Solstice solace

Despite having a free add-on trout permit for the river Syndicate I have not fished flowing water since the Last Day.  Given that from Sunday the nights will be imperceptibly at first pulling in I headed off  to the river below Buxton Mill. The local yoot were tearing up the pool but just below them plenty of dace and some small, black tail finned,white lipped chub, a spot earmarked for a possible drop in on the way back to the car once the denizens of Buxton and Lamas had headed home for FIFA and Mine Craft.

The Bure is pretty much unmanaged and below the bridge clear spots are difficult to find before the winter flushes. Looked like  not many had bothered  given the general lack of cleared marginal vegetation. First decent run where I had had a 5+ chub  in the winter, a deeper run  certainly. Too deep in fact, I had not bought a dropper and the loose fed was just not getting down quick enough. I did have one bite on red maggot under a Drennan stable stick, unusually being forced to give a little line but I never saw what it was. Not head thumping  enough  for a perch, given the darts into the cover  probably a small chub but either way the 20s Drennan match hook pulled..

First trot in the next available spot  and this bigger than it looks in the picture dace required the net. One of the roachy looking ones and very broad through the body. (It is a dace)

A shallower glide and much easier to fish. Plenty of dace and this little fellow:

Bites tailed off and a further move almost immediately rewarded with this sergeant that did pull a bit. Proably around the pound and a quarter mark and beautifuly coloured.

There had been a busy pair of kingfishers up and down the river all evening, on hearing a late cuckoo I glanced up to see three sitting on the telephone wires across the river,they swooped low across the meadow, very distinctive in flight. I have not seen a cuckoo for many years and never three together.

The light was quite spectacular as the sun began to set and this section often looks like this at this time of the day as the sun dips through the poplars.

Last fish of the evening was this nice little roach.

I decide not to finish off below the mill and delivered the remaining bait in for freebies.Of course there was a decent chub fanning over a bed of runuculus in the mil pool. Heh ho. Headed back along the meadow hoping for a glimpse of a barn owl but not tonight. Did get this quite nice shot of the solstice sun on it's way down.

Bread and chubber on the Yare after work Monday or Tuesday for a few schoolie chub and some roach I think.