Tuesday, March 12, 2013

LDO's make an appearance

I managed two outings on the Eden last week and it was great to see the Large Dark Olives make an appearance on each occasion.
On the first outing the olives began to hatch late morning and continued to come off the water throughout the afternoon. It wasn't a large hatch, LDO hatches rarely are, they tend to be more of a trickle, but like today, given favourable conditions, that trickle can go on for three or four hours.

 
The fish weren't going mad for them, but there was enough activity to prompt a change from the nymphs I'd started with, to a team of spiders. The hatch did become quite sporadic as the afternoon went on - but the Grayling and a few out of season Trout, showed an interest in the spiders right up until the olives disappeared for the day, and the river switched off.


The second outing of the week was a working session.
Renato, a visitor from Brazil, wanted to have a go at fly fishing and sample what we had to offer.... No big boys today but I think the Eden did us proud. 

The morning was spent casting and for a complete beginner, Renato was doing well - well enough to wet a fly (or two) - Olives were beginning to hatch and I was keen for him to take advantage.
By the time we were rigged with a nymph on the point and spider on the top dropper the odd fish was rising and a Grayling took the spider as I demonstrated what I thought would be our most productive technique.


After a few casts Renato was getting to grips with what was required for good presentation and was rewarded with his first fish of the day - an out of season Brown Trout.


With Olives on the water and fish rising, prospects looked good for the rest of the day - and I said so - and wished I hadn't. No sooner had I spoken the fatal words than a bitterly cold, easterly wind, blew across the river and killed the hatch stone dead.
Luckily I had come prepared for the cold, aware that Renato was from warmer climes, I had brought him a pair of thick socks, a fleece shirt and fleece buff.  Although it remained very cold, he coped well with the conditions and fished well.
Casting improved as the day progressed so we stepped up to a three fly rig and even though the hatch had stopped, grayling were caught, lost and missed throughout the afternoon.



Well done Renato - I hope you enjoyed you're first taste of the fishing in our area.

2 comments:

Banzai! said...

Really nice fishing day, you teach me you taught me a lot about fly fishing and is a great guide! When I return to the UK, surely I'll book another fishing like this. Thanks for all Geoff!

Geoff Johnston said...

Hi Renato, great to hear that you enjoyed our day on the river. It's a shame that the weather wasn't a bit warmer, but at least the fish were feeding and you caught a few.I hope that you enjoyed the rest of your stay in the UK. It would be great to see you again in the future - good luck with your fishing trips at home, Geoff