The Small Stream and the Dry Fly - By David Blench
We are blessed on this small island with a climate, geology and topography that is conducive to a wonderful variety of rivers. The chalkstreams of the South and East; the brawling spate rivers of the North and West; the lowland streams of Central England all offer a variety of habitats that create superb conditions for wild fish. Even after years of use (and abuse) by mankind, these rivers still offer great sport for the discerning angler. But river fishing appears to be a dying art! In my youth I can remember the Trent, Severn and Warwickshire Avon pegged out for matches every weekend; the Hampshire Avon was specimen hunter’s territory and the prime salmon and trout beats were the preserve of the wealthy.
Now we live in times where the pace of life appears to have accelerated so much that we need to maximise our leisure time; hence the popularity (in the case of angling), of commercial carp fisheries and heavily stocked stillwater put-and take trout fisheries. I’m not knocking this – each to their own – but it’s not for me. I am drawn to the opposite; the places which are overlooked , where you have to be prepared for frustration, tackle tangled in trees and bankside vegetation and plenty of local knowledge and experience to get results. Nowhere is this experience more keenly felt than on small rivers and streams; those intimate and, by anglers, unjustly neglected places where watercraft can bring surprising rewards. These headwaters are important not just for the enjoyment of anglers who take the time to engage with them. They are a great indicator as to the health of the whole river environment and a nursery for juvenile fish
I don’t think that I’m a lone voice – some fly-fishermen are keen for a different challenge now and organisations like the Rivers Trusts and Wild Trout Trust have done a great service in spreading the word that these are special places which need to be protected, preserved but also enjoyed. For me, they are the perfect places to escape the hurly-burly of life and be at one with nature.
More years ago than I care to remember, (nearly fifty I think,) I caught my first wild brown trout on a fly – a red tag - on the lovely little river Rhiew in Mid-Wales. Now, after many years of experiencing different types of fishing on many different waters, I feel that my fishing journey has come full circle and I enjoy nothing more than catching wild brown trout on small streams on a dry fly.
So - how do I go about it? Here are some hints and tips on fishing small streams with the dry fly.
I don't intend to go into technical detail; there are plenty of books on the subject and a day on the stream with a good instructor is always money well spent, but as a rough guideline you may find the following tips useful.
1.Take appropriate tackle.
A 7' rod with a 3 or 4 wt. line should cover most eventualities though a 6' would probably be better for the really small streams.
I'd advise medium/slow action rods; they are better for roll-casting and load better at short range. I prefer fibreglass or cane rods for these waters, but a medium action carbon will work well. This is only a personal preference, there is certainly a good argument for a faster action carbon rod to cast a tight loop in some situations, but a slower action rod is what I feel comfortable with.
2. Take Your Time!
Walk the river, and if you see a rising fish try to find out what they are rising to. Pretty obvious, but have a look at bankside vegetation and what is floating past in shallow water. Get into a good casting position - this can be difficult in our overgrown beats - and always try to stay concealed. Again, it's an obvious thing to say, but watch the shadow that you cast on the water. If you wade, try to minimise any disturbance. If there are no rules regarding fishing upstream your only possible approach may be to cast from upstream, so go ahead, but try to minimise any drag and let the line drift well downstream before you cast again.
3. Assess the Conditions
If there's nothing rising, a well-presented fly might induce a rise. In April and early May a Black Gnat might do the trick. The parachute hackle versions work well cast into a riffle. Later on a general pattern like the Adams, Grey Duster, Super Pupa or Klinkhamer may induce a rise when nothing seems to be happening. If a few fish are rising but there is no discernable hatch, small stream fly fishers all have their favourite patterns. My good friend John Machin favours the Black Gnat early season, followed by the Super Pupa. When I lived in the Welsh Borderland a favourite general early season pattern was the Grey Duster in all it's variations.
Olive hatches can be brief but occasionally impressive and fish can become selective. On a beautiful spring day in early May last year I was fortunate enough to turn up on my beloved Staffordshire Blithe to find a hatch of Iron Blue Duns beginning. Soon some good trout started to rise and my Ducks's Dun/ Borderer hybrid was accepted with confidence.
Hatches of Large Dark Olives, Medium Olives and the small July Olives can, I find, be pretty well covered by a Quill CDC olive in sizes 12 to 18. Small lowland streams can have surprisingly good mayfly hatches, which deserve more lengthy treatment; for now I can recommend Alan Hudson's Badber May, which works well for me at most stages of the hatch.
In high summer things can get difficult with low water and easily scared trout, but you may see fish rising in shaded areas and riffles. Pale Watery Dun hatches can sometimes induce a rise and my favourite flies for these occasions are the Richard Walker Pale Watery Dun and the Cambrian Dun. Sometimes you may find fish sipping tiny flies in high summer. Although I am loth to fish very light on small streams, necessity does dictate on occasion. A Griffith's Gnat may work, or my favourite fly which has saved many a blank is a Suspender CDC tied on a size 22 hook with a simple white thread body and thorax.
Summer evenings on small streams are unpredictable. Sometimes the river will 'fall asleep' in the evening but it may come to life with a spinner fall or sedge hatch. A spinner pattern is always useful to have; I recommend Alan Hudson's Trusty Rusty for the smaller olives or my favourite the Bowlker Red Spinner. For an evening sedge hatch I recommend the Larry's Pride, which also has the advantage of being visible during low light conditions.
I'm going to give away a secret here. I tie my flies pretty sparse. Casting in tight conditions and roll casting will get them waterlogged pretty quickly. This may not be a bad thing. Let them lie in the surface film, let them sink on occasion if they've not been taken. If rules allow, the damp or even sub-surface fly may be taken when the dry has been refused...
4. Read The Water.
With small-stream fishing there's no substitute for experience, but there are short cuts. Wild trout are creatures of edges - the edge of a drop-off into deeper water; the edge of a fast current; the edge of a snag. These places give them a sense of security and plenty of food without expending too much effort. The best fish will always be in areas where they can get the most food while expending the least energy and will usually be close to a 'holt' they can bolt to if they are alarmed.
5. Use the strongest line you can get away with.
Yes, I admit that there have been occasions where i've gone down to size 20 or even smaller hooks to fish gnats, emergers, chironomids or July duns, but I'd rather not. If you have to go fine, use an abrasion-resistant tippet and take great care with your knots. As previously mentioned, sometimes it just has to be done.
6. If you hook a good fish, give it some stick.
Small streams have plenty of places where a good fish can escape to - and if you hook one you can be sure there is one close by. If a good trout gets under the roots or snags, get downstream and take the pressure off; try to guide it out, but if that doesn't work cut your line and your losses. You've won the most important part of the battle by hooking it in the first place. Don't play a fish for any longer than is necessary - it's just wrong. Always try to get into a casting position which will allow you some room to play the fish if at all possible.
7. Have confidence in your fly.
You will fish better and you will be able to execute those tricky casts knowing that youv'e got a chance. I knew a fishermen on the upper Derbyshire Wye who swore by a Tup's Indispensible and said that presentation is everything. He caught a lot of fish all season long.
My good friend Dave Wilkes fishes the nymph for preference, but will fish a Greenwell's Glory with confidence during a rise.
8. Enjoy the experience.
There are small streams even close to big cities where you can be close to nature and observe the local wildlife. I can quite happily sit down for a while just to watch what's happening; maybe buzzards, deer, hares, kingfishers, kestrels, otters, kites – when you realise that it's not just about catching fish you will enjoy fishing more!
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