Where has half the year gone?

 

Greetings! I must admit I had a bit of a shock the other evening. As I headed off the river it was getting dark. And I was cold. And I was wet. But happy. First fish of the year on a mayfly. To be truthful with you it was a bit of a cheat.   I had only seen a couple of Mayflies in the last hour before dusk but that clunking, chunky rise tells you the fish is not delicately sipping down something miniscule. It was a full throated, body slamming rise. I heard it as much as I saw it. I guessed at an emerging mayfly but there was nothing on or in the surface to tell me that. I just surmised; Mr Halford would have shaken his head approbrium. I knew this but, in my defence, it was to be my last cast before heading home. I can hear you laughing inwardly. We’ve all made that promise to ourselves before and meant it. If only to break it. The road to a late supper is paved by flies we should not have cast.     In the gloaming I took this last cast seriously. I stripped my leader back to the butt section. Added a heavier tippet. Tied on my favourite, all purpose mayfly. When in doubt (or simply clueless) it is a French Partridge every time.   I will not pretend it was pretty. The fish had risen right beneath my feet, tight into the bank. I crabbed downstream to get a cast in. I don’t do stealth well so the cloak of heavy rain is sometimes a godsend. Now I could lie – a first cast hero – “Get in” as Lewis Hamilton’s point man Bono likes to shout as he passes the line for yet another win. But really it took five casts. A couple of sighters. A couple somewhere in the right ballpark. And the fifth tight to the bank. Up the fish came. Down went the fish, hooked pretty well of its own accord.   It was a good fish. Memorable most days but particularly memorable for taking the mayfly. And for actually being the last cast. I headed for the truck; this was not rain to linger under. I threw the rod in the back. Fired up the engine. And cranked up the heater.   Beneath the eyebrow in the centre of the dash the green digits of the clock illuminated the time. 9.15pm. Frankly I was gobsmacked. Where did the spring go? How is it so light, so late? Why am I catching my first Mayfly fish after 9pm in the middle of May?   I did a quick calculation in my head; under five weeks until the longest day. How is it the year is rushing by?     More goose carnage   I was set to give you good news. Earlier in the week, the Canada goose that suffered the otter nest raid in April, bounced back with a new clutch of eggs that hatched into six dirty yellow goslings that she has been proudly parading on the lake and Brook.   Admittedly the original six was soon reduced to five for reasons I know not but the goose community seemed to have circled the waggons; she has two permanent minders. But they were clearly all for show because at 4am last night (Wednesday) pained honking began that continued until daylight.   This morning the two less-than-effective minders are strutting around but Mother Goose is padding around the lake, a lost soul uttering the occasional plaintive cry in search of goslings that are clearly no more. Otters? Probably not. I didn’t hear a peek from them and unlikely they’d have been silent in such carnage. My guess is foxes.       Hero vs. Villain: the rainbow and brown trout. Which is the superior sporting fish?   Which would you rather catch? A brown or rainbow trout? Plenty consider the rainbow to be an inferior game fish. An unwanted import that doesn’t count towards the daily tally.   But why is this? We are perfectly happy to catch them from lakes. Is it because they are easier to catch? Or is that a myth? They certainly outperform the browns when it comes to the fight. Is this simply all about entrenched tradition?   Or are we dancing on the head of a pin? Should maybe salmon, grayling, steelhead or another game fish take the accolade as the ultimate sporting freshwater fish on the fly?   Join the debate at 7pm on Zoom on Thursday May 27th. Click here to register for your free ticket. If you have registered previously no need to do so again; I'll send you login details 24 hours in advance.       Roundup of all that is new for '21   Here is a roundup of everything new we have for 2021 in no particular order.   Hill Deverill – River Wylye If you really like wild fish in a natural setting head for Hill Deverill high up the River Wylye donning your waders and with your lightest outfit.     Hill Deverill - River Wylye   Hemsworth Huts – River Allen Spend a few nights in our Shepherds Huts with fishing on the River Allen in tranquil, rural bliss.   Breach Farm – River Itchen A long beat on the River Itchen with the Mayfly just getting on song.   River Calder with Phillippa Hake Great fishing with a slight urban edge with flies provided by an ace fly tyer.   Timsbury 5 - River Test If you like The Parsonage T5 is for you with a great carrier     Hemsworth Huts     Not another b*****y Bank Holiday .....   Yes, yet another b****y Bank Holiday. Sometime, someone is going to have to find an answer to moving one of the two we have in May. I’ve always been keen on something in October; it’s a long run without a break from summer to Christmas.   However, I doubt my grumblings are going to change anything, anytime soon so here’s some ideas for the coming long weekend.   Check the latest availability with the Date Checker or select your choice to book of those below on the All Fishing page.   Friday May 28 ·     Nether Wallop Mill – Family Day £385, Private Tuition from £325 or Parent & Child £325 ·     Mottisfont Abbey Dun - River Test £435.00 per rod 3 rod(s) ·     Compton Chamberlayne - River Nadder £234.00 per rod 2 rod(s) ·     Coombe Mill - River Avon - £175.00 per rod 1 rod(s) ·     Avington 4 Fish Lake ticket - £130.00 per rod 1-6 rod(s) ·     Hill Deverill - River Wylye - £125.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Avington River plus C & R lake £115.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Upavon Farm - River Avon £107.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Avon Springs River - River Avon £95.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Exton Manor Farm - River Meon £95.00 per rod 1 rod(s) ·     Wimborne St Giles Village - River Allen £75.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s)   Saturday May 29 ·     Mottisfont Abbey Rectory - River Test £435.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Timsbury 5 - River Test £245 per Rod 3-5 rods ·     Avington 4 Fish Lake ticket - £130.00 per rod 1-6 rod(s) ·     Hill Deverill - River Wylye £125.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Wimborne St Giles Home beats - River Allen £125.00 per rod 1-3 rod(s) ·     Fisherton de la Mere - River Wylye £125.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Avon Springs Lake only - 4 fish ticket - River Avon £55.00 per rod 1-4 rod(s)   Sunday May 30 ·     Mottisfont Abbey Oakley - River Test £538.00 per rod 2 rod(s) ·     Bullington Manor Beat 4 - River Dever £382.00 per rod 2 rod(s) ·     Compton Chamberlayne - River Nadder £234.00 per rod 2 rod(s) ·     Avington 4 Fish Lake ticket - £130.00 per rod 1-6 rod(s) ·     Wimborne St Giles Home beats - River Allen £125.00 per rod 1-3 rod(s) ·     Fisherton de la Mere - River Wylye £125.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Benham Estate - River Kennet £275.00 per rod 1 rod(s)   Monday May 31 ·     Timsbury 5 - River Test £245 per rod 3-5 rod(s) ·     Kanara - River Itchen £239.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Abbots Worthy - River Itchen £177.00 per rod 2-3 rod(s) ·     Coln St Aldwyns - River Coln £175.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Wimborne St Giles Home beats - River Allen £125.00 per rod 1-3 rod(s) ·     Avington River plus C & R lake £115.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Donnington Grove - River Lambourn £97.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Wimborne St Giles Village - River Allen £75.00 per rod 1-2 rod(s) ·     Avon Springs Lake only - 4 fish ticket £55.00 per rod 1-4 rod(s)     Quiz Noticing that we have a guide named after a fish, a true or false this week about things named after their inventors.   Or maybe not.   True or false?   1)     Walter Fredrick "Fred" Frisbee invented the frisbee  2)     William Henry Hoover invented the hoover   3)     Erno Rubik invented the Rubik cube     Have a good weekend.     Best wishes,     Simon Cooper simon@fishingbreaks.co.uk Founder & Managing Directorwww.fishingbreaks.co.uk       Quiz answers:   1)     False. It was Walter Fredrick "Fred" Morrison who adapted from cake tin lid in 1937 2)     False. It was janitor James Spangler in 1907 3)     True. Hungarian architecture professor Erno Rubik in 1974       Time is precious. Use it fishing     The Mill, Heathman Street, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, England SO20 8EW United Kingdom 01264 781988 www.fishingbreaks.co.uk Drop me an email ‌ ‌ ‌