31st March

The first fortnight of the brown trout season here on the rivers of Northern England has been disappointing. The hatches of large dark olives have been sparse and erratic and the weather dominated (as far as the fly-fishers is concerned) by easterly or northerly winds with a nip. Few trout have risen and fewer caught. For instance, Paul Proctor phoned this morning to tell me of a full day on the den for one small trout, and Peter Greenhalgh suffered a chill breeze on the Ribble last Sunday afternoon for a couple of out-of-season grayling and an eight inch brownie.

Yesterday I visited Dearne Ford Hall fishery near Whitchurch in Shropshire. This excellent 15 acre stillwater fishery revealed a wonderfully rich invertebrate and small bait-fish population, which encourages the stocked rainbow and brown trout to grow quickly. After sampling the bugs I turned to the trout, putting a Suspender Buzzer on a dropper and a Dorrito's Crisp Packet Buzzer on the point. First cast a trout took the Suspender, but then threw the hook. A few fish were feeding at the surface so I turned to my tiny CDC dry fly. Immediately I had a rainbow of about two-and-a-half pounds. Then another. They then ignored both the Suspender and CDC dry so I turned to an old favourite, Black Magic. Four fish later I felt I had had enough to prove that even today, 'ye olde flyes' can often still out-fish the modern creations.

I'm off to Donegal on Saturday, seeking the duck-fly (midge) hatches there. I must tie some more Black Magics...

Dead easy! Dead effective!

Malcolm Greenhalgh