Spring has Sprung ...... 

Saturday morning; the kids are at grannies, my wife is in the US, and the sun is out.  Its a few days before the season opens for trout on the River Tyne catchment, but its a great time to have a pre-season scout.


This is beat 5 of the Tyne Angling Passport scheme, its a lovely stretch of water.  Hidden from the road, nestled among the alder trees, its quite sheltered. As I arrive the sun hasn't quite burnt through the last of the early morning cloud, but there's still signs of insect life.  A pair of yellow wagtails are busy catching gnats by the waters edge and the grass is full of small black spiders.  More interestingly there is a dipper in the river, there must be something moving under the surface, large dark olives?  Lets hope so.


The sun finally burns through and the celandines respond by opening up their glossy yellow petals.    There's not too many of them open yet, but its certainly a sign that spring is finally here.

As I approach a nice slow glide, there it is, something rising..........its picking off something below the surface.  Its sat right under the bank, occasionally dashing out to nab a nymph, but is very, very wary.  

So a few days to go till we open on the 22nd - but its looking good ~Chris.


Note to self :  next time take your waders else its a right PITA to hack through the vegetation / clarts.