Walk on by...?

That might be OK for Dionne Warwick but you can miss out on some astonishing opportunites if you forget yourself and wander by water that at first glance would not be worth your effort.  In a healthy river there are very few places where there will be no fish.  Some tiny pockets will only hold small fish but it is a source of constant surprise just how often there will be exceptions to that "rule".  Yesterday I was a privileged guest on a section of my mother river a few miles upstream from my usual haunts.  It was a very stimulating and pleasant change.  The tuning in process naturally takes longer on an unfamiliar water.  The senses are heightened as it is now even more important to practice the three basic principles before I can become a resident and not merely a marauding visitor.

It worked.  It always does.  Mine host ensured I had free reign and generously let me fish as and where I pleased at the pace to suit myself.  The result was a delightful time.  Here is one shot of one of the many, many interesting spots that all held fish and rewarded a few extra moments of contemplation and observation with closer contemplation of the wild brown trout and wild rainbow trout that the Derbyshire Wye is justly celebrated for.  It would have been very easy to just walk on by so many of these places.  Frankly I believe most folk do on this section, as it is something of a military training assault course.  It was worth the perspiration!

Back on home water, here is a fish that I have seen many anglers wander past never even imagining that such a large specimen could be found happily holding a constant station, day-in-day-out, in such a shallow pocket of water.  Look closely.  Can you can see why this is such a prized position for the fish?





Regular Rod