Graham Nicol captures what many of us felt about the 2012 season here in the UK
I have fished for in excess of 40 years now and despite not compiling a diary or journal can confidently say last year was like no other. Not only was it frequently a washout but it was generally a disappointment from a fishing satisfaction perspective. For most of us we fish to for a variety of reasons. It could be from a fish catching perspective be it most, biggest or number of different species or it could be simply the pleasure of being in the great outdoors spotting unusual flora and fauna. Over the years I have migrated into the latter camp but still derive enormous satisfaction having a day where the fish comply. It could simply be to get away from her indoors, but I don’t believe that for one moment chaps!
So where did 2012 disappoint?
It’s a good question of which I cannot pinpoint in detail but feel when I review my overall season I arrive at more down moments than up with the residue flat!
Early Spring saw me on the banks of the Royal Dee in generally favourable conditions but despite two days of thrashing the water, foam kelts were the only willing players. Overnight the heavens opened and the following day the river was several feet higher with a bit of colour. I fished tight to the bank as instructed by the ghillie and managed to keep my previous two day's record intact of no Springer. A trip then to the lower Tweed resulted in a different weather pattern for when we arrived on the first day we couldn’t open the car doors on account of the wind! Casting that day was interesting to say the least and I chickened out quickly with the heavy tube set-up. However, there was a silver lining for I landed my first Springer of the season.
If you recall we then endured a long dry spell where our wonderful water utility companies introduced a series of hose pipe bans only for it to rain incessantly from then onwards. Perhaps they should state that they have secured enough water to keep us afloat in it for several years to come as I am sure the weather will abruptly change to test their hypothesis. Nevertheless I recall sitting in early March in shirtsleeves on the banks of the Taw watching an impressive amount of fly life, although the fish were not responding on the surface. I visited my local club water in Herts, the Lea and was astonished at how low it was already. The flow was so poor that you could cast upstream and read a chapter of a book before the fly drifted past you. It was both desperate and depressing and I left that day wondering what condition the river would be in by Summer. I was bracing myself for a multitude of late evening and early morning sorties.
And then it rained; and rained; and, you’ve guessed it, yes, rained more.
Of course initially I, along with all fellow anglers, rejoiced but as the appearance of that little yellow ball in the sky became ever more infrequent I became increasingly concerned. I was quickly coming round to the global warming debate.
Mayfly time came round and from my perspective it was average with less fly-life than normal, coloured water and what appeared to be fewer fish rising activity. I was fortunate to get a day on the Test and the weather had put the mayfly back by at least a week and thus for that day my total sightings of Ephemera Danica were a massive 3!
My trips down to Devon were frustrating with rivers either coloured or the flow just too strong making both wading and my love, the dry fly, somewhat difficult and futile. I then resorted to some saltwater bassing but the rivers had coloured up the estuary and the fish either were not there in numbers or not feeding as they ought to have been.
Early July saw me on the Thurso for a week and fortunately the river was high but falling and the fish were running. Over the week my party had our best trip ever and so unsurprisingly we have re-booked for this year when it is now guaranteed there will be blue skies with the only clouds around being those of the midge variety
My local club water never cleared and thus fishing consisted of blind nymphing in areas know in the past to hold fish which proved successful but was far from satisfying when my passion is to fish on the top.
We now enter early autumn and my favourite part of the fishing season.
I invited a fishing buddy down to Devon for a few days and we managed only three hours in total as the rivers refused to settle and we ended focussing on a headwater using a tungsten bead head to get some depth as even there the flow was formidable. Just after he departed the rivers temporarily fined down and I managed to land my first Devon salmon. With the trout season now finished my attention switched to salmon and having asked for the two week extension ticket for the Torridge never managed to fish it. One day I ventured down only to swear aloud when I saw the colour. Why is it that despite looking at the webcam beforehand, I still don’t believe it, get all kitted up only to return in a foul mood an hour later?
End October saw me up on the Don for salmo salar and that proved successful. However, the weather Gods made me work for it as we had relentless northerly winds with heavy snow showers that were so intense you had to find some shelter otherwise you quickly turned into a yeti.
And so the season finally drifted towards my quest for thymallus thymallus, or grayling, and how have I fared? Guess what, I haven’t been out yet on account of …..what do you call that stuff that never stops falling out of the sky….oh yes bl**dy rain!
Tight lines for 2013 and I have already taken to learning how to carry out a sun dance in earnest!!