Report - The Other Side of the Rainbow at Chalk Springs

[Vagabond]

Species Hunt 2007 No 35

Certhia is at Glasgow University this week, running a short course for chemical analysts. Before she left, I was given my instructions – water the orchids, get the weeks provisions in, there’s a cold rabbit pie in the fridge for dinner tonight. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

….but one instruction I did heed …. “ While I’m away, get a fly-rod out, get some Species Hunt points for a rainbow, and put some trout in the freezer”

Yes Ma’am !

So this morning, down the A26, over the Downs behind Brighton – through Worthing before the traffic got bad, down Hammerpot Hill, up through Crossbush, and into the sleepy hollow that is Chalk Springs at Arundel. Not the cheapest “put and take” fishery in the South, but it does have a number of large fish.

Chalk Springs has four lakes to choose from. I was first one there when they opened the gates ten minutes early, and elected to fish the West Lake.




I was giving one of my split cane rods an outing – A #5 with a neutral density line. I prefer neutral density to a floater in very clear water – the shadow a floating line makes whilst sitting in the surface film is a sure-fire fish-spooker, whereas a slow sinking line is a lot less alarming to the fish.

Several rainbows were milling about at the top end in the shallows, and the sky was pretty well overcast, with just a spot or two of rain. “Dull conditions – light fly” is one of my maxims, so on went a Cat’s Whisker and out went the line.

No response to a slow retrieve, so next time I tried a series of twitches – YES! A rainbow took a wipe at the fly and regretted it. Into the net, out with the camera, and that’s a point and a half - the pressure’s off.




Now I could concentrate on what I really came for – the big brown trout that are so very shy of most of the flies used here for rainbows. “Big Brown Trout – small fly” is another of my maxims. Also, the clouds had gone and sun had come out, “Bright conditions – drab fly” is just the other half of maxim No 1, so off came the Cat’s Whisker and on went a size 16 Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear - both small and drab..

I had a good look round West Lake. I could only spot one decent-sized brown, cruising quietly to and fro between an overhanging thick bush and a weed bed. I flipped the GRHE out in front of the trout – it moved forward – and ignored the fly. Something I have noticed is that if a fish gets a good look at a fly in clear water, it will refuse it. You need to place the fly very close to the trout, so it is taken as a sort of reflex action before the fish has a chance to examine and reject the fly. Get it TOO close and touch the fish with fly or line, and you have a spooked fish.

I waited fifteen minutes, watching the fish patrol the narrow patch of water between bush and weed bed, and tried again. One of my better casts – the fly dropped one inch in front of the fish, and it just snapped at it. Down the hatch. All hell was let loose as the fish surged through the weeds – and then jumped! Festoons of weed were hanging off my line like a string of signal flags at Trafalgar. “England expects” and all that. Fortunately they were soon shaken off.

Beyond the weed bed, there was a fair bit of deep and open water, and by moving smartly along the bank I was able to control the fish and keep it in the open with plenty of room to allow it to run and bore deep. It was a strong fish, and a long battle on a #5 rod, but eventually this was the result. Well hooked in the tongue, the hook was never going to pull out. Nine pounds, two ounces.



After having made so much disturbance on the West Lake, I moved to the North Lake, and looked to repeat the exercise. The North lake is much smaller, and appeared to have only two Browns showing. I choose the bigger of the two, and after watching him for twenty minutes or so, presented him with a GRHE at the end of his beat, which he accepted.

Rather a different fight this time – this fish spent more time in the air, and didn’t bore deep at all. Most of the time it was at the surface, doing so much head-shaking that I feared the fly would come loose – it didn’t though. When it was landed I found the fish was well hooked in the scissors. Five pounds, four ounces.




Drove home, had a glass of Oban Malt to celebrate, and set to the task of filleting. Before doing so, it occurred to me that all the fish in the preceding three pics would look the same size, because when taking the pics one fills the frame.

So here is a pic showing all three and their relative sizes. The picture also shows why it is best to take pics straight away – in this shot the fish have “faded” somewhat as a result of coming home in a sack.



There will be a Great Smoking Of Trout when Certhia returns tomorrow.

[pingu]

awsome fish there and top report well done vagabond

dave

[Norfolkboy]

3 superb fish, well done!

[wellyfish]

smoked trout "yummy" well done V.B great looking fish

[the boss]

a very good report and some nice fish too! well done

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Brill read and I really must try fly fishing mee thinks

[Twiddler]

Awesome report and pics Vagabond and some lovely looking trout, well done and I bet Certhia will be pleased with her dinner

[Greenheart]

Great report & Pics Vagabond. Chalk Springs looks a really nice fishery, although a bit far to drive for me. Enjoy your smoked fish.

[Certhia]

Originally Posted by Greenheart

Great report & Pics Vagabond. Chalk Springs looks a really nice fishery, although a bit far to drive for me. Enjoy your smoked fish.

We have certainly enjoyed our smoked trout dinner this evening. Didn't he do well? Now then what shall I suggest we go for next for the species hunt.......

[fishypaul]

well done vagabond, for the next species hunt may i suggest a burbot