The lake district part 2

I decided to ask my old mate Phil to come along and fish some of the spots in the Lake District I explored with my wife several weeks ago but did not have the time to cover fully because of more important things like shopping!

The weather did not bless the trip but we made the most of what we got and fished hard on the first day covering the Eden in two spots and Ulswater in the evening. Fish were slow to rise and when they eventually did it was hard to guess what fish were taking at times with everything coming off at once including, sedges, mayflies olive spinners as well as black midge. Phil managed to get into a few fish but by the end of the first day I had a big fat zero to show for my efforts. On reflection I was not concerned the fishing had not been easy and I had enjoyed the day and Phil's company. On the plus side we had both learned a thing or two about wet fly fishing with some flies that Phil brought to the party that worked a treat for him on Ullswater just on last light.

On the second day we decided to take a trip up to Small Water Tarn despite an increasing wind that only got stronger the higher we climbed. When we got to the tarn before I had even had a chance to set up Phil was into fish including two double headers! I fished the windward side whilst Phil fished the lea shore. After an hour I was cold and fed up with no fish to show for it. The lea shore was far more sheltered and after lunch I changed my flies and started to fish. I got a few takes and then a fish on, not a bad size brownie came to the net and put the smile back on my face, mission accomplished.

By mid afternoon the wind was so strong that it blew me over, not good if you are wading right on the edge of the drop off that plunges away into the deep blue depths. I watched in ore as the gusting winds whisked the surface on the other side of the tarn into water funnels up to fifty feet high, time to go home!

Not so small,  Small Tarn  Brownie. Took a Blu Zulu.

Phil makes it over the top to the tarn. What a view!

Another shot of the same fish because I only caught one!

Oh, and beetles were being blown onto the Eden as well just to make  it harder to try and match the hatch.

The first big Mayfly hatch I've seen this year, the fish did not seem to be interested though, I wondered if they have been gorging on them over the last few days already?