fast runs that I can't wade even with the incredibly low water... hooked pinged with the side strain... pity.
Ended up with low 20's, all but 4 grayling.... I did succumb to the dry for one pool, in my defence there were a couple of fish rising... caught a nice grayling first cast then a trout... that was it for the dry.
Nice to spend a bit of time nymphing, it's the only way to get better at it..

My casting of mymphs was slightly better than when out with Pete.... something about using someone else's sage One rod with tungsten beads sort of 'encourages' you to open up your loops a bit too much compared with if it was your own rod slamming the tip of your own rod would be bad enough, but someone else's.....

Really nice few hours, caught regularly enough, very mild at 15C, a bit of a blustery downstream wind but nothing to worry about... must try and find time to get out again before the weather turns cold

[marcouns]

Father and son fishing today sharing the new JP Tenkara rod! Moments like these are immeasurable! One grayling each in just under two hours. I am blessed!

[marcouns]

On the way home went the scenic route to avoid roadworks. Stopped at "home" stretch to check water levels. No welliies in work uniform! Couldn't resist 15 mins dabble. Two grayling in that time,the second a pb for the season so far! Funny old game this fishing!

[marcouns]

Mrs S now going to chiro & much improved! Difficult day on Dorset Frome Monday. Even a well thought of grayling fisherman called it a day so no shame. Out on my " home" beat today,very calm. Fished a 3.5 metre level line on the Otaki rod withered 3' tippet with single pink shrimp. Ended 3 hrs fishing well into double figures, two of which were over a lb.
Well pleased

[marcouns]

Not sure if I'm plain clumsy or just unlucky. Made decision to "buy British to save on replacement costs on imported T rods. Since then haven't broken-until today! Then two in one session. I would love to say it was large salmon or sea trout. I have been using a line a metre longer than usual but the first breakage happened as a fish wiggled itself free and line& top two sections of myOtaki rod ended up in tree! Got rod back only to find break at junction of sections 1 & 2 with 1 jammed. Car near so put 3.5 line on spare 11' masu only long enough to catch tree and break section one just below lilian!
Stop fishing,get on phone to good people at Tenkaracenter U.K. for spares!
Hopefully here by Saturday! By the by also accompanied by a pair of gooseanders. Did not have shotgun! If

[boisker]

Ouch... unlucky mate...
I haven't broken a rod for about 5 or 6 yrs... touch wood .... I broke 2 in the first 2 yrs I was fishing... first time not long after I bought my vision cult, I wasn't used to how delicate the tip was and snapped it off and then the next time was just being lazy... my line had lightly snagged around the back of a stick stuck out the middle of a weir... the pool was just wadeable but rather than wade down I tried to flick the line out and up past the stick... first time very nearly worked, so 2nd time I get it a bit more 'beans'... snapped the tip off again!! Same bl@@dy rod!!

I've been a mixture of a lot more careful and lucky since

[yeoman]

Interesting how rods can break through seemingly not doing very much with them, and yet how strong they can be.
I have a 6# rod i really dont like, so only use it for Carp fishing. For the last couple of seasons its seen some serious abuse, with fish up to nearly 20lbs,and is still fine.
I've pretty much tried to break it,and its still going strong, sadly!
Some of the shapes its been in make my eyes water.

[marcouns]

Discover Tenkara

Any one interested in midweek day/2 days with jp?
Pm if interested!
Mark

[boisker]

Popped over to the Tone for a short session this morning, fished for just under 2 hrs.
Only took the hanak and one reel with a French leader on, decided that was the only way to force myself to develop my technique.
It def helped as I was a lot more focussed and settled on nymphs with 2mm and a 2.5mm tungsten, then added split shot as required. Worked really well, less irritating than changing flies and meant I could get deep on some of the fast, deep holes.
Picked up a few, but also had one of those days were quite a few popped off having been on for 30s or so... happened twice in the same run, deep right in front of my feet... ping nymphs in the tree... frustrating.
But felt as though I'd made some headway, i think I'll stick with adding shot for a while... I like the versatility and speed it provided to manipulate the nymph more
Probably my most enjoyable and satisfying nymph/French leader session I've managed so far... And probably my last outing until March... but you never know

[marcouns]

Obvious quote of the day." Man with bundle of sticks and snappy jack Russel arrived riverside.Just started to get windy so walked towards him. Are you fishing? Me:I was! Not stopping cos of me are you? Me: no reply.
Why else would you be standing in water with fishing rod? Perhaps he didn't recognise Tenkara!

[marcouns]

March 14th. End of season on the Tone till wbt in1/4/17.
Said my thanks to the river gods and caught two grayling!. Little exe tomorrow for start of wbt in Devon with a chum. Perfect.

[marcouns]

After two weeks of peace the Tone is open again tomorrow for game fishing.
Asi look at the date I do hope I don't make a fool of myself!

[marcouns]

As with my last post , a philosophical note. As the seasons pass I am coming to the belief that rituals are as ,if not , more important than the fishing and the end result. As I marked the end of the grayling season,so today I marked the start of WBT season here on the Tone. The river was unfishable and I still paid my respects to the river. It is still there, in all its moods. We still have a local fishing club and I am still able to get "bankside"
Even more poignant as I learnt yesterday,from his daughter ,that my best mate cannot manage the yards from car to bank. Shortness of breath makes even a few yards difficult . And he it was who started my fishing journey! Must find a way to get him bankside even though he is coarse!

[marcouns]

s1264.photobucket.com/user/Mark_Sutton/library/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04
Don't know how to do this though this is the link.
Home stretch unfishable so went to my special private stretch clear enough to fish and this one on nymph

[marcouns]

Great pleasure today to show new club member some of our home water. When you think manners are a thing of the past take a new member out on club water. Such a joy! More outings to come!

[marcouns]

Strange business this fishing! PB on Tone with wbt on chamois nymph. Next outing,1st hand knowledge of what incontinence will feel like then Otaki rod snaps at section 4 from lilian under the weight of o/s grayling or was it operator error! JP says probably covered by warranty. Fingers x! Now today lovely wbt on mayfly pattern on my private beat
Blessed!

[marcouns]

Duffers fortnight it may be, I have never seen a mayfly close too on the Tone .
Yesterday just as I was extending my replacement T rod I have one resting on the third long joint of my left hand. A very special moment!

[boisker]

Funny you get good numbers on the Hillfarrance Brook, I had some great sessions on the Mayfly there last season.
Called in late yesterday afternoon but someone was already there so went to Hele bridge instead. Tone very low and nothing moving at all, apart from one very splashy rise from a little tiddler.
Only spotted a couple sat doggo in 45 mins, wasn't all that impressed.... gonna stick with the Otter for the foreseeable future, perhaps it will show a bit more life if the water levels pick up.

[marcouns]

Never got to fish " the brook" when I was a member of although I do have access to a private stretch . Maybe I should!

[daveb]

Anybody any idea what colour or level the Tone is at the moment?