When I am on the river and the fish are playing hard to get (which seems most of the time) I just sit back on the bank to take in the scenery and watch the local wildlife.
The dippers dipping for insects,gray wagtails on the water edge, kingfishers flashing past and buzzards overhead.
As an ex.twitcher-but now just a birdwatcher and fy fisher,at the end of his first season river fishing up here in Scotland. How lucky I feel to have the best of both worlds.
I bet I am not alone on this forum?

M-D

Your certainly not alone when river fishing; and your certainly not alone with your thoughts of how lucky we all are when surrounded by the beauty that "Mother Nature" provides; and it's all FREE! How lucky is that?

There's something special about fishing the rivers and streams in this country!

Hi', Mostyn, you said it. We are lucky to have found what goes with this sport. Sometimes the fishing is a bonus. TerryC

Yes, lucky we are, and a funny thing, but when I was younger, I don't remember seeing half as much wildlife as I do now.
Perhaps I was in such a rush to catch fish then, and now it's not so important anymore.
Either that, or I am just needing to sit down more often.
Whichever, it's a joy to be sat on the banks of a lovely bit of river.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Trout fishing has always been the sum of it's totals. Some realise that, others never will.
Tight Lines

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"The Future's Bright The Future's Wet Fly"

It is the end of the season, isn't it?

I'm a member of a stocked reservoir that closes at the end of November, but you are right, this is the end of the season for the local river that I'm lucky enough to live nearby.

Wow, I started casting in March, practising in a field then trying it on the river and being chided for fishing out of season! What quickly became an obsession to get everything right mellowed out towards the end of the season....maybe because I caught less, lost heart, or simply because I was trying to learn too much? I've read so much this year, tried so many rods, lines, leaders, tippets, flies, retrieval, reels, etc etc....

The members out there that are further ahead than me. What would you recommend we do between now and the next season to build on this first year?

Courty

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"Quality will be remembered long after the price is forgotten."
"The pain of equipment failure lasts longer than the thrill of a bargain."
(from The Book of Tackle Acquisition, chapter 6, Universal Laws).

Spot on.. I decided to spend the last day of the season on the river. Arrived about 11am and surprisingly water was at a decent level after heavy rain. Waders on and into river,upstream or down? heads or tails? Upstream it is. Decided on NZ style, ginked up hackled daddy #14, with squirrel spider #18
(a labour of love tying this size). Picked off 5 trout, biggest being approx. --1/2lb, 4 taking spider. No rises, just searching likely spots I`d remembered from low water. Cast mid stream, daddy flew backwards, lifted rod, fish on. Only had 3lb leader on and it felt like a decent fish, so I loosened the drag slightly, off it went. Got it to the net, no , off it went again. 5 minutes later I got it in the net and onto the bank. Lovely brownie of 1lb+ perfect in every way. A minute in the current and off it went with a splash of the tail. That was the point where my season ended. Perfect. (Picture of fish is first and last of a full forum album. )cheers.) Peter.

You can't beat it mate !

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" If you stand by the river long enough the bodies of all your enemies will float by"

i just love to be in river up to my gonads whether i'm catching fish or not. the scenery, the wildlife and most importantly the serenity. though i do normaly leave the river quite sharpish when those flaming bats come whizzing past you after your flies

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I could fish deep into the night
Well past the light
But at the end of the day
It's the end of the day

Burhan

mc_death187@yahoo.com