The 'home tied' fly box is filling up nicely with various patterns, mostly copied but some made up and I have been itching to get out there and get them wet. I have promising myself a fly session for a few weeks waiting until the river was unfishable again and this weekend it was exactly that. Most of my fluff chucking lately has been on Lechlade so it was time to try it's sister water Bushyleaze. The average size of the fish is not as impressive as Lechlade and it is a much bigger water so it represents a bit more of a challenge.
A 'pea souper' greeted me on arrival, the far bank was barely visible but that's where I headed on the advice of the ticket lady.
With little fly life around in the Winter months I decided that lures would probably be the best approach. We have no idea exactly what fish see and there has been talk of red being the first colour to 'disappear' underwater but I think thats a load of rubbish. Red maggots nearly always out fish other colours, Carp find red boilies without any bother and Trout love red flies. First cast with a red lure and I had a follow but the fish turned away last minute. Several others followed without conviction until after about ten minutes I had a take. It wasn't a huge fish but it put up a cracking fight trying to bury it's head in the nearside rushes several times. As my arm began to ache I netted a 3lb 2oz Rainbow, immeasurably satisfied to have caught one on my own creation.
I decided to move away from the swim thinking the commotion of the battle would have made the fish do the same. Again the lure went out and a few casts later I was playing another fish but the hook pulled. I stuck with it and within minutes I had another take and landed another Rainbow weighing exactly the same as the first, 3lb 2oz.
I had only bought a three fish ticket and I was seriously in danger of landing my quota and being home very early so I changed tactic and area to make the session last a bit longer.
A fruitless hour followed, my patience waned and I wandered back to the original spot and put the red lure back on.
The lure has a lead underbody so sinks fast and fishes deep if it is retrieved slowly and the next take was right on the bottom. This fish was either foul hooked or of a serious size as it sped off like lightning stripping me down to the backing before disaster struck. The braid backing was embedded in itself and the hook link parted like cotton. I didn't let that disappointment get me down, setting up again with another red lure and within no time I was battling another Rainbow. This time it was my turn to win and I filled my ticket with a 4lb 2oz Beauty.
Time for an alternative trophy shot and I packed away in the now brilliant sunshine and still made it home in time for lunch.
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