They'll move around the river constantly IME, depending on levels, clarity, oxygenation, pressure, temp etc.

Local river was down below 10°C today, pretty clear and quite low. They've moved out of the fast water for sure

 

Today, my wife drove me down to the water. Fished for an hour and a half. 3 fish (2 tiddlers) and a good trout of 14'' . A bushy cdc fly brought them up. There wasn't a breath of wind today, it was sunny with a top temp of 15 degrees.

I've promised to tidy the garden up - as a trade off!

My experience was slightly dulled by evidence of camping. Rubbish all over the place - discarded barbeques and numerous empty plastic bottles. Why on earth can people not enjoy the countryside and clear up after them.

Putting aside my moan, it was an enjoyable session with a good fish to see me through the winter months.


Douglas

 

Probably my last outing today for the trout, spectacular here, sunny but river was a perfect height and gin clear after a very recent 6 foot lift which was clear from the bankside vegetation. I wasn’t expecting any rising fish but as always I live in hope and put a small Para Adam’s on. I walked down stream to a couple of banker pools that nearly always produce, looking upstream I heard a small splash behind me and turned to see some ripples.
I got in well below and sneaked up keeping low, and eventually put several casts over where I saw him, just then another splash and ripples, followed by two more, yep, I’d been casting at falling acorns for five minutes!!!!
I soon realised the old oak above was shedding a few in the warm sun. Slightly annoyed I hadn’t spotted it earlier I resigned to the fact that nymphs was my only chance. I changed my point fly to a bushy deer hair thing that John Barnes gave me a few years ago to use as a sighter, to that I added 18” of tippet and put a PTN on.
I continued to fish the water up for 150 yards it’s a great bit of fastish water that produced a cracking 2lb trout two weeks ago. I didn’t like casting this big bushy fly it just felt out of balance completely, I slowed right down on the back cast which helped a little, but I really should have replaced it with a bit of wool.
Twice I caught the same branch and as it was out of reach I just had to put the rod down and give a hard pull on the line, luck was with me and I got both flies back. Trying to avoid the branch for a third time I altered my stroke and guess what, I caught some high grass on the opposite bank, good job I was alone the air was thick with bad language.

Its a very narrow river just here and is surrounded by vegetation and trees, that’s my excuse anyway.
I tried several other pools but all appeared to be fishless? A very few small sedge in the air but nothing on the water so I stayed on nymphs. Alas I blanked on my final outing, I really would of been happy with a 4oz fish to end on.
I saw either four kingfishers or one four times shooting past me and a Jenny Wren which always pleases me.
The banks were thick with pheasants hiding, recently released from the keepers pens ready for the driven days.
It’s a very long seven months now until the 15th of March but I intend to get out after a few grayling if it remains warm enough and hone my short line nymphing tactics. Had a ground frost here yesterday so winters on its way.
A couple of pics of the pool I fished for Acorns.

 

I had a few hours on the river yesterday hoping to take advantage of the recent rainfall, should probably have waited a day or two really but the seasons end is in sight. It was a struggle, there were very few rising fish and I went through the box pretty much before a little olive klink tempted two fish, the biggest about half a pound. While I was lurking in the shallows behind overhanging branches, what I first thought was a heron came gliding downstream and landed no more than fifteen feet away….not a heron but a bloody great ugly looking cormorant and I thought evil thoughts involving a cricket ball sized rock but it saw me and flapped off the way it had come. I stuck it out with the dry fly though I knew really it was a wet fly water and set off home a couple of hours earlier than usual. Not to worry, it was a lovely day to be out and I’ll be back on Friday probably and possibly once more before the month end.
B

 

Two hours on a very swollen Nidd this afternoon. One nice 1/2 lb brownie, three otters playing around me then a merganser. Pheasant and partridge everywhere around and a couple of kingfishers. Lovely return after two months off fishing

 

Superb sir, bonny fish too.

 

I haven't made it to the Usk much this year due to the conditions, but with season's end rapidly approaching, and the level a decent 0.58 at Llanfoist bridge, I had a shortish session yesterday.
The river looked good tbh, but nothing showing. Setup a dry-dropper, and had a decent fish on to the nymph 2nd cast, which slipped the hook after a couple of strong runs. Had a couple of 12" fish in the next hour and one more lost, and that was it. A few pale wateries appeared in the afternoon, but didn't see one taken.
Great to get out again, and tempted to sneak a final trip in next week.

 

I haven't made it to the Usk much this year due to the conditions, but with season's end rapidly approaching, and the level a decent 0.58 at Llanfoist bridge, I had a shortish session yesterday.
The river looked good tbh, but nothing showing. Setup a dry-dropper, and had a decent fish on to the nymph 2nd cast, which slipped the hook after a couple of strong runs. Had a couple of 12" fish in the next hour and one more lost, and that was it. A few pale wateries appeared in the afternoon, but didn't see one taken.
Great to get out again, and tempted to sneak a final trip in next week.

Nothing like the end in sight to motivate you to get up and get out there. I must admit it's been my first ever river season and I'm starting to panic

 

Went today to our small river, haven't been since early season due to conditions. Expected/hoped that after a good flush last week, and a settling period, would be OK.
Found water level to be a bit on the low side: a few flies around and warm with high cloud and gentle wind, generally good conditions.
However nothing doing - fished favourite spots with dries and nymphs, even beneath the footbridge in photo, have always picked up a couple of trout there.
Didn't see a rise, or a swirl or pull, disappointing as this is last visit here this season.
After a break next week with Mission Control, looks like back to the big river after that.
Peter

 

Back out again today on a different small river, coming down and fairly clear, again only been on it a couple of times this season, beaded nymphs again to start until I saw signs of rises, nothing from the first couple of runs but started to get the odd trout from the next, a couple of runs up where there are usually a few fish trout or grayling produced nothing until the very head, in inches of water I was hooking bottom and just about to move up, one last cast produced a pb brown between 3-4lb, my heart was in my mouth until it was in the net, the fishing picked up further up, quite a few more trout and grayling made it a good day all round, all on the nymphs, didn’t see a rise.

Steve

 

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Back out again today on a different small river, coming down and fairly clear, again only been on it a couple of times this season, beaded nymphs again to start until I saw signs of rises, nothing from the first couple of runs but started to get the odd trout from the next, a couple of runs up where there are usually a few fish trout or grayling produced nothing until the very head, in inches of water the I was hooking bottom and just about to move up, one last cast produced a pb brown between 3-4lb, my heart was in my mouth until it was in the net, the fishing picked up further up, quite a few more trout and grayling made it a good day all round, all on the nymphs, didn’t see a rise.

Steve View attachment 128652
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A fine catch sir

 

Have to admit my first love is fishing dry fly for brownies, but catching a grayling always give me a massive amount of pleasure.

 

Spent a day on the River Swale today … as it was running high after a good bit of water through it the last week I decided to take my streamer rod along with my 10ft 4wt rod that gives me loads of options .
Set up on streamer and euronymph first … odd knock on both that was it , then stuck a dry dropper on .. nothing at all ..
went back on the nymphs and got a small Grayling.
Moved upstream a bit and chucked a streamer in some decent looking water … nothing .
So decided on sticking 3 spiders on … lost 2 decent fish in first 2 casts , 3rd cast a decent grayling , then same spot another decent grayling … think I hit a shoal.
was nice to be out after so much low water this year .
took a tumble in the water too , stumbled about 5 steps then went over , finally laid down on my side in a foot of water 🙈.

 

Spent a day on the River Swale today … as it was running high after a good bit of water through it the last week I decided to take my streamer rod along with my 10ft 4wt rod that gives me loads of options .
Set up on streamer and euronymph first … odd knock on both that was it , then stuck a dry dropper on .. nothing at all ..
went back on the nymphs and got a small Grayling.
Moved upstream a bit and chucked a streamer in some decent looking water … nothing .
So decided on sticking 3 spiders on … lost 2 decent fish in first 2 casts , 3rd cast a decent grayling , then same spot another decent grayling … think I hit a shoal.
was nice to be out after so much low water this year .
took a tumble in the water too , stumbled about 5 steps then went over , finally laid down on my side in a foot of water 🙈.
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I wasn't too far away buddy, had a morning on the skell then the afternoon on the Ure at Sleningford mill.

 

Spent the day on Ferryhill DAC waters on the River Wear today , was in decent condition after the floods. nothing rising at all , bright sunshine all day too.
Took my euronymph rod and fished all the likely pools that hold fish .
Ended up with about 15 Grayling and 1 trout all on infected shrimp pattern and pink tailed tungsten bug.
The Grayling are getting bigger and bigger in this river some absolute slabs , between my mate and myself at least 7 were in the 1.5 - 2lb range.
shame we only had 2 Browns between us , Grayling are certainly outnumbering the Browns now .

 

Superb, good stuff Sid 👏🏻

 

A mate of mine came down with a friend from Consett yesterday and had a day ticket on a short stretch of the Eden.
He ended up with 14 grayling, two to dry fly the rest to nymphs, his friend had a similar amount including three brownies, one of 3lb and one of 2lbs, lovely fat fish all taken on a single nymph, it was quite impressive to watch actually, I was just there as a bystander, but it’s geed me up to get out tomorrow on the maniac and try for myself.
Note to self, Do more nymphing.
This was the 2lber.

 

Tight lines, Steven.

 

Last trip of the season
3 to the bank
Missed approx 20
Size 20 Griffiths was used all day..
What a glorious end to my season

 

River Dove grayling, a great time of year to be out on the river.

 

So, 2 days left in the 2025 season for me , I'm heading to the River Suir Monday and Tuesday - conditions look good - hopefully I end the season with some decent fishing .
I'll report back on Tuesday evening.

 

Today I set out to just nymph, short line tactics like my two friends did in my last post, I fished the same stretch using the same nymph and didn’t even get a tug. I fished three more gorgeous pools above where they had been and still zero nowt, zilch. I was using the exact same formula it buggers belief if I’m honest.
Roll on next spring and the return of the LDOs on the top.
Nymphing, ba humbug.
S.

 

Sadly that is nymphing …
I fished the Swale on Friday … Nymphs and spiders , caught everything on spiders.
Yesterday fished the Wear , nymphs and spiders again … Everything on nymphs

 

Maybe the last trout for the season.

 

And it's not as easy as some like to tell themselves it is, very technical and a much grander puzzle than many other techniques.

 

I’m normally very successful when I nymph using a fly line, upstream with a touch of sheep’s wool.
If I’m honest I really think this short line technique is a boring way of fishing but it can produce fish at very close range for those who struggle to cast a fly line well. I think you’re right Rab, the river had altered a bit in height and colour two days later, so I’m going with that one.
S.

 

Definitely not boring, but we're all different!.

 

No, perhaps not boring G, especially if it’s producing fish, but monotonous for me.
S.

 

An eventful 90 minutes on the river after work today.

Nice trout on streamer, missed a couple more
Snapped 4 wt rod in a snag
Switched to nymph rod
Lost 2 full tippets and nymphs in first 5 mins
Feck this I'm going home
Popped on a single nymph
Lovely grayling, just over the lb
Hooked another and lost it
Wind started
Then it got dark

 

Snapped 4 wt rod in a snag

😐was that the one you were gonna make a Skagit head for?

 

The very same 🤣