It's Crystal Clear!

My recent exploits at Avington have certainly proved very productive http://www.fishingmagic.com/index.php?news=14469 but they've also again confirmed how frustrating, annoying, but above all, how incredibly exciting fishing in crystal clear water is!

The ability to see what's going on puts a very different perspective on your angling. I love fish watching and I'm quite happy just standing, crouching or even lying down just observing fish doing what they do. The area of water immediately within my gaze becomes my whole universe and minutes can become hours.

At least on these trout stillwater venues the fish tend to be on the move and usually, eventually give themsleves away. Unlike many times, when on a river, I've been targetting a big barbel that turns out to be an over animated chunk of streamer weed! Such are the perils of stalking fish!

The Avington stock fish are impressive, both in size and condition, and can usually been seen fairly easily as they cruise about the lakes. Sometimes they are almost suicidal in their attempts to grab your fly. The acceleration these fish display when chasing your chosen offering is staggering (and quite hilarious as you try and snatch it from their mouths!).



However, the bigger fish are far more wary and tend to sulk away in quieter corners or amid the very dense weed that such water clarity promotes. Unless you are lucky they can be very difficult to locate. My usual tactics are to have a gentle wander around the fishery hoping against hope that I might stumble upon a "biggie". But more often than not it takes quite a while "playing statues" in a given spot looking for the tell tale movement that might signify a big "double" on the move. Usually just a shadow at first or something a bit different in your eyeline. Good light conditions, decent eyesight and a good set of polaroids are the ingredients needed to take full advantage.

Of course spotting the fish is just the start! I usually try and establish what the fish is up to before casting at it. That can be very frustrating as having found it, maybe after a long, long wait, it may disappear out of the area. Will it come back? Usually they do but sometimes that may be after 5 minutes or 60! However, I have to admit that the 16lb+ rainbow I managed to fool, was too much of a temptation as it drifted out of the shadows and came towards me. I cast to it straight away and was amazed as it calmly sipped in the damsel!

Obviously that was a great result but typically these big trout are not usually so easily fooled. Talking to some of the regulars at Avington, it is quite common for these fish to ignore pattern after pattern and different retrieve rates sometimes for long periods of time. Then, apparently for no real reason, grab the next retrieve. The more consistently succesful anglers can often be seen propping up a tree or trying to blend in with a bush whilst "resting a wary fish". All done in the expectation that giving it another 15 or 30 minutes before casting again will improve the chances.

The cost of the day ticket makes it quite an expensive rest period. I'm going again tomorrow!



Post Script:
Well I did pay Avington another visit today and managed to complete a sort of "treble". I managed to fool another big trout, this time it was a "Blue" that tipped the scales at 14lbs 08oz:



It came from the same area as the 16lb+ Rainbow of a few weeks ago. This time I spotted it cruising around under some overhanging trees and watched/tried for it several times for nearly 2 hours. It did show a bit of interest a couple of times but quickly veered off. But eventually it liked the look of a weighted #14 Black/Orange Stalking Bug and hit it hard. A very impressive fight followed - but despite snagging the fly line in the branches and collecting a decent amount of weed, it eventually slid into the net!

Well pleased.