Close.. but no cigar.

Malham Tarn again yesterday with Simon Ware. Tough going, as usual. 'Twas bitter cold, with bright sunshine and a stiff SW wind which built steadily through the day from 12 mph to an invigorating 18 or so. Five mins into the first drift and a fine fish of around 4lb expressed an interest in my Crow Winged Bibio on the tail...

No more interest at either end of the boat for a couple of hours until a rather stroppy fish of around a pound and a half nailed my Groundhog & Silver on the middle. Minutes later Simon lost a 3lb fish at the net. A few minutes after that, and I caught a glimpse of probably the biggest trout I've ever seen in the place.. As we drifted on to the east bank, I was explaining to Simon how a good W/SW wind can fetch fish into the stones to hoover up the disturbed invertebrates, and as my flies hit the water - two feet deep at this point - first pull, and a slab, the like of which makes your jaw drop and your eyes go like saucers exploded onto one of my flies... but missed! It was like somebody had dropped a breeze block from six foot.. made that double splash..Pa-doosh! Close, but no cigar. He'll keep.

A quick break in the boathouse for lunch, then Simon got down to business, netting a bonny wee one, then a few casts later netted another one - a super hen fish of around 3lb, which fell to the Pearly Dabbler. By 4pm it felt like the shutters had come down - as it often does at this time of year in such conditions - but we persevered until 6, but to no avail. 4 to the boat for 10lb.

The successful flies...