08/07/2024 - Summer trotting part I (out at last!)

Had a very busy June at work, firstly ensuring that we hit our Q1 targets and then planning ahead for Q2 - all so the managers would see little green boxes lined up on their spreadsheets and thereby avoiding the inevitable interrogation if, God forbid, they were amber or red instead. 

Therefore it was not until this week that I eventually got out with the float rod for the first time, but even then I had to wait for a break in the extremely changeable weather - warm, cold, wet, dry, windy, I think we've had the lot this month already. I also had to traipse halfway across town for some maggots, the local tackle shop inexplicably shut on a Monday and my second choice having recently closed down after 53 years in business. Still, the chap in Bridge Tackle in Long Eaton was pleased to see me, even more so when I asked for two pints rather than my usual one to save me a return trip later in the week. For my first river session of the year I decided to head to the River Derwent near Draycott for a few hours after work. 

Getting there about 4.30 pm I was surprised to find that there was nobody else in the car park, so didn't rush getting the waders on and had a slow walk upstream, flushing banded demoiselles out of the long grass next to the path and stopping here and there to peer over the bankside vegetation. The river is a different beast in the summer, gin clear with lots of exposed gravel and nice smooth glides, and I could see quite a few fish dimpling and bow-waving in the margins. Dropped into the water in my first spot and waded out to just above my knees before running the stick float down off the end of the Acolyte. Twenty metres down the swim and the bright orange tip disappeared and I was into my first fish - a nice plump dace. 

Had a few more, all fin-perfect and like peas in a pod, when the float disappeared once again and I found myself connected to something a bit more energetic. Was pleased to see that it was a darkly spotted little brownie, one of only a handful that I've had out of the river, but an indicator of good water quality. Added some more dace before picking up a few chublets and the odd bleak. As the evening wore on a few fat yellow mayflies started emerging from the river, prompting some splashy rises, presumably from the dace. However, any that survived were quickly mopped up by opportunistic winged predators in the shape of chaffinches and blackcaps darting out of the tree cover on the far bank. 

After a couple of hours the bites started to dry up, so I upped sticks and moved downstream to my next spot. The river had done some winter remodelling of the bank and I had to trust to luck and slide down through the Himalyan balsam on my backside. Once down in the water I was straight back into the dace and chub in equal numbers, with a couple of summer grayling thrown in. With about an hour of my allotted time left I decided to give one more swim a go. However, the folly of sliding down the bank was soom revealed as I couldn't get enough purchase to pull myself back up again. Therefore had to wade downstream until I found a suitable place to get out and even then it was a struggle. 

Lesson learned - will remember my bank spike and rope next time! When I got to my final spot I was disappointed to see another angler at the waters edge, but looking closer I could see that he was returning a very big barbel. Upon seeing me he shouted "15lbs"! From where I stood it certainly looked it and when he showed me his pictures a few minutes later there was absolutely no doubt - it was a tank! He'd just popped down for an hour or so and had been rolling a big piece of spam around when he thought he'd got snagged....until it moved and shot off downstream. Needless to say he looked a bit shell-shocked. Had a bit of a chat before he carried on upstream and I dropped in at the downstream end of the glide.

Not that I wanted to catch a barbel (I've hooked one on the Acolyte on two occasions now and neither ended well). Added a few more dace and chub, two more grayling and, coincidentally as the light started to fade, a couple of roach. However, the perch that are also normally resident in the swim failed to show. Nevertheless it had been a decent session with over sixty fish, the vast majority being dace. Was delayed on the way back to the car by another angler who popped out from under the footbridge as I crossed over the river. Not that I minded as I'm always up for exchanging notes and adding a bit more intel to the dossier. No football to rush home for either - hopefully Mr Southgate has sorted out his tactics for later in the week!