Fishing on the River Tees 17 November 2022
The river Tees starts its journey east from the beautiful scenery and wonderful barren moorland of the Northern Pennines at Cross-fell, where it then winds its way for 85miles east to meet the North Sea at Middlesbrough.
I had arranged to fish Pierce-Bridge and High–Coiniscliffe, beats on the Tees, in the Darlington catchment area, unfortunately the weather was very poor and as always out of our control. The forecast was as we thought, going to be high water but ok to fish. When the gauge was checked at 8.00am in the morning it was 6 inches up, by the time we came out of the river at 2.30pm, it was the colour of chocolate and had risen a further 6 inches, and it had been a raining a monsoon since 9.00am. Now we had quite a wave with channels of foam racing down in the fast current, and it was unsafe and too dangerous to continue.
My partner for the day was Dr J Barnes a well-known fisherman in the north who is a Czech nymph expert.
This river although was high it was a good colour when we started and was certainly fishable, very much like the Dee at Bangor with a wide very safe shale river bed ideal for wading. In fact I did not use a wading stick at all. This was my first time to fish the Czech nymph style, which is popular all over Europe and becoming very popular here. When he looked at my rods, fly’s, reels and line he shook his head and said none of these are any good for proper Czech Nymphing so he kited me up with his own gear, 10ft6in, 2w rod built by Marryat Rods, no fly line just Stroft tippet 2.30kg on to a backing line, a 3m bead on the point, 2 further nymphs on 2 droppers 18inch apart, the whole set up was as light as a feather. He explained to me where the Grayling Sholes normally lie in these conditions, in the margins and where and how to fish this set up. Indicators are very important on how you feel the fish takes, with the Jig hook on the point as it just bounces along the river bed which makes the takes whether on fish or pebbles which it bounces off, which is all very sensitive to whether it’s a fish or a stone or in my case a drowned leaf gives the same effect. Basically you fish in a 60 degree arc never using more line than you started with in my case it was 10ft, be sure to clear the water with all the flies before you flick back up stream and instantly get your indicator in view and watch it like a hawk. You defiantly need Polaroid glasses for this style of fishing and concentration.
I found it a fascinating style of fishing having never done it or anything like it before and now I need to try it on our home waters, I caught one fish, a Sinkey Baby Grayling, which is the name given to it by the northern fisherman.
On the 10th December I have a Grayling Day on the Ewenny so this is an ideal water to try this method out on with 5ft 6in rod.
I was given an FOC return day as the weather was so bad. On my return we are going to fish high up on the Pennine moors for Trout when the season starts in 2023.
As I took Elaine, my wife with me we stayed at Headlam Hall, a beautiful renovated country club, no complaints, top class in every aspect.
The round trip involving 2 motorway divisions, was 528miles.
Andrew Ayres,
WFD, Cheltenham Fly Dressers, Grayling Society Member.
Worcester Fly Dressers 