Boat fishing on Ladybower

Well it's been a while since I posted last season but I am back and ready for some wonderful fishing this year. I was back out on Ladybower during the week with a fellow angling coach (coarse fishing) who had never fly fished before.

I took the role of ghillie and we worked our way from the Derwent arm of the reservoir through all the hot spots such as Grainfoot, Rasberry Bay and Pickles Meadow until we were drifting down near the dam wall.

Ladybower is a funny old place, yes the quality of the fish are not as good as they could be and yes the quality of the fishing in terms of stock levels and weight variety isn't as ideal as it could be yet it is one of the most enchanting places to fish. The actual experience of being there drifting in the boat in such beautiful scenery is what I love and what keeps me going back year after year.

Anyway, my guest took two rainbows and me just the one. We both were using orange lures with floating line. The fish are all holding close in to the bank with Pickles Meadow and Grainfoot yielding the most fish as well as plenty of plucks on the line.

This year I will be doing lots more river fishing, exploring my local rivers with a small 2 weight brook rod and a pocket full of flies looking for the wild brownies that have made a resurgence in recent years following the reduction of heavy industry along the banks of the Don, Rivelin and Loxley.