Lean month for trout

A typically wet Easter weekend offers plenty of chances for fishing but the brownies sadly lack condition, so Arthur Oglesby puts them back

- Oglesby

Easter weekend brought an opening to the trout season in my part of the world. Earlier that week I had made one of my infrequent visits to London for the express purpose of meeting up with some old angling chums. Ken Morritt, of Intrepid Reels fame, had organised a little luncheon reunion and was to show us some of the latest products being released from the Falmouth factory.

Of particular interest was the new Intrepid superline. An underwater demonstration proved, to this writer at least, that this new line is more invisible than the other competitive brands displayed. It is modestly priced and I forecast a profitable future for the company from this one item alone. There was also a breakthrough into the cheaper fibre-glass rod market, with a smart 9ft fly-rod selling for under £5.

Unfishable

On my return north, I was dismayed by the Easter weather forecasts but had made a firm resolve to be out on opening day despite the rain. Most of the rivers were virtually unfishable, so I met with Con Shananan, Colin Dales and Mark Bevan — all of the York Fly Fishers Club — and we spent an enjoyable few hours on a nearby lake that had been stocked with trout a few years ago. There was little breeze when we first started and the frequent showers were of that fine, wet stuff that seems to penetrate into your very soul.