11:45 yesterday on The River Test

[ChrisE]

I caught a nice brown trout on a dry fly and later in the day spooked a couple of much larger fish.

The wake from the bl**dy swans was a problem, though, just couldn't see into the water....

 

[Will_M]

Them pesky Swans kick up one hell of a wash...

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[jhr]

A license to fish on the Test, eh? Flippin' millionaire yotties..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ChrisE]

Ahem, as a guest, it's not what you know......

 

[jimi]

What fly were you using to catch the stockie?

 

[ChrisE]

Ahem, it was a wild brown about 1.5lbs caught on a wasp fly.

For those that are interested you tie it by winding first black then yellow deer hair up the shank of a size 14 hook (hence the name), trim the deer hair to uniform plumpish body then finish off with a ginger hackle.

You didn'r know that I'm a past secretary of the Herts Branch of The Flydressers Guild, did you?

 

[jimi]

Sounds a bit american to me .. and if its simulating a small crumb of bread rather than a native british fly. DWas it proper upstream fly or just a tad of downstream on it? Blinkin 'eck you should stuff the last wild brownie caught on the test .. cos its the first for 40 years!

 

[ChrisE]

Upstream, old boy, is there any other way of fishin'?

Yes, the trout will be stuffed with lemon and dill and roasted with blanched fennel bulbs.

 

[davidfox]

I dont think they allow down stream fishing on the Test its the sort of thing the jocks do.

 

[davidfox]

Incidently what was that dressing meant to represent?

 

[ChrisE]

A wasp, yes, I know...

 

[bilbobaggins]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a past secretary of the Herts Branch of The Flydressers Guild

[/ QUOTE ]

Once attended a course of evening classes in Dry Fly-Tying held by the Air Movements Officer at SOAF Thumrait - an airfield bang in the middle of the Omani desert.

The nearest river was in Africa, so I never did get to understand the difference between 'upstream' and 'downstream' flies....

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[ChrisE]

Well BB, here's a classic upstream fly or nymph used on chalkstreams and the like

and here's a downstream nymph used on northern rivers

The upstream flies are drifted with the current from aobve the fish and the downstream flies 'swim' downstream towards the fish below.

I'm sure that all is now clear to you...

 

[bilbobaggins]

Why do I get the feeling that this is just a leetl bit more than a small inconsequential matter of no moment? Why did I hear a huge roar of triumph like Hampden ( oh, all right, Millenium Stadium to all you heathens! ) from the SE/Hampshire direction about 36 hours ago?

Could it be that a certain ChrisE has just achieved the piscatorial equivalent of winning the lottery, winning The Open, winning the Men's Singles, and winning the envy of all subscribers to IPC's aspirational flagship Country Life?

Respec', maaan!

[ QUOTE ]
'...Country Life is compulsory reading for those who enjoy rural pursuits or who are looking to join the pack....'

....not just for reading in doctors' surgeries....


[/ QUOTE ]

Whatever! ChrisE will now be the subject of innumerable mag interviews, and restrained but earnest discussions in gentlemen's club and sporting hotel bars from Hampshire, through Gloucestershire, to Perthshire and Speyside.

'Scutbut' anchor threads are but nothing compared to the genteel enmity and tribal divisions over dry flies.....

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif