Went out for a spot of trout fishing this weekend, the morning was quite cool with a north east wind blowing, not ideal conditions, but so far this year I don’t think I have seen ideal conditions, I set up with a couple of nymphs under a dry, as I waded to the first likely looking run, I thought the river was looking lovely, but the water felt cold against my waders, I quietly worked my way down the run, without so much as a touch, not a great start.

Below me was a fantastic run about 150 yards long, I tried every likely looking spot for a fish,nothing. As I rounded the corner in the river I came to a run which had produced fish for me in the past, this run was more sheltered from the wind and the water’s surface was quite calm, through my Polaroids, I thought I could see a fish, mind in the past I have spent many a happy half hour casting at a fishy looking stick or rock under the water’s surface, I put about a dozen casts over the fish, didn’t move! , So I change one of the flies to a tiny PTN, three more cast the dry dips under the water’s surface, Bingo fish on, as it started to fight in the clear water, the purple fin can be clearly seen, a nice grayling, a very nice gabling of 2 ½ - 3 lbs, quickly revived and back to the water, I thought to my self, this must almost be what it is like to fish a chalk stream, only this free stone river still isn’t as clear, as I worked my way down to the end of this run, another fishy looking shape, this time over to the far bank, a similar thing to the last fish several cast over it and nothing, the little PTN was not doing it this time, so off with it and on with a size 20 hares ear, two cast later the dry dips again, but this time the fish just turns and goes down stream at great speed, I can’t make out what it is, but it goes straight over the top of a rapid and down into the next pool, with me in hot pursuit, when I finally get a glimpse of the fish it is another grayling, when I finally land the fish and what a fish 52 cm and 3.4 lb, a monster, a quick photo and a way it swims, I’m really buzzing, but to bring me back down to earth with a bump, I fish another four runs without a bite, but who cares, I’m well pleased.