August in Eden...2022

Just like the previous month, August in Eden started with rain. Our rivers were starting to drop on the 1st, but overnight rain meant that all were rising on the 2nd. We lost the 2nd of August due to high waters. All were fishable again by the 3rd and after a week of coloured, but fishable water, it was a return to the sunny and hot weather that we've seen too much of this season. Great for holidaymakers but not for fishermen!

The fresh water seemed to perk a few fish up in those early days of August and a few nice fish were found.

 

A few nice fish were encountered in August

By the end of the 2nd week in August the rivers were very low in very hot conditions. Too hot to fish in and a couple of guided days were rearranged. It was cooler by week 3 and we had some rain that put a touch of colour into our rivers.

David draws a fish to the net

Much of August was taken up with tuition days, but guiding some more experienced clients brought success. David, who is becoming a seasoned angler in Eden, joined me for a couple of days and he had a couple of successful sessions with a number of fish to his offerings on each occasion.

The dry fly proved successful after rain freshened things up in August

The rain in week 3 certainlly freshened things up and a few fish were found to be midging in the margins on occasions. The cooler water also encouraged a few grayling to come on the feed too.

The cooler water also encouraged a few grayling to come on the feed.

David had a couple of rewarding sessions in August

The final week of the month saw a return to fine/hot weather and conditions proved quite challenging again.The fishing wasn't impossible, it was just tough and it's times like these that having a range of techniques at your disposal and taking the time to perfect them can definitely be beneficial. The week was mainly filled with tuition and this was something I emphasised - it's never imposssible...if you take the time to learn the skills required.

July in Eden...2022

July in Eden started with a touch of rain which coloured our rivers slightly, but the rest of the month remained pretty dry and hot. The conditions were challenging at times but perseverance prevailed for most and we had some successful debuts in Eden.

Chris and Amelia joined me on the first day of the month and Amelia did well to get her first trout on the fly.

Amelia managed some action on her fly fishing debut

The rivers were still carrying a touch of colour on the 3rd, but a few fish were found working the margins and were tempted by our dry offerings.

Tempted by the dry fly while working the margins

The remainder of the month was largely dry and hot. We saw a significant drop in river levels and a lift in water tempertures. Fish were a touch lethargic in the warm water and the fishing was quite challenging at times. Most of the month was filled with tuition days (casting and techniques), but those that did fish did okay at times. Paul is a relative newcomer to Eden and he joined me for a day to familiarise himself with our waters. He fished well and, despite the tough conditions and the sunshine, he still managed some action!

Paul managed some action in the sunshine

A spell of light rain and cooler weather brought a slight lift to our rivers at the end on July. The touch of colour and slight drop in water temperature perked the fish up and Andrew, another newcomer to Eden and fly fishing, managed some action at his first attempt.

Andrew was trying fly fishing for the first time

June in Eden...2022

May finished with rain, so June in Eden started with our rivers up a touch and carrying some colour. But the rivers were still fishable and the evening of the 1st saw our first good hatch of Blue Winged Olives.

A fish to the Blue Winged Olive at the beginning of June in Eden

The river was still up a touch and carrying some colour by the 3rd of the month, but that worked in David's favour and he had a productive day! By the 7th all was back to a good level and clear, but overnight rain brought them up again on the 8th.

David is into a good fish in Eden

The rivers were still carry some colour when I went out on the 9th to try out a new addition to my rod collection - the Mackenzie NX1 10' #3. The new rod coped admirably with all that I threw at it...dries, nymphs, French leader etc. and it was great to christen/test it with a good fish from our rivers. I was really pleased with it and it will be another valuable addition to my collection.

A nice fish to christen the Mackenzie NX1 10' #3

The weather picked up towards the middle of the month, but not before Pete managed his first taste of boat fishing on one of our lake district waters. He coped well at his first attempt. A brief hatch of Mayfly brought fish on the feed and he managed some action on his debut.

Pete with a fish on his boat fishing debut

The dry spell around mid-June meant our rivers were quick to drop and the fishing was challenging at times. Andy came along for his first taste of fishing our rivers. Despite the tough conditions, with a low river and brilliant sunshine, he fished well and his efforts were rewarded with his first fish from Eden.

Andy with a fish on his first visit to Eden

The sunny weather continued until the end of the month, but hard work and good fishing produce positive results for most that joined me on the river. Rain returned towards the end of the month, it was enough to put a touch of fresh water into our rivers, but not enough to stop us fishing. The fresh water seemed to perk a few fish up and I finished the month with a nice fish on a slowly rising river.

A nice fish on a rising river

May in Eden...2022

May in Eden in 2022 was a relatively good month for both myself and my clients. The month started dry and then rain towards the end of the second week brought our rivers up and, even though they were soon back to a fishable level, they carried a touch of colour for the majority of the month.

The Grannom were still showing in the early part of May, but they soon petered out, leaving us with the seasonal hatches of Olive Upright and Iron Blue Dun. Our lakes were starting to warm up and provided some decent sport on occasions.

David got some action when our lakes provided good sport in May

We were also treated to the occasional day of Black Gnat falls from week two of the month. The gnats are a favourite for our fish and they were soon on to them!

A nice fish tempted by a Black Gnat

Hatches of both terrestrial and aquatic flies were good, our fish were reaping the benefits and some nice trout were encountered on occasions. Ian joined me for his first taste of fishing in Eden and he managed to mark his debut with a nice fish to his well presented spiders.

Ian with a nice fish on his Eden debut

Our true Mayflies (Ephemera danica) made a show around the third week of the month. Traditionally they have always been known as a lake fly in our neck of the woods, but we are starting to see increasing numbers on our rivers. And, just like elsewhere in the country, the fish aren't slow to turn onto them.

Our true Mayfly (Ephemera danica) made an appearance in May

Mike tempted fish to his Mayfly imitations

Another bonnie fish tempted by a Mayfly emerger

The Mayfly hatches are far from prolific on our waters and they soon peter out, so timing can be critical. Unfortunately that was the case when Mike visited our waters for the first time. But the weather was warming up and our terrestrials were coming to the fore. He was fortunate to hit a day when the fish were on them and he managed some action to his dry imitations....

The fish were on terrestrials for Mike's first taste of our rivers

April in Eden....2022

April in Eden couldn't have got off to a better start. The 1st was far from an April Fool's day for me! 

The day dawned bright and sunny with a bitterly cold North - North westerly wind and the occasional, brief, cloudy spell. A hatch of Large Dark Olives at 1330 didn't get much of a response, with only two splashy rises and a hatch of March Browns at 1415 didn't elicit much more of a response either. Only two fish rose when the emerging March Browns hit the surface, but it was a case of right place, right time for me. I covered one with my MB emerger, which was ignored, but the fish came up to my second offer. It was obvious that this was a good fish, but I didn't realise how good until it filled the net. I'd managed a rare Eden leviathan which turned to be a new PB for me!

A new Eden PB to a March Brown emerger

The weather remained fine until the 5th before rain brought a lift to our rivers. Hatches of Large Dark Olive and March Brown had been reasonable up to that point and fish had responded relatively well to our offerings, providing sport for most of my clients. One was Bernard, he was over from France, my first none UK client since the Covid pandemic hit us. He was lucky to hit a decent hatch of Large Dark Olives and fish responded positively to his dry offerings.

Bernard with a nice fish on the dries

The lift in levels put paid to any fishing for a few days, but the river was back to a fishable level by the 11th. The weather remained dull and miserable, ideal for our spring flies, and decent hatches brought fish on the feed for my guided days in Eden.

Paul is into a fish during his first taste of Eden

Our daytime hatching sedge - the Grannom - made an appearance on the 16th and the fish were straight onto them! By the 19th the hatches were in full flow and Grannom were migrating upstream in their 1000's.

Grannom in their 1000's brought fish on the feed

Grannom hatched most days in mid to late April 

Grannom and Large Dark Olives continued to hatch on most days and they were joined by Olive Uprights and Iron Blue Duns in the final few days of April. Sport remained good for my clients and most managed some action to a mix of dries, spiders and nymphs.

A PB for David when the Grannom were on

Trevor is into a nice fish!

March 2022 - A new season in Eden

The 2022 season kicked off with showers and bitterly cold westerly winds. Our spring flies made a show, but hatches were sparse and relatively short-lived affairs.

Rising fish were at a premium during those early days of the new season and most fish came to sub-surface offers, either deep offerings in the form of weighted nymphs or a team of our north country spiders fish just under the surface.

North Country Spiders tempted fish

Grayling were keener to feed than trout initially and they dominated our early catches. We saw our first March Brown's on the 19th, but a day of brilliant sunshine put paid to any surface activity. A good, albeit sparse, hatch of Large Dark Olives brought a few fish to the surface on the 24th and we had a brief window of activity.

Large dark Olives showed most days

March Browns braved the elements

The final two days of the month brought bitterly cold easterly winds and frequent snow showers, but both March Browns and Large Dark Olives braved the elements and hatched in the few areas that gave shelter from the winds. Fish weren't keen to come to the surface in the adverse conditions, but nymphs and spiders produced spells of action.

Nymphs and spiders produced on the final two days of March