The waiting is over

The long awaited start to the 2012 Brown Trout season has arrived at last.
On Thursday 15th March I awoke to glorious sunshine and the usual feeling of excitement and anticipation.... a feeling I've had on every opening day for nearly 40 years and one that I hope I never lose.

By lunchtime the sun had gone to be replaced by cloud and conditions were perfect, when I got to the river there was a trickle of Large Dark Olives (Baetis Rhodani) coming off but no sign of rising fish so it was on with the nymph - a single Hares Ear beadhead on a tapered leader so I had the option of a quick change to a dry should I come across a surface feeding brownie.

Fishing the single nymph upstream and working any likely looking areas provided a few opening day fish, one at approximately 15 inches (38cm) and the rest around 12 (30cm).

The afternoon cloud brought a drop in temperature and a very sparse hatch of Olives.... not enough to tempt the trout to the surface, although  I did come across one rising fish which succumbed to a dry Olive Paradun.

Great to get my string pulled on opening day though and the rest of the season to look forward to.... Happy days !!