Gusty Grafham

Tuesday, 3 April 2018 at 16:45

Hard work this morning in a gusty wind. Grafham was at its most unsettled and forbidding and a few hours before lunch saw only one offer - and one fish, a splendid rainbow which I estimated at around 3lb. Pitsford Pea on a DI-3. I packed up after a late (and still gusty) lunchtime, though by then the air was - would you believe it? - warmer and spring seemed to arrive as I watched. Still: I Must Try Harder.

Chrome

Sunday, 1 April 2018 at 15:59

1st April and a chap simply has to fish. To the rainbow lake, where I released a leash of very fit rainbows and one blue trout. Best two were 3-3½lb., with the rest running from 1½lb. upwards, so it was a prolific little session despite the chill. Several of the fish were so fit and silvery that they were chrome. There was no general rise to buzzers but that will come as soon as the water warms up a touch. Roll on, spring.

Mud, buzzers and bloodworms

Sunday, 1 April 2018 at 15:53

Cold water (7C), cold air; fish near the bottom, browsing on bloodworms.... I thought I had it all worked out. I didn't. Here are the flies I tried, all much-tested. In the event every fish bar one took the lime/white Nomad (bottom), which I fished as slowly as possible. One other (only) took the Blue Flash Damsel. Some rainbows took on the drop, others when the fly was havering over the bottom. I had other offers with which I signally failed to connect, so it was a few hours full of activity despie the fact that winter doesn't quite seem to have left us yet.