Yesterday was hot with bright sunshine, lots of Mayfly would have hatched. Today, Monday, was even hotter, over 75 F. There is no point in fishing too early as the Mayfly rise occurs about lunch time, very civilised. Which beat to fish?  The middle beats are ideal but I fancied a change of scene. Rotherbridge is a beautiful place and there are lots of corners and overhanging trees to explore. However, the top beats are demanding and rarely fished, I would go to the top of the river.

The trees were in full leaf and the bankside vegetation was a good height, plenty of cover to hide behind. I saw a rise just above the bridge as I was setting my rod up. I flicked a fly out and the Trout took it immediately. A good start. It was a small, wild fish which swum off strongly when I released it. I moved downstream and found another fish rising just above a fallen Willow bush. This Trout was fussy, it eventually took a spent Mayfly. Further downstream I caught a third fish on a Mayfly. They were all plump little jewels, it was good to see a new generation of Trout.

I eventually got to the Monster Pool. A small fish was rising in the shallow run just above the pool. As I was preparing to cast, I saw an enormous Trout cruise up the middle of the run. It was swimming slowly, not feeding and disappeared into a small clump of streamer weed. It might be a Sea Trout. I flicked the Mayfly at it but it showed no interest. I rested the pool, keeping watch for the Monster but I didn’t see it again. I estimated the fish to be between six and eight pounds, a true giant. After about thirty minutes a fish rose under the far bank, it took me several attempts to present the fly correctly. It was another small, wild fish. I will return to that pool next time, it has always been a good place for me.

I had caught four small, wild Trout and that was enough. There is no point in fishing purely for numbers, it then becomes a chore. When I got back to the Land Rover a column of male Mayfly Spinners were fluttering up and down alongside it, they probably thought it was a bush ! One Mayfly had settled on the green paint. It posed nicely for a photo. I had a pint of ‘Blonde Bird’ at The Badgers before heading home.

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