May 10-11 2003

Contributed by Troutfly (11.05.03)

We need parking restrictions.

Saturday the 10th was a relatively warm bright day with the river level above average compared with the last few weeks. I fished a couple of hours from 3pm. Several anglers were about at this time, at least 6. I fished below Musgrave bridge and I appear to be the only one that didn't catch anything. Apart from a nice fish spending a couple of seconds attached to my wet Greenwell's I diddn't touch anything.

Sunday the 11th was a different ball game. I fished upstream from Musgrave bridge, again starting around 3pm. I was caught off guard when a fish slashed at my my fly on the first cast. When it came again on the second cast I was ready for it and a lengthy battle began. I was convinced I had hooked a monster as I just couldn't bring it in. Unusually for me it repeatedly stripped line off my reel as it made powerful runs downstream. This is something I read about in angling magazines but the fish I normally catch are not large enough to strip much line off my reel. When it finally came to the net I understood why - it was nice fish of 1.5lb foul hooked in its flank. Non-the-less a good start to the session and for the record it was foul hooked by a wet Greenwell's. Three hours later I had caught a total of 6 fish. Two were over the pound mark, one was just under and two were knocking on half a pound. All were returned. A good session. Perhaps the best thing I can say about this trip is that I expected to catch fish. The Eden really has come alive!