It's 6.45 on a bright but damp August morning.  I park the car against a bramble hedge and climb out into the early morning sun.

I trudge down through the back of the housing estate and onto the dirt track which leads to the stream.  Heavy with tea coloured water from last nights downpour the heaving river awaits my fly.

This suprising little stream is tucked away behind a sprawling housing estate very close to a busy town centre.  There is a constant audiable backdrop of cars, trains and wailing sirens.  Don't be fooled by it's urban location...this place has some blinding Brownies...

My tackle for today is a 8' Hardy Demon #4,  Vision Koma reel loading with a Grey Platinum line and 9' Hardy tapered leader. Sorted out my box of flies over a bacon butty earlier and picked a few I thought might do the trick including a selection of hand tied beetles, nymphs and a few left over from an Orvis selection pack the wife got me for christmas.

There's a few good spots I like to visit and first up is just off a fast run into a deep straight about 50 yards long.   The stream is almost bursting this morning and the water dark with mud.  First choice of fly is a Black and Peacock Spider, size 16, down eyed wet.  I always cast upstream and across.  I strip some line and my fist cast hits the rough water just next to some bullrushes.  As my fliy hits the slack water I immediatley get a take and connect to what feels like a very nice fish which powers off toward the bank undergrowth.  The trout in this stream really do fight and I struggle to keep the fish from getting under the bank and entangled in the rushes.  I quickly gain control and land a crackling little Brown trout.   Tipped the scales at just over a pound.  Not bad for first cast.

Consecutive casts got me a few plucks from around the same patch but they subsided after about 10 minutes.  The morning sun beat down and I decided to move downstream.  Swapped the Peackock for a Black Pennal.  I fished a couple of spots and finally tried a downstream run that I would usually avoid when the river is low as it is very snaggy.  A couple of flicks and I got a heavy take followed by a good sized fish giving an airborne display.  I tightened up and  was indeed into a good fish.  I let it run a little to a deep stretch and followed down the path.  Netted the fish when it was ready.  Delighted at this one ! Over 2lbs...

Overall a great morning.  My little secret spot never fails to produce quality fish.  I was back home for 9:30 am with a satisfied grin on my face.

 P.S. All fish were released.

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