With a week long of heavy rain, the usual rivers were up in flood and coloured. A few posts on Fly Forums to try and find a river at reasonable level for Friday was the only hope. The Irfon, Ebbw or even the Arrow or Lugg were possibilities after heavy rain, clinging onto the fact that after rain the level drops quickly and maybe fishable, however a few phone calls put a stop to that. All responses from locals were ' its up high & coloured'.
So not to miss a days fishing it was yet another stillwater. We decided upon Stocks reservoir sister water 'Bankhouse'
www.stocksreservoir.com/bankhouse/bankhouse.htm
A lovely well matured water with plenty of character, the pictures in the fishing lodge suggested plenty of big fish to be caught. After a quick brew it was time to tackle up and start fishing. With the sun beating down a rare occurrence this summer, I was going to start off with a few buzzers and my still water favourite Diawl bach. Plenty of water to explore and many islands to fish near to the bank in the hope a cruising trout would engulf the team of flies on offer. Not a great deal of surface activity or any sign that other anglers were finding fish, a good hour or so into the five hour sporting session we had booked and finally fish on!. It was short lived the barbless hook slipping free after a few turns and thrashes from a spirited rainbow. Back to the drawing board!.
The afternoon session didn't get any easier one trout landed between a dozen anglers fishing the water, not a good sign. The usual thoughts creep in, 'What are they feeding on?'...'I have gone through the fly box what next?'.... 'Lures, nymphs, dries, tried em all'. My fishing buddy strolls round to the platform where I was trying yet another team of flies. The news that he greeted me with wasn't good but just our luck and sums up the fishing & weather in August. The two local and regular anglers informed us that due to recent heavy rain a feeder stream passing through the fishery and onto the Lune had coloured the water, this being our first time at the water we thought nothing different. The peat stained water was heavier than usual and effecting the fishing. This was backed up by the fishery owner at the end of the session. Lesson learned.,don't always 'Bank' on a stillwater to be in form after rain!.
Undaunted we saw out the rest of the afternoon with nothing to show apart from a few shy trout refusing to take a small Daddy on the surface more frustrations. The silence was however broken by an RAF VULCAN flypast what a plane!, highlight of the day. The day finished on a blank at Bankhouse, not blanked for a while but I was in good company all but one fisherman ended the day fishless. We will be returning as I'm sure this fishery has a lot more to offer, a brilliant fishery, excellent fishing lodge and looking forward to the next visit.
Lets hope the rain stops and river levels fall, Thymallus Thymallus we're coming to get you!
Tight Lines
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