February 2005

Sunday the 6th

I am not a man for the TV.

However I did like the look of this program so I had stayed up till midnight to watch it.

Bad Angling Robbie!

It was rubbish and I was to be up at half past six the next morning to go fishing on the Ure.

I was again meeting up with Stuart Minnikin and Jeremy Lucas. This is becoming a habit.

A good one mind you but still a habit. We were to be fishing on the water at Masham where Stuart is a member and he had obtained guest tickets for myself and Jeremy.

The river was very low and gin clear so expectations were not particularly high.

Still I was out with friends and it was a lovely day.

Cool and cloudy but fine and clear with virtually no wind.

When there is no wind any sort of weather is usually pleasant.

Except of course when you are in a drifting boat and you would pay money for a corduroy ripple. But hey that's another story.

The photo on the right is of the River Ure in Yorkshire.

However it was taken last year when I had a day out with Stuart Crofts on the Swinton Hall water.

(I hope those Breathable's are not making my bum look big!)

This photo was taken a couple of miles downstream of Masham.

I had to use this photo as I forgot my camera today.

Trout and Grayling fishing on Swinton Hall is £30 a day so I don't want to hear any complaints about the price of season tickets.

Especially up here on the Tweed System where it is dirt cheap.

Now then the fishing at Masham.

Mostly Czech Nymphs again although Stuart did raise a good Grayling while prospecting on a run which myself and Jeremy were bugging down.

We all ended up with around five fish each although Jeremy had a Brown Trout and a Rainbow in his bag. I say bag but of course we all fish barbless and return all the fish we catch as carefully as we can.

In the shop and sometimes on the web and in "Letters to the Editor" I hear a lot of guff

about C.+R.

This almost always comes from the "it's my right to kill fish brigade"

People say fish will die if they are released and its best just to eat them.

Well if you knock a fish on the head, gut it, freeze it and then cook it I can safely say it will be dead!

And it will not be breeding again.

On the other hand if you put it back in any condition it is in with a chance.

Combine putting it back with best practice and almost every fish will survive.

However even if a very, very, very small percentage die they will be eaten by the bugs who will be eaten by the trout and the circle will continue.

Fish are not delicate creatures. Beautiful yes but not delicate.

If they were they would have died out millions of years ago.

They can stand being caught.

I have caught fish with two flies plus mine in their mouth.

I have also caught a Salmon with a completely healed up Seal Bite that fought just as hard as any other fish of the same weight.

Fish have an inbuilt instinct and ability to survive.

Just as humans can survive Car Crashes, Journeys into Space. Deep Sea Diving, Athletics and Rugby etc so then can fish survive most of what Anglers and Nature can throw at them.

Are we not both descended from the same frothy broth.

If you wish to eat fish; and I have no problem with taking stock fish or a FEW wild fish, get your Local Angling Association to put a Slot Limit in place.

Take fish say between 9 and 11 inches or over 20 inches.

There are almost always lots of the smaller ones and the bigger ones may not survive another winter anyway. Slot limits will need to vary from river to river but you get the idea.

Take some qualified advice if you have to.

If they wont impose a slot limit use your own on yourself.

Mind you I do have a problem with stocking a river but lets leave going there for another day.

Anyway another great day out with the "Team."

Friday 11th

Teviot again.

It's the only place open now that's near to us.

Well I had a quick three hours as I forgot one of my fleece layers under the breathable's and

I was starting to get cold.

Bad Angling again Robbie!

Well I had four Grayling all over 40cm with the largest about 44.

One fish, a female was a bit interesting as it had part of its dorsal fin and part of its tail missing.

It also had a size 14 bait hook and a bit of nylon in it. Not anymore.

I hope I can catch this particular fish again as that will be interesting.

The river was a touch too high and a smidgen too coloured but it has come up again today so I was maybe lucky to get a bit of fishing in.

Hopefully I will be out on the Teviot next Tuesday and if conditions are right I know a place……………

Have I said that before?  This deja vu thing can be a bit repetitive.......Ha Ha

To the end of February

I have not been out.

I cannot quite believe it myself.

Well it has been snowing and windy and small floods and yesterday we had 79 boxes of Shakespeare stock come in!!!!

So not really any good excuses there then........

See you next month.

Margaret & Robbie Bell
Game Fair
12 Marygate
Berwick upon Tweed
Northumberland
TD15 1BN

Telephone: 01289 305119

E.Mail: robbie@gamefair-flyfishing.net