Wild fish?
Post spawning?
Rivers Avon and Wylye
A (relatively) mild day. The last day of the year. I'm not sure which of these facts or may be it was both that drove me out the house and off to the river. Whatever the stimulus, it was a classic case of cabin fever. After weeks of frozen Wye followed by flooded Wye, I headed to the chalkstreams. First stop the Wylye.
The river was clear but alarmingly low. Are they abstracting water now? If so what chance have we for decent flows, good weed growth and bug life? Not much, I fear. There was a trickle of large dark olives; which were ignored by the fish. However the baby grayling were rising to something which was much smaller. I managed to catch a few as I worked up the stream. I then took a look at the Till, where it enters the Wylye. Lying in the river was a large dead trout. Presumably a casualty from the exertions of spawning?
After the Wylye, I raced over to the Avon for the last hours of daylight. The Avon was also low and carried some colour. There was no sign of life on the surface, but I surprised myself and the fish by catching four lean but very fit trout. Not a grayling, my target, to be seen. The trout though were beautiful. A very satisfactory end to the year.
Wild fish?
Post spawning?