Glen Maye River - Glen Rushen Mines
The Glen Maye river runs through Glen Rushen which is higher up and approached from the mountains. After the success of opening day I had another chance at a days fishing. The weather was not really on my side though. Very heavy rain overnight and strong winds are not what a river fisherman likes to wake up to. Even worse for a Tenkara fisherman with light lines.
The initial plan was to fish the Silverburn, which flows into Castletown.
That was chocolate brown and flowing faster than the steam train that runs parallel to it's banks. Add to that a very strong and gust downstream wind that was bending the rod more than a fully loaded line. The titanium line did bite into the wind to extend the line. However, with no control over the, wind buffeted, tip where the line extended too was a bit of a lottery within a six foot spread. I tried. I gave it up as a bad job and went to plan B.
Plan B was Glen Rushen. I figured that fewer feeder streams and very little farm run off the river might be clear'ish. I was not wrong. The Glen Maye River runs through and out of Glen Rushen towards the Glen Maye and the sea. That is where I started last season with great success.
I parked up as low down as I could and walked myself downstream almost out of the Glen. There is excellent water all the way down but it was flowing much faster than I'd ever seen it and I wasn't sure there would be much slack water to hold a fish in. At the bridge at the bottom of the walk there were some good looking pools.
The deep channels were running very fast and the slack water was only a few inches deep. Experience of this water tells me the fish hide in the deep water. It was not looking like it was a fishable option. However I persevered and worked my way upstream.
The wind was not to vicious in the valley and I could use my favoured BMS line which although not as bright as some lines doesn't spook the wild trout that scatter at anything brightly coloured in their vision. It;s still visible enough as you can see from the picture above.
There are some seriously deep holes on this stretch. I call this one the Devil Hole because I've never seen the bottom and it is frighteningly undercut. If you fall in this one I don't rate your chances of coming out!
The fish were still hard to find and totally uncooperative. We have to persevere in the face of adversity! Buggered if I was going to record a blank! The water looked far too good to be blanking and I know there are fish up there.
At last!
It might not be big, but it's a wild brownie and it's come from some pretty wild scenery. The water above the gorge with the plunge pools and rapids is fairly placid. Absolutely fishable and very Tenkara friendly.
When you've found one fish, you find more. I have a feeling the fish had come upstream to avoid the heaviest water and will migrate back downstream as the warmer weather sets and the flow reduces. Summer last year was excellent for small black dry flies up here.
The nature of the river changes as well. Where some forestry has been left the river becomes much more like a Manx glen river. Where tributaries come in there are pools that hold more fish.
The mine workings lower down the valley were water powered and a weir blocks the flow to direct water to the reservoirs that fed the industry. Where there fish beyond the weir? It's certainly steep enough to prevent any migration with eager brown trout beneath it.
It wasn't looking good as I fished through a couple of likely pools without a touch. I changed from my peeping caddis to a 16's silver bead black nymph when I reached the last pool before the river becomes exposed to the open moor. The inflow to the pool was only 2 foot across and I couldn't see where the river went after this point or it's nature. Right in the neck, a take, and a very fine brownie.
Now I feel much better about the river beyond the weir. Certainly worth exploring further, but that'll have to be for another day. Google maps shows there are pools above where I stopped. You'll have to wait for my next excursion into the wilds to see if they have their own little population.
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