Thursday, 19 April 2012

Trout and Shameless Lampreys

This brownie took a size 16 blue winged olive

Brook Lampreys preparing their mating site

Caught in the act

Picking up stones with their mouths and covering the eggs

The fly fishing season started for me on the crystal clear Leach. There was very little water and getting within casting range proved tricky to say the least. Low levels and the clarity of the water made it very hard to remain unseen by the quarry but, eventually, extreme stealth and a lucky first time cast rose this brownie to a blue winged olive.

These shameless brook lampreys were very nearly trodden on as I waded the shallow tail of a small weir pool. They were completely engrossed in their activities and ignored my presence with a nonchalance bordering on the reckless. The pictures give some indication of the gin clear conditions.

1 comment:

George Burton said...

Fascinating...'never even seen a lamprey and assumed they were quite rare these days (though I guess it depends on the watercourse)
George