Taking opportunities

You know those times when your out fishing for certain species yet you see other fish that is always nice to see and you start to think it would be good to be able to catch them. For me that's what fly fishing offers, it gives me all the things i enjoy from lure fishing but I'm able to target and catch any fish that swims. So when i see fish that i fancy catching its a case of making the most of the opportunity. That's another reason why i like to change what I'm doing as it keeps my fishing fresh and I'm always out catching something, rather than the conditions not being right for certain species and just letting my fishing go stale. For me I'll catch any fish, i get more enjoyment from certain species but its all about the enjoyment of the approach than just sticking with the same species all the time. I always say to people, 'im not one for sitting on a box all day waiting for the fish to come to me' and that's true, i don't like to knock those that do enjoy that, it must be relaxing. I'm just not a person that can sit for any length of time i like to be active, fly fishing has really changed my enjoyment of fishing as a whole because of its versatility and as mentioned it gives me all the same things i enjoy from lure fishing, the freedom to move, the fact that I'm busy casting and working my lure/fly and the flies themselves, don't get me started on them, if lures in a box is'nt enough to excite you then a box full of neat little rows of flies tips me over the edge! Even the casting alone, i find it very therapeutic.

I'd been frustrated with trying to catch the carp so mid week i had a few hours doing something different just so i didn't get too frustrated with the carp, I'd spotted a load of roach and dace the week before in one area but i only had flies for perch so thought I'd go back with dry flies and small nymphs.

I had a fantastic couple of hours catching roach and the odd bleak, most were caught on nymphs and one in particular which the roach seem to really like, its my go to nymph now for roach.
I caught a few hybrids too which fight really well for there size, the disappointing moment though was when i had a decent roach of maybe about a pound, id gone to lift it just out the water to hand. In hindsight i shouldn't have been so lazy and netted it because I'd underestimated its weight and it kicked and snapped me off.

When i was out fishing for the carp, I've been using an #8 fly rod as this also gives me the option to quickly change my leader if i fancy saving a blank with a pike or even just switching and fishing for the pike. I'd spotted a jack in the margin and did just that, a quick change of leader and fly and i tempted the bonus fish.