Retired police officers stumped as they try to tempt the trout at fishery

The still waters are not fishing anywhere near as easy as they were. Thrunton Long Crag had the retired police group fishing when I was there and they found it difficult to catch. Working out what fly to use and at what depth, added to that what type of retrieve to use proved puzzling for most.

I caught a lovely rainbow trout using a size 16 buzzer with a tiny brass bead at the head. That was the only take I had in an hour-and-a-half. However the man fishing the float tube was roly-polying some Apps Bloodworm patterns and he was catching regularly. Successful fly patterns have been Buzzers, Daddies, Damsels, Zonkers and Worm flies.

Chatton Fishery held the first heat of the Eddie Brown Winter Series Competition last Sunday. Nineteen rods fished and they caught 75 trout – a rod average of just under four fish. The winner was Dean Appleby with 11 fish. The second qualifying heat will be held on October 29. Please contact the fishery if you would like to participate.

During the week the patterns that have brought results at Chatton have been various Lures and Diawl Bachs.

My sons bought me a day’s salmon fishing on the Tweed for my birthday. The river was running four feet above normal, which was far from ideal. We all had a cast but didn’t touch a fish, even with heavy flies and sinking lines.