Long ago on chalkstreams, I decided that the best way of presenting a fly
to a trout and trigger off an impulse to rise, rather than to reconnoitre as
the "zone rangers" will have you do, was to get it in there quickly.
My colleague Jesse and I leave on Sunday. We booked an early flight to Bristol. As is to be expected, it is not possible to get from Den Helder to Schiphol airport in time by public transport. Fortunately the Schiphol Flytaxi solves the problem. At six the car appears in front of the house to pick me up and drops me just over an hour later at Schiphol. When I'm sipping my coffee Jesse, who lives closer to the airport, gives a call that he has arrived as well.
The KLM flies nicely in time, and just after 10 we arrive in Bristol. An automatic car is booked this time and that suites me fine. The TomTom navigator guides me to the given address. The streetname is correct, but I'm standing in a village 10 miles away from Swindon. After programming the navigator once more, I arrive at the Holiday Inn in Swindon. My room is not ready yet because I'm so early, but I can change into fishing gear in the dressing room of the sporting facilities.
Half an hour later I am passing the river Thames, which has clearly run over its banks at several places. Standing in front of the tackle shop at the Lechlade trout fishery a quick call is made and within a minute or two Nigel opens the door. He tells me that the trout are in the biting mood, and I take a four fish ticket. Just after one o'clock the first line sweeps over the water. The water in Bushyleaze is high. A lot of places are inaccessable with wellies, but after looking around a nice place is found. The wind is powerful and there is a nice ripple on the water, which is quite clear. As usual in these circumstances, the fly of choice is a goldhead pheasanttail. Slowly the nimph is fished back, the wind doing most of the work. After some fifteen minutes the strike indicator disappears into the depth. A nice trout is protesting, but after a few minutes a fish of about 3 lbs is on the bank. The full finned trout is beautifully coloured, steelblue and silver with a bright purple band on its sides. The afternoon passes quickly and at four the light starts to fade. The hour time difference with home is very obvious. The three fish caught are given to one of the other anglers. It has been a great day.
At seven I call to Jesse's room. He is back too and together we head to the pub for a pie and a pint of bitter.
Saturday January 15th 2008
I'm awake before the alarm goes. First a good English breakfast and then a short drive, followed by an early arrival at Lechlade. The course we followed was quite intensive and I'm glad that there is an opportunity to go fishing this weekend. By the look of the parked cars, there are already several other anglers. Nicci gives me the requested six fish ticket. When I drive to the car park I have to cross what lookes like a ford. The water of the lake runs over the path into a ditch.
The wind is strong and it is impossible for me to fish at the same spot as last week. A bit further down there is another nice place, next to a few trees. It doesn't take long before the first take. The second trout manages to shake the hook. It doesn't matter, the day is young. A bit later I decide to take a walk round the lake, something I've never done before. At the furthest point, there are trout swimming close to the bank. After a while I catch a brown trout of about 50 cm. A beautiful fish, but very thin, it lookes like a kelt. After taking a picture the fish is carefully returned. When I get another take, trout number three is caught.
In the corner water runs from a ditch into the lake. At that spot a whole lot of trout are lying in the current, among which several good fish. One of them surely must be between 5 and 7 lbs and is a cock fish in bright spawning colours. Then one of the trout tries to run upstream and makes is way through the one or two inches of water running over the path. A minute or two later the big fish tries it too, but has to give up and it slides back into the hole that has been cut out by the running water. I never have seen something like this happen on a trout lake, it lookes like the wilderness in Canada or something like that. I stay to watch this for quite a while. Several trout manage to reach the ditch. I notice that nearly all of the trout that are lying here are brown trout, with an occasional rainbow in between.
When I start fishing, soon I get a forcefull take and trout number four is caught. Because the brown has been returned, I still have three fish to go. After two trout that get away , I catch another. Now it is time for a sandwich and a cup of coffee, so I head for the clubhouse. Halfway I pass a dead pike that is lying on the bank. It must measure more that 54 inches, a real whopper! Perhaps it died of old age, because there is no regular pike fishing here at Bushyleaze as far as I know. With such an abundance of prey, pike must be able to grow real big here.
At the clubhouse I get the sandwiches and milk from the boot of the car. During lunch I talk with a few other anglers. Everybody agrees that Lechlade is a real nice fishery.
After lunch I grab the rod and start fishing again. Once more it doesn't take lake before I get a take and it is impressive how steadily the strike indicator dives under. This fish manages to shake the hook close to the shore (I fish now with barbless hooks) and within a short period another two fish pull the same trick. The next two fish are landed so my limit is reached and I have to quit fishing. It is now half three and I call it a day. As a farewell an owl is hooting from the trees. While driving back to Swindon the events of the day pass my mind.
Sunday, January 16th 2008
Once more I wake up early. I have to pack my suitcase, because I have to go to Wareham this afternoon, a two to three hour drive. After breakfast I pay the bill and head for Lechlade. It is rainy, as was expected. Underway I miss the exit at one of the roundabouts, but the TomTom immediately indicates an alternative route. This time I pass a house where all effort is made trying to keep the house safe from waterdamage. The water is so high that it runs over the road here. A mile further down a roedeer is standing in the gras, always nice to see.
The circumstances seem favourable for fishing, so I buy a six fish ticket. When I arrive at the car park, it is clear that the waterlevel has dropped since yesterday. I start fishing from the pier, that is still a feet under water, opposite the clubhouse. The fish that takes first shakes the hook, but the second one is landed. This day too, I take a walk round the lake. The water does not run over the path as much as yesterday, and no trout are waiting to run upstream. On the same spot as yesterday I get two trout and miss two other takes. Of course I have a great time once more.
After lunch I fish near the clubhouse for a while and catch the last two fish. After weighing the fish the ticket is filled in and put in the box.
I bring the fish to Nigel, as was agreed. He is busy feeding the trout in the holding tanks and I stay looking and talking for a while and take some pictures. By now it is half two and I must leave for Wareham for it is at least a two hour drive, probably a bit more. Avoiding the motorway, the route takes me through scenic landscapes and ancient places, like Old Sarum. I spot a few roedeer and a grey squirrel.
I arrive at Wareham after dark.
I hope to get the chance to fish Lechlade again. This time it was unexpected and maybe therefor special to me. Without doubt it is the best troutfishery that I know, with clear water, full finned and hard fighting trout, situated in a scenic landscape.
