I went to the Club Autumn Bar-B-Q for a chat with the other members and to wander around the lakes.  It’s a social occasion but I took my tackle. I hoped to find a quiet corner of a lake for a few casts after lunch.

There were lots of members fishing when I arrived so I had a cup of tea and a chat to the Keepers. Andrew asked me to write an article about the river for the Club Newsletter. I will have to summarise my season and include some of my better photographs. Great Springs looked very nice, full of fry and not too much weed. The lower lake was coloured but there were a few Trout rising.

The Chef soon got the fire alight and the aroma of beef burgers and sausages drew me towards the clubhouse. Not surprisingly the other members arrived from around the lakes and we tucked into the food and wine.

The lakes were deserted and looked lovely in the Autumn sunshine.

People drifted away from the food and wine back to the serious business of fly fishing. I went to the point on Great Springs and sat on the bench. A few Trout were splashing about. I tied on a size 16 Black Gnat and flicked it at the shoals of fry that were dimpling the surface. None of the Roach were interested. I changed to a GRHE nymph and searched the edges of the weed beds for a cruising Trout but I didn’t have a take. The wind was getting stronger, it was swirling around from all points of the compass. It was almost impossible to get the line in the water and I decided to move to the lower lake which was more sheltered.

After thirty minutes the sky darkened and it looked like rain would spoil the afternoon. I walked back to the hut, had another sausage and said goodbye to the other members.

It had been a very pleasant afternoon.