Our Fishing
Tackle
This section will help members who are new to small river fishing to choose the most appropriate tackle for fishing the club waters. If you already have a rod of eight feet six inches or less and other equipment for river fishing, then use it to see how you get on before going to the expense of purchasing any new tackle. However if you have nothing suitable the following list of equipment will help you choose wisely.
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Rod
A rod of seven feet rated for a #3-4 line with a medium action would be suitable for fishing both the Upper and Lower river. The #4 line will work the rod better for you, particularly at the distances that you will be casting whilst fishing the river; if possible you should try casting with the rod before you purchase.
Line
Choose a drab coloured double taper floating line to suit your rod. There is a restricted choice with #3 lines and they are generally more expensive. Reel – A light weight reel that will accommodate your line with a nominal amount of backing is all that is required.
Waders
It is possible to fish most of the river using thigh waders, but waist or chest waders are preferable. Cleated rubber or felt soles are better if they incorporate small hardened steel studs.
Wading Staff
A wading staff is recommended as the river bed is uneven and very slippery.
Landing Net
You will only require a small net, which must be of the knotless type. You may find carrying a wading staff and a landing net awkward. One way to overcome this problem is to use a combined wading staff and landing net. Unfortunately they are no longer made so you will need to make your own. Select a proprietary wading staff with a screwed hole in the top, this hole will accept the small, rigid framed landing net used by coarse fishermen. Cut approximately eighteen inches off the bottom of the staff, refit the weight, screw in the net and you have the perfect tool.
Leaders
The leader is an important link between your fly line and fly. You will need a range of taper leaders to suit the size and type of fly being used; a leader suitable for a weighted nymph or a size 12 bushy dry fly will not present a size 18 lightly dressed fly in a realistic manner. The most practical way of achieving this, is to purchase a standard continuous taper leader, cut it down to about seven feet six inches long, so that the point size is around four pounds breaking strain, to this point attached a 12 to 24 inch length of tippet material. You should have a range of tippet material from two to four pounds breaking strain.
River Craft
To be successful on our river and particularly on the Upper River you will need to move into your fishing position very slowly indeed, whether there are fish visible or not, otherwise you will be casting your flies over fishless water. With care you should be able to get close enough to feeding fish to see whether they or feeding, on, in, or just below the surface. To present your fly to a feeding fish without incurring any drag is a skill that needs to be acquired. Forget about casting a long straight line, but concentrate on placing your fly just up stream of the fish on a slack line. There are many ways of achieving this, probably the easiest way is to smoothly wave your rod tip from side to side as it is lowered on the final forward cast, with practice you leader will be a series of ‘S’ bends and your fly will be just up stream of the fish.
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Members Book List
The following were recommended by members:
A flyfisher's guide to fishing freestone rivers and limestone streams. Colin Jones (Club President)
Guide to River Trout Flies, To Rise A Trout, Trout On A Nymph,
World's Best Trout Flies all by John Roberts.
Anything by John Gierach…,
The Practical Angler – W.C. Stewart,
Rod And Line – A. Ransome,
Nymphing – G. Borger
In The Ring Of The Rise, A Modern Dry Fly Code – both by V. Marinaro,
The Pursuit of Wild Trout – M. Weaver,
In Search of Wild Trout – Fitton,
Small River FlyFishing – J. Evans,
An Angler’s Entomology – J.R. Harris
Tenkara: a manifesto on fly-fishing simplicity - Daniel Galhardo
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Entomology on the River
It is quite possible to fish small rivers such as the Noe successfully by basing choice of pattern on past experience, recommendation etc. Careful fly presentation, and perhaps hook size are usually more important than close imitation of an individual species. However, there are a number of reasons why gaining a little knowledge of very basic entomology is valuable.
1. Sometimes fish are highly selective, and will ignore almost any pattern that is not ‘just right’. An idea of insect life around can make a difference, inspiring guesswork or aiding identification.
2. For some, arriving at the river, identifying which insects are on or under the water, determining which ones the fish seem to be taking, and then catching them on a close copy, all forms part of the challenge. Goldheads may catch more fish…but can we live with ourselves afterwards……?!
3. Importantly, diversity and quantity of fly life is an important measure of a river’s health. Biologists and ecologists, such as those working for the Environment Agency, use assessment of insect life as an easy, reliable and scientific measure of water quality, pollution, drought impact.
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If as a club, as well as on an individual basis, we can gain a close knowledge of our river’s wildlife, we can use this information as a regular ‘health check’ for our river , and get an early warning of problems and their potential severity. We can also learn how to manage the river in ways which sustain and maximise its natural flora and fauna, both for its own sake as a precious habitat, and to obtain happier and healthier fish for us to catch! For all these reasons, we hope this section will help members get even more enjoyment out of the river and their angling. It is intended as a very basic introduction to the relevant insect life of the Noe and anyone interested to learn more should easily find books to help. In this respect we would strongly recommend John Goddard’s Waterside Guide (Unwin Hyman). It is pocket sized, comprehensive, and packed with detail, photographs, suggested fly patterns etc
For identification, consider the following suggestions:
1. On killed fish, use a marrow spoon at the waterside to sample the most recently eaten food from the gullet or first part of the stomach. A small white plastic dish or jar lid which will hold half a centimetre of water for floating the specimen in helps greatly. If you wait till you get home, some deterioration of the specimen may occur – but autopsy of stomach contents in detail at home is still very worthwhile and always instructive!
2. Carry a small fine meshed net for skimming samples off the water surface. Attempting to collect airborne flies is always entertaining – especially for onlookers!
3. Carry a small low power folding lens to help with identification.
4. Carry a few empty film canisters to hold specimens until you get home.
5. Get into the habit of turning a few stones over in the shallow riffles to look for nymphs, caddis cases etc. This does disturb a habitat so replace the stones as you found them afterwards! Removing a few insects for study/identification will not deplete the river’s wildlife resources, and will greatly increase our understanding and ability to conserve. But be modest and selective in sampling, and never use an insecticide spray to collect insects!
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Insect types
Insects of value to the fishermen fall into two broad groups:
A Aquatic groups – life cycle involves water usually for egg / nymph stage. Insects are water dependant.
B Terrestrial group – insects live independently of water, but fall into it frequently enough to be important to fish and fishermen.
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AQUATIC GROUP
Overall the most important. Comprises several orders of flies, each with important typical features. Family recognition is much more important than exact species identification.
1. UPWINGED FLIES (Mayfly family, ‘ olives’) ephemeroptera Adults have two large upright wings, may have two much smaller hindwings. Two or three tails. Size varies between species.
Unique in having Two adult forms:
Dun – drab olive/brown, dull wings
Spinner – brighter, clear/ iridescent wings
Nymphs always have three tails, but may be burrowing, fast swimming, stonecrawling etc. and vary in shape accordingly. Duns emerge from nymphal shucks at waters surface, and later moult to give spinners. After mating and egg laying, dead/dying spinners may be found on water surface ‘spent’.
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2. CADDIS/SEDGE FLIES Trichoptera
Moth-like flies with hairy wings. Nymphs live in constructed cases or in some species ‘caseless’ and free roaming. They emerge as ‘pupa’ (in fact an encapsulated adult) and hatch at the waters surface.
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3. STONEFLIES - Plecoptera
Long slim flies with hard shiny wings, almost beetle-like. Size variable, usually drab black, grey or green/brown colour. Nymphs always have only two tails.
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TRUE FLIES/TWO WINGED FLIES – Diptera
Number of different orders with aquatic members including:
Midges – eg Chironomidae
Mosquitoes – Culcidae
Dance flies – Empididae
Reed Smuts – Simulium
Life cycle involves worm like lava, pupa, adult. Larvae and pupae may live in mud or rotting plant material at the edge of the water, thus only some are of direct value to anglers, eg midge pupae (buzzers). There are some numerically less important insects with aquatic larvae eg Alder flies, and some of the aquatic beetles. Damsel flies and Dragon flies are occasionally seen.
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TERRESTRIAL GROUP
Includes almost any insect unlucky enough to fall or be blown onto the water. Some swarm or mate above or near the waters edge. Others live on overhanging trees/bushes, or visit them to pollinate flowers etc. Important examples include:
Black Gnat – Bibio Johanis Hawthorn Fly – Bibio marci
Heather Fly – Bibio pomonae Greenfly (aphid)
Daddy Long Legs (crane fly) Cowdung fly
Gravel Bed Fly Ants
Beetles (eg soldier beetle, sailor beetle, Coch-y-bonddu, numerous small dark round beetles)
Many terrestrials are encountered throughout the season. Others are prolific at certain times, eg the Hawthorn fly, which is found in late April/Early May when the Hawthorn is in blossom.
Although not an insect as such, it is important not to forget the Freshwater Shrimp, Gammarus sp. Gammarus lives in rotting vegetation and under stones at the waters edge. It is numerous in most areas, present throughout the season and both trout and grayling love it!
Members Fly Pattern Choice
Many thanks to those members who kindly sent in details of their most successful flies. Below is a popularity league table with the relevant details. No responsibility is accepted for the results of use! Given are details of all the flies recommended by at least three people, and then listed are the rest for completeness.
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Black Gnat (inc. parachute), Dry, 16-22, “consistently good all year round, smaller sizes v good when fish smutting”
Griffiths Gnat, Dry, 16-22, “Good when midges/v small flies on water, ie most of the time!” “Always gets results”
Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear, Dry/Surface Film, 14-16, “Excellent during/just before hatch form most olives. Useful all season.”
Grey Duster, Dry, 12-18,”Larger sizes can be used for mayfly”
Adams, Dry, 14-18, “Good both early and later season”
Pheasant Tail, Nymph, 12-16, “later season/when fly life abundant vary weight for different depths”
Shrimp (various patterns), Sunk/Deep, 12-18, “irresistible when trout/grayling shrimping” Generally fished deep. May need weight.
Gold Head (esp. GRHE/PT), Nymph, 12-18 “Fished at various depths, can find fish when nothing else will. Good in deep fast water”
F-Fly, Dry/Emerger, 14-20, “Good for small duns/emergers. Use fine tippet eg 2lb. can be hard to re-float, esp after taking a fish so carry plenty!”
Iron Blue, Dry, 14-16, “the best ‘black fly’ I’ve used.” ?June- August.”
Gold-ribbed Hare’s ear, Nymph 12-16, “Various depths, but esp, just below surface. Good mid-late season when hatch expected, or even during hatch if dries not taken well.”
Greenwell’s Glory, Dry 12-16, “Good early season.”
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The following were recommended by 2 members: Kite’s Imperial, Pheasant Tail (dry), Klinkhammer Special, Double Badger, Daddy Long Legs. The following were recommended by individuals: Elk Hair Caddis, Copperhead
Killer, Tup’s Indispensable, Beacon Beige, Coachman, Partridge and Orange, Badger Hackle, Peter Ross, Rhyacophila lava (Edwards), Sawyer’s Killer Bug, Ammonite Nymph, Wickhams’s Fancy, Ginger Quill, Steel Blue, John Storey, Cased Caddis, Lunn’s Particular, Treacle Parkin, Baillie’s Black Spider.
