A Secret Somerset Stream

My friend Bill and I got the nod to go and fish a couple of miles of small Somerset stream that is not often, if ever, available. In fact we don't know the last time anyone got to fish it and we doubt the owners bother themselves. We got this offer because we are the among the very few daft sods who turn out to do habitat work on the river ( where is the smiley for two saints!)


The directions we were given were a touch vague - "Start in the village and just keep going upstream". We didn't really want to start in somone's garden so we wandered up until we came to this weir which looked as good a place to start as any.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4867a.jpg

While Bill faffed around catching not much (after getting a 10 incher first cast!) I took pictures of flowers.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4869a.jpg


We both opened our attack with small klinks but only little things wanted to play. I did kick some better fish (including some grayling) out of the weeds while wading so we both changed to a nymph under a big klink.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4871a.jpg


This new approach brought some better fish (biggest about 12") but it lacks accuracy when it comes to water like this. The very narrow channels under each bank held some good 'un's but we didn't really do it justice.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4876a.jpg


I don't know about you but I always get an urge to just lie down in water like this!!!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4877a.jpg


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4878a.jpg


A nice fast run and Bill shows me how to do it.

Cast.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4883a.jpg


Strike.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4884a.jpg


Play?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4885a.jpg


To hand.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4886a.jpg


Another.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4888a.jpg


My house (in my dreams).
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4896a.jpg


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4899a.jpg


Looking down some bouldery water, I blanked in this :oops:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4900a.jpg


A nice one (the leader has got tangled up, I'm not fishing with the nymph 6" under the klink!)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4901a.jpg


Another good spot.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../IMG_4908a.jpg

As the afternoon went on the fish came more and more to the dry. So we changed back to small klinks and did away with the nymph. This worked well for an hour or so but then they started to come short for no obvious reason (at least to us) so we called it a day :)

Walking back to the car we were treated to the sight of two peregrines circling high over the valley which rounded the day off nicely.


Andy

Westcountry,
Sounds like a fruitful day was had by all, amongst some lovely looking water.
Looks fine, weather wise too...
Must be karma, that will teach you for volunteering.
Good stuff.

Ofuros

A beautiful journey to your small stream.

I truly enjoyed it.

The fly in the first photo of the brown, looks almost like a fly we fish here known as a Haystack.

What is the fly's name?


Thank you,

Brk Trt

Great report!
A beautiful stream & fish.

Very nice, thanks for posting. :thumbup:

Cheers guys :)

Brk Trt the fly in the photo is a mangled up comparadun, or so my mate Bill tells me, the way he ties them they might just as well be haystacks!

It gets better, Ive just been told we can fish it whenever we like :D


Andy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Westcountry

Cheers guys :)

Brk Trt the fly in the photo is a mangled up comparadun, or so my mate Bill tells me, the way he ties them they might just as well be haystacks!

It gets better, Ive just been told we can fish it whenever we like :D


Andy

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Andy,
Thanks for the response. Thats what a haystack is, a comparadun.

The Haysatck was created by Fran Betters of Wilmington NY, years before the comparadun. Its an effective fly.


Congrats on your opportunity to fish that beautiful stream whenever you like.



Brk Trt

Beautiful!

Quote:

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I don't know about you but I always get an urge to just lie down in water like this!!!

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Well, at least I would also like to lay fish down on that graceful water weed and take a picture of it.

Satoshi

magnificent. what beautiful fish and photography...

Great story! That is some beautiful water. I am glad to hear you guys are taking care of it.