Went fishing last Monday, the 16th May on the River Derwent at Duffield (Derbyshire Anglers Federation waters). Fished just upstream of the Bridge Inn and had one take and one 2lb chub on a weighted mayfly nymph. Whilst fishing, there were small intermittent hatches of may flies but no rises.

Fished this s afternoon higher up the Derwent at Milford. No luck, but this was the first time I had fished this stretch and there are few easily fishable wading places – the 20’ banks mean I need to improve my steeple casting. Prolems too when I found the quickasand nest to the bank.

More interesting was the conversation I had with the gamekeeper for that stretch as I came back up the river. He told me that as gamekeeper, he had shot some 15 mink there over the last two years between the close by railway line (trips now open to Wirksworth) and this reinforced the river.

This reinforced what I had been told last season by an Orvis sales guy who fishes the Duffield section about an “infestation” of mink. Unwanted aliens and maybe whey there are less fish rising and no mayfly madness.
Perhaps though it is the pike. Various people form Little Eaton to the gamekeeper have spoken about the massive 20 lb plus pike in the Derwent. The gamekeeper hooked at 1 lb trout last week and just landed it ahead of a small pike.

So folks a couple of different questions. Can you fly fish for pike in a fast flowing river with 20’ banks or should I just wait a bit and use sink and draw with a herring on a sea rod? Secondly, how can we traint he mink to favour pike as their favourite fodd?

More likely the pike will eat the mink!

Yes you can fly fish for pike under those conditions but wait until they are in season before you do.

Pike belong there so the best way to inhibit the numbers of small pike is to return all big pike.

Mink are best dealt with by mink traps regularly deployed and checked on frequently.

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."