Laxey River - Valley Section
I'm on a mission. I worked quickly through the water I've reported on before bringing a few fish to hand but the water level had dropped somewhat and it's much harder going. The fish are far more spooky in the shallows.
Up through the gate and onto the top section of the town water. Very little flow in the gin clear water and even clear fluorocarbon is spooking fish when cast over them so I swap back to the stripy BMS. It's becoming a favourite. Just one fish out of this part.
At the fork I take the right hand side which seems to have the most flow. 200m and there is a big weir. The water is so clear I can see fish holding station 4 feet below the surface. On goes one of the weighted seagull flies to get down to them. The first fish see's it coming and swims round it! ... hmmm. Swap to a smaller size 20 with a tiny 2mm bead. It's a struggle to get this one to sink, but eventually, after casting into the falls of the weir to assist it's sink it's down there with the fish. A bristling of fins, flare of the gills and it's sucked in... and spat out. I'll have to be quicker.
Unfortunately it's not to be. The fish decide to ignore the nymph after that. So I press on into the Laxey Valley proper. Laxey is a an old mining town and this valley had the industrialisation to support the mining operation. In the valley was the washing floor for the lead ore that was mined from higher up stream.
As you can see the water is very thin with pockets to pick. Not many fish out of here. You can see in the picture the replica water wheel that pumped out the mines. The Laxey wheel proper is higher up the valley and very impressive indeed.
A few tourists hang over the walls to ask ... "Are there fish in there?" ...Would someone be fishing the river if there wasn't? "Yes, lots of wild brown trout, but they are tricky to catch." ...Next cast, fish on. I love proving a point like that. "It's not very big" ...but it is a fish, and wild.
At the top of this run it gets even tighter with steep walls until you reach a large tunnel. The road and electric trams run over the top.
Plenty of room for casting under the bridge and I can see the occasional rise. Another weir can be seen the other side of the tunnel. Tempting so tempting. Unfortunately my time for the day is up so I turn around and head back downstream to find a place to climb out.
The stonework in here is impressive. Fortunately I don't have to go too far before I get to a place opposite the retirement home where the railings are within easy reach and it's an easy step up and out of the channel.
With more water I can see this being very productive fishing. More rain forecast for tomorrow. That should liven the rivers up a bit. I saw far more fish than I managed to tempt.
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