Trout Fisherman 478 (Digital Sampler)

D E W IE V E R R A E G T S E T A L Volare waders Snowbee roll cast line ● Hardy Wraith rod ● Leeda FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

ISSUE 478 £3.40 DEC 9, 2015 JAN 5, 2016

49 FLIES

Plus full dressings 21-PAGE SPECIAL

WINTELRS NATfiUshR: A

How to

● Leeches ● Hoglouse ● Bloodworms ● Freshwater Shrimps

Killer fly for

BROWNS

Try one pattern that attracts the quality brownies through winter

SAVE £172 ON GEAR GRAYLING DRIES BEAT HARD DAYS Greys XF2 fly rod & full outfit for £199.99

What to do when bugs don't work

Tactics to fool extremely wise fish

this month: GRAFHAM sHRIMPs Words: Iain Barr Pictures: Peter Gathercole

SHRIMPS IN THE SHALLOWS Former world champion Iain Barr knows where the quality Grafham fish will be and what they’re feeding on at this time of year

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TrouT fIsherman DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

l them Naiw ith nAtURALs

A 4lb shrimp-feeding brown is carefully returned to the water.

TrouT fIsherman DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

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this month: FISHING ON THE DROP Words & Pictures: Jeffrey Prest

Look,

no hand...

Cast and retrieve is hard-wired into most anglers, yet sometimes the best way to ensure action is inaction. Scott Nellins demonstrates the benefits of leaving your fly to gravity

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ETTING some anglers to stop fiddling with their line is like getting bored nine-year-olds to stop picking their nose and odd as it sounds, those of us who’ve bait fished at some point in our angling lives may be the worst offenders.

Having crossed the line into a different type of fishing once we cast flies for trout or plugs for bass, we leave behind the passive mindset. No more simply waiting for our rod to bend; we now tug, tweak or yank that line, active players in the angling scenario and happy to be so.

And boy, it can be a hard habit to break.

With neither scent nor flavour to compensate, depriving an artificial fly of movement as well is to expect just too much of it, our subconscious seems to whisper. Go on, just one little tweak...

So I came to Scott Nellins like an addict prepared to go ‘cold turkey’. One rule today, I told him when we

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met at Northumberland’s Chatton Trout Fishery – no retrieves. Once you’ve taken in any slack line after casting, you’re allowed the occasional yank to get your flies back up in the water column but that’s it. The rest is down to gravity.

Scott smiles at the recovering fidget in front of him and, before he’s even caught anything, comes up with an analogy that puts innate resistance to fishing ‘on the drop’ into perspective.

“It is a mental thing, thinking that you always have to be making some sort of retrieve,” he agrees, “yet many anglers

TrouT fiShermaN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

l them Naiw ith U nAt RAls

TrouT fiShermaN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

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THIS MONTH: WINTER LURES Words & Pictures: Ceri Jones

Matthew Pate enjoys explosive action at the Lenches’ top lake.

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TROUT FISHERMAN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

THE DARK SIDE

Winter lure fishing isn’t always about garish colours. Ceri Jones chooses sombre patterns after learning that bright lures are the norm

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HEN arriving at a small water most anglers are wise enough to ask the management for advice about tactics, fish location and flies. We need to know what patterns/ colours the fish have been taking, where they are, at what depth they’re holding at and retrieves that have worked best.

As well as equipping us with clues as to what to do, this vital information can also tell the angler what NOT to do.

For example, while tackling up at the Lenches Lakes we learn that Damsels and Cat’s Whiskers have been catching well. So, rather than copy those patterns, why not present something different in order to catch the fish off balance? Offering the fish new colours of lure can increase your chances of success.

Olive Tadpole Hook: Size 8 Kamasan B175 Thread: Black Tail: Black marabou with Crinkle Flash Body: Chartreuse Straggle Fritz Head: Green bead Fly available from Jason Williams, tel 07866 428744

TROUT FISHERMAN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

Go against the grain The same applies to retrieves and areas to fish. Today, I’m fishing with my pals Matt Pate and Dai Jones and we take time to observe how the regulars are fishing before we even get near the water.

Most of them are using lures with 12-inch slow strips on the fly-line but only the occasional fish has been brought to the net.

So again it might be better if we do something different – a continuous retrieve for example with a few tugs along the way for variety.

The vast majority of anglers are not casting too far either, obviously the strong breeze makes reaching distance quite difficult and we notice that there are quite a few rises in the middle of the top lake, annoyingly out of reach of the fly-lines on show at the moment. So mastering the

double haul technique to achieve distance is a bonus in these conditions and will place your pattern amongst ‘fresh’ fish.

The plan goes into action We decide to join the regulars on the top lake after learning that the water remains about 12 feet deep before dropping off to 25 feet about halfway down the lake. In other words there’s a pronounced ledge, which is an obvious hotspot. If we aim our casts towards the middle of the lake and over this drop-off then we should be amongst most of the fish.

Matt and Dai opt for bright Tadpole lures because of the incredible fish-attracting movement provided by the long marabou tails. I also try a Tadpole lure but mine’s black with a fluorescent green Fritz body and a subtle hint of flash in the tail. On this

this month: winter grayling Words: Russell Hill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

When bugs don’t Work Russell Hill & Peter Gathercole discover that there’s only one way to tempt grayling in a clear, shallow river Ure – small dry flies on a slow glide 34

TRouT fisHeRman DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

“Bugs do work of course but when the river is crystal clear and on its ‘bare bones’ you’ll need a little more finesse to tempt fish.”

Grayling aren’t just bottom feeders, at times all they’ll take are dries.

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RAYLING are revered like any other salmonid today and rightly so. Once seen as a nuisance in our trout streams these elegant fish now share equal status with trout and many anglers are so obsessed that they specifically target grayling above anything else. Their colours, profile and fighting qualities with dorsal fin fully extended against the current makes this a hugely popular fish.

Mostly bugging But ‘bugging’ seems to have been the conventional tactic, possibly due to the popularity of the deadly Czech Nymph technique. Add in the grayling’s underslung mouth and it’s easy to see why many TRouT fisHeRman DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

anglers assume that grayling typically feed off the lake bed.

Bugs do work of course but when the river is crystal clear and on its ‘bare bones’ you’ll need a little more finesse to tempt them to take. Enter dries and tiny ones too.

Yorkshire’s River Ure Today we’re on the River Ure, which is gaining a reputation for it’s growing salmon runs but never forget that it’s also a very productive trout and grayling stream. In fact, with salmon being a little ‘hit or miss’ salmon anglers on the Ure are well advised to bring the trout gear just in case.

There are plenty of beats worth fishing, some on a day ticket and others owned by hotels. We’re on a beat belonging to the

award winning Blue Lion Hotel near Leyburn on the edge of the Dales. The stretch has inviting riffles and pools as the river meanders through the valley.

From the high bank we see a few fish rise but it’s hard to tell their size from a long way off. Nevertheless, it’s enough to set our pulses racing.

Two different approaches Peter decides on a dry fly approach while I opt for bugs, searching out the deeper runs.

Two hours later and I’m struggling with only one tentative ‘pull’ to show for some pretty intense fishing. I cover plenty of water but the fish are just not interested in my weighted bugs and I’m starting to panic.

Ironically, I spot a salmon disturbing

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THIS MONTH: TARGET BROWNS Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

CATCH WINTER

BROWNS Now’s the best time of year to catch incredible fish in tiptop condition says Peter Cockwill

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TrouT fisherman december 9 - january 5

A 6lb brown is very welcome on a wet autumn day.

TrouT fisherman december 9 - january 5

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Words & pictures: Martin Founds & John Horsey

WHERE TO FISH

THIS MONTH

Spotlight on top overseas and UK fisheries to visit

“There’s salmon in the sea but...”

John Horsey recalls a salmon session that he will never forget where he rubbed shoulders with wolves and bears

The most feared angling stand off.

Mutual respect is shown...

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TROUT FISHERMAN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

The bear cub finds a rotting salmon along the shoreline.

TROUT FISHERMAN DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 5

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