Marsh House

I managed a few hours at Marsh House, beat 9 on the Peak Passport scheme today. Three tokens so it must be good! I had a bad start as I left the camera behind. Note to self - don't leave in such a rush!

It was overcast with the very occasional light drizzle. I overshot the parking area and ended up going over the very pretty bridge at Brund Mill. A quick check of the map and I was soon in the DCAC paddock by the Manifold.
My first attempt to access the river resulted in some vicious stinging nettles winning the battle so I ventured further up stream for a more friendly approach.
The banks were steeper, well, near vertical in places, which as an angler, I had not experienced before, but as a paddler, I new that this river certainly takes some water on occasions. The river, judging by the bank debris was running very low with a slight peaty colouring from the recent shower in the morning. I had set-up with an olive klink as this is what had brought me success at Windy Arbour. The only difference today was that I was using a tippet on a tapered leader, where as before, I have been going straight onto the tapered leader.
I wandered up stream, casting at likely pools and food lanes but at nothing in particular. There were a few rises happening but not to my fly. I was having to climb in and out of the river as some of the slower stretches were to deep for my wellies. The one advantage this did give me was to study the water from the high banks. In one of the upper pools, 50 yards short of the upper stream beat limit I finally got a take. This was after changing fly to an LDO. I lost it, the fish, not the fly. Too slow again, and, to much slack line in the system I think. I stayed in that pool for a while till a few clumsy casts left me admitting that any self respecting trout would have gone into hiding.
I was left soaking up the atmosphere as a lazy woodpecker had an occasional hammer on a limb above me. I eventually climbed out over a fallen Willow, a victim of the winter floods by the look of things, and worked my way back around the edge of the field.

I will be back, with my camera and hopefully some pictures of wild brown trout.
Love the streams!
March Brown