Klink & Dink catches All But Kitchen Sink!

After what was for me a very poor winter period for grayling fishing, the trout season could not come quick enough !
So this spring i have been out on the rivers of hereford and shropshire, catching some beautiful wild brown trout.
Using the 'Klink & Dink has produced plenty of fish, even with low water levels and some very blustery conditions.


"It's him again"

When rivers are showing their ' bones' the fish will congregate together, often in a depression in the river bed alongside bank side vegetation, rocky gullies and oxygen rich riffles.This method allows the angler to search these zones, although quiet wading and short casts, may be required for good presentation through the target area.


Lush river banks of springtime

Matching the emerger to whatever flies are about and using either a small pheasant tail or hare's ear nymph underneath has been very successful for me. Also putting the Klinkhammer on a sliding link allows the nymph to be fished at various depths. I find tying the nymph dropper to the hook bend of the Klink(New Zealand style) results in more lost fish on the dry fly.



This is an ideal method for the novice angler to learn, being a relatively easy way to fly fish on most rivers. It is a great way of searching the water and if the fish are feeding, catches plenty of trout. Expect some great takes on the surface fly and occasionally two fish at the same time.






Some beautifully marked trout

Insulating Turtle Hibernation Bath

After giving it a lot of thought , i have decided against hibernating my Emys in their pond. The reason for this is, they have only been outdoors a couple of months and i would rather monitor the pool through its first winter without them in it.
So, i captured them during the recent mild weather and before it turns cold again.
I still want to hibernation to occur but in a more controlled way......somewhere that has easy access to the turtles.
Deciding to use a plasterer's bath, some insulation was in order and 50mm thick poly foam boards proved to be ideal. One pack of these panels is just enough to completely clad a standard plastic bath.

It is shaped easily using a serrated kitchen knife, much better than normal polystyrene and a denser material too.

One board goes underneath, two others are cut to suit the sides, it can then be held together using duct tape.

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A lid is made to fit, giving the tub all round protection from what could be another cold winter.

Finally the bath is covered with a portable plastic breathable cold frame as extra protection against the elements.

As i have said before, at least this way i have some control and easy access to the turtles. I may only use the lid during severe cold spells.

I will check this set up against an unprotected bath nearby and will have the option of bringing the turtles inside should it not prove successful.

Autumnal Trout

Fished the last couple of weekends for late season trout, on two of my favourite small rivers. Last week down in Herefordshire a reasonably good few hours fishing was marred by tearing my waders just after starting to fish.
Then the sight of 4 or 5 cormorants working good pools, also knocked the stuffing out of me. Its amazing how these large seabirds can adapt to feeding on relatively small, swift flowing rivers. There is no doubt that they will have a serious effect on fish stocks, reputedly being able to eat 2-3lbs of fish a day.





Today back in shropshire, i found the river to be very low, strange when you consider recent downpours.
However i did manage to have some nice fish, nearly all caught on a size 14 or 16 nymph.Either a tungsten pheasant tail or hares ear pattern.







Now its time for the magnificent grayling.

Video Clips Of Emys in New Pond.

After a few weeks the Emys pond became murky due to sunlight and nutrients in the water. The good news is that it has now cleared, thanks to plenty of plants and oxygenating weed, so hopefully a balance has been acheived.

Pond For Emys Part 4

A few pics to show basking area.........they also use the decking surround.

The barrier is made from plastic roofing flashing which can be obtained from any diy store.

Pond for Emys Part 3

Before planting up the pond a couple of rubber mats are placed on the slope between deep and shallow water. This is again to aid the turtles during cold water conditions, these will provide necessary grip on what is a smooth surface.

Baskets of various plants are then added which will help to use up nutriments, so keep the water clear and also attract insect life.

Masses of oxygenating pondweed are placed all over the pond floor, this i feel is key to a balanced healthy pond. It also creates good cover for the turtles and literally fizzes when the sun is out.

Lengths of decking panels are screwed around the edge to trap the liner and underlay, making a neat finish.

Floating plants, dwarf lillies and duckweed are put in to provide some surface cover/shade.

So, nearly finished, should be an ideal habitat to these intelligent turtles and nowhere for them to get stuck and drown.

Just a basking area to be made now and next year an adjacent land zone.

Water quality will be carefully monitored, to see if a pump and filter are needed, hope the Emys like it, they could go in the weekend.

Pond for Emys Part 2

With all the hard work done, from now on it starts to become exciting as the pond nears completion.
Firstly the underlay is carefully placed over and then pushed down into the cavity, keeping the surface as wrinkle free as possible.
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Next the liner is unfolded out on top and again gently pulled out evenly.

A hose is placed in and the filling begins! a dechlorinator is added at this point.

As the water level rises, creases will start to appear, these are folded and will flatten out as the pond fills.

When the water is at the top, hopefully the level will be even all the way around.....that's why a spirit level is an important tool in the early stages of construction.

Finally excess liner and underlay is trimmed, leaving about a foot of material all the way around.

Now comes the best bit......getting it ready for turtles!