Upstream or down?

The insipid Anglian region byelaws have a cart horse sized loophole through which you could drag a jerkbait through. Non-migratory trout can be fished for with artificial lures in running water during the coarse closed season.

You can see where this is going considering I am "in between" floating lines. And I have a river with stunning little wild browns. And a trout permit.  Not a flying fishing permit,  a trout permit. Probably not very far but let's see.


I have been thinking about some small soft drop shot fry imitations for a while.   Certainly could be cast on a flyline with a wrap of wire on the hook or as a point lure under a bit hackled dry on the dropper. That's for when I drag my sorry carcass out to Dangling Direct.   For now drifted and twitched back down a riffle or back up the crease, stopping here and there on a drop shot set up. .

Into the water below the mill, into  what is probably called thin water in higher circles than mine. Different perspective and that dragging insistent water push. Glorious.

Played about with the length between weight and lure, and at just what current speed  I could get the balance between it being dragged through  with no contact and getting hung up. Of course, if snagged the narrowing  loop would cut the line at the weight if pulled hard,  hence drop shot.

Puling backup stream gave far more possibility for retrieve variation,  and given the paternoster an option of holding steady,  or twitching in one spot. Of course though, wading down to fish facing into the flow would not be too clever.

Either way in the water the twitching lure liked every part the Peter Ross.  A sharp tugging take unfortunately  not converted into a little spottie.  Perhaps braid would be better after all.

Down past the fry  at the Canoe Man fork.... perch perhaps and down Cyanide Straight  which was showing why a return with a floating line was called for as it was alive with rising fish.


To the rail bridge and the Point bush.  Jagging take and briefly in the gloaming the darker body raised an apidose finned hope. No, a dashing little Sergeant that had fairly woolfed down the lure,  All bristly dorsalled cockiness and bluster.

What you don't know is how many chub, roach, dace and trout were on the gravel run...... I don't either as I forced myself not to look over the bridge.

Got home to find the permit rules had just been changed to fly rod only.... no excuse then.  Still it was first fish on the drop shot and though I won't be buying  braid or chesties I will be getting a new floating line.

Now,  if I was urban perching it would be wasps (small perch), bandanas, hipster beard and piercings. But I am not.  So I won't.


But I will be researching what fly might imitate a drifting price of flake or rolling lump of meat because I know just what, and how big, and how many fish will be on that gravel right up to the glorious 16th.  That is brownies obviously.