Last day of the Season and all my dreams come true!! River Wye Derbyshire

Well i have joined the Peacock Fly Fishers for the grayling fishing through the winter period, Jenny the Manager at the Peacock had let me fish for the trout as much as liked in the last five days of the season due to late joining...

I went to work today and took my tackle ready to get off early on the last day of the trout season, i had no flys left in my box so took my tying gear and tyed some olives up in the van with the clamp attached to my steering wheel, I knocked up some LTD sedges and some JT olives..

I rang the excellent river keep jan to find out what the river was like after the much needed rain, he gave me the good new that the fish were 'on it'...

I arrived around 3.00 and decided to fish the top end of the stretch into Scotts Garden, I met the river to see a handful of fish rising just under the surface to emergers, i selected a skinny size 20 olive i had tied and after 4 casts i was into a angry Rainbow, these fight so hard its untrue, around 2 pound and you have got your hands full, my drag singing on 20 yard runs...After a good two minute scrap i landed the best looking rainbow yet..

I turned around to see Jan who as always with a smile on his face, he inspected my fly and we took a stroll around the river pointing out good spots, i like the company of Jan, he is layed back and always there to help out..

Jan got off and i made my way around different runs taking fish to a size 20 olive, some of the fish are very hard to get a take, they will rise constantly and totally ignore your fly if something is not quite right, i also find that your first cast is the most important to a rising fish, get it right and your chances are high, if you get drag ect you might as well move on or change to another fly...

I took a stroll down to the cricket club section, this is where the big gun are and i always like a go at them, i just cant believe that these huge fish will rise to spinners and sedges ect, the big fish don't seem to rise in any order, they just show every now and again..

I saw a huge brown come clean out the water, i selected the LTD and the first cast produced a enormous dive at the fly, quite mad considering the size of the fish, i struck down hard and low and felt that amazing feeling of the rod loading up as the hook sets, the fish did the usual brown with a massive boil and a strong run for the nearest snag, i had my 2lb tippet on and knew i was in for some heart stopping moments, the fish was hugging low and deep and was basically doing
what it wanted!! I eventually got the fish to move towards me and it plodded around just in front of me, the line went around a rock and i thought that was it so opted to jump in the river and land it to hand, luckily the line came free and the fish was holding current 5 yards in front of me, the fish rolled and that when i realised how big she was, the last time i saw anything near this was Mick Martins brown earlier in the year, i came behind the fish and cradled her with both arms like a big carp, she was so calm and i had never really given the fish any stick. I got some bystanders to take a picture of me and unhooked her and held her in the the river for five minutes... i held her upstream for longer than normal as the fish would of been tired.. i held her and admired the condition and sheer size of the fish, i let go and she just sat by me for a few minutes and just drifted off as though nothing had happened..Come on!! i shouted...

I sat down on the grass, and got the Kelly out, i had no water so filled it up with the Wye water, i did not care, i had caught the fish of a lifetime and also tasted the pigeon shit marque shit water last time i was here with the lads!! I lit a fag, supped my Wye tea, lay back and had thought 'Fu"k me, i am living the dream'!!!