Throughout much of Europe, the weather has been unusual, to say the least! Here on Eden it is currently more like April, with torrential, persistent rain. Fishing has been limited to windows in the weather when the river drops away sufficiently. Hatches are now consequently poor. I have had to postpone several guiding/coaching days, so apologies to those concerned; we will make alternative dates later in the year. Throughout the spring, hatches and catches were outstanding, as previously reported, but now we have to hunt down each fish and really work at it. Nothing wrong with this of course; it is good, demanding fishing, but the contrast between now and a month ago is startling.
I visited the tarn last weekend and cast a Diawl Bach into the channels among the now dense beds of curled-leaf pondweed. A single, solid take resulted in this magnificent fish, which essentially is a feral rainbow trout, having been stocked as a fingerling in 2005.
Last Thursday, while fishing with Lawrence Greasley, an Appleby Angling member, we saw two dead trout at Bongate Weir. We examined one of these and could not see any obvious cause of death – such as goosander stab wounds – so we were suspicious. I will put a note up on the Appleby Angling site, but if anyone fishing the Eden also notices any fish kill, then something must have happened and it should be reported to the EA immediately.
We are off to Slovenia again soon and thoroughly looking forward to the spectacular fishing in this beautiful country, where the wild environment has a priority.