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Hello,
The other week I fished a charity comp at Chatton and I was lucky enough to win a great selection of flies tied by Andy Richmond in the raffle at the end of the comp. I was itching to give them a go but I never had a chance until Sunday afternoon.
I got there about 13:30 and set up on the Doxford lake. It was pretty windy with a strong South Easterly blowing but I got myself in a canny spot near the dam wall and tied on two of Andy's buzzers. First couple of casts I had nowt but on my third cast I was just creeping them back and getting ready to recast when a fish grabbed the point buzzer. It put up a really good scrap and as I got it close to the net I saw it was a Brownie.....my first on the fly. Gently I eased the net under it and pulled it near the bank...get in!! I was over the moon. I took a couple of snaps but they aren't the best as I left it in the water in the net and was keen to get it back quickly.
As I watched it swim off I eager to get a fly back in the water and I continued with the buzzers for about an hour without another touch. I switched to an intermediate and a black/green lure but I had no luck with that either.
By now I had moved further round towards the corner and I watched as a bloke took four fish on an indicator/blob set up. As he left for home he told me he'd been using white blobs set at eight to ten feet.
I changed my set up again and tied on one of Andy's white blobs and a small buzzer on the dropper. A while went by without any takes but when I shortened the drop to about six or seven feet I started to get a few takes and soon I had a good rainbow in the net.
I had moved now to the far end of the dam wall and the wind here was making it very hard going for me but it didn't matter so much as I was getting takes very close it and managed another two fish.
I watched this guy doing well fishing a dry hares ear....he had four fish I think....close in casting into the wind.
As I was walking back around to head off home I stopped for a couple of casts at the peg where I first started with the wind on my back. I was fishing just on the edge of the weeds quite close in and as I watched my indicator slowly but purposely disappeared....very different to the other takes I'd been getting. I lifted into it and at first I thought I'd hooked a lump of weed but it soon became apparent that this was a canny fish. The fish stayed deep down and after a little struggle I had it in the net and it was a good fish, about six or seven pounds......what a way to finish. I never took a photo of this fish as again I was keen to release it but a few guys saw me get it and I got a "well done" off one.
So that was my day and I was realy pleased with it, only five fish but good ones and my first Brownie.....and all on Andy's flies.....thanks again Andy.
I've been fishing Sharpley a good bit this year and I really enjoyed the fine summer evenings we had......the fishing was hard but I learned a lot about dry fly fishing and I'm looking forward to next summer now. Sharpley is a great fishery and it's well worth a visit if you have never been.
Thanks for reading, Regards Ian.
The other week I fished a charity comp at Chatton and I was lucky enough to win a great selection of flies tied by Andy Richmond in the raffle at the end of the comp. I was itching to give them a go but I never had a chance until Sunday afternoon.
I got there about 13:30 and set up on the Doxford lake. It was pretty windy with a strong South Easterly blowing but I got myself in a canny spot near the dam wall and tied on two of Andy's buzzers. First couple of casts I had nowt but on my third cast I was just creeping them back and getting ready to recast when a fish grabbed the point buzzer. It put up a really good scrap and as I got it close to the net I saw it was a Brownie.....my first on the fly. Gently I eased the net under it and pulled it near the bank...get in!! I was over the moon. I took a couple of snaps but they aren't the best as I left it in the water in the net and was keen to get it back quickly.
As I watched it swim off I eager to get a fly back in the water and I continued with the buzzers for about an hour without another touch. I switched to an intermediate and a black/green lure but I had no luck with that either.
By now I had moved further round towards the corner and I watched as a bloke took four fish on an indicator/blob set up. As he left for home he told me he'd been using white blobs set at eight to ten feet.
I changed my set up again and tied on one of Andy's white blobs and a small buzzer on the dropper. A while went by without any takes but when I shortened the drop to about six or seven feet I started to get a few takes and soon I had a good rainbow in the net.
I had moved now to the far end of the dam wall and the wind here was making it very hard going for me but it didn't matter so much as I was getting takes very close it and managed another two fish.
I watched this guy doing well fishing a dry hares ear....he had four fish I think....close in casting into the wind.
As I was walking back around to head off home I stopped for a couple of casts at the peg where I first started with the wind on my back. I was fishing just on the edge of the weeds quite close in and as I watched my indicator slowly but purposely disappeared....very different to the other takes I'd been getting. I lifted into it and at first I thought I'd hooked a lump of weed but it soon became apparent that this was a canny fish. The fish stayed deep down and after a little struggle I had it in the net and it was a good fish, about six or seven pounds......what a way to finish. I never took a photo of this fish as again I was keen to release it but a few guys saw me get it and I got a "well done" off one.
So that was my day and I was realy pleased with it, only five fish but good ones and my first Brownie.....and all on Andy's flies.....thanks again Andy.
I've been fishing Sharpley a good bit this year and I really enjoyed the fine summer evenings we had......the fishing was hard but I learned a lot about dry fly fishing and I'm looking forward to next summer now. Sharpley is a great fishery and it's well worth a visit if you have never been.
Thanks for reading, Regards Ian.
Well done on the biggie too.
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