Sandbagged!

Sandbagged!
Photograph by Steve Barnett

Wednesday 25 April 2012

That Little Foul Weather Friend...

... The Iron Blue Dun

is certainly a good friend to the trout, but today it was also saving the lives of a quite large flock of swallows who, arrived from Egypt in the last couple of weeks, found themselves today in cold, heavy rain and no flies at altitude at all.  Energy had to be found and was to be found this afternoon, when the rain was at its heaviest on the river and the wind at its strongest and coldest.  The Iron Blue Duns put in their welcome appearance and the swallows competed, successfully, with the trout for these dainty morsels.



You can just make out one of the trout rises behind and to the right of the swallow in the middle.  As ever, click the picture for a closer view. 

This river is going to fish its head off in a big way when the low pressure moves away and the sun gets back to warming things up again.


Regular Rod

6 comments:

  1. I love fishing when I was just 11 years old. Fishing is my prior hobby.

    Nissan 240sx

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  2. Always nice when the swallows and swifts arrive. A sign that things are warming up.

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    1. Aye Gurn but the poor swallows had it nitheringly cold today. The Iron Blue Dun was a saviour for them today.

      No swifts round here as yet and I only saw one martin! The swifts wisely wait for the fly life to be booming before putting in their screaming appearances. Summer is really with us when the swifts are here.

      It won't be long now
      ;)


      Regular Rod

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  3. Great post. Those duns are magic for sure. I can imagine they taste equally great to both swallows and trout. Just be sure not hook a swallow :) Tight Lines.

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  4. A number of insectivorous birds have not been at all lucky. Mallard chicks have hatched, formed their bouyant flock behind Mum and then died every hour until she no longer has any charges. I watched a wretched carrion crow, annoyed by the fluff off off chick it took up from the margins, dip it in a puddle to dampen the down. I've been weed cutting today, the flow can rid the cut weed in seconds and make a weeks job in June a task of only a few hours when water is unlimited and the fly that has hatched around me has been superb; all BWO. http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/local/drought-zone-rivers-flooded-1-4481184

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  5. The crow has to eat. Nature has bracketted her exposures and the early shots have failed this year. In another year it will be a success. In Town the same thing has been happening to the ducklings there. It's a sad sight but nothing is wasted in the animal world.

    :(

    Regular Rod

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