And a Good Friday it has certainly been. I journeyed to the Nadder with Warren in search of both water and fish… only to be confronted with… both… ha! there’s a surprise.

Not to exaggerate but there’s a few million gallons more than I’d been used to in recent months

We made the most of an early start and with no fly activity to adorn some silky smooth glides, we opted for the nymph in the deeper pools. With a brisk breeze and the face feeling warm in the sun, the water however was ruddy freezin’. Warren’s jewels were almost testicle testament to the cold temperature – not that he was willing to share on camera of course.

The water had a tinge of colour from whence we know not. We could see shapes but little definition, one thing was for sure, grayling were in abundance and visibly high in the water on many occasions.

Almost immediately we started pulling fish on ptn’s and caddis imitations… nothing of any noticeable size however, this was about the average… some were that small they were discernable from the fly.

Late morning and well into the afternoon see’s the flight of the Grannom and the rises it attracts throughout the river – accompanied by the odd LDO that fell more into the category of ‘much a do about nothing’. The active fish were seemingly none too picky either… CDC, klinkhammers and elk hair sedge being equally accountable for the notable takes… unfortunately everything was grayling.

We seemed to have hit on a particular generation of almost identical fish with only but a salmon parr and two smaller trout interrupting an otherwise one sided affair. We absolutely cleaned up between us… awesome fun made more the merrier using rods that befitted the catch, 10ft #2 weights… we’d not had so much fun in a long time. Having not had too much success on this particular stretch during winter months in search of grayling, it was fabulous to see so many… all be it at an untimely juncture in this the trout season – Have a great Easter Weekend all

A vibrant and lush Manningford Trout Fishery make for an interesting afternoons fishing as brothers Andy & Rob return for what is only their second time fly fishing. Their previous outing being a somewhat mixed affair marrying some otherwise good fishing with unwelcome Tsunami like conditions.

Not so today ~ simply glorious… Andy in typical fishing regalia…

Rob in more traditional attire…

Those that know Manningford appreciate the waters clarity and relatively shallow depths that make for good stalking. Unfortunately in prolonged warm and sunny conditions this can be a hindrance. Not one that puts fish off but more the likelihood of algal blooms and clodophra which gradually floats to the surface as a result of the subsequent warmth… high nutrients in shallow clear unshaded water are an ideal recipe upon which this can occur.

Never the less fish are visible and active – Rob focusing on a good back cast as Andy leans into a fish

We seem to have hit the perfect combination… a hopper in the surface and a size #18 buzzer drifting 6” below it. Anything not suspended above the veritable weedy feast meant your were spending all your time removing the horrid stuff from your flies. Call it what you will the tactic certainly worked and nailed Andy and Rob some terrific fish.

Rob lifts into a rip snorter…

Brother Andy does the honours and brings the fish in as well as heaps of weed, tut!…

Andy himself back into a fish running him ragged in the tight margins

A couple of the well earned spoils that made for a superb afternoons fishing.

The weed was at times an absolute pain but with perseverance and good casting our tactics paid dividends in the end. We’ll not mention Andy the one that got away … just the one?

Thanks for another great session guys, catch up soon ~ Jim.

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