Annual Team Building day

Not a huge fan of team building, partly because the people I work with are terrific.  That sounds weird I know, but they really are a class act, and team building suggests there is room for improvement. In this case we are already a tight team and there isn't much wriggle room to get better.  We have done different things over the year but this year fly fishing was suggested.

I jumped at it its 16 years since I chucked the fluff, so I dusted of the kit and skills and was gagging for it on a beautiful day. I did feel a little pressure being a regular fisherman, people expected me to catch.

Adam our colleague and all around good bloke took the team through the "Tic Toc" practice session before letting us loose on the beautiful surroundings.  Bev and Sara were first to land fish, and were having a lovely day.

Lucy had hooked and lost fish, and the Boss was bent into a fish (see below) so all was going well.

As for me, I went a wandering. I had had one follow but had no fish and the pressure was on.  Bottom end of the lake was a picture, and the sun breathed its warmth on me. I drank in one of those precious moments in life that when you reach your sunset days you will look back and say "now that was a special moment"

Damsel fly flicked back and forth, a kingfisher "plopped" in the gurgling upper reaches of the Avon just yards away and suddenly the crystalline moment was broken by a movement in the margin of the lake.  I noted the bow wave and plopped the fly luckily on what I thought would be the fishes nose.  The line tightened and I struck into a steam train of a fish.  My 8 foot 6 bent absolutely double and 6 weight line ripped of the screaming reel.  After 15 minutes of deep forging runs I managed to get the fish within 5 yards of the bank; and almost to the net.  You can Imagine my surprise when I was confronted with an ancient looking deep mahogany coloured fully scaled 9 lb  common carp!!!!  Hooked tenuously on the outside of the top lip I was not surprised that we did indeed part company moments later. I was equally annoyed at leaving the fly in the fish. Still I am sure it will fall away in time.

I put the rod down and walked away and spent a wonderful 15 minutes watching the small browns and a grayling frolicking in the crystal clear chalk stream of the upper Avon. The fish appeared to be dancing on the oxygenated bubbles. It reminded me of an advert from years back where a little Bambi Deer would dance on the bubbles of a glass of Babycham.

Just after this I did manage to land a lovely "stockie" which weighed in at 2 lb 12 oz, so half way toward my two fish ticket.

 I wandered back to the other side of the lake to find Bev and Sara had one fish each and Lucy was driving her angling coach mad by hooking and losing at least 3 fish.  So Lucy was delighted when eventually she landed a lovely plump 3 pounder.

I caught up with Adam who was in between coaching, cooking our lunch for the day. He is actually a great Chef.  He was beginning to panic as people were enjoying themselves and "lunch is served" was getting close.

So we washed up and sat for lunch homemade cottage pie and greens, with a lovely light cheese cake to follow, washed down with orange juice etc.

Lunch was beautiful and all of us discussed how the morning had gone. Colonel Paul was disappointed to be fishless at this stage and along with Bev suggested we get back to it. So it was with full stomach and fresh ideas on what fly to use we stepped forth again.  I left Col Paul and Lucy at the clubhouse end and strolled toward the outflow of the lake.

The light had changed from the morning and the new sunlight direction meant I could see deeper into the water.  Flashes of swirling fish abounded under a near by tree. So I knelt down side on to the margin so I was off the horizon and flicked a few short casts in tight.  I was enjoying this the mornings flailing around had been replaced with smooth delivery of the fly.  I was even starting to target bigger fish. Bugger that will teach me to get cocky I hooked the tree. 

Funny angling of all styles has the levelling thing when you think you've got it sussed it bites you back. Quick change of a fly to one which would sink quicker and flash with a silvery tail; led to a follow from a big fish; at the point of take a little "brownie" nipped in and took it.  We had been asked to return anything under 2 lb so this being about a pound and half, I slipped it back.

Straight back in and although I had another follow from the near "double" I wasn't disappointed by the fish which nipped in this time, what a cracking fight leaping clear and tail walking all very exciting stuff. My priest read the fish its last rights and I headed back to the club house my two fish ticket fulfilled.

It was a lovely fish:

Which weighed in at 5lb 4 oz:

So home for a light tea with the wife.  I gutted and cleaned the fish. Then poached a fillet each in butter and cream, Dill and Tarragon then dished it up with Jersey new potatoes and salad. Blast froze the rest for future BBQs

A lovely day, and to top it off the tackle shop rang to say my replacement pole section was in.  Does life get better.  I really must win the lottery so I have time for all types of fishing.