Autumn is prime time for hunting big perch on freshwater rivers and lakes, it’s also the season for wild mushrooms. This is a great breakfast to set you up for an autumn’s day out on the water.
Month: September 2018
Off to a Flyer
The season for brown trout fishing on rivers in the UK typically ends this month or, in certain cases, some time in October. This year has flown by and I only managed to get out twice, both trips taking place on consecutive weekends back at the start of the season in April.
I got off to a flyer on the first trip, but then was brought back down to Earth with a bump on the second. But hey, that’s what’s great about fishing – just when you think you’ve got it mastered, nature twists and turns and puts you back in your place. There’s always more to learn.
A First Winter’s Grayling Fishing – Part 2
Following on from the previous week’s post, this second instalment of my look back through last winter’s grayling fishing recalls a great day on the river Ure, followed by two disastorous sessions on the Wharfe. Nonetheless, despite finishing the season on somewhat of a low, there were plenty of positives and good lessons learnt to take into winter 2018/19.
A First Winter’s Grayling Fishing – Part 1
In fly fishing circles, the grayling was for many years considered a nuisance fish. Falsely considered to prevent the more ‘noble’ brown trout colonising our rivers and streams, the species was even culled in certain parts of the UK. However, as angling attitudes have become more enlightened, increasingly grayling are viewed as a prize quarry. This is particularly so in the winter months when the trout are busy spawning and ‘the lady of the stream’ (as the grayling is affectionately known) is in peak condition.
My first attempt specifically targeting grayling in winter was on Lancashire’s river Hodder in 2016 (see Banter in Bowland). I hit the jackpot with two lovely fish gracing my net. Inspired by that success, I vowed to devote some more time to chasing this beautiful fish over the winter of 2017/18. Here’s a look back at how the season went.