The One That Got Away!

[chrismdd 787]

Decided I wanted some nice wild brown trout for tea. So this morning took the light worming gear to the upper snaggy section on our club waters. Travelling really light using just a size 6 on a flouro 4 lb link with one SSG to aid casting. This section allows worm, spinner or fly but with the amount of snags in the water and overhead cover worming is the only way.

 

Usual method I employ is cast to a snag and then just lay the rod in the vegetation and just sit back and wait for the tip to swing round. First swim produced nothing but the second got the first pull and a 14" brownie was in the bag:

 

 

Decided to try the big bend further up, first tried downstream:

 

 

Then with no response tried upstream into the bend:

 

 

After about ten minutes the tip twitched and then pulled right round. That's when the fun started, this fish was stripping line off the reel as it first bore upstream and then changed direction and tore off downstream towards the snags. Needed to tighten the clutch to stop it going under the fallen tree. This worked and it came back up into the pool and now went like a crazy thing leaping clear of the water by a couple of feet on several occasions. As the banks are high and steep and with the sun shining on the clear water I was able to get a good look at it and would easily estimate it to be a 5 lb plus fish, a true predator of this tiny river.

 

Then with one final determined leap it fell back down onto slack line and managed to throw the barbless size 6. I just sat there for a couple of minutes and watched the water settle before setting off downstream to try for another.

 

Even if I had managed to land it, a cracking fish like that would of been photographed and returned as they are truly magnificent predators in what can be a very harsh environment with constant flooding and attacks from otters. And anyway I've got the smaller one for tea.

[treecreeper 1,136]

Is it not closed season on the rivers? Take your over the border.

Edited April 8, 2016 by treecreeper

[ryaldinhio 4,140]

Is it not closed season on the rivers? Take your over the border.

I did think the same

[neil r 1,796]

Is it not closed season on the rivers? Take your over the border.

Trout seasons only started in March when the coarse season ends

[chrismdd 787]

Is it not closed season on the rivers? Take your over the border.

 

Down here its trout season on the rivers from 1st April to the 31st October. For coarse fishing the close season is 15th March till the 15th June. We have 11 miles of fishing mostly coarse fishing and with the upper sections devoted to wild brown trout (split into fly only and other methods sections). All for a season ticket price of just £15.

[treecreeper 1,136]

Can't knock that then can you.

Pressumed as your ledgering using worms you were coarse fishing ?

[mackem 23,852]

Enjoyable read,and brownies taste luvvly.

[Parabuteos lad 878]

Can't knock that then can you.

Pressumed as your ledgering using worms you were coarse fishing ?

I've always thought of it as the coarse fish are out of season, not coarse fishing. Just the same as when trout and salmon are out of season, that doesn't mean you can't fly fish for pike on a river??

[ryaldinhio 4,140]

Id make myself fully aware of the local bylaws to ensure it was acceptable.

 

There was a 40 man match on river Trent last closed season because of the loop holes. Im sure it was 'worm fishing for eels' was the way around it. However the hook had to have a certain gape to be considered not coarse fishing.

[chrismdd 787]

All within the rules and methods for our area of the UK

[jonnie bravo 572]

I get a bit f****d off when people who don't know the local close season throw there view in there.

 

Around me the trout season starts on the 25th march.

[ryaldinhio 4,140]

I get a bit f****d off when people who don't know the local close season throw there view in there.

 

Around me the trout season starts on the 25th march.

To be fair fella I didnt throw my view in if you read back. Also the season wasmt questioned or discussed the method was. Im pretty sure an EA officer would question ledgering with an open faced reel with worms. All I advised was to make sure its inline with local bylaws regardong hook size etc to save getting a fine, apologies if that has upset you somehow.

[jonnie bravo 572]

 

I get a bit f****d off when people who don't know the local close season throw there view in there.

 

Around me the trout season starts on the 25th march.

To be fair fella I didnt throw my view in if you read back. Also the season wasmt questioned or discussed the method was. Im pretty sure an EA officer would question ledgering with an open faced reel with worms. All I advised was to make sure its inline with local bylaws regardong hook size etc to save getting a fine, apologies if that has upset you somehow.

Hi fella sorry for any confusion there, I should have mentioned that I had a run in with a home owner who lived on the river bank who I bumped into last year.

 

It was early may and like I say the season for trout was well in. I was fishing dry fly with fly rod quite clearly and the jobsworth starting shouting at me telling me I shouldn't be fishing as it was the close season. Clearly wasn't a fisherman.

 

So I calmly tell him that it is the open season for trout, and that it is the closed season for coarse fish, and I have the right to fish for trout with fly gear.

 

He didn't like it one bit. He said I don't believe you I'm going to check and stormed back into his house. He came back out 5 mins later and told me I was wrong, this is after I had pointed out my rod license and year book too. So in the end I told him to get a life and he said he was going to ring the police. A proper jobsworth.

[jonnie bravo 572]

P.s. My yearbook mentions on certain stretches that fly, worm and artificial lure only are allowed during the coarse closed season

[chrismdd 787]

Definitely within the rules round here. We work closely with the EA who have given us invaluable and free advice in assisting us improve the fishery for everyone. They have over the last year given us free of charge over 8000 coarse fish which have included roach, chub and perch. With all the stick that the EA gets from the public over the last few years we can't praise them enough for all the help they've given us.