Come back to the Blau 

_____

Finally we come back to the Blau. This chalk stream is in our hearts. We have been missing for several years and eventually we found the opportunity to pay a visit and check how things are doing here in the German flatland of Baden-Württenberg.


With great fairness the shop that sold us the day ticket had warned us upfront about the strong growth of the water weeds this year, which could hinder the fishing in some areas. After reckoning we decide, at our own risk, to try to fish regardless.


Still fish are rising and the deepest pools are relatively weed-free.


To increase the chance to hold the fish from fleeing into the weeds we fish with a 0.16. The fish is rising on tiny insect and the thickness of the leader does not allow us to present correctly tiny fly. We scale down to a 0.14 fluoro-carbon and yet we cope the fights and do not lose any fish. Despite a good emergence of olive duns, a small black midge pattern returns the largest fish.


The upper part is hard to fish, for a good 500 m. there is a sea of algae. It gets better toward the upstream end of the zone and fish are rising here too.


The hatch of olive dun continues and olive emerger patterns become the best choice. Mayflies come in waves and the same do the fish activity at the surface.


And when the fish are not rising they are actively feeding on submerged drifting nymphs. A couple of raindrops do not bode well, thunders are roaring in the distance and shortly after a storm breaks loose. For 20 minutes the pouring rain prevents us from fishing.


The sun is about to set. A huge trout that we estimate around 70 cm has been rising for the all day right close to the opposite bank. And we have been trying all our arsenal, but in vain. Maybe with the approach of the dusk and a skating sedge?


And indeed the large fish follows the drifting segde, opens his mouth to engulf the fly.., but no luck. The strike is void. We fish until the dark, however it is too late in the season for a cup de soir and the activity has faded. We are hungry and there is a fantastic pizza in the close village of Blaubeuren and we celebrate the great fishing day in front of a good pint of beer.


_____

MORE FLY FISHING CONTENTS

 THE RIVER KöNKäMENO

 MECKLENBURG SEENPLATTE

OF PIKE & MICE