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Weybridge Guns & Tackle wrote:
Good Morning,
My name is Ian Colclough, and for my sins I have run Weybridge Guns & Tackle in Surrey for the last 38 years.
Suffering from fly fishing withdrawal symptoms, I decided on Tuesday, after visiting your new & excellent website, to pay a visit to Powdermills, yesterday, March the 12th, despite the impending gale force westerly's.
On arriving, there was only one member fishing, he was tucked away wading just to the left of the boat jetty. I had a stroll onto the dam & reckoned having travelled 65 miles, to brave the elements & give it a go.
My spirits were high but although optimist that I am, I still added on my payment envelope that "I must be mad"!
Setting up a floater with 18 feet of flourocarbon with a glass green buzzer on the point, a size 12 Diawl bach on the middle dropper, & a 14 DB on the top dropper I was all set.
Fishing the first platform from the hut, there was a decent wind off my left, which worked the nymphs, fished "static", from the shallows by the reeds out and round into the open water.
To cut a long story short, the day was memorable, 5 rainbows for 11lbs 4oz, and a wonderful overwintered, lean spade tailed rainbow of at least 10lbs came to the net.
I eventually landed the "biggie" nearly a hundred yards to my right, it just powered off at a steady but unremitting pace, at one stage I thought I may lose him round the take off tower in the corner. If anyone ever asks me again why I put at least 80 yards of backing on when loading their lines, then this story answers their question.
I hailed Vic, &, with the fish still in my net, at my request, (and his assent), he eased the middle Diawl Bach out, held it steady in the water for less than a minute, and it cruised unconcernedly back from whence it came.
It would be marvellous for someone else to share my thrill of hooking such a wonderful fish, and who knows, it might be at Mayfly time on a dry!
This was my fourth visit to your "special" fishery, & in 38 years of fly-fishing I have never had a better or more unexpected "red letter day".
Thank you Vic, & the Hastings Fly Fishers Club.
Yours,
Ian Colclough.
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