13/07/2023 - Summer trotting part III (more Derwent dace)

Weather's all over the shop at the moment, blowing a hooley and heavy showers at the drop of a hat. However, looked as if there was going to be a bit of a respite on Thursday, so made plans to return to the River Derwent. Restocked with maggots and headed to the river for late afternoon. Car park was empty again, but I knew that would change as the "night shift" started to turn up a bit later. 

Crossing the footbridge I was distracted for a couple of minutes by a huge shoal of fish, possibly bleak or dace, topping along the far bank willows. It's always looked like a spot where the chub would also hang out, so made a note to perhaps come back with the waggler rod at some point. Headed up to the second of the swims I fished on Monday hoping that I could latch into some of those roach again. That day there had been a distinctly "autumnal" feel about things what with the weather and the amount of leaves coming down the river. There had also been a nice tinge of colour in the water, but now the river was absolutely gin clear and I could easily see the bottom a good few rod lengths out. 

Dropped into the river and sent the float on its way accompanied by some loose feed. Had a dace after a couple of trots down, followed by one of the biggest bleak I've seen for a while. However, the maggot hookbait was being completely destroyed by the ravenous hordes on each run down and I spent a frustrating hour try to hit "unmissable" bites. Was so clear that at one point I saw an unmistakeable bronze torpedo with coral fins come slowly mooching upstream before he caught sight of me an vanished with a flick of his tail. Did manage to add a few more dace to the tally, but hadn't had a sniff of a grayling or a roach  yet, so decided to move on. Next spot was on a long straight where the flow was a bit faster and a bankside willow was creating a nice crease on the inside. 

Required a bit of a scrabble and slide down the steep bank and I was at the bottom before the thought of how I would get up again even crossed my mind! Anyway, started trotting away and was immediately rewarded by yet more dace, interspersed with a the odd chublet. Again, the water was clear enought to see fish flashing under the surface as they pursued my loosefeed, with one in particular looking pretty decent and few trots later the float disappeared resulting in a cracking grayling. Let him recover and had just seen him safely back when I heard voices, fully expecting to see a couple of fellow anglers walking up the bank. However, a couple of paddle boarders appeared instead, struggling upstream against the fast flow. I am a paddle boarder myself and have a waterways licence from the Canal & River Trust to allow me to paddle on navigable rivers - certainly not the case for the Derwent. 

I personally wouldn't paddle it in any case because it is too fast and shallow and potentially dangerous in places. However, they were polite enough and didn't really affect me, but I did warn them that the twobarbel anglers fishing at a pinch point in the river further upstream would be less happy to see them! Carried on trotting and added more dace, chub and smaller grayling over the next couple of hours and even had a couple of roach, again absolutely pristine but not quite the stamp of the fish I'd caught earlier in the week. Had a bit of excitement when the float disappeared and I struck into a solid lump. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds then the acolyte bent round as it slowly moved upstream and out into mid-river. Could feel a slow thump, thump through the line, but as I tried to apply a bit of pressure the size 18 Kamasan widegape pinged out. 

Assumed that it was a barbel and that it probably hadn't even known it was hooked! Heard voices again shortly after that and assumed it was the paddle boarders returning, but it was two kayakers this time. Again, they were polite enough and stuck to the far bank as soon as they saw me. Had stayed warm all afternoon and I was nicely tucked out of what breeze there was. There were even a few big, yellow mayflies coming off the water. However, they were being swiftly nailed by not only the great tits, but also the larger banded demoiselle damselflies. 

Was still getting bites and as much as I wanted to carry on I eventually decide to call it a day as I had promised my lad we'd have a Chinese. Managed to scrabble out of the river using handfuls of grass and Himalyan balsam to haul myself up the bank. Made me think that a spike and a piece of rope would be a sensible purchase for the winter! Ran into a couple more anglers on the way back to the car and one of them mentioned that he'd lost a barbel earlier in the week under the bush I'd been stood next to, which probably confirmed what the lost "monster" had been. Resisted the temptation to have a couple of casts in the "perch swim" - that'll be one for another time - and headed home. Got a long weekend in Cornwall for the daughter's graduation coming up, so I'll have to see if I can sneak a rod in!