The Gromain Beat
Bankside daffodils
River Wye, Gromain Beat
March 18th
Spring has arrived. The world looks wonderful. The watery sun was strong enough to warm old bones, and the Wye valley looked like a watercolour whilst the morning mist still diffused the sun. After coming over all poetic, it was a shock to wade into the river and find the water was a distinctly chilly 43F.
Still, the upper half of the body could still bask in the sun, whilst the feet slowly lost all feeling. But what were the fish doing? Not surprisingly, not a lot; with such low temperatures. There was just a hint that the Large Dark Olives will soon be with us. A fly count of one or two for the day was encouraging, not for today, but for next week. There was little sign of fish either. A few bulges, where trout and grayling chased ascending nymphs, were the only evidence of their presence.
We fished and better still we caught fish. There was pleasure in extracting a few scaley beasts with a weighted nymph. The river bank had Lesser Celendines, Daffodils and Wood Anemones, and a pair of kingfishers added further colour. It is such a joy to feel the first tentative awakening of Spring.
The Gromain Beat
Bankside daffodils