The Urban Fly Fisher

I walked to the river, it was around 5pm, and my hands were trembling I was so exited - I had not felt this exited for a while - I was not even like this on opening day. There was trout rising in the pool in front of me, I strung up my rod keeping one eye on the rising trout - the anticipation was lovely.

I cast, I cast again - I hooked a small trout. I then caught more small trout. I walked up the river. Some boys had started to fish behind me, they were using bubble float and worms - I walked further upstream. I continued to catch small trout - is this the quality of the Kelvin near the popular access points?

I carried on upstream, covering rising trout, sometimes spooking them sometimes brining them to hand. The river bank had changed a lot since I came this way last; the whole bank in a 10 yard section had come away pulling some tress into the river.

I carry on up river. I feel rain on my face, just spitting, I think how much colder it is today as opposed to yesterday. There are yellow mays on the water. I tie on a comparadun. I start to pick up bigger trout, consistently now. It is interesting as the little spot I had waded up to just looks so fishy and the last few years has always been barren to me. Now I pick up a nice trout every few casts- the largest just shy of half a pound.

I walk up further until I come to a more popular piece of water - there are around 5 guys all fishing - all with the fly. I watch one fish for a minute - he is covering unproductive water, slow water. I know he can’t have fished here before as that is the first section people head to- instead of exploring, covering the fast water with a dry fly- looking for risers. I talk to a rookie, using a Bruce and Walker 7-9 weight. He has no waders and he tells me it is his third time fishing. He asks me if I have caught anything - around a dozen I tell him, why lie? I give him a comparadun and tell him to cover water, next to the riffles. He is with friends who appear to know what they are doing, why are they not showing him how to fish? I explain some basic entomology, the lifecycle of a fly - I think it puts the risers we can see into perspective for him, why they are actually rising. I advise casting lessons, I have a friend who will do it, I advise him to go to the Kelvin website and email the guy who runs it (a little false modesty crept in) and he will pass on the details - not sure if he thinks I am a crank.

I walk back down the river, I cover the pools I have already fished, I catch more trout - the risers are getting smaller now. It is 10pm now, I walk home along a busy dual carriageway, I wonder what the people in the cars think of this character walking along in waders, waistcoat and strung up rod. Somehow I feel self conscious - was it just last year I did not hesitate at getting on a bus full of commuters in full fishing gear?

Tonight the Kelvin seems on form- all seems right- the trout are where they should be, if anything there seem more of them- I am glad at that as the last couple of years they have been getting scarce I think. It is cyclical maybe, a couple of hot summers can do strange things to Trout River, and we have had four.

I get home, check my emails, one from a friend, it contains a link to a news story- some of the best news I have heard in a while. Glasgow City Council said it was considering selling off Dawsholm Park to a private school but it is now to be turned into a nature reserve.

All seems right with the world.

[tags]Dawsholm Park [/tags]