One to try again !

I decided to try out a new stretch of the Nidd yesterday that I will be fishing more of in 2015. I had  done a previous recce and headed for a likely looking couple of spots on a bend with lots of bankside willows. I intended trying  for chub and pike, fishing both cheese and krill paste for chub and lamprey for the pike. After a cold night it turned out to be absolutely fabulous conditions for fishing- with the river fining down nicely after the recent high levels. The birds were singing, the snowdrops in the far bank woods were ready to mob- handedly signal the onset of spring and it was warm enough to take my coat off after arriving at my peg. The swims were typical intimate Nidd locations. The type where hour after hour can pass and you can’t think of a better place you would rather be – if you’re a fisherman of course! I had the stretch to myself.

 

 

 

I stayed for about 3 hours and didn't have the merest sniff to my pastes or lamprey. Oh well that's fishing! I really enjoyed it though and will try again - maybe roving with a spinning set up or a wobbled sprat for the pike. There should be some barbel in the stretch so I will give them a go when the conditions warm up a bit. Quite deep snow here today - time to tie up some new flies.