Sussex Trout Fishing … and Devon

It was 3:00pm on a Saturday afternoon and the river was deserted. A glorious Autumn day with blue sky, high wispy clouds and still air. What were people doing on such a lovely day ? Shopping ? The days were getting shorter and it would soon be time to put the rod away. Every Autumn day should be cherished not squandered in Waitrose.

At The Badgers I had a pint of Cornwall’s favourite beer, now brewed in Birmingham, while deciding where to fish. The Beats at Keepers Bridge had not been fished the previous day. It was sad that the river had been ignored but it was nice to know the Trout had been given a day off.

I walked downstream from Keepers Bridge on the South bank. Only fifty yards below the bridge a fish was rising in the long shadow cast by the big Alder. I thought a dry fly would guarantee results but the fish followed the sedge and rejected it. The tippet was too visible. I had a big swirl under a Black Gnat which was an improvement. I trimmed the Neoprene wing to make the fly sit lower in the surface film and missed a good take. I thought that would have spooked the Trout but after a short rest, an Adams with pinched-off wings was also closely examined and dismissed as an obvious fake.

To avoid the problem of the floating tippet, I tied on a size 14 copper and Pheasant tail nymph. A cross between a Pheasant Tail and a Sawyers Nymph. With such a pedigree how could it fail ? I cast to the fussy Trout and as the fly swung round at the end of the cast, a fish flashed at the fly just behind a bed of streamer weed. I thought the fish had followed the fly across the river, quickly flicked it back out and immediately made contact with a good fish. The Trout fought deep and flashed gold in the low Autumn sun, all the signs of a big fish. It was about 2lb 8ozs, possibly bigger. As I was releasing it from the landing net, the fish under the Alder rose again. I had caught the wrong Trout ! I made a note to return later.

I thought I might repeat the ‘hanging-from-bush’ trick from a previous visit but at the first bend, the cover above and below the Alder tree had been neatly mown to stubble. I spent a while working the nymph among the tree roots but the leader refused to tighten.

I remembered the fish I had previously found in the wooded stretch and walked downstream to the Tree Tunnel. The Impossible Pool had changed. The branches on the young trees had sagged and the gap through which I had flicked a fly was more challenging. Nevermind, I could see a couple of fish shadows and there were several splashy rises while I was selecting a fly. It took many attempts to get a dry fly in the water and when I did, the fly was ignored because it dragged. I tied the nymph back on and after several botched casts, two fish followed it. In the confusion the two competing fish missed the fly. I tried the other, much narrower, gap in the bushes but the fish moved away, scared by my antics untangling the leader from the overhanging branches. I had found a group of fish in dense cover whereas the pools with neatly mown banks had been deserted. Although I hadn’t caught a Trout in the woods it had been fun trying.

At 6:00pm the sun was setting and the air temperature dropped. I ambled back upstream and found a fish rising in the middle of a long straight pool. I well remember the Monster that stripped my fly line and crashed into the Willow bush at the bottom of that pool. It had been a couple of years earlier but I would never forget the day I nearly lost the tip of my rod trying to extract what was probably a Sea Trout. The rising fish nearly took a Black Gnat in midstream. At the end of the next cast the Trout jumped at the fly as I drew it towards me for the lift off. I swapped back to the nymph and had a nip but the old, deeply coloured fish was too wise and went down. I moved upstream to the Old Riffle but although there were a couple of fish moving, they would not take a nymph.

At 7:00pm the sunset was spectacular. All the birds were calling and the still evening air amplified the sounds. The Pheasants out sung the other birds by sheer weight of numbers but the Owls came a close second. I even heard a Nightjar churring in the woods across the field.

The water was mirror calm and the Trout randomly rose for invisible morsels. I cast a nymph to a good fish that rolled over in the reflection of the sunset but it was not interested. The air was cold and a thin layer of mist was rising from the water meadows. It was time to leave. It had been a memorable day.

 

There had been a hard frost a few days ago, my car had been white until quite late in the morning. With the equinox the season had changed, Autumn was in full swing. The morning was foggy, a clear sky overnight and the warm damp ground combined to produce a dense fog. It was late to clear. As I approached Wisborough Green I could see a bank of fog over the low lying ground. It looked like a stubble fire. There was no wind and I could also see a trace of fog in the Rother valley from Riverhill.

I toured the lakes and cleared the outflows to get rid of the floating leaves and twigs. By lunchtime the sun had burnt the air clean and it was warm. The absence of clouds and wind made it feel like July. The bright sun would make it difficult to tempt a Trout. I drove up the old railway track towards Taylors Bridge but an Oak had fallen blocking my way. The badger’s set in the sandy soil around the base of the tree had undermined the roots and on a windless morning, the old tree had slowly tipped over. I’m never confident when passing under the third railway bridge, it looks as if it is about to collapse. The old trees didn’t seem to pose a threat but the aluminium Defender would have been crushed like foil.

I parked in the shade of the bushes at Keepers Bridge and had lunch while filling my pockets with essential bits of tackle. I decided to use a Cortland line, tricky casting under the trees would be easier with a peach coloured line. Although the river was about a hundred yards away I heard a couple of splashes. The still air transmitted the sound which echoed through the woods. I tied on a small sedge in the hope of finding a rising fish. I stood beside the river and waited for a rise but the water was undisturbed. It might have been a Sea Trout jumping, several had been caught.

I walked upstream to the Old Riffle and sat on the newly cut grass. All of the bankside cover had been mown away. The banks looked neat and tidy but it was impossible to approach the pools undetected. I also had the sun behind me. A couple of fish were feeding under the far bank and a fish jumped at the top of the pool. Despite three fly changes and a thorough search of the pool, the Trout would not respond. The fish melted away and needed a rest. I had a few casts in the pools immediately below Perryfields but it was impossible to hide from the Trout.

I crossed the bridge and walked downstream with the sun in my face and better cover.  I focused on the lies under trees and worked them methodically with a nymph. I expected the line to draw tight any second. When I got to the Old Riffle I stood beside the fast flowing water and flicked a weighted nymph upstream. A good fish swirled at the fly three times but would not take. I tried a dry fly but the current was too strong and it skated towards me, dragging a wake behind it. After a fruitless hour I reached Keepers Bridge. In the shade of the trees the temperature dropped significantly and I was glad of my waistcoat. It was 6:00pm and the light was failing. A few fish were moving and I decide to return to the south bank of the Old Riffle. The sun had gone down and I was sure the fish would be active again.

There were several Trout rising. One fish was near the lip of the riffle, close to the bank on my side. Another rose slightly upstream and a third was rising under the trees along the far bank. I had a choice. I cast a copper and black nymph upstream and connected with a good fish. It fought hard and swam strongly away when released from the landing net. I had bullied it upstream to avoid disturbing the other Trout.

I couldn’t reach the fish in the fast water from above the tree so I moved down and presented the same fly upstream. A good fish swirled at the end of the cast but missed the fly. I cast across the lip of the riffle and a big fish grabbed the fly but the hook bounced out. I had lifted too soon. The fish all went down and the brief spell of activity was over. I had walked much further than I’d planned and was happy to arrive home and sit down with fruit cake and a cup of tea.

The Autumn equinox brought gales and heavy rain. It was mid-morning when I arrived at Little Bognor. I cleared the outflow of the lower lake and the water gushed over the sluice dragging leaves and grass cuttings out of the lake. At Coultershaw the river was high and a dark grey colour. I looked down into the fast flowing water at Rotherbridge and decided that it was unfishable.  I drove to Stag Park and as I crossed the brow of the hill, I disturbed four Buzzards and a solitary Red Kite. They were sharing a patch of stubble, searching for crane fly larvae.

Little Springs seemed to be coloured which I thought strange as Great Springs was clear. The ditch supplying water to Great Springs was dry. Luffs looked good but I eventually found myself back at Little Bognor. I may have been influenced by the presence of my Southwell rod in the back of the Defender. It suits my style of margin fishing.

Since I’d cleared the outflow the lower lake had been transformed. There was no dust or tree debris on the surface which was like a mirror in the early afternoon sun. The North wind had helped guide the rubbish towards the sluice. The ground under the Beech trees was a little damp but I ignored that and sat down behind the ferns. My trousers would dry on the way home.

I started with a dry fly but it was immediately obvious that the 4lb bs tippet was a problem. I browsed my fly box looking for inspiration and chose a size 14 Partridge and Amber. It would sink slowly and looked vaguely like a drowned midge. I had a good take on the second cast. The fish stripped most of the fly line off the reel and went deep, leaving a line of bubbles in the centre of the lake. It felt like a three pounder. I allowed the fish to move into the shallows. The Trout surfaced and revealed itself, it wasn’t a monster. It wasn’t foul hooked but put up a spirited fight. As I unhooked it I noticed that it had a deformed left pectoral fin. The fin had split and looked like a pair, I would recognize the fish if I caught it again.

I was about to move along the bank when a fish rose only a rod length away. I covered various fish as they cruised past me in their search for buzzers. I continually teased the fly towards me and shook the rod occasionally to give it life. After an hour a bow wave followed the fly towards the bank. I paused then lifted the rod. The fish was surprised and thrashed about on the surface for too long, frightening its companions away. I drew the fish into the shallows, netted and quickly released it. The disturbance put the fish down and after another fruitless hour chasing spooky fish under the trees, I wandered back to the Defender and packed up. The rod had performed well, it is perfect for short line work.

The weather was unusual for September, the wind was due south and very warm. It felt like July again. The lakes at Little Bognor had a generous covering of Beech leaves and the river looked lifeless. The bright sun had sent the fish into cover, buried in the streamer weed and under overhanging bushes. It would be hard work on the river until the evening rise.

The high water temperatures had ruined the summer fishing on most of the lakes but the chilly nights, wind and occasional rain had cooled the water. I decided to visit Luffs as the south side of the lake is shaded and the wind would be perfect for drifting a nymph, Arthur Cove style.

I walked along the north bank and looked for any signs of feeding Trout, there were none. They were probably deep in the centre of the lake. The shade of the Oak trees beside the hut was welcome and it would have been nice to sit and enjoy a glass of Chablis with nibbles. I set up my rod and decided to use a full length line with a 4lb breaking strain tippet. The fish fight hard, run fast and long. I tied on a red buzzer which would suit both the Trout and Roach.

I intended to fish along the south bank, sitting and watching the line arc round. A relaxing and productive method. It didn’t work out like that. As I walked along the road beside the deep end of the lake, a trout rose and I paused to watch. It rose again. I extended line and dropped the little buzzer near the rise. It had only been in the water a few seconds when the fish took with a bang. I played it gently but as it neared the bank, the fish woke up and went on a twenty yard run up the centre of the lake. The fly line was thrumming as it cut through the water and the weight of the line became a problem. The fish dashed about near the surface and I wondered if it was foul hooked. Then the line fell slack, the hook hold had failed.

I wasn’t annoyed, I normally lose the first fish at Luffs. I was about to leave the end of the lake and find a shaded seat, when another fish rose. It took a pond skater. There were thousands of them in the calm water close to the bank. I remembered the imitations I had tied for Little Bognor, it would be an ideal time to try them out properly. Full of confidence I dropped the pond skater fly close to a cruising fish, it was ignored. Several times. There were so many naturals on the surface that it was pointless imitating one. I swapped to an Amber Nymph, a Black Spider and a shrimp pattern but all were ignored. My black and silver spider produced an immediate response, a fish followed, examined it carefully and took. It was about 1lb 8ozs, one of the smaller fish.

Now that the water has cooled and the fish are feeding, I must explore the other lakes.

It was a perfect Autumn morning. Blue sky, a cool wind and fluffy white clouds. I loaded my tackle into the Defender, stopped for diesel and essential supplies before heading towards Petworth. It was a lovely drive with only occasional knocks and bangs from the suspension and a slightly bent trackrod.

Lunch beside the lake at Little Bognor was peaceful, the trout were feeding and the Beech trees were starting to show signs of the shorter days. I was spoilt for choice about where to fish. I felt drawn to Luffs which looked tranquil but I would not be able to release any fish. I had conquered Little Bognor and needed a change. The river was calling. Again.

I saw the big fish below the Fish Pass but I think it saw me first. It buried itself deep in a rotting clump of streamer weed and wouldn’t come out. I stood on the bridge at Rotherbridge, the river looked great but there were no signs of Trout. I visited Taylors Bridge and decided to leave it to another member. I tackled up at Keepers Bridge and chose the Hardy Duchess. The short Cortland 444 would be ideal around the bushes below the bridge. The wind was strong and the extra weight in the tip, over the Rio, would help on most of the pools.

I started just below the bridge with a heavily weighted black and silver spider. Within fifteen minutes a fish rose up behind the fly and gulped it down. I lifted the fly back out of it’s mouth. Not a good start but I was confident that I would have other opportunities. The plan was to walk to the New Riffle and fish the pools on the way back when the sun was lower. The pool on the bend with the big Alder tree was a distraction, I couldn’t walk past without a look under the branches. As I got to the bend in the river a fish swirled below the tree.

I looked over the edge of the bank and saw a fish close to the tree roots. It was a couple of feet down, just a shadow. I chose a dry sedge which had been successful two days earlier. It was difficult to get the fly above the fish, the wind kept blowing it to my right. Eventually the fish rose, inspected the fly and took. It went on a reel screeching run upstream through the trailing branches but I was in control and encouraged it back downstream well below the bush. While landing and returning the fish, which was about a pound and a half, I saw another fish under the bush. I marked it for my return journey.

I walked down to the tree tunnel and heard a fish rise. I normally ignore any fish along that stretch because the trees are so dense. A lot of the brambles and balsam had withered and I could see a good fish in midstream. I thought I would have a go. The fish was deep so I tied on a weighted silver and black spider. The fish swirled around the fly first cast and grabbed the fly on the second. The Trout sprinted upstream and across to the far bank. Luckily the bank stopped it going further. The thick wire hook was secure and knowing I couldn’t move along the bank, I pressured the fish. The telescopic handled net was just long enough to secure the fish at the second attempt. It was about two pounds and recovered quickly.

The New Riffle was not how I remembered. The water was shallow and there were clumps of streamer weed across most of it. I tried the big pool with the sandy cattle drink and the bend above it but couldn’t find a Trout. I went back to the first bush and saw a fish under the trailing branches. The wind was very strong, it was difficult to push the fly out. Ironically that worked in my favour. I cast and the wind blew the leader into the bush. The sedge was left dangling in the water, the leader and tippet were hanging in the branches. The wind blew the branches which animated the fly, it looked very lifelike. The Trout inspected the fly very carefully but was not convinced. I twitched the fly causing micro vibrations on the surface. The fish quickly returned and checked the fly but would not take. I swapped to a nymph and repeated the trick for about twenty minutes but the fish was not interested. I swapped to a spider and had a swirl in midstream first cast but nothing after that. The Trout are very well educated.

The wind and sun were tiring and I was dehydrated. It had been great fun trying out minor tactics, usually reserved for Carp fishing, even if the trick hadn’t quite worked. I will try again when conditions are suitable.