Another great day out on the Test with Tony before the festive break… following on from David earlier in the week, the grayling seemingly on edge still remained up for a challenge. Tony’s charge today was to use a 10ft #4 he’d had for some time but seldom fished with. Having explored the finer points and advantages of said long rod we set to the river and committed ourselves to targeting specific fish rather than speculate.

Fish filled glides await our meagre offerings

15ft leaders down to 6X for these spooky blighters… Tony nets his first with an induced take

Eagle eyed and concentrating hard, we’re in for some hard earned fish

Numerous offerings and a few missed opportunities see us change tactics, spotting a ‘Lady’ hunkered deep in a pocket tight to tree cover we reach for the furled indicator, tying on an olive shrimp and reducing the leader down to some 8 feet Tony short lines stood within 6 feet of the fish.

After numerous passes we see the indictor stop dead in its tracks, Tony lifts in… and oh my did it ever want that fly, a pewter beauty to make anyone smile, 10ft rod is christened.

On its way… I even managed to squeeze out a picture from an ever dying Olympus

Continuing to fish through each approaching beat and with Tony’s fishing and casting qualities ever more impressive, we lay siege to a glorious but turbulent bridge pool. We spot 2 grayling feeding side by side, diversity and the need to expand Tony’s knowledge we deploy the ‘tdi’ indicator which bisects our leader set up.

Hanging it right in the surface we attempt to extract one of the pair with a size 16 PTN and a Pink Head Mary which are usual takers. Nose touching passes do nothing to encourage them to commit.

Scratchy head time ????

We stick with the setup and go small, a bead head PTN in an #18 on a dropper and a #20 olive micro on the point with 2 no.8 shot for unhindered decent. Tony sets to with gusto, pass after pass… then

Clunk!… Tony sets and she thunders towards every obstacle in this otherwise tight spot

and yet another stunner, top quality fishing from the man… a pretty girl she is to

Further exploits down stream were fruitless as we made our way back through fading light.

Exceptional day Tony, a pleasure to be out with you today… I look forward to fishing the same stretch myself on Christmas Eve, I know where these fish are so will attempt to catch them twice for one up-man ship. Have a great Christmas & New Year ~ Jim

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With unseasonably mild conditions of late it was a mere yet pleasant 2/dc that greeted Warren, John, Richard and I on a crisp & misty ‘Itchen’ morn’

What better way is there to start a day than doing ‘man things’… chief chef Richard musters up some crispy rashers on soft girlie baps, washed down with some Earl Grey and Lapsang Suchong

Fed and watered we gather to celebrate the airing of Lord John of Hoban’s new 10ft #2… that’ll be just fine for the salmon then that happen to occupy certain pools?

The river looks stunning, it has water in it for starters… mild conditions see river bed and bank side vegetation lingering for that little bit longer making for an extended fish encouraging habitat.

Straws drawn… we split up with a well mannered and frantic ‘first one there wins’ mentality. Richard kicks off opposite the hut in the shallows, the cob and pen behind being lazy, barely moving all of about 2 feet during day, typically blocking the path of the perfect fishy glide… tut!

John positions himself below a choppy riffle, the positioning of his head attire being absolutely vital.

Warren places himself further up in the deeper glides and sets about some grayling quickly

I settle in just downstream targeting the margins…

an unsuspecting brownie is my first fish to hand

John working hard trying to christen his new rod… it just ain’t happening for him

If there was an award for ‘remaining at your post’, then it went to Richard in the foreground, once he’d tickled a few grayling out of this pool he just didn’t budge … it was his best ever days fishing on a river… in the world ever!, they were coming to both nymph and dry fly all afternoon.

Warren & I decided to drag John upstream to a deep pocket, we needed to get his new rod bent… the first cast sees him ping a fly into a tree, Yes! the one we pointed out that was above your head.

his second cast nailed this beauty, unfortunate only in that it was a brown trout…

from then on in he was on a roll as more seemed willing to flex his carbon wand

On 6X 12ft or so leaders, various beaded nymphs in sizes 16 & 18 seemed to do the trick, where as localised hatch of Olives and stonefly drew fish to our BWO and Caddis stimulator patterns.

John and Richard discussing their refined tackle choices

The ever lethal French Nymphing outfit gets a wetting…

Ultra sensitivity can pick up lots of these… enjoyable or annoying?

We’re joined by an Egret, or should I say fellow angler?… the lazy swans remain lazy

DIY Amadou… you’ll only try it once and then probably buy the real stuff!

There’s still mist in the air and grey cloud so darkness seems to descend upon us quickly, the day has rushed by and we’ve had an absolute blast… it’s been very productive and yet we’ve not done the river justice in terms of fishing it in it’s entirety.

A final few fish before concluding with supper and tales of woe… one of John & Warrens abiding memories was to see a good sized salmon launching skyward for Johns tiny nymph…

Another superb days fishing guys… pleased you like the rod so much John, you’ll not put it down, great fishing Richard, we’ve had a Private Parking sign put up at the pool we’ve named after you.

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