SPRINGTIME at Wimbleball – 10/10
Trips to Wimbleball are always special especially as we approach those prime weeks of the trout fishing season as the English countryside blooms into new life. Fresh green growth illuminates the landscape and life seems to burst forth as insects proliferate. Summer migrants are arriving adding to the native birdlife. Chiff-chaffs distinctive notes drift across the landscape and the occasional martin or swallow swoops low over the water.
By late April we are coming to the end of what I term the yellow season as daffodils, primroses, celandines, cowslips and dandelions slowly fade as the bluebells bloom. Later the foxgloves will signal the start of summer but for now it’s time to relish the vibrancy of new life.
Recent posts on social media had raised expectations that the hawthorn fly could be about and the sight of these distinctive insects with their trailing legs lifted my expectations as I walked to the water’s edge of Rugg’s Bay my favourite early season area at Wimbleball.
I had set up a floating line with a team of three flies, a Montana on the point, a spider on the middle dropper and cormorant on the top dropper.
The cloudless sky was an azure blue with a strong North East wind. Not ideal conditions for fishing perhaps but at times it’s just great to be there in the moment drifting flies in expectation whilst relishing the peace of mind that comes with Springtime trout fishing.
After an hour without a pull and no sign of rising trout I decided to take a walk to the mouth of Cowmoor Bay. The walk through the woods, bluebells illuminated as sunshine streamed through the trees was no hardship and with a good days fishing still ahead of me I had a spring in my step.
The bank at Cowmoor offered access to deep water and with the wind blowing down the bay from left to right casting was easy. As I lifted the flies from the water a trout seized the point fly and gyrated on the lines end for a few moments before coming adrift.
This connection instilled that all important belief and it wasn’t long before I hooked another trout that seemed to spend a good time airborne as it leapt from the water on numerous occasions before being persuaded into the landing net. A fin perfect rainbow and that all important blank saver that is always good to get in the bag.
A few fish started to rise slurping down the black hawthorn flies that were being blown onto the water. I changed the point fly to a hawthorn imitation and added a second trout to my bag missing several other fish as I drifted my flies in the wind lane. After a while the trout stopped rising and I changed to an intermediate line swapping back to a Montana on the point and adding a bright orange blob to the top dropper. Second cast; wallop another hard fighting rainbow on the orange blob.
I fished on with this set up for a while but when a few fish started to show I reverted to the floating line set up. It seemed that the fish had switched off, so I decided to pause for a snack and drink before walking back to Rugg’s.
Back at Rugg’s I strolled along the water’s edge looking for rising fish. Observing a few rises in front of some towering willows I noted good numbers of hawthorns drifting out onto the lake. With withy branches poking out of the water I decided to snip off the droppers and rely on the dry hawthorn on the point. I was well aware that a tussle with one of Wimbleball’s finest would be hard enough without the added danger of droppers entangling underwater branches. Double figure rainbows have been stocked this season and have undoubtedly deprived several anglers of their flies already this season.
The next couple of hours were sublime as trout slurped down the abundant flies giving a pleasing target to aim at as I dropped my offering close to tell tale rings. Seven rainbows were deceived each giving a spectacular tussle many making the reel sing, pirouetting at the lines end to leave an imprint of images in the minds eye to relish when away from the waters edge.
I ended the day with ten trout, five to keep and five carefully released in line with the fisheries enlightened policy that allows anglers to enjoy a full days sport on those occasions when everything falls into place. I could have continued for longer but I was content with my day and the fish had become less active; yes there is always the desire for one more but ten out of ten isn’t a bad score for the day!
