After the wilds of Loch Awe it takes a little while to get back into the swing of Lake District fishing- at least a couple of days, but with the trout fishing coming on well and the Pike switching on big style it’s not too much of a hardship. The local wild brown trout fishing is great and I love the warmer evenings when its possible to wander down after work and do a little fishing for me. No big deal but after a days guiding or tutoring it is very enjoyable to prove to myself I can still catch fish! The Keswick waters do offer some grand trout fly fishing and for the visiting angler a nice way to leave the tribal stuff for a day is to buy a permit from Yewdales, the local tackle shop cum newsagent, and go down the middle Derwent, or if you fancy a real challenge and some grand boulder strewn fishing go up the Greta. Keep it quiet though cos it can be very good with a range of sizes and some fine dry fly fishing.

Best of all about the summer though, there’s the perch season coming up and we have some of the very best in British Perch fishing on the doorstep here in the lake District. Unlike smaller waters and southern rivers where the Perch are very much an autumn and winter fish, here in the lakes it is the summer which offers the finest of perch fishing. Last year I made a short perch fishing film with Phil Williams illustrating some of the techniques we use for targetting these fabulous fish, but unknown to me Phil posted it on U tube where as well as getting a shed load of views it upset several anglers because they rightly felt we were in danger of spoiling the fishing by global exposure so it was taken down. However all is not lost because it is still on Phil’s web site so for those who want to give it a try here’s the link:

http://www.fishingfilmsandfacts.co.uk/?page=vbassenthwaiteperch

There’s also a few other bits and pieces elsewhere on the site recorded down the years which you might find interesting.

Beyond that, there’s an article of mine in this months Pike and Predators mag with a few clues to big water pike fishing and we have other fish to catch at the moment and so with a few pictures of recent successful days out, its tarra till next time.

Tarra

Eric (who’s off fly fishing for pike with his trusty Guideline 9 weight)

Just fishing

Stan Frost- one on the fly

A teaser going back 2lb 2 oz