downstream

Author: tim

  • Play Happy

    This isn’t a review except to say I’ve set up this website and started chasing my own silver dreams on the strength of this book.

    James Gilbraith’s gonzo fishing yarns will do that to a man.

    I’ve been inspired to consume less bullshit & produce more good shit, go off grid & lock in to the improbable quest for a salmon from the mighty River Ribble. We do these things not because they are easy but because we have shrimp for brains.

    Be warned though, Boo will likely try & rope you into his gorilla (sp) marketing campaign, but I say roll with it and see where it takes you.

    Here’s to Ahab’s mythical book “50 miles of Lies”, finding the “ring in sick” bench somewhere on the banks of the Ribble and the cult of the shrimp head.

    Play Happy by James Gilbraith

  • Struck Gold

    Finally got into the first proper trout from the Ribble today, oh such buttery golden goodness! Saw more evidence of Salmon or maybe Sea Trout as well, big bastards jumping under the trees.

    The river level was pretty low (0.50m) but it was still falling from recent spate with a bit of colour in the water. I fished that long glide and found Trout and Grayling at head of the run in the more oxygenated water.

    Fished the usual New Zealand style with small pheasant tail UV bugs and fish were caught in surprisingly skinny water.

    Note to self: These are the kind of days for bunking off work. If the river is level on point then cash in that flexi and get on it.

  • Mutant pond fish

    There’s good crucians in this muddy pool so I must endure these weirder captures. The jury is still out for deliberations on this fish, some sort of freaky albino grass carp is the likely verdict.

  • The Prime Water?

    Nothing caught today, the river rose 0.50m while I was driving down so I was under gunned with the sea trout gear. I also didn’t fancy wading into that unknown chocolate water. Unsurprisingly, my punk ass sea trout fly attracted zero interest.

    Word on the street is this is fly water below 0.80m and spinning above that level when its clearing down after a spate. This has triggered me into buying a new rod (n+1) a bunch of Toby Spoons and a monumental net.

    Some noted lies have been noted on this beat and I’ll be back.

  • Jungle Warfare

    Saw the first sea trout/salmon of the year jumping this evening. This beat is a bit too canalised and featureless on first inspection. Tough going moving along the bank as well, it’s jungle warfare, nettles and electric fences.

  • Sea Trout Mission

    First night on the sea trout gear tonight. The less said about the dramas with the land owner the better.

  • Dawn raid for carp

    Finally got into some proper carp again on the pond. Fished the classic corner lily swim before it was adjusted by the weed clearing operations.

    Pick of the day was this fine mirror, probably a scraper double…

    Tactics this morning were get down to the pond at 5am, pineapple wafters, fished on a tiny lead and feeding 2mm pellets with catapult.

  • Out on the Hodder

    River still on its arse but I got out for the first proper trip on the Hodder today. Not much doing until midday when the grayling came on the feed in the farm pool. Snaffled a couple of pics of a bigger one before leaving them to it. Nicked a trout at last orders, tungsten bug at the head of a pool. Standard.

    Overall… fly life poor for mid April but this beat should fish well with a bit more water. Reckon its good for a Sea Trout but the bankside jungle in summer could make my life difficult.

  • Eden 2023

    Notes are a bit sporadic this year on account of buying a house. Didn’t get out as much as I would have liked but there was still some magic out there.

  • Back to reality

    I purposelessly went fishing today in the miserable weather to try and bring myself back to reality after catching that Salmon. It rained for a solid 5 hours which was a bit cold and grim but… I caught another incredible, out of season, clandestine trout, I was buzzed by kingfishers, I saw a salmon leap clear out of the water and I was hissed at by an otter.

    And then I caught a couple of stonking grayling on tungsten bugs. Grayling are such a revelation for me. I never used to dream of catching grayling but now I do, they are majestic and fight like demons. Wriggly, slippery bastards in the net and they look stunning in photographs. I must catch more.