Get the Fererro out!! Lord Rocher batters Milldale with 24 Ladies including 2 slabs!!

So hear is goes....

I had got the full day sorted to go and fish where i wanted, my first thoughts were to go further afield and fish some new rivers, but looking around the river level through Wales ect it was a no go... I am bored of fishing for the same fish at Dovedale and Ellastone in the same runs and probably catching the same fish! I had spoken to Kev Harrision on fishing the Dee or the Severn as he has had much joy there this year but conditions were no good so i opted to stay local... I thought all night of a new approach to revive my appetite, i decided to go to Milldale as its somewhere i have never really given a proper go probably because my short sessions here and there in the week make a extra half hour driving..

Today i had all day so i stayed up late last night and tyed lots of different nymphs in lots of 4...

My approach was to go and fish with a short rod using the deadly duo tactic...

I arrived at Milldale around half eight in the morning, a lovely place to be with not a soul around, the ground was frozen and the river looked 6 inches up with the milky colour.. perfect really...

I tacked up and made my way down the 59s stretch which looks sweet, somewhere i would like to fish...

I started with the duo and got pissed off with it after my first cast, Woody is becoming a master with it and he loves it but i feel it awkard using it and it does not feel right to me, my dry kept sinking and after only a handful of casts i ripped it off!! I needed to go back to the van for my 10ft streamflex to get on the czech but i thought i shall give it a go with my 7ft hardy demon!!

I knew this would be well to short but the river had colour and i could wade anywhere so getting presenting the fly would be no prob... i also opted for a two fly set up on a short line.. basically i was czech nymphing but a tuned down version... how right i was to choose this setup for me!!

I got straight into a 4oz Grayling which lifted my confidence from low to buzzin, i thought at least i have not blanked again and was happy to take that for the day as Dovedale can be very hard indeed...

My plan today was to fish hardcore and only take a short break, i was going to move fast around each likely swim and fish n move, fish n move until i found the odd fish...

It was not long until i took a tiny fingerling which was very welcome....
I was fishing holes, necks, creases, everything that looked to hold fish, i come across a small pool that is never fished as i had to crawl under branches to get in, the 7ft was getting me places i would have never done with the 10ft, at the back of the run i run the flys through sweet, a slight twitch and bump! a silver flash, i was in to a half pounder which fought its head off...

I could not believe it when i caught again in the same run, then another ect, one just over a pound,,,i took 5 fish out of the same run in some frantic 10 min action... i hear that the Dovedale fish *+do not shoal up in together and this comes from very good seasoned anglers but these were so tight you would not get a take 5 ft either way of the run!!
I walked down to Doveholes and walked into the cave buzzin with my fishing already, it was still early and i was satisfied already, i sat in the cave and lit the Kelly... while chilling out i was joined by Kev Harrison and his wife, they were out walkin the dog, we had a good natter and it was nice to see him as he was my very first guide who taught me loads when i switched to the fly from river Barbeling..
Kev told me some of his own favorite runs and went on his way... as he walked around the corner i hooked into a slab with my first cast, the line just stopped dead and i struck hard...the fish started to spin the drag down streamas its huge dorsel was doing its job, i shouted kev but he had gone, shame really as he had just pointed to the run where i hooked it, i soon got the net under a mint condition Grayling weighing 1 lb 14 oz!!!

I knew that the fish were on it so it was time to fish extra hard and get what i could as these days are few and far, i took another 3 fish out of the same run, all around the pound mark. they were shoaling up tight for sure!!

I walked further down fishing more likely runs, it was quite strange as runs that looked amazing were devoid of fish and i would not catch for a good hour until i found a fish i would take 5 or six out of the pack..I was greedy and was looking for more and more as most anglers do, i saw another lad who passed me on the way past the boards who i have never seen and he said he had struggled and was on a blank, when i told him i was on 14 fish he must of thought i was a right bullshitter, he had come from ddale end and i know it can be very hard there, only Woody doing well recently on his gay duo!!!

I was coming out the river to hear. 'is that the Lord Rocher' it was Roger Bryant who i have not seen for ages so it was good to catch up and have the crack, Roger is a great lad andone of the boys, always buzzin and a proper angler who loves the game like me.

He had taken a few fish though DDale and lost one so all was good, we walked up together and fished likely runs.... I was standing with Roger and i drifted my flys through a run and started to take a pod of Ladies again, the fourth fish was another male slab of 1lb 14oz again, Roger then realized the fun i had been having all day, the fish looked to be well over two pounds and was very fat..

Roger did some pics and we set off on separate ways with a Usk trip booked in between us...

On the way back up the light was starting to go, i had a flick at the pools i had caught earlier in the day, they all produced fish again, i did not want the fishing to end but i had been luckily today so wondered back up to Milldale village with a huge gin on my face dreaming of what had happened throughout the day....The two clunkers, and endless takes....

Well why did i catch so many fish today?

1. John Tyzack guiding me until i was doing it proper

2. The fish were tightly packed and through very hard work i found them..

3. The river was up slightly and coloured (i could get right in close to them with a very short line and see every take)

4. Moving all around the pools quickly

5. The fish were 'on it'

6. Months of practising Czech nymphing

7. Plenty of yanking on Red Tube

8. The point fly weighted perfect and changed for diff runs..

9. Jammy twat

I took 24 Grayling and 4 out of season trout, all bare one fell to the point fly which was a JT flashback, a fly that i now tie myself.. i would show the fly but i feel i would be taking business from JT who does the game for a living so contact him and i am sure he would look after you...

This goes down as one of my most memorable sessions and will probably not happen for a long time if ever as the Dove can be so cruel.

Nice one

Glen

The Dove rewards me with a 2lb1oz male dogger...

Had a spare hour today after doing a job for fellow angler Guy, i decided to have a nip down to dovedale to see what conditions were like, the car park was empty and i felt i had the place to myself which is very rare, i took a quick look at the river which was pushing through very hard but clearing up nicely..

I thought i would wet a line just to help with my fishing addiction, its strange how a hours fishing can sort me out and stop me 'ratlin' as the heroin addicts say!!

I went with a three fly set up and walked my way up the stretch fishing runs that looked to hold fish, the water was really pushing through and i had to put a real heavy tungsten hairs ear on to get it to the bottom, i have seen JT put some nymphs on that hit the water like a gun shot, i remember thinking someone was shooting at us until i realized it was him casting!!!

I walked to the top and fished my way back down, catching three out of season browns, its strange as i get a sunken feeling when hooked out of season fish, at one time i would be grateful of any fish but i suppose i have learnt much over the last few seasons and i get no satisfaction of taking a trout when i am after the Grayling..

I was literally on my last few casts of the day and i was trundling my tungsten down the pebbles feeling every vibration down the rod when the line stopped, i had been striking at these all day to only feel a stone, but i felt that special 'bump' of a fish that only anglers know the feeling, the fish headed right down the fast rifle thumping the rod tip, i have been taught how to play these fish by JT and it has landed me loads more fish, i was doing fine until i saw a huge silver flash and the good length of this fish, i knew i was into a slab and i started to do all the wrong things for a second until i kicked my self back into landing mode, the fish was heading down stream for the bottom of the pool and down into the next pool so i was sure to loose this fish, i grit my teeth and give it full side strain waiting for that ping of the line but the fish started to swim upstream hugging deep to the bottom, the fish now came just under the surface swimming up the current nice and smooth with me giving it enough pressure to stop the hook pull, then something i have heard about, a huge red dorsal of the fish came sailing through the surface, i then new it was a proper clunker!! the net came out, i swung it across and straight into the net then a big sigh of relief...

I thought it had taken my point fly but on unhooking, it had taken my JT pink shrimp on the dropper...i weighed it in my mcleans net and it just creeped 1oz over 2lb...

I had not taken my camera so had to make do with a few pics from my phone, the fish was a old male dog that had scars from battling over the years and a torn mouth from some nob using big barbed hooks and torn out, luckily the mouth had healed and did not effect the fish....

I returned the fish and held it upstream for a few mins and it slowly drifted off back to its hold...

At this time a year its great to have any Grayling but a clunk from a very hard river is buzzin..

I will put this down as a pb but i did have a huge fish on the dry last year while guesting the Dove that was much bigger than this, i have a photo on a previous blog post...

Since my recent blank on the Tweed this was a reward for my hard efforts there, a blank is good for the soul, but the good thing about fishing is you always get another chance, and today i did..

My next outing will be with Woody on the centre pins stick fishing for Grayling and chub with the maggots, a method i have done on the rivers for years that i will enjoy a dabble at....

Nice one

Glen

Slabbing on the Tweed with JT,Andy,Rich and Woody in Brokeback mountain

Woody, Rich, Andy, Glen

Lashed up with Richy, talking about trombones!!

JT and Andy, pair of fishing masters and also pair of pissed C"nts

Hes sitting in the right chair!!!

Woody being guided by JT

Superb fish... JT s 2lber, look at the head

Woody with a fish we dream of, well done bro!

Looks like a Barbel!!

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Here is was the trip to Scotland fishing the famous Tweed and it trib the Teviot..

I love to fish new rivers and a trip with the lads is a added bonus, the Tweed is a legendary river where dreams have been made or shattered...

I picked Woody up early hours and we headed off up the m6, Woody still half pissed from the night before! We were meeting up with JT, Andy and Richy..

We stopped for a full Scottish breakfast and then met up with JT near Hawick which is pronounced like 'ohk'

We quickly got our permits for the day and went down to look at the river.. i was surprised to see how small the Teviot was but how wrong i was when entering the river...

We all had streamflex 10ft ers with a three bug set up and heavish points to get down..

Looking over the bridge i spotted a pair of Salmon, one going well over the 2olb mark if not pushing 30!!! they were flirting about and the huge flashes were amazing to watch, it was the first time i had seen a proper Salmon river and i could see why there is a huge buzz for this type of fishing...seeing them fish got my heart racing and this is something i will have ago one day but i have so much more sport to go at on the trout and Grayling....

Richy and Andy set off one way and JT took me and Woody upstream to known spots..

JT started to show Woody the crack while i could not wait and got in..

I soon realised this was no normal river, the power of the flow was proper strong, even the shallow edges were pushing through, the river was not high, it was perfect, the bottom was pebbles and boulders with no silt anywhere...you could see why this is a Salmon river..

For a hour none of us had a touch until JT took a small fish which gave us confidence, Woody lost one but it soon went very quite again, i wandered off to leave Woody with JT so i could go searching around... some of the runs were amazing and looked to hold fish but i was struggling to get any action until i was standing in a deepish fast run lobbing a heavy bug set up by a huge boulder, i tightened up to feel bottom only to feel my rod get yanked downwards with pure power, the line shot out 10ft upstream in a instance and all went slack!! i had that feeling that this was no Grayling and i was short of breath knowing what i had probably hooked!!!

I started to fish hard on search of these monster Grayling, it was proper hard as you woulld see a pool and think 'fuck me if i dont catch here' only to get nothing for your efforts... this fishing does not bother me as when stalking huge fish you know its going to be hard just like my past barbel days....we could easerly gone somewhere to catch 30+ fish but we were after a clunker!!

Woody and JT joined me upstream, they had also found it hard so JT kicked in and started to fish hard..

Before long we had the shout and Jt landed a superb fish weighing in at 1lb 15 oz, as soon as i saw this fish i realized why he comes here, they are thick set with huge heads and pure mussle to cope with the strong currents...i was buzzing now as jt had hopefully found the fish....

JT was superb in walking back from the run and telling Woody to get in the run to catch a fish, how may blokes would of carried on fishing and had them to thereselves?

I stood with JT and it was only time before Woody hooked into a great fish, JT guiding him all the way so not to lose this wacker, Woody handled the fish superbly and jt slid the net under a huge male fish of 2lb 2oz, get in there!! we admired the fish and slid here back away....

Woodys face was a picture, he was on it and buzzin...

I had a go with in the run with JT but nothing for my efforts, JT said they were prob the only fish in that run and it was all about finding them...

We met back up with Andy and Richy, they had also found fishing hard with Andy taking some small fish out of a couple of pools, searching was the key....

We jumped in the cars and headed off down the lower end of the river to try a get some more action....

Update later, i am still fucked from the session on the ale and had to bash my Mrs for three hours when i got home as a present for letting me go!!!

Woody and Glen preparing to hit the Tweed with John Tyzack and his boys

Woody and me are going to the famous river Tweed to search for the huge Grayling, we are setting off early Friday morning and fishing through the weekend, we will be meeting JT and his mates on route so we can get some fishing in on the Friday...this is a trip i am looking forward to very much and we will be having a right good crack and hopefully catch a fish or two..

I have been preparing tonight by tying some shrimp patterns that will hopefully do the trick....

Here are some pictures

Wonder Woody saves the day with a Clunk

2hr Bash at Ellastone pays off....

Wye Grayling 'hitting a pod of ladies is so sweet'

Went to the Wye on my first visit of the 2010 and what a session it turned out to be!!

I got up around 6.30 and looked out the window to see everywhere frozen solid! Well this was not going to stop me, i was buzzing to get out and on the river chasing the Grayling.

The drive there was rough and i was all over the place but the sights going over the dales were magnificent... the sun was not up fully and there was a lovely red glow in the hills..

I had to stop a numerous times to get some pictures..

I was meeting Wesser at 8.30 on the Pumping station and we were keeping in touch on the mobiles, Wes followed his sat nav and it took him all over the place and eventually got stuck in the snow..

I arrived at the Wye with not a soul around and saw a sun rise you can only dream of, waiting for wes gave me a chance to get the Kelly on and take some pictures, i just sat by the river watching the sun rise sipping my coffee buzzing about the day ahead...

My family and mates think i am mad going fishing in these conditions but you get to see all these sights that only us anglers get..

Wezzer turned up around nine stressed to the eyeballs but a steaming coffee and a view of this holy river soon sorted his head out, Wes had never fished the Wye and he was buzzing his head off...

We soon started to fish up the section with a three fly nymph set up, a method taught to me by Tyzack and i am now starting to feel confident with this method, and its took me some hard graft to get it right...but i think i am there...

The fishing was quite slow and we did not get a touch for the first hour, only a out of season 4 0z rainbow to show..

JT had told me that the fish were packing in tight now and the key was to locate them, well this can seem quite daunting but knowing the spots i was confident we would get some action..

Wezzer took a nice Grayling below the town around one and a half pound which was great, he was loving it now and started to fish very well..

After a fish and chips in the town we strolled back down the river in hope of some proper action, i started to fish a known spot that has produced the odd fish this year and after my second cast i saw the slightest of twitches and struck to feel the solid hook up of a Grayling, after a short scrap i landed a half a pound silver to the hand..

The next cast i had a unmissable line yank and felt that great solid hook up again, this fish took my drag on a downstream run, this was a decent fish and i did not want to lose it..

I clipped my Mcleans net off my back and after a few minutes i slipped the net under a lovely Grayling, a quick pic and a weighed in my net she was off, weighing a tad over one n half pounds..

I took 4 more fish out of this pod until i hooked a small rainbow and then it was time to move on..

We met up with Jan (Haddon River Keeper) near the pumping station who was out with his dogs checking the river and anglers out, its always nice to see a Jan out on this river as it shows how well run this river is and without them we would not get the joys out of fishing we have there..

He is always willing to help you out with any advice needed or just a good crack, the only downside is that he is a Leynt Orient fan!! But my Port Vale always kick there arse!!!

Late afternoon i fished a pool that looked sweet but had never tried it, a couple of runs through i hit into a small Grayling, i was ready to pack up but on the third cast i was in again, then again, again and so on!!!

I had hit a large pod and all what i had been told about came true, i was into fish after fish, every run down the pool was either a missed bite or a fish, the strange thing was that ten foot downstream of the fish or ten foot up would produce nothing! these fish were tightly packed and i could of missed them easy...

The last fish i took was my biggest of the day and it was a tad under the magic two pound mark..

Wezzer and i could not believe how many fish i took out of this pod, it fished for nearly a hour with top sport so i lost count with the amount of fish caught..

I never thought i would like Grayling fishing but it now has a hold on me and i buzz off the solid feel when you strike into a Grayling..

Wezzer loved it and had a smile on his face all day, He was Living the Dream and as always so was i!!!

My next big trip is on the river Tweed in Scotland in late Jan with JT and the lads, i am looking to land a right clunker.. thats my goal to end the Grayling season....

Nice one

Glen