Mid afternoon the the beat owner asked me to get him a trout, usually a pretty simple task even given the warm weather this year. It was mostly overcast and I could see fish rising along the beat so I started working through with a size 18 Black Gnat (my go to dry fly if I can see rises but I can’t see what for). I caught five grayling fairly quickly ranging from 1/2lb to 1lb but couldn’t see any evidence of decent sized trout. I switched tactic and started using a size 16 goldhead Hares Ear nymph but to no avail. As the evening was starting to draw in I decided to move into one of the deep pools to try and pick up a sea trout instead, I kept the same hares ear on and cast it out into the pool letting it sink to the bottom then drift down the pool to where the fish usually lie where I would lift it in front of them to induce a take, as I lifted it I felt a very solid take and thought I was finally in luck however after ten minutes I managed to raise the fish to the surface to find it was a barbel of 5lb 1oz. I kept trying the same method resulting in two roach of 1lb each, another barbel of 4lb 2oz and a common carp of 3lb 3oz. I’m pleased to say I managed to finally get a trout of 2lb out of the head of the pool on the hares ear. Barbel have been caught on the water before by fly while salmon fishing with JW nymphs but this is the first time a carp or roach has been caught on the fly.
Small goldhead Hares Ear nymphs have been our most successful nymph this month with tiny Black Gnats and Brown Palmers winning on the dry fly front. Going into September I’d expect to increase the size of nymphs (mainly Hares Ear and Pheasant Tail) as the water rises and cools, I’d expect black gnats to continue to be effective on hot days but larger flies particularly the Adams Irresistible will probably take more fish.
A tale by Paul Unsworth August 2018
