BODSA Blog

The water is pretty clear and with the river level at 865mm it is certainly fishable. You just need a lot of hot Bovril if you're going fishing in this weather. Minus 12C in some places last night - but that's much better than the endless rain of the last seven months. When I was a lad this weather was always reckoned best for a big pike.

The floods again disappointed because all that rubbish at the head of Brook Mouth at Pickhill is still there, so it looks like a job for a working party and a tractor with a length of stout chain to drag the stuff out of the river. The water, as you may imagine, is a bit on the chilly side, but that didn't stop Jack going in for at least four dips as we walked from the car park to the Buttresses and back again.

Russell has been doing some sterling work and the website should be much faster now we have changed our service provider. He said that one or two of my Blogs disappeared into cyberspace during the change over but I don't think that will exactly bring the Empire crashing down.

We are also looking at taking a lot more interest in the coarse fishing section of our membership. The river holds big pike, chub, barbel and grayling as well as a lot of dace and some handy perch, and I have recently received a report of roach being caught further upstream. With this in mind, it might be time to consider dropping the S from BODSAA so it doesn't look as though we are only interested in salmon? However, "BODAA" doesn't sound too good so if anyone has any ideas of a good name which still links us firmly to our roots in Bangor on Dee, please let me know and I'll put it forward for consideration. Perhaps Bangor on Dee AA, or AC or FC, rather than trying to created a complete acronym? 

Wednesday the 28th:- Will you just look at that sunshine! The river reached a peak at just over 2500mm at about 1400hrs yesterday. That's 6ft 3ins above normal. It is now fallling quite quickly and at 1030 this morning the level was down to 1654mm, so it has fallen almost 3 feet in the last twenty hours.

Don't forget our monthly 'noggin and natter' in the Royal Oak at Bangor on Dee on Friday evening. I hope to be there and I look forward to seeing anyone who lives close enough to make the winter journey worthwhile. If we can't fish, at least we can talk about it and make plans for next Season.

Monday 26th:-  You will have noticed the rain? The river has been up and down as the storms swept over, reaching a peak of 1700mm (just over 4ft above normal) last night. It is currently falling, 1430hrs, but with more heavy rain forecast to-night it will probably be up around our ears again tomorrow.

The fish are still in the river and I saw one hardy soul on television fishing for barbel under such conditions. He only found the river because he knew where it ran among the flooded fields. He was using half-a-pound of lead and 30lbs line which isn't my idea of fishing pleasure but if that's what rings your bell…

I am hoping the torrent has shifted some of the tangled flotsam at the head of Brook Mouth at Pickhill but I'm afraid it's just as likely to have brought more down and simply added to the mess. I'll have a look when it dries up a bit which, with colder weather forecast, might happen later in the week. In the meantime, may I recommend log fires and whisky? And perhaps a bit of fly tying.

Did you hear the report of a 40-pound salmon caught on fly in the Conwy a week or two back?

Friday 16th:- Weather settled and calm and the river has fallen to 635mm on the gauge; less than eight inches above normal and a perfect height for fishing.

The water is as clear as glass and there are less leaves coming down now - although every puff of wind produces a flurry of falling leaves and I did manage to hook a few! Grayling are co-operative and will take at all levels, from the goldhead on the point, near the bottom, via the middle dropper right to the top dropper on or very near the top. We even saw a few rising to take flies from the surface. Huw and I managed about 16 between us (most of them Huw's!) We also saw and/or heard several salmon.

Russell has sent me instructions for adding photographs to the Blog. I'll try and work it out - but don't hold your breath!

Wednesday:- The river is holding steady at around 720mm on the gauge at Manley Hall. Telephone 01978 710 398 or log on and look at the graph on the website. 720mm is nearly a foot above Summer normal but the river fishes well at that level. The water is clear and even though autumn leaves are a bit of a nuisance, it's not enough to spoil the pleasure of a day on the river.

Grayling have been taking well, particularly middle day when it warms up a bit, the sun comes out and there is a hatch of fly. I have a report of more than two dozen caught one day last week, including fish over 2lbs, and also a few hard-fighting wild brown trout. Some of the grayling were caught on dry fly. Salmon are also showing on their way upstream.

if you do fish, or even if you just have a stroll along the bank to look at the water, please let me know what is happening so we can keep everyone informed here. Whether you catch fish, see fish, or find a fallen tree blocking a good 'swim', it is all valuable information for your Committee and also for other members. The easiest way to contact me is probably via the "Contact Us" button at the bottom of the page, if you don't have my phone number or e-mail address.

Saturday:- The river level has been at 760mm for the past twelve hours but has suddenly, in the last half hour, shot up to 791, so it looks as though some extra water is coming down.

However, do not despair because the water is clear and it's perfectly fishable. The level was around 780 yesterday when Karl, Alan and I fished Groves Farm and we could wade along nearly all of it. There were quite a lot of leaves coming down which caused a bit of bad language occasionally, but it didn't spoil the fishing and we all caught something. Karl did best, of course, with some nice grayling and a sea-trout (I think he's been practising); Alan had a couple of small grayling and I had two, one of which was a nice fish approaching 1lb. It needs a good gold head (or a split shot?) to get the point fly down deep enough but once that is achieved the fish seem ready enough to take if you can find the shoals.

We also saw a couple of salmon, an otter and two herons.

Air temperature was 11C and with the sun out at intervals it felt quite warm in the early afternoon. However, the water was only 7C so by 1500hrs we had had enough of wading waist deep, and sometimes more, in summer breathables and adjourned to the Boat where coffee and steak sandwiches in front of the log fire soon restored body temperature to normal. Excellent company and a few fish from a beautiful stretch of our river, made a really enjoyable day.

Thursday:- The river level rose quite quickly yesterday afternoon and is now steady at 830mm. It is probably compensation water from the reservoirs and so will be bloody cold, which doesn't encourage even grayling to feed. Water seems to be released from the bottom of the lakes which is permanently 39.2F or 4C and it really cools the river as it comes down. I am hoping to get to Pickhill later and will try to remember to take the water temperature; then I'll report back.

2000hrs:- The river looked good this afternoon. It's still more than a foot above normal but the colour is good. A few leaves coming down but they shouldn't make fishing too much of a misery. Water temp was 8C according to my thermometer, with air temp 11.5C. I managed to clear a few branches that were obstructing fishing at Nunnely's and part of the water there is now much more accessible. There's a heck of a lot more to do during the winter but it will need a proper working party, the chain saw and some serious pulling power to complete it. And lower water levels!

Karl, Alan and I are fishing Groves Farm for grayling tomorrow, so stay tuned for a report - unless it's too embarassing to tell you about!

Saturday, Noon:- First frost of the season last night and the car windows frozen this morning. However, high pressure to the North is giving us bright sunshine, the river is at a nice 635mm and very fishable, which should put the grayling in the mood; so it's not all bad.

Derek texted to say that Ernie took an accidental dip in Cemetery Pool at Groves Farm. I asked if he had a photo for the website but he replied that a man can't take photographs when he's doubled over laughing, so we'll just have to imagine the scene. Ernie was okay, but probably not as amused as Derek.

Please keep me informed of anything happening on the river bank so we can try to maintain interest during the salmon close season. I keep myself busy with axe and chainsaw but, for more normal people, the Dee is full of fish and there really is life beyond salmon and sea-trout. 

The 'contact' button comes direct to my computer.

Tuesday morning:- There hasn't been any significant rain here but there must have been a bit of a downpour up-country because the river level shot up six inches yesterday. It is steady at the moment at around 747mm. That's okay for most fishing but if you fancy trying the fly for grayling, it's a bit too high for comfortable wading on much of our water.

If you are in need of, or just fancy some new tackle, have a look at George Stonier's post in our "Community" section. Anyone can do that - you don't have to be a Member or log-in unless you want to post messages. With the current price of Rapalas and such, there may be a bargain to be had.

The river is falling slowly - 735mm at 1500hrs to-day - and carrying fewer leaves. Jack and I went to Pickhill yesterday and the water looked in excellent order. When it falls off another six inches (150mm), it will be even better because wading will be easier. Even now, if you're careful it's perfectly okay for fly fishing for grayling. Our Groves Farm beat seems to fish really well at this level.

I hope to see members both current and prospective at The Royal Oak tomorrow evening for our noggin and natter. Everyone is welcome - and the beer and food are still great!

Friday 19th. Although the weather is fine - and seems set fair for the weekend - there's no sign of the river level falling. It seems to be holding steady at about 980mm, some 2 1/2 feet above normal. Not good.

The salmon season ended on Wednesday in a blaze of apathy. Those who ventured to the river after about 0800hrs found it rising and getting dirty. Reports are that only spinning was possible and even that attracted at least one leaf with every cast. Glad I didn't bother! But what a dismal Summer on the lower Dee! There has been almost constant high water since the end of March. The only time it was low enough to wade down Nunnely's I hooked a good fish on a little black fly. He didn't stay with me for very long but he did provide a happy memory to brighten an otherwise depressing Season. I'm so despondent I might even consider spinning or worming if we have another Summer like this!

So now there are the grayling to look forward to. They will be better after a spell of cold, dry weather and, for fly fishers, better still once all the leaves have gone away downstream. There are also plenty of big chub and barbel around and quite a few whopping pike, so all is not lost. But it's no fun at all until the level drops a bit and we have some decent weather to dry the banks.

Coarse fishing members can now fish all our Beats so I am hoping to hear of a barbel to beat the biggest last year, 14 1/4 lbs. And someone's going to catch an 8-lbs chub one of these days, because there are some monsters about.

A week to-day is our informal monthly get-together at the Royal Oak, so I hope to see some of you there. Half past seven.

Wednesday, 0930hrs: It rained much of the night and at 0800hrs this morning the river at Erbistock started to rise. In the last hour and a half it has risen more than three inches and high winds have brought down a lot of leaves. Wet, slippery banks, rising water and leaves; perfect! We locals might have a look at it later but I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on fuel driving over here on the off-chance of an improvement.

I don't have any details yet but Pat sent me a photo last night of another fish between 15 and 20 lbs. So I'm definitely not speaking to him - and he'll be bloody lucky if I renew his membership next year!

Sunday, Noon: Another glorious day - so far; fingers crossed - but the river seems very reluctant to fall. The gauge at Manley Hall is registering 935mm so it has fallen a quarter of an inch in the last two hours. Big deal! At this rate it will be nicely fishable by next weekend, long after the salmon and sea-trout season has finished.

Just been talking to Big John who said that those who have visited the river report seeing fish, both coloured and fresh, pouring upstream. I heard of one Beat further up that had 10 salmon last week and one of our members, fishing the Beat below Groves Farm, had two 20-pounders (both coloured) on fly and saw a much bigger, bright silver fish jump the weir at Overton. A heron fishes at the side of the weir and has apparently been catching small sea-trout by the bucket full. Might give it a try myself once I've finished the painting.

1645hrs: Water level 923mm. Just heard from Pat Oldham who has had a 20-pounder at Pickhill to-day.

Monday, 1745hrs:  886mm The water is plenty clear enough, the river's full of fish and if it falls another few inches it will be wadeable for those who prefer the fly. Having said that, there is a band of rain forecast to pass through here during the night, so keep an eye on the gauge at Manley Hall on 01978 710 398. I can't fish tomorrow but am keeping my fingers crossed for Wednesday, the final day of the 2012 salmon season.

Tuesday, 1715hrs: 900mm Don't know what's happening here; just got home from town and find the level at 900 when it has been steady at 850 all day. Maybe there's been some rain up around Bala? it's only up a couple of inches so let's hope it doesn't rise any more for our last day of salmon fishing, tomorrow.