Lookin’ after the missus!

So there were two new mothers who wanted to go the Baby Show at the SECC and there were two new fathers who wanted to go fishing – simple solution – hook up the two mothers to keep company while the two guys go fishing – sometimes I think James Bond will come after me because of my dastardly plans.

On Saturday I had watched as the weather remained at a nice constant temp – maybe around 15-16 degrees, it had been patchy cloudy and seemed like a great day to fish – I could sense rising trout. Today was overcast but cold – no higher than 11 degrees –  the forecast was for heavy rain – luckily it never materialised. 

So we drove to a river (the Kelvin), we then drove to another river (a tributary) which we passed- we then finally decided to drive to another river entirely as it was particularly cold. When we got to the river it was hitting the magical 12 degrees point when olives were supposed to hatch. Turned out it was not until we had walked a half hour (through a field of cows I might add however I refused to climb over a barbed wire fence) and then fished back up river several pools before we finally spotted an olive – it was a good half our after this that we spotted our first rising trout – we both cast to it (turned out there was a few trout) and I hooked and then promptly lost one – we moved on.

Like most semi urban rivers (we decided that two guys pulling on waders next to a kids Play Park in a housing estate was not worth the hassle so we parked down a lane) there was plenty of rubbish and evidence of fly tipping – obviously also the usual burnt out car (other father said there was another one around the corner) – it would feel weird not fishing next to a burnt out car after all these years.

I noticed at one point my Deer Hair Emerger was feeling and looking pretty weird in the water – turned out it had picked up an extra passenger – once that wee monkey was discarded the serious business of catching no fish could once again commence.

The river had plenty of olives coming off and when I pulled in a clump of weed there was a little nymph wriggling away.

The river here is criss crossed with pipes – more so than the Kelvin – there was also evidence of sewage in the water – it had a milky sheen to it – I totally forget and wet my leader using my tongue at one point – I made a mental note to watch out for severe sickness!

There is leaves on the trees now – this river gets more and more difficult to fish as the season (spring) continues.

I pool jumped Campbell and spotted a rising trout tight in to the right hand bank facing upstream, turned out there was a couple of trout- we both had a few casts – we were not sure if it was nymphs, emergers or uprights they were taking..

 

“They are big trout” Campbell hisses – I could tell this by the way they boiled on the surface – it was soon my turn again as Campbell was changing flies – I had on my secret weapon (scruffy olive) – had a few casts, one of the trout took my fly and then went bananas all over the pool – jumping several times, boring deep and then quicly netted for a quick hero shot:

And a close up of the head for luck…

 It was then just enough time for another few casts before heading home to the wives and wee men..

Juggling fatherhood, husband duties and being a fisher is hard sometimes however it makes even a difficult day by the river seem all the better – it could have been either one of us that caught that fish – I reckon it would have been nice just to watch it happen!