Folks
This is not a thread about sex , sorry if your instantly disappointed.
What I want to hear about is your best , most memorable day or hours fishing.
It does not matter where you were fishing or how much or little that you caught.
I want you to describe in detail the sights , sounds ,smells of the particular fishing event.
Who was with you or were you by yourself ?
Did you have drink and bite to eat on the way home with your mates?
But most of all what made it so magic that it has stuck in your memory?
To start the thread I will go back some many years, possible 20+ and take you to Rutland Water.
I was working for Philips Electronics and once a year about early June the company held a trout competition to reservoir rules with 16 fish limit each.
I think it was organised by John Gale and his fishing partner Ian .
It was a boat pairs competition that was very friendly. It brought trout fishers together from all the different Philips sites around England.
The day started at the old lodge at Whitwell which was steeped in atmosphere , all those monster trout in glass cases around the walls.
Great bacon butties and a mug of tea while you chatted to old acquiescent.
The boat numbers were issued and a small brief given by the organisers ( I think we fished 10.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs to catch the evening rise ) and then off to tackle up and wait for the starting pistol.
The boat engines were fired into life and the boats held station on tick over inside a circle of bouys , just off the boat dock.
The pistol sounded and the boats powered by inboard engines moved off.
I was fishing with a work colleague called Sid York ( a man much more senior in years ) who was happy that I took the motor.
I had heard that good fish were being caught up the South Arm and my one practice trip had shown me that Lax Hill was the spot .
I think that out of the 30 boats fishing 10 only headed after me across the basin and up the south.
The day was sunny but with a thin layer of white cloud just cutting the glare.
It was a hot humid day with hardly any wind.
As I motored on up the South the other boats spread out in my wake and set course for different objectives.
As we neared the point of Lax Hill I followed the shore along to the Manton Bay for at most 100 yrds.
I dropped anchor maybe only 10 yrds from the bank because the water soon became deep.
Then I looked around , the water was near flat , with an light breeze from behind me.
The good news was that buzzers and olives were hatching.
I had tackled up with a floater and a team of a buzzer and Frazer nymphs on a twenty foot nylon leader.
The first cast was made ( no great distance due to light wind ) and I sat down on my plank ( no fancy seats then ) and after a small wait started my figure of eight.
Now this is no fairy tale so I did not catch on my first cast or for many after that , but I was getting odd little knocks and pulls that came to nothing.
My boat partner had decided to chuck his nymphs out and just let the slight wind work them.
Yes Sid caught the first fish and it was a 3lbs + , which was full of buzzers.
The day dragged on to afternoon and I continued to be cursed with fish pulling at the flies but dropping them.
I had always been a lure puller and kept my rod tip close to the water with little slack line. Well during a coffee break I put my rod down across the boat and watched the new swing tip that I had created.
The line straightened , I dropped the coffee and grabbed the line / rod hand and thankfully I caught my first fish of the day.
Now time was against me , the fish were not suicidal and I had to work hard to catch a few more. Sid Was not having much better fortune.
The afternoon dragged on to 18.00 hrs and the cloud became thicker and the wind just a little stronger.
Now the fish started to rise and feed in earnest.
I decided to up the anchor and have a slow drift along the shore line deeper into Manton Bay.
The water was gin clear and I could see the weed below as I cast and retrieved in slow steady pulls with my now team of 3 Frazer nymphs. I was getting large Browns and Bows in the 5lb class follow my flies and hit them on the hang near the boat.
Sid was also catching while I cast and tried for just one more fish before we needed to start back for the lodge.
The time shot by and I reluctantly headed back to Whitwell.
I was over the moon with the fish I had caught , on a method at which I was not that experienced.
The weigh in took place and I was proud as punch to put my catch on the scales.
As a boat pair we did not win , we got a place but that did not matter.
I remember that day from 20 + years ago with fondness because it was not easy and it was the first time I had really fished the nymphs.
It started me on a journey which took me to visit Gordon Frazer in an effort to get better and more imative with my fishing.
Oh to be able to return to that day at Rutland
better than sex ? of course !
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