Graham Nicol loves to fish the rivers of the U.K. and beyond but he has sat down and thought about what he prefers and why.
I am very fortunate to spend the bulk of my season fishing both the chalkstreams of Hampshire and Wiltshire along with the wild streams of Devon. Now that we are approaching the depths of Winter and the trout are left to their own devices I thought it would be appropriate to compare and contrast the major differences between our wild streams and somewhat more manicured chalk cousins.
Firstly, and most importantly, were it not for our predecessors we would not be able to fish these chalkstreams for they would be effectively marshes. These were created by forcing the waters that spread on to the flood plains into tributaries and carriers which were subsequently controlled via a series of hatches.
Constant management is necessary to keep these in check and this includes weed cutting, (agreed for set dates so that the full river is tended simultaneously) bank repairs, clearing of hatches and creation of groynes and other features to enable a flow to be sufficient to move silt and thus keep the gravel clear. This last part is vital to ensure a varied fly life and fish have adequate spawning areas. The water from chalkstreams emanates from aquifers which are underground reservoirs. Rain, as it falls on the ground, seeps through the chalk to collect in these and as a consequence the water is extremely clear and alkaline in nature with the chalk acting as a purifying filter. This is what gives the chalkstreams their notoriety for clarity, profuse fly life and fast growing fish. Both trout and grayling grow on fast in these waters and there is nothing more satisfying then casting to a surface feeding fish, seeing the fish, the rise, and should you be lucky, the actual take. In addition the countryside where the chalkstreams wind through are very picturesque with many pretty hamlets dotted along them. It doesn’t get much better kneeling on the bank casting out a dry fly with mayfly dancing about and a pretty village setting in the backdrop. However, not all is well with chalkstreams for fly-life has diminished alarmingly, water extraction has reduced flows and thus silt build-up is an issue.
Over stocking with fish, in particular rainbows, on account of demands from corporate fishing and clients have changed the landscape. Outside of the famous duffer’s fortnight when the mayfly hatch occurs, fly-life is virtually nil and thus the traditional approach of casting only to a rising fish would result in no action. Hence anglers have had to resort to using the nymph more frequently. This form of fishing is extremely challenging but the original concept of upstream dry is becoming more a thing of the past. The demise of fly life is ascribed predominately to farming practices but to all intents pollution and various other features are as guilty. Will we see the famous sedge hatches in the evening and large hatches of BWOs again? Unlikely. Water quality has deteriorated and at the start of the season there is always a cloudiness which takes several months to clear. This makes even nymph fishing more of a challenge and being able to see the “wink” when a trout takes the nymph is virtually impossible. Despite these disappointments ticket prices continue to soar with a day on some of the famous beats around mayfly time costing in excess of £500. Heady stuff indeed.
The Westcountry
So what about the wild streams of Devon?
Well they are almost the complete opposite as most of the rivers originate in Dartmoor or Exmoor and they tend to be slightly acidic in nature. As a consequence the fish grow much more slowly, food is harder to source and water clarity is very rarely gin clear, with the exception of perhaps a long uninterrupted period of rain. Weed growth is very limited and the banks and rivers are left largely to their own devices. As a consequence kneeling on the bank can be quite a challenge and it is more likely you are wading up a stream using improvised casts to avoid trees, shrubbery and vegetation that are sprouting out all over the place trying to catch the unwary.
As Devon is not so tainted by the modern ways, fly life is excellent and from early on in the season a reasonable hatch can be expected on a daily basis. There are no rainbows here and no stocking where I fish, thus the fish are wild and wary! One doesn’t get a second chance at a Devon brownie and the speed of take is like lightening compared with that of a lazy chalkstream trout who appears to carry out everything in a leisurely manner. One needs to be fairly fit to fish for these wildies for a lot of ground gets covered and access can be a challenge as the dreaded Himalayan Balsam has taken a strong hold which very quickly obliterates paths and where the edge of the riverbank actually lies! The beauty of the Devon stream is different to the chalkstream but remarkable nevertheless. Fields tend to be smaller and more irregular in shape and gradients prevalent for Devon is an extremely hilly county.
It is very easy to not hear any traffic on a day’s fishing here whereas with a chalkstream that is now virtually impossible. Many of the streams hold a good head of sea trout (or peal as they are called locally) and with a bit of water, salmon. The sea trout, if approached stealthily, will take a dry and can be quite a shock when you thought it was another small brownie. Fish tend to be measured in inches or occasionally so many to the pound whereas with chalkstreams anything under a pound is considered small and not worth of mentioning.
So what do I prefer?
Simple. Both the challenges, situation, setting, etc. are different and in my season I like variety. Ideally my Nirvana would be to live equidistant between both these types of rivers so that when there is a flood I can fish the chalkstreams for they do not suffer in these conditions. Likewise in the dog days of summer, chalkstreams are truly difficult and it is then when creeping up a wild Devon stream under the shade of trees can be truly a fun challenge. Simply I love fishing and can’t get enough of both.