You Know You've Got it Bad When You're Talking To Your Dog About Small Stream Trout Fishing

I had a walk beside a local small stream a few days ago with my faithful, although pretty unintelligent Retriever. I thought I would post a few pics on here to see if any other anglers agreed with me that this place looks like an amazing spot to relax and cast a line. Not only that, i'd be interested to see if anyone agrees with me when I say that parts of it look incredibly fishy.

All anglers reading this will know exactly what I mean when I talk about "Oh my God" parts of a river. I lost count of how many times, as I walked along the banks of this lovely stream, that having peered through a hedge or branches of a tree at the water below, I'd turn to the dog to say, "Oh my God look at this, it looks f*cking ace!". I also lost count of how many times the dog looked back at me with an expression that said sticks and eating cow pooh is of much greater importance than just how fishy your river looks.

There was quite a bit of fly life, including a hatch of Grannom, but I never saw a single rise on this warm April evening, not only that, I didn't see a single fish. I did, however, startle a Kingfisher, that raced up the river in flashes of blue and green.

All the while, the cry of Buzzards in the forest nearby was ever present, and to be honest, even though we were not too distant from a busy town centre, there was a feeling of being away from it all, and all that could be heard was the babbling brook and the wildlife around it. What a great place it would be to cast a line or two. It looked to me like a perfect Trout stream...I'd welcome comments as to what other anglers think.

I for one would love to stroll down here with a 6ft 3wt rod and tempt a few wee troots to an olive pattern.

A Steady Start to the 2010 Trout Season

It's been a quiet start to the Trout season. We've had some stunning weather, but a fair few cold nights has not encouraged the wee troots to come out and play. 

Now that the kids are back to school, I've managed a couple of hours here and there over the last few days. On Sunday evening, I had a great time on the LADFFA stretch of the Churnet at Lord's Bridge. It was my first time on this beautiful river, and I really enjoyed the feeling of being away from it all and the stunning surroundings, more akin to the Bavarian forests than North Staffordshire. 

If anyone ever says to you that Staffordshire hasn't got beauty, bring them to spots like this at Dimmingsdale, The Roaches, The Manifold Valley, Dove Dale, Berrisford Dale, The Hamps Valley, and countless other spots that most folk would leed people to believe were wholly in Derbyshire. Yes, the Dove is the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border, but most people speak of it as a Derbyshire river. "The best parts of Derbyshire are in Staffordshire" my Dad used to say...and he's dead right.

Rant over. This was one of two Brownies that I landed on Sunday evening. I'd heard people talk about the amazing markings on the fish that they catch here on the Churnet but was blown away when I saw them with my own eyes.

I was fishing a dup set up and I took the fish on a Pheasant Tail Nymph. What a beauty. I'll definitely be spending a few evenings on this stretch in the months to come and I still have the lower limits to explore yet too.

On Monday, I fished Dovedale which I found to be really tricky. I saw plenty of fish, dropped a couple and had quite a few stockies, smashing at my Klinkhammer, inquisatively inspecting this unlikely looking fly slowly floating down the Nursery Pool.

I returned to Lord's Bridge on the Churnet for a couple of hours on Tuesday Morning, to get out of the harsh, cold wind more than anything but had another really enjoyable session with a couple more wild Brownies and a few unavoidable out of season Grayling.

This morning I felt it was time to head off to my Leek and Moorlands Fishing Club stretch of the Dove. I arrived at the car park, tackled up and had a chat with a couple of anglers who were just leaving, having been fishing the next stretch downstream, a different club water. My head went down a bit when they told be that they hadn't caught any fish, but thought I would give my stretch a go anyway...

I've not seen the river looking so good for a long time and looked forward to making a cast or two.

I was rewarded with a nice couple of wild Brownies. I set up with an idicator and a point fly (JT Flashback) and a dropper (JT Straggleback). This fish went to the point fly, the other to the dropper. Grayling were once again showing in numbers, it seems hard to avoid them at the moment, their feeding activity being so great.

What a great few days it has been, things, it appears, are warming up a little for the anglers of North Staffordshire (and Derbyshire :-)), and long may it continue....

Cheers

David

Errwood Reservoir Day Tickets Now Available at The Wine Shop

From 30th March 2010, anglers wishing to fish at Errwood Reservoir, will be able to purchase their tickets at The Wine Shop in Leek.

The reservoir occupies 85 acres in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Peak National Park between Buxton, Whaley Bridge and Macclesfield.

Fishing rights to Errwood Reservoir include the three feeder streams that form the headwaters of the Goyt. There is ample parking and plenty of fishing just a few yards away. For anglers who do not enjoy a long walk, the close proximity of a gentle sloping bank is much appreciated. Friendship and a chat about angling supplement a fine fishing venue.

Regular stockings take place throughout the season of well finned, high quality Rainbow Trout from carefully sourced, approved suppliers. For the 2010 season it is intended to stock fish between 2 and 6lbs with a number of even larger fish to supplement each stocking. In addition, Errwood sustains a population of indigenous wild Brown Trout to 1 1/4lb. These are hard fighting, take a small fly at lightening speed and will test even the most experienced angler.

Please click here to visit the Errwood Fly Fishing Club website for more info

Day tickets cost £15 each for a 3 fish limit. Buy a bottle of whisky from us when you collect your day ticket and we'll put a dram or two in your hip flask!

Leonie and David

John Tyzack Masterclass Re-unites Pointon and Peter "Pollock"

Sunday 28th March 2010. Glen Pointon and John Tyzack had got their heads together to organise the first JT Masterclass of the Trout Season. We'd had plenty of rain over the previous days but the river Dove had settled back into good conditions, slightly up with the slightest hint of colour. I was to join the boys for lunch at the boards and transport them back to their cars at Dovedale at the end of the day. And so, at about 12 noon, I found the lads in fine form, I could here the laughter, swearing and potteries slang not long after leaving the lovely little village of Milldale.

Glen had got in touch with our old friend Peter "Pollock". Peter had joined us on our trip to Islay in September 2009, where he'd treated us to his culinary delights and also showed us a thing or two about angling. We discovered early on that he was very good at rock fishing for Pollock...and so we thought we were quite original by giving him the affectionate nickname of "Pollock". Anyway, it was clear that they were over the moon about being reunited, Glen not being able to conceal his feelings!

Glen was ready to provide the humourous anecdotes while all enjoyed their coffee. The story of the day was "Pointon's Peephole" much to the merriment of rest of the group. Please contact Glen if you have any questions about it as I am not prepared to repeat it's contents here.

The Masterclass 

(From Left to right)

Ads Booth, Guy (Orvisfan), Peter Pollock, Pointon, Wesser, and Tyzack. Brian was elsewhere at the time.

I can't remember  taking this pic but the content is, nevertheless, quite funny. I think Pointon had been responsible for the first round of coffees and bacon. You only need to look at what he appears to be doing at the back of the pic, and Brian's body language, to understand that something hadn't been cooked properly! I think he may have been "looking for Hughy".

Pointon had other problems too. He'd managed to loose both his wading belt and his shoulder straps for his waders. Consequently, they were being held up by his gut alone. This, many remarked, gave him the appearance of a small child with a very full nappy.

During the morning session, Tyzack had been giving the lads group tuition and all were talking about the great amount of benefit they had gained from this. All were eager to put their new skills into practice and between them, they had managed a few fish. Brian, unfortunately, had an accident with his Sage rod, and so, we had a quick swap around of rods and I decided to confine my fishing for the day to an evening session at Dovedale.

The afternoon was enjoyed at quite a leasurely pace. John spent a while with each member of the group, guiding, advising and consolodating their learning from the morning sessions.

Brian showed us how to keep cool whilst angling under extreme pressure, whilst being watched closely by 5 or 6 fellow fisherman, one of which, quite literally, fishes for England.

Pointon, usually famed for looking at the fish and not the camera, looks at the camera and not at the fish.
Over the last 3 or 4 months, every other word he has spoken has been "Grayling". He even looks a bit odd holding a trout!

David

Mark Unsworth of Islay Studios Photographs Dovedale

Mark Unsworth visited us in Leek last week and we had a stroll up Dovedale. Mark is a professional photographer and owns the Islay Studios on the Hebridean island of Islay.

Mark kindly offered to take a few pics of the conditions at Dovedale. A little bit different to mine aren't they! Thanks Mark, they're fantastic!

David

Queen of the Moorlands Whisky Tasting Dates for Islay Festival of Malt and Music 2010

At last, we've set the dates for the Queen of the Moorlands Whisky tastings to be held at this year's Islay Festival of Malt and Music. We'd like to invite you to join us at one of our friendly, informal tastings, where you will have the chance to talk to us about, and more importantly, to taste, the fantastic new whiskies that we are about to bottle in time for the festival.

Each tasting event will consist of a tasting of 4 whiskies, at least 3 of which will be from Islay and at least 3 of which will be very rare, Single Cask, Single Malt Whiskies of the very highest quality. One of the whiskies will be The Queen of the Moorlands Rare Cask Islay Festival Bottling 2010 which is a fantastic 1997 peated Bunnahabhain from a sherry hogshead.

We only bottle a few casks each year and because the Queen of the Moorlands Whisky Company is not our main business, we do not have to have a full range at all times like many of the other independent bottlers do. We only bottle what we consider to be a fantastic example of each distilleries house style.

Every year, our tastings are becoming more and more popular because of the quality and style of whiskies that we show. If at all possible, and of course, weather permitting, we hold our whisky tasting outdoors which promotes a friendly and informal atmosphere where enthusiasts can have a chat with myself or with other members of our "Whisky Committee" who help choose which whiskies end up under The Queen of the Moorlands Rare Cask label...it's a tough job but someone's got to do it.

If you are interested in attending one of our tastings, please email me as soon as possible (david@rarecask.com), and I will reserve a place for you. This year we will be busier than ever so please contact me ASAP to avoid disappointment.

The venue will be in Bowmore and we will confirm this as soon as we have more info. Tickets can be booked through myself and paid for on the day of the tasting at The Islay Whisky Shop. A refund of £5 will be given by The Islay Whisky Shop against the total price of one or more bottles of Queen of the Moorlands Whiskies tasted at the tasting, and purchased that day at The Islay Whisky Shop.

Queen of the Moorlands Islay Festival Whisky Tastings 2010

Monday 24th May 2010 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Wednesday 26th May 2010 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Thursday 27th May 2010 4.30pm to 6.30pm

We hope that we will see you at one of our tastings.

Please click here for more information about the new bottlings.

Slainte

David

PS This pic shows a wee gem from the past..our famous Queen of the Moorlands "OurBeg" Single Cask...sadly, it sold out in a week!

Conditions and Tree Work at Milldale

Had a couple of hours at Milldale this morning and it was great to be fishing in the sun for a change. At the top end of the LADFFA stretch there were no fish to be seen. The river was absolutely gin clear and I knew it was going to be another tough day's fishing at the back end of the Grayling season.

It was interesting to see the lads at work on the tree management. The work has opened up one or two new swims where previously a cast would have been extremely tricky. I was quite amazed at the amount of work that had been completed at the Milldale end of our stretch compared to what I saw a couple of days ago at Dovedale.

Conditions were incredibly difficult, in my experience, you need a little more colour in order to catch a few fish.

I did manage a couple of small fish but they were very hard to find. The only place that I saw fish was around Ilam rock and these were all trout that were frantically feeding. I paused for a bite to eat on the footbridge and tucked into a pork pie, I was amazed when a large trout smashed at a flake of pastry that I had accidentally dropped.

It was a joy to be fishing with my 6 foot glass rod and I think it will by my choice of rod for Dovedale and Milldale in the season to come.

John Mac Lellan Joins Kilchoman Distillery Team

Great news...we've just been told that John MacLellan, Distillery Manager at Bunnahabhain for the last 12 years, is leaving to step into the new General Manager position at Islay's newest distillery, Kilchoman.

John takes up the exciting position on the 3rd of May and Leonie and I wish him all the best for the future.

Well done John! Keep an eye on our cask of Kilchoman!

Click here for the Kilchoman Distillery website.

Slainte

David and Leonie