Hard day at the office...

September can go one of two ways. Trout feeding hard in preparation for the spawning season and colder months ahead; or tough, spooky, fickle fish that seem to sense your every move even before you've made it. Being a small stream, the Wellow can really test your skill and your patience, especially when faced with less than ideal conditions.

I was introducing Dennis Suehr to the river and, although it was tough for the most part, being on the stream was, as ever, a pleasure.



Dennis searching a likely run under the trees. Fising the 'duo 'seemed to be the best method for exploring the foam lines in the absence of any consistent rises:




The water clarity was superb and this gem of a stream was showing off all of its chalkstream-like characteristics:




The rain just seemed to be becoming more and more intense (was that forecast?) and the spotting rises was tough. But the water remained crystal clear and the levels good. But it just wasn't enough to really get the fish in confident feeding mode. Searching the likely runs and pools, it was encouraging to see some fish making the most of the odd crane fly dribbling across the surface. These fish were easy to put down, even with the most delicate of casts.

Alongside a few olives, stonefly were showing themselves. But were the fish really going to lock onto them?

I tried my newest Gammarus imitation amongst some deeper holes. This juicy, translucent heavy weight is superb and will be on the River Fly Box soon:



~Dave