Westcountry
04-03-2011, 03:00 AM
I've been a bit slow off the mark this season but last weekend I got my act together and headed up to Exmoor. The planned destination had to be abandoned because the hunt were out, fifty horses and a pack of hounds tends to spoil the tranquillity of a small stream!
So we headed to the Badgworthy Water, a small rocky upland stream on the Somerset/Devon border. After a dry spell the water was very low and there was that horrible hazy light that somehow makes the water seem even clearer. Nearly all the trout were lying out in the open flat water of the bigger pools and they generally saw me before they saw my fly :oops:
Still it was good to be out and a handful of tiddlers came my way :)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5846a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5828a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5784a.jpg
Yesterday was a brighter warmer day and we headed to the Axe, a much more fertile Devon river in rich dairy country. I can't say the results were much better on the fishing front but with flowers blooming, caddis hatching and swallows swooping low over the water it felt much more like the trout season had started :) Axe trout have a reputation for being fairly easy to please when rising and yesterday was no different. Every one of the few fish that was rising came up for my fly, it was just a pity there weren't more of them! Best fish of the afternoon was a nice well conditioned 12 incher.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5901a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5856a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5882a.jpg
The fly - not very caddis like but the fish don't seem to mind!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5892a.jpg
Newly formd ox bow. Bit of a pity as there was a very good pool on the bend that has now been bypassed.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5870a.jpg
A sea trout smolt. A young 'un on his way downstream to sea. With luck he (or she) will be back later this year weighing about 1lb or maybe next year when it might go anything from 2 - 4lb (and I almost certainly won't catch it!)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5852a.jpg
Andy
So we headed to the Badgworthy Water, a small rocky upland stream on the Somerset/Devon border. After a dry spell the water was very low and there was that horrible hazy light that somehow makes the water seem even clearer. Nearly all the trout were lying out in the open flat water of the bigger pools and they generally saw me before they saw my fly :oops:
Still it was good to be out and a handful of tiddlers came my way :)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5846a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5828a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5784a.jpg
Yesterday was a brighter warmer day and we headed to the Axe, a much more fertile Devon river in rich dairy country. I can't say the results were much better on the fishing front but with flowers blooming, caddis hatching and swallows swooping low over the water it felt much more like the trout season had started :) Axe trout have a reputation for being fairly easy to please when rising and yesterday was no different. Every one of the few fish that was rising came up for my fly, it was just a pity there weren't more of them! Best fish of the afternoon was a nice well conditioned 12 incher.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5901a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5856a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5882a.jpg
The fly - not very caddis like but the fish don't seem to mind!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5892a.jpg
Newly formd ox bow. Bit of a pity as there was a very good pool on the bend that has now been bypassed.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5870a.jpg
A sea trout smolt. A young 'un on his way downstream to sea. With luck he (or she) will be back later this year weighing about 1lb or maybe next year when it might go anything from 2 - 4lb (and I almost certainly won't catch it!)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/coynea/Westcountry%20Rivers/IMG_5852a.jpg
Andy