A return visit by the Irregular Fly Fishing Society the other week provided another demonstration of the superb quality of Lake District trout fishing. With overcast conditions and lots of large dark olives, grannom and yellow May duns hatching, the trout were busy making the most of this banquet when we visited a new venue over in the Eden Valley. Every pool had fish feeding steadily and the irregulars made the most of it. Best of the bunch was this lovely specimen brownie which took a Klinkhammer tight against the far side. John Wylde made a great job of playing the beast which weighed in at 3lb12oz before being returned. WE even spent ten minutes watching a young otter hunting crayfish before it moved up-river. Mind you, having a group of four anglers spread out over a mile or two of river can be hard on the guides legs but the results were more than worth it Many anglers have commented in recent months upon the amazing hatches of insects presently occurring on many or our local rivers and this can only be good for the future. Long may it continue. Trout fishing during the day will slow down a little now we have something approaching summer conditions but the evenings should start to get even better. And of course we are fast approaching the time of year when the surface lures for Pike do the buisiness and big perch start to show up as well. Oh dear….I’ll have to get the perch rod out again. How sad!!!

John Wylde and a grand Brown trout

Irregular Ullswater Trout