Author: Nigel Rainton

The weather forecast was 60 F and strong NE winds. How could that be true?  Crazy weather. The river would have had a few visitors over the Bank Holiday weekend. The  heavy rain on Tuesday had slightly raised the level at Halfway Bridge. It might be too coloured. I was prepared for the worst. As I crossed Coultershaw Bridge I glanced at the river and was relieved to see it wasn’t coloured.

I parked on the edge of the wood at Keepers Bridge and looked at the signing in book, nobody had fished the beat since Sunday. I walked through the wood and had a look at the river, Mayfly were coming off and a fish rose. Excellent, I hurried back to the Land Rover and tackled up making sure not to miss any rings on the rod.

I sat behind a bunch of stinging nettles and watched the Alder pool, fish were rising but the wind was very strong. Lots of Mayfly were being blown onto the water and were struggling to release themselves. Their struggles made the surface film ‘buzz’ around them. It would be difficult to present a fly, luckily the wind was upstream. I started with a short, stiff hackled Mayfly but the trout were not fooled. After an hour I’d not had a take, a change was needed. I tried a nymph fished shallow, close to the edge. A small wild trout took the nymph. While I was returning the trout another fish rose for a Mayfly. Cheeky. I tried a large bushy French Partridge Hackle Mayfly. It was ignored.

I chose a plastic winged Mayfly that I tied last year, they are hopeless to cast as they twist the line badly. I didn’t need to cast, I just lifted the rod and the wind did the rest. It caught the wings and blew the fly into midstream. The fly drifted over a feeding fish which rocketed to the surface and smashed into the fly. Each time I found a rising fish and drifted the Mayfly over it, the response was immediate and violent. One fish leapt out of the water as it took. They seemed to like the silhouette of the plastic wings in the surface film. I caught four good fish before the rise ended. It was good to catch something from the river at last.

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It was a dewy, misty morning that promised to burn off and reveal a roasting hot summer’s day. The Mayfly would rise at midday and I would be there to see them. That was the plan. Preparation is everything; P20, Jungle Formula, lunch, camera charged. It would be a perfect day.

I like the drive to Coultershaw, the country lanes and sleepy villages set the scene for a peaceful day by the Western Rother. As the Land Rover swings on to the old railway track I can look down from the embankment and see the swiftly flowing river as it leaves the weir and fish pass. It always looks promising.

I parked under the Hazel Tree, signed in and walked down the lane to Keeper’s Bridge. I sat at the top of the pool and had lunch; bacon and egg sandwich and a beer. Yummy. While I was setting my rod up a fish rose several times about half way to the bridge, in mid-stream. I marked it down and searched the fly box for inspiration.

I chose a dark hackled Mayfly on a size 10 barbless hook. I crept down the pool and flicked the fly out on a short line. The trout rose on the third cast, circled the fly, came back for it and took it confidently. The Trout was on briefly. Rats !

I rested the pool and about twenty minutes later another fish started to rise. I put it down with some clumsy casting. A fish rose once at the very top of the pool but I couldn’t present the fly properly, there was too much drag.

I wandered downstream to the straight pool below the Alder tree. It looked so inviting.

I watched the pool for about an hour and saw a few Mayfly hatch but there was no rise. I tried some exploratory casts at the tail of the pool but there was so much debris on the surface the Trout probably couldn’t see the fly.

I went back to the bridge and drifted a nymph through the pool, a fish swirled at the site indicator and ignored the Amber Nymph. I should have persevered with a Mayfly.

I visited Jacksons Lake on the way home, it was full of millions of tadpoles. I saw a couple of carp but no trout.

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It was a glorious morning, bright sunshine, fluffy white clouds and a gentle breeze. I got to the river at the crack of 11:30am and had a leisurely lunch resting against the parapet of Keeper’s Bridge. The water level at Halfway Bridge was 0.045m which is the lowest it’s been this year. The water was coloured but the streamer weed was visible in mid river. A few Mayfly were coming off, the swallows were catching most of them before they could reach the safety of the trees. A couple of noisy Buzzards spiraled along the edge of the wood and a small plane from Goodwood spluttered across the sky.

I browsed through my box of nymphs and chose a light coloured, size 10 Mayfly nymph with added weight. The tippet was about four feet and I used fluorescent orange putty on the knot with the leader. I cast across and down and worked the pool above the bridge carefully. After about thirty minutes I had a take as I was lifting off at the end of a cast but the fish wasn’t hooked properly.

I walked downstream on the South bank until I saw a fish rise. It rose a few times in the same place and was obviously feeding. Mayfly started to hatch and three or four fish repeatedly rose all over the pool. I couldn’t see any adult Mayfly on the surface, the Trout were probably taking the nymphs or emerging flies. To confuse matters, the water was covered with tiny white seeds from the willow trees. I tried a size 10 Mayfly but the Trout were not impressed. I swapped to a large Mayfly Spinner. A Trout rose, sneered at my imitation and turned away. I changed to a size 12 short hackled Mayfly and this was taken by the first fish that saw it. Hurrah ! My first decent fish from the river this season. The disturbance put all the other fish down.

Size 12  short hackled Mayfly

I walked down towards Rotherbridge but I couldn’t find any rising fish. The river had been stocked earlier in the day but the new fish were not showing, they will have settled down by Thursday. I made my way back to the Land Rover and drove to The Badgers for a celebration pint.

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The rain had coloured the river so I went to the club house at the lakes and had a cup of tea before starting to fish. Trout were rising everywhere. Mayfly, Damsel Fly, Alder and Olives were hatching in the warm humid weather.

Male Mayfly Spinner

Male Mayfly Spinners were fluttering in a group under the trees. They were very dark, almost black and smaller than the females.

I walked through the woods towards Lower Figgs. It was good to see that the estate had planted young Oaks among the more mature trees. I crept around the lake and watched the water. Trout were cruising in the margins taking Damsel Flies by the rushes. Next to  the outflow two Trout were grazing on tadpoles. Fish were rising all over the lake taking Buzzers and Olives.

I had a fish on a French Partridge Mayfly but it wriggled off. The fish became wary of my Mayfly imitation and I changed to a Black Neoprene Buzzer. Instant success, the first Trout looked about 2lb. I moved around the lake to the South bank and cast to a better fish. It took confidently and screamed across the lake, the fly line disappeared down to the curly bit near the spool arbor. Oops. If the lake had been bigger the Trout would have broken me. It turned under the far bank and  I coaxed it back across the lake, much reeling in was involved. That fish was under 3 lb but fought like a Trout double the weight. It was fin perfect. A great afternoons sport.

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I was determined to fish the river, the lakes were off limits. The flash floods had subsided. The gauge at Halfway Bridge read 0.048m and the river level was dropping. That wasn’t ideal but hopefully the water wouldn’t be too coloured.

Rain was forecast for Wednesday and the river would rise again. This trip needed maximum effort, I might have to wait a week for my next opportunity.

I was disappointed, the water was still coloured. As I looked downstream a fish rose just by the bridge and that spurred me on. I made base camp at Keeper’s Bridge, had lunch and resolved to concentrate on that beat. I had seen a fish and another member had caught a decent fish below the bridge the previous week. It made sense to stay there. The short stretch of river by the bridge always inspires me. Probably because I have had some great sport there. It was sunny, 57 Fahrenheit, with a gentle North West breeze. No excuses for sloppy presentation in those conditions.

I watched the water for about an hour and saw another fish rise just above the Alder trees. I crossed to the North bank. With the sun in my face and a gentle breeze, I quietly covered every inch of the pool with a nymph. Nothing. I crept back to the bridge and worked the water where I had seen the fish. After about twenty minutes I had a gentle take but missed it. It felt like a small, wild Trout. I lengthened the cast and a few minutes later a decent fish flashed at the fly. I couldn’t tease it into taking. Shortly after that I had a follow, close to the near bank, from a small Trout. I rested  the pool. First cast I had a good take. The fish turned sharply and threw the hook. The pool was trashed so I crossed the bridge and went to the Sandy Pool.

I searched every inch of the pool but there was no sign of life. I thought the pool above the bridge might be worth another try but after another hour I gave up and went to The Badgers.

The pub was empty, I had a nice quiet pint and read Country Life. After five hours in the sun, working hard to catch a Trout, I needed a beer.

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