I went for an afternoon on the river Culm the other day; not the bit everyone knows near Cullompton, nor the lovely stretch at Willand which harbours just about every variety of fish commonly residing in an English river. No no. I went right up above Gladhayes Bridge near Hemyock, where the trout are wild and the stream is narrow.
I like to travel light. Not for this angler the waistcoats, bags and chest packs of the modern fly fisher. (Nor the baseball cap and baby blue shirt!!) With me I had a 7.5ft rod rated for a #3 line, a net, two tins of flies and some Gink. Actually the rod was almost too long as in places, where the trees envelope the water, a 6-footer would be more apt, but I had what I had. One tin had small dries within and one a range of daddies in various shapes and sizes. It's September - it's daddy time - I only needed the one box!
I managed to rise 7 fish, 6 of which I hooked and of those I landed 5. It truly was an excellent afternoon but one that would not have been half as exciting if I had not done a little preparation at home first.
Lots of us fishing folk spend time sorting flies before a trip. Some of us treat lines and oil reels (I only do this in the closed season by way of a "fix" to get me through.) But immediately before I set off on my trip I was mixing up something that would make the day a good one - some mud!
The wild fish of a small stream are easily spooked and all the creeping and delicate casting in the world won't help if your leader is floating on the surface. Floating leader = fleeing fish. The easiest way to sink your leader is to buy some leader sink and apply it regularly to your cast. It degreases, which is the key. Don't apply so much that it actually weights the leader or that might result in a heavy landing of cast and fly. It's a wipe on, wipe off type of deal - do it regularly, not heavily.
If you don't fancy buying this goo or like me have bought some mud type sinkant in the past which over the closed season has turned unhelpfully to solid clay, there is a way to make your own or rejuvenate old stock. Simply buy some cheap Fuller's Earth (calcium montmorillonite), or take your solidified previous purchase, and mix with a little washing up liquid. If it is old stuff you are trying to restore to a useable state, then a little hot water helps just to break it down. Mix the solutions really well and keep them on the dry side of paste then compact them into a small container and there you go.
This little bit of prep can make, as it did on my day amongst the Culm trout, all the difference..................................Here's mud on your fly!!
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| The River Culm Above Hemyock |
