A Little Early

An early season fly fishing trip to Mid-Wales.
The rivers were running high, but clearing so thought I'd give it a go.
Fished a large March Brown swung with a tungsten nymph on the point.
Bumped a couple of fish, but nothing stuck.
A few fly came off the water around mid-day, but very little activity.
I’ll get out again soon down in the Westcountry where things are starting to move.
Regards
LB
For information on fishing in Mid-Wales www.fishingpas...
More info on what I do www.bannisterr...
Or follow me on Instagram / splitcane

[@robertgreen5217]

Just good to be out I bet , was that a mink that ran by behind you early in the video, it was jet black to me anyway 👍

[@bannisterrods]

Thank you Robert. It was good to get out on the water, I didn't see the mink until I looked at the video...bit of a suprise!

[@soultrader57fishingandmusi25]

Nice film, I've only been out once myself, and the local stream is cold, high, and coloured! Grateful to save a blank with a modest 9" brownie. All to come, tight lines! 👍

[@bannisterrods]

Cheers ! 👍 Glad you got out, it is still pretty early and a 9" brownie isn't a bad way to start the season.

[@jorvikangler]

Is that an otter or mink bobbing along the bank at 0:40?

[@bannisterrods]

Pretty sure it was a mink. It was looking pretty well feed.....

[@d803albion]

Photobombed by a mink! They are fearless…. Nice video as always , will be out there soon…..

[@ianrobertson9744]

Love watching the casting a single Spey over the left shoulder magic real skill regards Ian Merseyside

[@bannisterrods]

Thank You Ian. Glad you enjoyed it. Those off shoulder casts are a bit awkward, although they do come in useful now and again. Hope your season goes well.

[@andysmith819]

Great footage. Thank's for sharing.

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks Andy, hopfully I'll be back out with the camera again soon.

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Nice place

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks, I think it'll be even nice in about a months time.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Shame about the dropped fish, still nice to feel the tug. Lovely casting.

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks Chris. It was on just long enough to know it was a nice fish... As you said nice to feel the tug, and hopefully they'll stay attached as the season goes on. Hope the season goes well.

[@fieldsman3307]

Good to see you back on the water , quite good hatches on the vyrnwy and banwy of mb and ldo but nothing rising 3wks ago, illness stops me going out at present but won't be long, look forward to the next video ATB Mike

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks Mike. Good to hear things are starting to move up there. Hope you're better soon and out on the water. I'm hoping to get out a bit more with the camera this year, so there should be another video before too long.

[@highlandfishingdiary8818]

Well done on getting out and doing another lovely video. Hoping to get out soon myself, as so far I’ve not managed an early season cast. Tight lines for 2023.

[@bannisterrods]

Thank You. Hope you're out on the water soon, it is still pretty ealry. Hope the season goes well.

[@carlhughes9584]

Really Luke, you are fishing with mini streamers. Especially fishing down stream and on the swing, those flies wouldn't be behaving like nymphs, but would small fish/fry. Also the fact they are pretty large for nymphs and especially the point fly, pretty flashy this representing a fishes flanks more than a drab nymph. I've read things from a few anglers being pretty snooty about streamer fishing. George Barron wrote an article about Llyn fish in Trout and Salmon last year, and I remember him really looking down on streamer fishing and said for goodness sake they wild trout and treat them with respect........I thought oh the irony.........doesn't he realize that he's simply mini streamer fishing himself, with his team of traditional, flashy wet flies?? No insect is that flashy and neither do they behave like that, moving in fast jirks as a team .........but a shoal of fish, yes! I thought youre blinded by tradition. A streamer fisherman could be trying to imitate a newt or an actual small fish in the lake that trout feed on. Sorry for the rant, but it's the stuffy conservatism in fly-fishing in UK that irritates me a bit.

[@bannisterrods]

Definitely not fishing with mini streamers. Fished properly, the fly will behave very similar to a nymph. Cast across, make a few mends the nymph is dead drifting and sinking, as it swings across the current and tension comes on the line they will rise just like a natural, often inducing a take. Agreed, just casting across and swinging the flies then will fish more like a steamer. I’m not doing that… I’d suggest "Wet-fly Fishing Treated Methodically" by E.M Todd. If you an in-depth view. His views on “Down and across” are also worth noting.. Mend, or start with the rod tip high, then lower it through the drift and the flies will behave like a nymph. March Brown and Large Dark Olive nymphs can be pretty big, probably not size 10 big, but certainly getting that way. As for the “flashy” nymph….a nymph that is about to emerge has a film of gas/bubbles between it's body and outer skin, they can be amazingly iridescent and shiny, and certainly not drab. The Gary Lafontaine Deep Sparkle Pupa/Emerger being an excellent example. And some nymphs move exactly as you described, Blue Winged Olive nymphs are often described as “agile darters” If you can’t rant on the internet where can you….. Hope you have a good season

[@carlhughes9584]

​@@bannisterrods Your reply exactly illustrates the point I made above.....as if it's somehow bad to fish a streamer. Just take a hard look at the two flies you were using and honestly tell me whether they look more like a fish or a nymph. The wet fly has a wing that looks just like the dorsal fin of a fish. There is nothing on a nymph that resembles this.......nothing ........yes I know nymphs can have a silver appearance due a veil of oxygen, and change colour as they emerge, but to say your point fly with flashy tinsel rib and a big gold head truely represents a nymph is nonsense. Now a small minnow, well yes and a very good likeness indeed. Fish can also flow with current and 'dead drift' and they most definitely rise off the river bed ........your fish might well be mistaking your flies for nymphs, but equally they may be mistaking them for small fish. There's ofcourse no way of ever knowing unless we find a trout that can talk!

[@MrBrysie]

Hi Luke. Tight Lines for the New Season! best wishes Bryan

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks Bryan. Hope it's a good one, with a bit more water than last year....Although I guess we have to be careful of what we wish for!

[@peterlaidler3895]

Nice to see your first post of the new season Luke. Hope there's more to come? tight lines

[@bannisterrods]

Thnak you Peter. I'm planning on getting out on the river more this year, so more videos soon.

[@jpdorsethq1280]

Thanks.Sweet handling of a single hand set up.May I ask what it is in terms of rod and line.?

[@bannisterrods]

Thank You. The rod is a CTS 9ft 6in 4wt, it a lovely allrounder for rivers where theres a bit of space. The line is one that I designed and had made, in the process of getting more done, they were good lines.

[@jpdorsethq1280]

@@bannisterrods Thanks Luke.CTS from the land of the long white cloud no less.Please keep me posted on the lines as impressed by your effortless delivery of single hand spey type casts.

[@jpdorsethq1280]

Mink ?? just after the woodpecker ?

[@bannisterrods]

Yes a mink. It's difficult to see, but it's actually got something in its mouth, a small rabbit possibly.

[@jpdorsethq1280]

@@bannisterrods Friend has trapped a lot of mink this year on middle reaches of Dorset Stour.

[@paulnevins5936]

Great to see you out Luke!

[@bannisterrods]

Thanks Paul, it's good to be back out on the water, even if it was a bit early. Hope your season geos well