With Andy and brother Rob having committed many weeks ago to spend some very rare time together, they weren’t going to let, storms, thunder, tsunami’s or roaring winds dampen their appetites to do a spot of fishing… I’ve been out fishing in a whole host of different and adverse conditions but this weekend… WTF!

Having originally planned to fish on rivers, recent weather put pay to that so to a fishery we went in search of some forgiving and perhaps willing fish.

There’s just something about this sky that tells you hell is coming your way

Having gone through as much as possible huddled in the ‘Fishermans rest’: tackle, setting up and a bit of fly life… we could delay it no longer, outside into the great outdoors we go… did I say great?

I get Rob and Andy to start from scratch and set themselves up

We were fortunate in that their choice of venue had a good tree line that circumnavigated the fishery thus relieving us of an almost non stop pounding. Watermark Trout Fishery (Glouc)

Between storms of cataclysmic magnitude we had the occasional midge hatch affording us some tremendous top of the water sport all be it in brief sporadic offerings… here Rob casts straight a head as the next rise breaks surface to his left, darn typical is that… tut!

Andy is in first on a Shipmans buzzer… like the fish give a monkeys if its raining – carnage ensues

The guys are coping well in miserable conditions, the occasional fly descending on branches and foliage to the rear sometimes interrupting proceedings but soldier on they did… this is epic and I’m bloody freezin’

Rob… determined to get that line out into the oncoming wind

The obvious but a must – where some eye protection if you want to go home with the same quality of sight you came with… that was a broadcast on behalf of the ‘Elf and Savvy’ department.

At last perseverance from Rob sees him beguile a fish from the deep to a gold head damsel

Star fisherman for the weekend – Andy hunkers into another, the fish are feisty and fighting hard

With a few of their fish cooked for them by the Bull Hotel the previous evening for supper, the guys took plenty for the weekend whilst a few more as below were returned thus avoiding the menu.

As utterly miserable as it was I take my hats off to both Andy and Rob, they listened intently, learned bucket loads and caught fish… it was a pleasure to spend with them what could have been an otherwise miserable weekend, not so in this case ~ see you guys in August.

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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