Thread: Yorkshire Waters

Originally Posted by haggstock

I went out onto the Wharfe on Monday , what a beautiful day . If you ever needed an example of why just being on the river is good for your health it was Monday . The water was pristine , with every detail on the bottom viewable in slacker parts through polarised glasses . I started in a pool blow Barden Bridge and worked down a hundred yards of water with two spiders , a bead headed snipe and purple and a water hen bloa , - despite sporadic hatches , not a touch . I came out of the river to warm up , the water was freezing and had 15 minutes just watching the river.Despite an upstream breeze blowing hatching LDOs onto the water nothing was being taken from the top . I decided to fish my way back up the river methodically coveting a grid using a Klink with a size 18 “ Mary Copperhead “ on shortish trailing length . This turned out to be the right thing to do ! In the slack water on the far bank I had a tussle with a decent fish that put a nice bend in the rod , in the net it was s lovely marked brownie that measured up around 18” . Job done first fish of the season . After a 20 minute warm up at the car I went to the tail of the next pool and back to the Klink and dink . Two or 3 drifts in , there was a flash of colour and the Klink went under , Grayling ! measured up against the net 16” ! After that I decided to call it a day , I’d worked hard and covered a lot of water for those two , in very difficult conditions. I left happy and treated myself to a 99 from the van on the bridge !

I had thought about going up again today but the weather has changed dramatically and it’s lashing it down !

Yup I was envious of you yesterday Haggstock, I had to work but my mind was at the river. You had a good result with the water so cold. And those fish would be wild and hungry.

I agree unpleasant today for fishing. However any hatches will be slow to get off in this wet weather.

Headed high up the Dale today first this season & was met with low lying mist & a chilled southerly wind, no fly movement at all but managed to winkle out a half dozen Grayling as yet no signs of spawning, a couple of nice fish amongst them and a single trout, before the heavens opened and torrential rain fell.

Just checked my diary and so far after 9 outings to the Aire and Wharfe I have 1 fish to show so far for this season. So, so disappointing, granted I have not fished very long sessions at most between 2 and 3 hours and to be honest I have not fished very well or enthusiastically as I have been so cold in the weather conditions since the beginning of the season. The last few days off work, I haven’t seen a hatch, let alone a rise. It’s got to change soon, I am fed up of the cool north west wind blowing in my face and getting soaked in the heavy showers of late. I know I am not alone and a lot more are struggling and there is nothing new in Spring fishing being lean and uncomfortable. But come on we need some sun, still days and some action soon. But next thing it’ll be so hot and dry there will be no water in the river. This climate needs to get its act together before the fish and me go nuts. At least my new Barrio line is providing a bit of interest, but it still needs a good stretching from some fish, to prove its worth. Just hope May is going to be better than April, it certainly can get any worse. Someone please turn up the thermostat

Yes, it has been tough so far. The nagging wind is a constant and, according to the BBC weather, it's due to be "breezy with sunny intervals" every day until 9th May