27/04/2023 - A few Derbyshire brownies

Had built a stupid amount of flexi-time at work and it was a question of use it or lose it, so booked the day off to sort out a couple of domestic issues and hopefully get a few hours fishing in. Luckily the weather was playing ball, having been all over the place again in recent days, and it actually felt a bit warmer for a change

Trout were the target again, but with the fly rod this time. Had not been back to the Ecclesbourne for a while, so waited for the rush hour to finish and then headed over towards Duffield for mid-morning. The river here has recently benefited from the removal of a major insurmountable obstacle to fish trying to move upstream from the River Derwent. A 2.5 metre high, 10 metre wide concrete weir at Snake Lane was demolished and replaced with a rock ramp in a project funded by the Environment Agency and managed by the Wild Trout Trust . A testament to the success of the work was when the remains of a spawned out salmon was found upstream just a few months after the weir was removed - worthy of nomination of being named European dam removal project of the year (see here)!

Not that I was after a silver tourist - a few wild, Derbyshire brownies would suffice - so got togged up in the chest waders, walked across the field and dropped in at the downstream limit. Went with the previously successful tactic of a single, goldhead mini-streamer on a tapered leader with a 4lb fluorocarbon tippet. No fancy casting required here with all of the fishing done at close quarters, the fly propelled up to the head of each little pool with just a flick of my brook rod or with a "bow and arrow" cast in the tighter corners. Had nothing in the first couple of spots, so carried on wading upstream, the occasional fallen tree requiring me to get out of the river and detour through swathes of wild garlic and butterbur. First chance came in a faster run, although I never saw or felt the take and only realised I'd got a fish on when I mended the line. 

Needless to say it came off after a few seconds! Next one I did feel but missed on the strike - not a great start, but at least it looked as if there were a few interested fish about. Eventually managed to get the brain into gear on the third time of asking and, after a short tussle and a flirt with some tree roots, bundled a wild spotty into the net - long and lean and with enough energy left to flick free of my hand as soon as the hook came out. 

Carried on and had a handful more over the next couple of hours, all of them coming from the faster, broken water in the runs or at the head of the pools. Didn't quite make it to the end of the section as unfortunately I had to get back to Nottingham for an appointment. However, I had only fallen on my arse once, not lost a single fly and had managed to avoid putting a hole in my new waders on their first outing, so a satisfactory outing all round!