Yorkshire Magic

Yesterday I was invited by a fellow Lure Anglers Society member to sample some of the amazing trout fishing he has been enjoying lately.

An early start saw me heading East across the Pennines well before the morning rush. We had arranged to meet at a car park which happened to be next to a canal and as I arrived early it seemed rude not to have a few casts while I waited. Working an area of foamy water below a lock outflow my second or third cast met with solid resistance and I found myself attached to this beautiful chub.  The fish was 4lb 12oz and the picture doesn’t really show the girth of this fish – it was built like a breeze block! I love my summer chubbing on the rivers and streams but this was technically my first still water chub. It fell to a small Halco Sorcerer fished on my Ultra-Light Sakura Shinjin. A fantastic start to the day!

Matt arrived soon after and we headed off to a short stretch of local river. Swims were limited and after a fish less half hour we dropped onto a canal basin to see if there were any chub willing to take our lures. They proved elusive but Matt hooked into a feisty pike of around six or seven pounds which managed to shake the hooks as I tried to land it.

We then set off for Matt’s small stream in the hope of some trouty action! I had seen the pictures Matt had posted on the forum and was over excited at the prospect of fishing for them. I’ve caught plenty of trout whilst targeting chub but this was my first days fishing specifically for them.

The fishing was slow for the first hour or so until either we found the fish or they had started to feed. The action was hectic as we started to catch fish in every pool. We were taking turns to fish likely spots and it was an amazing experience to see fish chasing down the lures. My catch rate definitely increased when Matt very generously gave me one of his beautifully crafted snap bean lures. The fish were creating bow waves as they charged after their meal and snapping ferociously, often right to the end of the retrieve. Not all these fish hooked up but it was great fun watching the antics of the ravenous trout. The fish were stunning, ranging from beautifully marked fish with red spots on their flanks highlighted by a white surround to buttery yellow fish lacking the red spots. For most of the day the average size must have been over a pound – incredible for a stream which probably averaged six feet wide. Matt managed to land two bigger fish and I lost one at my feet. The fish charged around our feet and refused to go into the net. Fishing at such close range means the fight is short and they really have to be bullied into the net. Although it would have been nice to get a good look at it, the fishing was so good I was barely disappointed. 

One of Matt's belters

These fish fight so hard they need a moment to recover before being released.

Another fantastic fish for Matt.

Matt's snap bean lures were proving irresistible!

I struggled a bit with the length of the rod; 7’2’’ is too long for this type of fishing. Matt was able to make more overhead casts in the tunnel of trees which meant he was far more accurate. His casting skills also meant he put his lure in the right place more often than I did and I spent half the day chasing tree trout! Needless to say a 5’6’’ UL rod is now top of the want list.

We weren't really counting but we probably had 40 fish of this quality or better. Matt took the lions share as he gave a masterclass in how it's done!

We fished all day and I don’t think we had ten minutes when we didn’t see a fish, a truly magical days fishing. We spent the day with the scent of the wild garlic in our nostrils and in the company of the grey wagtails that were flitting up and down the stream. Twice we saw the electric blue streak as a kingfisher darted past us within a few feet.

Campion amongst the wild garlic.

A day that will live long in the memory!