Mid last week an excited client met me at the bridge that sits over the lovely beat of the Arrow we were to fish ….. a very pleasant chap from Herefordshire ….. and being a small world I actually new him from a previous job he was in …. We discussed tactics and that this stretch is very familiar with me as we bimbled down to the very start of the beat back down the road ……
With a simple explain, demonstrate, imitate and practice technique that’s been used for an age in the forces, and was used by me extensively in my Battalion days….. it wasn’t long before Alan was presenting his dry Parachute Adams in exactly the correct location ….. thankfully he was a very quick learner and that made for a very pleasant day …. The bubble line, and heads of the pools were targeted with accuracy, and it wasn’t long before Alan had his first take …. Bang !!!!! He struck swiftly with enough momentum to play a feisty tubby fish over to the net ….. a beauty too , like a Faberge egg with fins …a huge praise to my client and with the adrenaline surging, we progressed ….. A few risers started showing to the mayfly activity …..
Twas some time later, and some fluffed strikes , that Alan had another good rise to his well placed dry fly …. Satisfyingly confident, the trout came up, nailed the dry fly and the strike was timed beautifully …… success !!!!! another brownie slipped over the net ….. Alan was mildly chuffed to say the least ….. not only was he enjoying the wild stream experience, but he was taking fish on a little dry fly, having soaked up all the information like a sponge, his enthusiasm shone through and by two in the afternoon he was casting the six foot six inch, two weight rod with enough precision to present a dry fly in the zone of a riser!!!! I must admit it was a really pleasant day and to top it off, Alan insisted I go for one riser, which, initially I flumped, then another showed itself……. Bang !!!! this time he was on, and a good Arrow fish too, fat as a football hooligan and about eleven inches of stunning wild brown trout …… An enjoyable day …. I had a shopping list for Alan which I emailed to him later on, essential bits and bobs for wild stream fishing , and other items that make the sortie more enjoyable ….. a fun day on a blissful stretch of secretive river ……. Lovely job!!! 🎣🎣🎣