Caldwell's Chronicles

Raygill Fishery in West Yorkshire is gaining a reputation for really big fish. I experienced a fish of a lifetime a week last Monday and on Tuesday a fishery record monster Pike was landed.

First Outing of 2004
Due to a combination of factors such as ill-health, bad weather, work commitments I did not manage to fish during January. My first trip out was 2nd February to a wind and rain lashed Raygill Fishery in West Yorkshire. I missed fishery owner, Bernard Clements, who was busy delivering one of Raygill's monster pike elsewhere in the county and thus depended upon current fishery information from the lady behind the booking-in desk in the fishing lodge.

Eddie fishing Raygill (click for bigger picture)

She had a quick look along the previous day's returns and told me that no one had blanked and several fish had been taken on the dry fly. No chance of that today I told myself as I watched the rain splatter against the window and listened to the westerly wind howl around the lodge.

A Grey and Windy Day
I went to the Quarry Lake as it was relatively less exposed but waves were crashing into the rocky walls as I walked down the approach path. I wandered down the length of what was a grim and grey arena, surrounded on three sides by high walls of local stone. Needless to say, most of the Quarry Lake formed a natural wind tunnel for a westerly wind. I found a little shelter down near the holding nets and noted the odd splash of moving fish in the middle but there was no sign of movement around the banks. I decided to fish fairly close in with a nymph and long leader and used the wind approaching from my left to get out about ten yards and parallel with the bank. I tried a pheasant tail and then a Hare's Ear and, one good pull apart, got no response for over an hour.

First Rainbow of the Year
The first success of the day was a plump rainbow of some three pounds that took a size 12 Montana nymph at the end of a retrieve and was returned to the water. Things became very quiet except, that is, for the wind and the rain.

About one o'clock the weather began to improve, a little lightness came into the clouds, the wind eased and the waves became more moderate. I decided to change to the dry fly and, as I was setting up, I noted a few gentle swirls in the calmer water in the little bay in the lee of the holding net.

On with the Dry Fly
I was using a nine foot, five weight rod and line. I attached an eight foot length of eight pound monofilament to one of those small metal rings of which I have become quite fond; they suit my ageing fingers on cold days. To this I added a six foot length of three pound monofilament which I thoroughly degreased to ensure it sank quickly. I tied on a size sixteen winged Iron Blue Dun and applied a spray of floatant.

I cast into the small bay and was rewarded by a swirl next to the fly but I tightened too quickly and pulled the fly away, thus missing the strike. It was difficult to see the fly because of the wave action and I watched intently the water around where I thought the fly was. Again, a small swirl and an almost imperceptible tightening of the leader. I lifted the rod end cautiously and met a small resistance.

Fighting a Big Fish
For a moment or two I thought I had missed again but there was a certain amount of resistance as if the fish was stationery and did not realise it was hooked. I eased the rod into a firmer strike and immediately it bowed over and the fish went deep. It did not strip off much line from the reel but, after dropping down to the bottom, it pulled very doggedly and did not give an inch.

This went on for five or six minutes and I was beginning to worry about the three pound leader and the old Iron Blue Dun which had been in my box for many years. The rod was under great strain, a new Hardy Perfection that looked so slim in my hands.

Eventually I began to gain line and bring the fish towards the surface. It made several strong but short lateral runs and tried to dive down again but his strength was beginning to falter and he came to the surface. Once his head was out of the water I suddenly realised that I had a big brown trout on the line and, with a bit of luck, I was going to net a very substantial fish.

As he came to the net he looked too big to fit into one of Raygill's collection of fishery nets and I drew the fish along and parallel to the bank and slipped the net under him broadside on.

A Personal Best
It was a big cock fish with a monster lower jaw, a cross between a ferox and a salmon that has been in the river for several weeks. He had a darkish complexion with dozens of vivid red spots and was very thick through the shoulders and looked very well fed. I estimated his weight at well over five pounds by several ounces but that's only my estimate. What I did have was a super brown trout, better by about three pounds than any other I have caught.

I slipped the barbless hook out of the scissors and eased him over the rim of the net and watched as he glided effortlessly down into the depths. He did not require any help beyond a gentle lift over the net and away he went for someone else to catch another day.

Big Fish at Raygill
Bernard tells me that there are quite a few big brownies in the Quarry Lake, some quite a lot heavier than mine. The fishery record for a brown trout is over fifteen pounds. One of the reasons that the fishery rules all brownies must be returned is to give them a chance of growing on and Bernard estimates that there are fish over the twenty pound mark waiting for a lucky angler.

I know for a fact that there are many Rainbow doubles in both the lakes for, over the last couple of years, I've seen them and landed two, but there is something different about hooking, fighting and landing a big brownie and I just have a feeling that my first fishing trip of the year has already given me my best fish of the year.

A Monster Pike
The day after my success, a visiting angler landed a pike of 37lbs from the Delph Lake. This is a trout lake but it has an impressive pike population, too. The 37 pounder is a record for the fishery and fell for rubber shad. Delph Lake at the Raygill complex is dedicated to pike angling at this time of the year and inquiries about fishing should be made to: 01535 6325000

Tight Lines!

Eddie Caldwell