Very fishy
Spot the Grayling
River Avon
Salisbury & District Angling Club
Autumn has undoubtedly arrived. Today the wind was strong and perverse: at one minute howling downstream only to change speed and direction in the twinkling of a casting stroke. The results are all too obvious. If you are being too clever by half and adjusting the direction of the fly line to compensate for a wicked side wind; then it stops mid-cast. The result? Your fly ends up on the river bank. If you are powering the cast into a head wind, it just evaporates, leaving seismic waves as the line hammers onto the water surface.
So was the day a waste of time? Not at all. Despite the contrary wind and the constant fall of leaves and twigs, the trout and grayling were on the fin and keen to feed. They may have been feasting on the insects that were being blown out the trees and onto the river. The occasional rise hinted at this; but the fish were just as keen on a well placed (or even misplaced) nymph.
September is a lovely month for a river fisherman. The activity is firmly back in sensible daylight hours and the fish are active and hungry as water temperatures fall. Many are also worldly wise after the long fishing season, and not easily fooled – especially when the wind-assisted fly lands with enough force to create a miniature tidal wave. Thank goodness for the kindly wind that provides the ripples to hide our feeble fishing efforts !
Very fishy
Spot the Grayling