Dry Fly Fishing on the Derbyshire Wye

Monster rainbows competing for bread

A trip to York was planned for the beginning of the month and as I would be passing over the Derbyshire Wye, famous for its wild rainbow trout, it seemed rude not to wet a line. A quick trip to the local tackle shop in Bakewell and I was armed with the information I needed on the fly patterns and the water I was to fish. Cressbrook & Litton Flyfishers Club run the fishing on a stretch of upstream only dry fly water and it sounded very inviting. Walking back across the town bridge I noticed the resident rainbows competing with the ducks for bread, thrown in by more onlookers, some of these fish must have been upwards of 10lb! Arriving at the water late afternoon, I set up my 8’ 4# rod with a single size 14 Adams tied to 2lb 8oz Drennan double strength. I started fishing the fast water near the bridge and was soon fighting my first Wye brown trout of around 9" The rest of the evening followed a similar theme with me taking smaller fish in the fast water and larger rainbows and bigger browns rising to my fly in slower sections but proving impossible to tempt on to the hook. An enjoyable few hours of dry fly fishing and with no wild rainbows caught, it sounds like a good reason for a return visit.
 

Making the cast

One in the net