Yesterday we had our share of bad weather on this side of the big pond. Heavy rain showers with hail and lightning made us think the worst for our Sunday fishing trip. Fortunately the weather cleared and the next morning it was dry outside. We would head to our club waters in Germany in pursuit of Trout. Our local contact had told us that the level of the river was up and the water was a little clouded. It sounded not to bad.
The river, somewhat stained water.
At our first honey hole we had to decide who would be casting first. Last time I was the lucky one so this time it was Joop’s turn. He launched a goldbead nymph in front of a small weir and hoped for an instant take. It did not happen. He repeated that action about 10 times
but got no contact. I was next in line and tried the same spot with a small streamer, I got several hits but was not capable of hooking any fish. Last in line was Michael who pounded the spot with the same results, nada. The fish in the pool where obviously disturbed.
The river was too small to host three anglers at the same spot so it was time to split up.
I headed straight to my favorite deep hole in this part of the river. Most of the time you would just drag a streamer through that hole and you would be into a Trout. Well today it was different. My favorite spot yielded no responses. After fishing the streamer I tried nymphing. That also failed to tempt the Trout. It looked pretty miserable. There was only one thing to do to save the day, fishing for shiners. The shiners where cooperative most of the time. I changed the heavy fly for a small goldbead nymph and started fishing at a bend in the river. Within a minute I had a fish on.
Small Dace
A small Dace had taken the goldbead nymph. Now that the first obstacle was taken I could concentrate on the real work. I was catching one Dace after another but they all where very small. I was sure that bigger ones where present at the pool I was at. There had to be another shiner species presents as well, the Roach. The latter species grew to larger sizes and would put up more of a fight when caught. I had to fish deeper. I changed my rig and pretty soon I was catching fish again. I finally managed to catch a Roach, it was not big but I was happy nonetheless .
Roach
As I stood at my honey hole I noticed that a fish was taken surface flies near my position.
Now and then insects would disappear from the surface with a loud splash. A Trout was feeding. I heard the same sound near a sunken tree behind me. Since the rises where sporadic I decided not to give the dry fly a try. I continued fishing the goldbead nymph. While fishing deeper with the nymph I caught fish after fish. I just had to throw the nymph out and before it settled the strike indicator would move away. I fished deeper and the fish became larger.
Larger Dace
Pretty soon Joop joined me, he had fished all his favorite places without results and wanted to try this last location on the river. He hooked several good size shiners but had no luck with the Trout either. Time moved fast, at noon we decided to head upstream to see what Michael was doing. On his last cast into the deep pool Joop hooked the Trout I had seen rising before. The fish took a streamer but managed to free it self rather quickly. No Trout for Joop ether. He fished some pools as we waded upstream but the Trout just where not cooperating.
Joop in action.
Halfway to the car park we stumbled across Michael. He had caught four Trout so far and all on the dry fly. At least someone had caught his Trout today. On our way back to the car park we fished the first deep hole once again. Unfortunately the second visit to that location failed to produce Trout also. After a lunch break we pondered what we should do with the rest of the day. Joop had to leave early so we looked for a fishing location close by. We decided to head to the club’s lake. That lake was stocked with Brown Trout, it had Pike, Roach and Yellow Perch . When we arrived at the lake all was quiet. No other anglers where around. The water was pretty clear and a strong wind had formed little waves on the lake’s surface.
At the lake.
We had just a half hour to fish so we rushed along the banks to find a place to wade into the leek. Since the lake was used the extraction of sand the shallow banks suddenly sloped to very deep water. You had look out with wading down there. I fished a nymph in the wind at first but there where no signs of feeding fish close to me. I moved out of the wind and found a quiet patch where small browns where feeding on the surface. It was difficult to reach the rising fish but I finally landed a fly near the place where I last had seen a Trout. I slowly fished the nymph back when the sight indicator went under. Shoot…. I missed. The other guys where leaving so I had to quit while the Trout still continued to rise.
I had not fished in a lake for ages and forgot how much fun it was to fish the Stillwater.
So much fun that I would try the lake again next week. Let’s just hope the weather improves so I finally can do some serious dry fishing.
Nobody complained about the lack of Trout this day. Joop and I had felt a Trout so they where still present. We where just not good enough to catch them. We where fortunate to have the shiners around, they saved the day for us.
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