A Red Letter Session on the Ribble

I suppose all of us dream of catching a special fish; in 65 years of fishing I have had many special ones. I can remember them all. I suppose my most special fish was my first on June 16th 1941 using an eel hook, a ball of red wool as line, with a worm as bait. Fishing an old clay pit with my uncle Len who was to die a few weeks later in the sands of North Africa. My first big fish was a pike caught from Teston Weir pool on the river Medway I believe in 1948 the fish weighed just over ten pounds. I killed that fish which was shared out between my family, my grandparents and the next door neighbours. Today I regret killing that pike, even though it wasn’t wasted. I remember a Kennet day just before the end of the season in 2003 when I caught my first double figure barbel weighing 11-14-0 on a chunk of legered bread crust. No way will I forget my best chub 7-10-0 from the River Ribble on a very cold February day when conditions were that poor I suggested to Mick Holgate “Lets forget it, it’s a waste of time” That short afternoon session accounted for 5lb plus chub and a barbel of 10-10-0 and of course my biggest ever chub. Again bread was the only bait used. In over sixty years of fishing with fly, bait and lures fishing fresh and saltwater including tropical waters I have enjoyed many great days catching special fish.

My latest not to be forgotten fish was caught on Tuesday 15th of May 2007 from the Edisford Hall water on the river Ribble, On Monday the gauge at Grindleton bridge was reading just under five feet, now that’s a lot of water, but no good for fly fishing, if the coarse fishing season had been opened, it would have been good for chub and barbel. On Tuesday morning the gauge was reading just less than two feet, the water had cleared. I suppose it could be described as looking the colour of strong tea, I could see the rocks in about eighteen inches of water. Good salmon and sea trout conditions. During the morning the water cleared a little more, making the prospects for sea trout fishing even better.

Driving towards the syndicate water car park, I was most surprised to see no other angler’s cars. I had the river to myself. How lucky can you get. The day before I had got a new ten foot, seven weight Thomas and Thomas Helix. I matched this with a medium sinking line with a six foot leader with an eight pound tippet to which I attached a Hugh Falkus size four Medicine fly. Pulling on my waders, then slipping my fly box in the top of the waders, I picked up my wading staff and rod then headed off upstream. On a big rock in mid river a pair of Dippers was bouncing up and down, a kingfisher flew low and fast downstream, while over head I heard that delightful bubbling call of a Curlew. It was great to be alive. My chosen area to start fishing was the Minnow Pool.

For sea trout I split the pool into two sections, I fish the top of the pool for about forty feet where the water is quite deep under the far bank, with a nice crease about a third of the way across the river. The fish were either resting close to the far bank or in the crease. I made a cast straight across the pool, not down stream at about forty five degrees as most anglers’ fish. As the fly swings across the water flow, I often give a few short pulls or a couple of long slow pulls, as the fly reaches the centre of the river I will often lift the rod high causing the fly to swing up towards the surface. Its then I often get a hit. As my mate David said to me the other day. “Often the fish hold tight against the wall then chase the fly hitting it in mid river. When I have the pool to myself I make sure I fish the water hard, often a dozen casts before moving. But I only do this when I have the pool to myself.

Etiquette is Most Important

The correct etiquette of fishing a pool are, you fish the cast out, and then take a step downstream. Repeating this process until you reach the bottom of the pool. If you want to fish the pool again, you must go to the head of the pool then follow the last angler downstream. As previously stated. When I am on my own I will make several casts fishing the fly at various depths. The Minnow Pool is not only sea trout water; it’s a holding area for salmon. After fishing the top section of the pool where I expect the sea trout to be holding, I then move down and fish the tail of the pool. I don’t bother with the mid section. Its brown trout water. That’s not to say you want catch brown trout at the top or bottom of the pool. You will.

First Fish

I suppose I had made thirty or forty casts in my move that took me several yards down the pool. As the fly reached the centre of the river I lifted the rod tip pulling the fly towards the surface. A good fish hit, there was a boil on the surface, and setting the hook a fish shot skywards then crashed back in a shower of spray with the ripples spreading across the pool. The rod tip arched over as the fish powered downstream, the reel grudgingly released line. I cramped on as much pressure I thought the tackle would stand. It worked, as I fought the fish back upstream. A few minutes later I had a fish about three pounds within fifteen feet. Backing in towards the bank I pulled the fish into a quiet bit of water and close enough to reach down and retrieve the hook which was set in the scissors of the fish. I then watched it swim off strongly upstream. I though how lucky I was to be on a sea trout river when conditions were good. It’s been said many times by far better anglers than me “You have to be at the water at the right time to catch sea trout” How true.

Wading out towards the centre of the river, making a roll, one false cast I dropped the fly close to the far bank, quickly making an upstream mend, I watched the line hawk like as the fly swung across the river. I probably repeated the process a dozen times, moving downstream every third or fourth cast. Preparing to lift off for another cast a fish hit, the rod tip was savagely pulled downwards; the reel gave a long low sounding growl as line was pulled through the guides. Once again the fish headed downstream, but this time in short bursts. By cramping on pressure I was soon gaining line and I suppose I had the fish to hand within five minutes. Another good size fish about three pounds. Three or four casts later I headed off downstream to the bottom of the pool.

David’s Snake Fly Does The Trick

I was now probably fishing one of the best bits of sea trout of water on the Ribble, though one wouldn’t think so to start with. I made a dozen or more casts without a touch. Time for a fly change, on the advice of James Waltham author of The Sea Trout and The Fly published by Crowood Press I decided to fish a Snake fly, which Dave Jones of Bury had tied up for me. First cast the fly had travelled just a few feet when I had a hit, as before the fish moved downstream. The well balanced tackle was perfect for subduing the fish. Soon fish number three was at hand, I could see the fly was well inside the mouth. Using a small pair of forceps I quickly removed the barbless double hook then watched the fish move quickly across the shallow water to sanctuary.

Ten minutes later I had another hit; three seconds later it was gone. The same happened on my next cast. Ten minutes later I had a firm hook up, I reckon this fish spent more time in the air, as the water. Once subdued I quickly had the fish on the shallows where I quickly lifted the barbless hook from the top lip. This was turning out to be one of my better days of sea trout fishing. As I watched the fish swim off strongly, I was asked for my syndicate ticket and rod licence. Thankfully all was in order. Unlike a friend of mine who offered last years rod licence when asked to produce his documents. Thankfully he had a current rod licence. Two hours later without another fish, I decided it was time to move on. As I was retrieving the fly a brown trout grabbed hold just as Malcolm the assistant river keeper turned up to fish the pool. After a chat I said “Its al yours Malcolm have fun”

A Well Deserved Break

Back in the cabin I made a welcome mug of coffee and some buttered toast, as I sat reading the Anglers Mail enjoying my break, two other members turned up. John said “Any good Martin” I said “Yes four nice sea trout from the Minnow Pool” I then explained how I fished and the fly patterns used. Fifteen minutes later both anglers are heading off upstream. After my tea break I headed off to fish another pool. By now conditions had changed, the water had dropped a few inches and the colour had gone from dark tea to a weak tea. The clarity of the water was such I could see the bottom in about three feet of water. The air temperature had risen by a few degrees, with a light wind conditions were excellent for brown trout fishing. Swifts, swallows and martins along with many ducklings were feasting on the many flies hatching off. Fish could be seen rising in every pool.

A Fish to Remember

I headed off upstream to a pool that in the past has proved successful for sea trout, the river above the head of the pool flows quite fast and shallow over rocks down quite a steep incline into the head of the pool. In times of high water temperature it’s a well oxygenated bit of water loved by the brown trout and grayling. It’s a pool where one has to take care when wading; a wading stick is a must. With the clearing water I decided to fish a tube fly on a short leader, fishing it close as I dare to the bottom. The tube was one tied up by Jim Waltham had three brass cones on the body with a size 6 double hook. I made two passes through the pool, without a sign of a fish. Back at the top of the pool I made a roll cast dropping the fly on the crease, I then lifted the rod tip allowing the fly to swing and lift. I had made about three casts. For a few seconds it seemed as if I had caught on some weedy rock. Then it was like an under water explosion as a fish boiled on the surface before leaping clear and crashing back.

Line went through the guides in a blur. My first thoughts were ‘salmon’ then it leapt clear of the water a second time shaking its head as it did so. Sea trout I said aloud to know one. It then went off down the pool with me stumbling behind, at the same time keeping the rod fairly high and exerting as much pressure as possible on the fish. Once again the fish went skywards then rolled back in the water. It continued to fight its way downstream, as if trying to get back to the ocean from where it had come. Ten minutes or more I was just a witnessed in this epic struggle. My mouth was dry adrenaline was pumping, at the same time I had this horrid feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of losing what could well be my best ever sea trout. The fish looked huge very time it leapt clear of the water, it seemed to grow bigger.

Fifteen minutes later I could feel the fish was getting tired. I cramped on all the pressure I dare, slowly I fought the fish upstream, at the same time making my way downstream in the hope of getting below the fish. Suddenly it shot up the pool, I began to sense victory. Unless I made a mistake the fish would be mine. Inch by inch, foot by foot I gained line. A minute or two later I could touch the leader the fish was mine I heaved a big sigh of relief. It measured out between twenty seven and twenty eight inches. For a few seconds admired this magnificent creature that had started life in the river then gone to sea and was now back to its birthplace. No way could I kill something that had given me so much excitement. If I had wanted a table fish a three pounder would have been bigger enough. I was on the river well into the night then back again at dawn fishing until about nine o’clock then it was time for breakfast. I didn’t get another fish.