|
FEATURED ARTICLES Where the Wild Things Are Tackling a Westcountry stream is a matter of stealth and simplicity, writes Dominic Garnett.
I’ve caught heavyweight species that dwarf this speckled little creature; fish that can snap fishing line like cotton and turn your knees to jelly. Our brownie’s American cousin the rainbow trout, for example, is big, brash and muscle bound by comparison. But it is not these bullish louts that captivate me from spring onwards. Instead you’ll find me, like many others, by a rolling Westcountry stream in search of brown trout. So why all the fuss about such a modest fish? Well, to start with the name “brown” trout is a total injustice. Our brownies are anything but plain old brown and you will find colours that are as varied as they are vivid, from buttery gold through to deep bronze. The River Exe, for example, produces sparkling, yellow flanked fish, whereas Dartmoor brownies can be so dark they seem almost black. As anyone who has seen one close up will testify, calling this wild creature “brown” is rather like referring to Michelangelo as a “decorator”. It is their spots though, that truly mark them out as animals of wild beauty. The brown trout is the leopard of the stream and each has its own crazy constellation of spots as unique as a fingerprint. The spots can be many or few, black or even bright red depending on the location. Of course, these are not there for aesthetic value but serve to blend the trout perfectly into its stony environment. Indeed, locating these speckled marauders with the naked eye is a tricky game in itself, enjoyed by walkers as well as anglers. Hard to spot our brownie may be, but as for hard to catch, I’m not always convinced. Without wishing to sound like a heretic, you’d have to say that our native trout is often anything but fussy and enjoys a wide diet, ranging from the tiny gnat to the gangling daddy long legs; from small fish to the grasshopper that made a jump too far. Offer him a worm and he’ll seldom turn his nose up at it. He is never predictable however, and if the trout finds an abundance of one prey item he can quickly become preoccupied with one foodstuff, rather like a binge chocolate eater. In these circumstances the brownie can be fiendishly hard to tempt and the real challenge for the fly fisherman comes in trying to imitate nature with a painstakingly tied imitation. Happily enough though, this is rarely the case with our Westcountry brownie, who will often take whatever comes his way. This is particularly true of Devon’s moorland trout, whose tough environment affords them little licence to be picky. Angling speak aside however, the joy of Westcountry trout fishing is not just about the catch, but also the places the quarry takes you to. Like the fish themselves, Devon’s trout rivers are also often modest in size; mere, thin blue lines on the map compared to Britain’s bigger, more prominent waterways. But in this case small is most definitely beautiful and you simply couldn’t wish for a more idyllic place than a wild, unspoiled little river. A thriving population of wild trout is only possible in a clean environment and the good health of Devon’s rivers is one of the great unsung achievements of the region. It is a tribute to our river guardians that in contrast to many other areas of England, most of our brown trout are same wild strains that have populated our rivers for millennia. And as well as trout, other creatures are also benefiting from careful management, such as our kingfishers and otters. Complacency here is not an option however, due to the many unseen threats our waterways face from pesticides, pollution and misuse. It is easy to forget just how fragile these ecosystems are, but thanks to the pioneering work of organisations such as the Westcountry Rivers Trust, Wild Trout Trust and conscientious angling clubs we have reason to be quietly optimistic about the future, provided we give our support. With or without a rod in the hand, our rivers are places which should be cherished. They afford us time to think and freedom to wander; things all too commonly lacking in modern life. It is somewhat ironic perhaps, that we travel thousands of miles in search of unspoiled places of beauty, when such places also exist in our little corner of the world. We just have to take the time to look.
Some Useful Contacts: The Westcountry Rivers Trust/ Angling 2000 Scheme The Get Hooked Guide Crediton Fly Fishing Club The Wild Trout Trust Southwest Lakes Trust
Featured Articles aaa Online Shop aaa Blog aaa Guiding aaa Profile aaa Links copy right 2008 © D G Fishing - Dominic Garnett, all rights reserved. |
