The new season so far

The 2002 trout fishing season on both the rivers and reservoirs of north-west England began splendidly. My diaries indicate that it was the best start since 1981! For instance, third day of the season (March 17) I fished in a light pullover, the hatch started at 12.30 and continued to 4pm and I had 16 fish on spiders (Waterhen Bloa most successful) but my best trout on a dry CdC. But all good things must come to an end.

On Easter Tuesday Oliver Edwards and I started six days tying and river-walking at the John Norris Show at Penrith. This involved doing some fishing demo's, and on the Tuesday all went fairly well in the River Eamont. Lots of large dark olives hatched in the warm afternoon sun and trout were caught. But then a cold easterly wind set in and we had hard frosts at dawn. Hatches stopped, the river seemed troutless. Reports from the Eden and other rivers were the same.

My son Peter visited the Ribble at Paythorne during this spell of icy weather. Not a fly did he see or trout did he hook until, in the early afternoon, the downstream wind stopped blowing and the air temperature soared. Immediately, he reported, olives started to hatch in numbers and he had six fish in quick succession on dry fly (he didn't say which, but it would have been a CDC dun). Then the wind started blowing again and hatch and trout switched off.

It is incredible how sensitive both flies and trout are to air temperature changes.

Yesterday I dropped in to my clubs reservoir, set in the hills. This lake has a great head of brown trout. Midges were hatching and I had one offer to a Suspender Buzzer - that was the only trout I saw moving. Lord it was cold! After an hour I had had enough. My hands were red with the cold and I felt chilled, despite thermal jacket and coat. But as I write the forecast if for a mild night and warm day tomorrow. My rods are by the front door and my bag packed for tomorrow!
Hurrah!

Malcolm Greenhalgh

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