The Complete Fisher Forum

[Grey Hackle]

Does the fishery allow the odd perch to be taken for the pot?


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To be able to wing correctly a small dry fly is the height of attainment in trout fly dressing and is the most difficult part of the art... Roger Woolley

[drsixty7]

[drsixty7]

The doctors log june 2016
Having toiled and toiled for meagre reward at the Thornton 2015 social and only fished half a fruitless day at Halliford Mere since, to say I was excited about the fast approaching Elinor social would be the understatement of the year. The majority of my fly fishing has been at these events and as many attendees will agree I like to maximise these opportunities and fish as much as possible, so this year I concluded my working business at the close of the day before so we could potentially be onsite by midday, tents up and fishing, possibly by mid afternoon.

The Stars were very much in alignment that morning, everything went to plan and me and the maggot drowner were soon bouncing down the approach track to the fishery, and what did we see but a man in a small red car reversing widely down the track, ignoring many of the passing points on the way. His attendance at these socials would have gone down in history had Lemony Snicket not got there first! This years debacle, though not his fault was having bought a new 'display model' tent he found all the right parts but not from the same tent!!! You can't make this stuff up! Poor John wasn't in the mood for any of my wisecracks about his imaginative driving, he was after all on a wild goose chase in the midlands countryside, looking for a tent shop. Good luck sir!

Whistlekiller was already there, bivvy pitched and ready for action. As we pitched up the other Thursday arrivals started to arrive too and yet despite our early arrival and prompt pitching of tents and bobbies thoughts were not on a cheeky session from the dam end, other important business would have to be concluded first, like the renaming of tony's cafe 'The Turtle's Head'! It's legend is already well known but many more dark tales will be told of shenanigans from within its flimsy walls.

Thursday nights at social's are precarious affairs, an over indulgence of life's elixir can make and an early start next morning a painful affair, anyhow I had my cake and at it and was surprisingly fishing by 4:45 next morn, before the sun had shown up. The previous afternoon I'd had a couple of wafts with my favoured shaky rod and seeing as how the theory was that bright sunshine would send the nuggets down, I paired it with a sinking line, all to no avail. This meant that I was using a very soft airflo 9' 6/7 with an SKB hyper max floating line, 18' leader with an apps on point, nice and simple after such a long lay off. The only action I saw in the first half hour or so was changing flies, seeing as nothing was working, I tried, blobs, and a damsel, then along comes that Zimfisherboy pain in the arse. He pitched up at the slipway and first cast he's into a fish, 'how nice for him' I thought!!! Now I like Kevin and I love how he fishes but that is taking the piss! Only fair then to enquire what the fish took, of course it was kev's new best friend a Wickhams. Quick as you like I had one tied on point and was into a fish almost immediately, a self tied fly to, bonus! Try as I might to add to my tally before breakfast that was my lot, at least I could relax knowing the day wouldn't be a blank!!



After a bacon roll in 'The Turtles' it was a quick change into all that sodding paraphernalia that I choose to wear for float tubing and out onto the water in my new tube for the first time. By this time there were many more CFF rabble out on the water and picking up fish so plenty of clues were abound as to what was catching. The general consensus is that sunshine sends the fish to the bottom, well not today, no, on this sunny day they were just below the surface and in a thoroughly engrossing morning session I'd added four fish to my total the day, all falling to an apps.

Lunch at 'The Turtles' consisted of a tin of baked beans with added Scottish black pudding, a totally inappropriate menu for someone who would spend the next 5hours or so virtually sealed inside a wetsuit, you live and learn! Don't you?

Three further fish followed which was a big disappointment after finding a big concentration of trout out to the middle from the boat jetties. The fish were moving up and the lake and I thought I knew which way they were heading but my 50/50 guess went the other way, I was 'orf the fish' and never got back on them.

A bunch of us tried in the evening at whatever rise there was but without success, for me at least. The day's total would stay at 8, 1 shy of my best ever total of 9 at Elinor in 2015.

The new tube...
It is a slight upgrade on my old tube in that it has twin bladders and an inflatable seat, sitting the tuber higher in the water, much better, however the inflatable seat takes some getting used to, over inflate and you'll just fall off, this I discovered the next morning, an early bid for the Hand of Satan, mine to keep probably, being in full pig mask mode at the time!!!



Once the seat settings were all sorted it was down to the serious matter of Battletrout 10!

Fish seemed to be in abundance for other anglers yet were proving elusive for me at first, they weren't interested in the apps anymore, not mine at any rate and time was running out. The weather was strong sunshine again and like the previous day the fish were still high up in the water so I tried every fly that had worked for me in the past, still nothing, no plucks, follows or takes until I tied on a green and white, plug chain eyed catswhisker, wanged out the biggest cast I could muster and rolly polied it back... Instant interest with a fish following it right back to the tube before turning away when I had no more line to retrieve. Montana Joe popped straight into my head 'just keep paddling'! I was stationed in the same spot, in the middle of the lake adjacent the boat jetties and like the day before there was a good concentration of fish there, and they liked the cat, hard and fast! Four fish came this way before the competition came to an end, putting me in with esteemed company on the same tally. Later in the day I managed a further two fish putting my daily total up to seven. Slightly disappointed again to miss out on double figures. Maybe tomorrow?

Sunday morning and another early start, it was a cloudy start too, not that it helped, a blank in the early session, not ideal. After a bacon and black pudding sarnie it was back in the tube and as always seems the way for me, the fishing gets harder as the weekend progresses. Concentrating just off the dam I'd decided to fish the types of flies I normally don't go for but ones that were very much working for others and rapidly becoming the fly of the weekend, Hares Ear nymphs. Whenever I go through my boxes looking for inspiration nymphs, Diawl Bachs and the small stuff never look like they'll do the trick and with the tube picking up damsel nymphs by the dozen I was reluctant to change opinion today. Seeing as GRHE's were doing the business for many of the other CFF anglers, I gave them a go, a team of one hares ear on point, followed by an olive buzzer and an olive coloured hares ear. The change in fortunes was dramatic, first fish came to the buzzer then both hares ears took fish regularly and by 2pm I was quite please with my 6 fish, my target of 10 was well within reach but that was my lot during the day at least! I lost probably my biggest fish to a knot in my fly line that snagged on the first rod eye as the fish made a run for it, damn it! Note to self, look after your line better.

That evening, after another fabulous BBQ'd dinner the Zimframer and me decided it would be a great idea to catch the last of the light... It was! The liveliest evening rise was in full effect, fish coming in close and rising in predictable directions, I put on an f-fly, it got attention straight away but it was virtually impossible to see the fly and ever keen to learn I took Kev's advice to fish the F in the same manner as a wet, cast at rising and stripped back quickly. Head torches were needed by now to see anything, it was bordering on foolish now but just before common sense told me to pack up a fish took the fly and my net butler Kev duly brought it to the back. That's one I'll never forget! I liked the idea of night fly fishing a couple of years ago but never tried it, I can strike that off the to do list now and I'd definitely do it again. I wasn't sure about casting when you can't see but if you trust your other senses, especially touch, the lack of light focuses your technique.

Many of the group had left on the Sunday so by Monday morning there was five of us left. I got up early as usual but the wind was much stronger so went back to bed for a couple of hours. At a more reasonable hour and after the final breakfast was taken Zimfister persuaded me to fish the bank at pensioners point, by now it was proper windy, good for a long cast but even the birds were struggling to fly straight. To my left was a local angler, an elderly chap and despite claiming not to be an expert he knew his craft on this day, catching regularly on a combination of a black hopper on point with the fish taking a small hares ear (I think), he took three or four fish in quick succession, then Kev got into one using similar flies. I tried a similar combo but without success and with the conditions becoming a little more testing I have it five last casts with a catswhisker, rolly polied through the waves, almost instant success, a couple of bow waved follows then I made one stick, but with tents still to be put down and a car to be packed it was time to draw my Elinor 2016 to a close. I loved every second of it and am sure that I've learned new respect for small brown flies and will be a better fisherman for the experience.
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[montanajoe]

Hi Mick

Great account of a good weekend.
It was a goodie.

Yours

Iain
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Visit Everything stops for tea

[Whistlekiller]

[drsixty7]

Father's Day and my family treated me to a morning at Halliford Mere where I was joined by Tim Woods and Kevin Dewey. I love the view point from the car park at Halliford, a great glimpse of the middle of lake one which serves to push the anticipation through the roof. This morning the lake was boiling with activity, fish moving and jumping all aver the lake with a big concentration of fish out in the middle. Since taking over at Halliford, Gerry has done a great job in opening the lakes up and stocking with a good variety of rainbows, blues and Browns. I don't think I've seen Halliford looking as good as it does now and I've never seen so many fish as we saw this morning especially as they were high in the water despite the sunshine.

After spending a few minutes watching the fish move around Kev headed to the point while Tim and I tried a few casts in the bay off teachers corner, there were fish topping in the willow fluff that had gathered there but they didn't seem interested in an F-fly. After ten minutes or so Kev beckoned us to join him at the point were there was literally fish everywhere, left, right, centre and right in close to the bank. Tim was first to register, a decent rainbow taking an F-fly then Kevin made a complete meal of landing his first that took a catswhisker, brought back slowly. I on the other hand was working my way through my usual suspect without success until I connected but lost a fish on an apps then lost one to a blue flash damsel. No bother, there were so many fish showing it wouldn't be long, surely? While I tried blobs, nymphs, catswhiskers, hairs ears, Wickhams etc all to no avail Kev was giving a master class with his cats, targeting individual fish and producing countless follows and swirls, he had to leave at 11 but by that time he'd caught four fish!

Tim and I took a wander around lake three but apart from a couple of jumping fish out of reach at Chirch bay we saw no other sign of life so returned to lake one, fishing the remainder of the session opposite the restaurant by which time I was heading for a fourth successive Halliford blank! Tim had no firther luck either. There is currently a lot of fry in the shallows and I'd connected with a red finned silver fish earlier so taking these two pieces of information I tied on a grey and red zonker, lobbed as far out to the middle and all those jumping fish and rolly polied it back hoping to induce some kind of reaction. Finally a rainbow chased it down and I'd broken my series of blanks a feat that didn't escape the attention of Gerry, watching from his 'office'. And that would be it for me, and for Tim, just the one fish each but no bother there's few better ways to spend a Father's Day morning, or any other morning for that matter. Looking forward to my next outing, whenever that might be.
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[drsixty7]

A few weeks back Flybysage and Zimfisherboy enjoyed a days Carp fishing on the fly at Newdigate farm and they cleaned up on dog biscuits, a fly I'd had a pop at tying and one which would also prove useful at the recent Autumn social at Ladybower.

I'd heard and read great things about this fishery and had been looking forward to it for months. Ladybower is without doubt the most picturesque fishery I've visited so far and despite its size it looks very inviting to fish. After getting all set up on the camp site I was lucky enough to share a boat for a few hours with Kevin which although it was fruitless for both of us it did eventually prove to be a vital fact finding mission for later in the weekend. The pair of us tried most flies we'd regularly rely upon all to little effect except for a lunge from one fish at an f-fly and another at a



I got up before dawn on Friday morning, keen to get a couple of hours in before breakfast, the biggest problem was getting out of the complex and down to the water, Colditz would've been easier to escape from, till I remembered the main gates had a combination lock!

Finally free I made for the small bay to the right of the jetty and tried out a variety of flies, apps, boobies, cats whiskers etc, fast retrieve, roly poly etc but all to no avail and yet there were plenty of rises and splashes. I did get one lunge at an f-fly but that was my lot for this brief session.

After breakfast I was in the tube and in an attempt to become drier and more comfortable in the tube I gave a debut to a pair of breathable waders but they failed and I very nearly did too!

As we are all prone to do I asked the fishery staff and anyone else who might care to listen what they thought might be a successful plan of attack, Jake suggested a booby stripped across the top so I tried this out but to no avail. All day the wind created less than ideal for tubing but perseverance is my middle name and finally i managed to nail my first Ladybower trout with a large, ahem, dog biscuit fly, fished static in front of the cages. It may not appeal to the purists but is it any more extra terrestrial than a blob or a booby? Not wishing to centre too much attention to the cages I battled over to the dam walk where there was some flat water and some rest bite from the wind, I had one take to an f-fly but that was about it for a tough first full day and with the forecast for yet stronger wind for Saturday the prospects for a better second day didn't look good.

I set my alarm early again for another dawn run but a quick glance over the breezy reservoir and I decided to give it a miss, probably just as well as there was soon to be a mechanical drama to deal with before any fishing could be done. Since the waders were not an option I had to reluctantly don the drysuit I'd thankfully brought along, just in case. I paddled over towards the cages fishing a pair of dog biscuits and getting two or three takes along the way. Once there I simply paddled slowly to keep the tube in the shelter of the cages, casting into a small patch of relatively still water. It didn't take long for the fish to come to the bickies but only if fished static I picked up a couple in quick succession then along came Lee and Rich to feed the captives and all hell broke loose, there were fish literally everywhere and I was right in the middle of them, at one point I had a double hook up but unfortunately they were heading in opposite directions at top speed, I lost my point fly, the last of my size 10 biscuits. Luckily I managed to make the other stick even though it was a size 16 and this was my biggest trout ever, head and tail were out of the net! I landed ed one more fish on the dog biscuit and lost too many more, they really hit them hard. In spite of some assistance from Rich and his poor aim with the pellet scoop I was pleased to have caught four fish on self tied flies in very testing conditions. Eventually the wind got a touch too menacing for me and I headed in.

Sunday would provide much friendlier weather except for one devilish downpour but only being able to fish till lunchtime meant that intense focus was required but it wasn't enough, my tactics from Saturday proved fruitless as did a brief flirtation with a Sweet Susan/snatcher combo on a midge tip.

On the journey back to London I theorised in my head why the fishing was so tough for all of us as it has been in recent years for the Autumn social at Thornton, the most likely reason seems to be water temperature, as I'm learning trout like colder water and the high temperature was mentioned many times over this weekend. And yet the fish were high in the water column and that's the problem with theories, there's always a counter argument to mess with your head!
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[drsixty7]

Sunday 4th December Flybysage, Zimfisherboy and myself headed to Elinor for a spot of piking for 'them' and a first frost foray into winter float tubing for me. Following a hearty breakfast en route and a warm welcome from Ed it was time to see if I'd brought enough layers to keep me out on the water for a reasonable amount of time. Already wearing long johns under my jeans I added a Polar Diving under suit topped with a fleece and fleecy snood and deer stalker hat and finally one of my wisest purchases, the dry suit. Despite other anglers thinking I was a can short of a six pack I set out from the boat dock and it was fine, in fact after 3-4 hours I was still comfortable, only my toes feeling the chill slightly. So that part of the trip was a success at least.

Before entering the water a quick survey suggested that there would be fish found in the usual spots like along the dam end, pensioners point and on towards shallow bay and as apps bloodworms have proved to be my most successful fly it seemed appropriate to start with one. No joy, not even the hint of a take or sight of a fish so I added a nymph of some description and a large daddy, still nowt. Meanwhile the other two were having a great time spinning lures and getting plenty of action from both pike and trout, so I figured maybe they were more keen on fry patterns, the logical move for me would be a plug chain cat's whisker, like the apps it had done well here for me in previous visits here but just like the apps it produced nowt, neither retrieved fast or slow, shallow or deep. And so it continued until I took an enforced break. Normally I take two set ups out on the tube, today I just took the one, bad move. A broken top section on my two piece shaky sent me back to shore to grab my other rod and hopefully a change in fortunes. It didn't! Floating, sinking and midge tips were all tried to no avail and as the sun began to set towards the pylons it was time to pack it in from the tube a try a brief spell from the bank, again luck was not with me and yet 20 feet to my right the Zimboy chucked in a fly that he couldn't even name and promptly caught a trout! When your luck's out it's out, but at least Liverpool were the silver lining to this cloud, 3-1 up, not long left on the clock. Another check to see if they'd made it a comfortable by adding a fourth, oh ffs 3-3, oh well a point will do... 4-3, jeez what a day!
I'll put this day down as a bad one at the office and console myself with the knowledge that Ivtried everything I knew and that I now know I have the right equipment to comfortably float tube on cold winter days.
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[drsixty7]

The dust has settled from the Elinor Social 2017 and with it my disappointment has tempered at catching just ten fish in three days. I'm not fortunate to be able to fish anywhere near as often as I'd like but feel my fishing knowledge has progressed significantly in the time that I've been attending these Social but with that added experience I seem to be catching less. In the past I've had a reluctance to tie on buzzers and flies like hares ears and Diawl bachs, while also switching more readily between different fly lines and being more diligent in degreasing and removing the shine from leaders. I've worked hard on my casting technique and know by the distances I can reach that this has improved immensely so should I expect employing these good procedures to yield more numbers? This Social was a great occasion as they always are but I was a touch frustrated to have come away with just the ten fish and a feeling that I hadn't learned a great deal but on reflection I've reaffirmed my love for dry flies, in particular the F-Fly and fishing before sunrise, I learned to spot more fish than before and that a light ripple definitely helps. What still baffles though is how I could've had so much success in previous visits to Elinor with an apps bloodworm and yet this time it produced one pull for me but plenty of fish for others, bonkers!

The conditions that weekend could barely have been more contrasting, from flat calm to a tent ripping gale so maybe catching ten fish in your most favoured way isn't too bad after all.
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[drsixty7]

Friday nights for me used to be about relaxing with a few drinks after the working week, that was until my son started going to a gymnastics club. His class is two hours long and the rush hour journey is just too long to warrant returning home then making another trip to collect him, so I have spent the longer evenings trying to find a fishabe body of water. I have walked miles along the inaccessible banks of much of the River Crane, crossed marshes searching for a hidden stretch or pond without success. Then one evening I checked out an area where two stream briefly ran side by side, they're unmanaged so access was limited but I found a vantage point in the cover of a willow tree, there's no room for any back cast so an improvised roll cast is required but in the gin clear water I could see that there was a large shoal of coarse fish darting around. First off I tried a klinkhammer, nothing doing on the top so next up the closest fly I had to the bait I'd have tried had I been coarse fishing, a sinking bread fly! Two casts and I'm in, a grubby eight in roach took and consequently spooked its mates so that was my fun on this stream over. I subsequently crossed the scrubby ware ground that separates the two streams and cautiously walked down the narrow path, this was a much narrower stream almost choked by the undergrowth and weeds on both sides and only approx 100yards long before the channel was closed by the reeds and the bank claimed by the homeowners. Immediately I could see there was a large shoal of fish but these were definitely chub but I made the mistake of allowing myself to wander into the open and the shoal darted this way and that for cover, skittish to say the least. Patience is my middle name so I took cover under a low beech tree and waited for the fish to regain their confidence and to my surprise they came really close so I flicked out my bread fly and fist cast I was into and landed a chub of about three quarters of a pound. As before this spooked the shoal and try as I might there were no more takers. Just as I was about to leave i saw a much bigger fish, a good 2-3 pounds glide quietly by right under my feet, so there are bigger fish in here, but then there was an unmissable disturbance in the water, big, fat, bulbous ripples pushed up the stream against the flow. I though at first it was the shoal of chub competing for food but it happened again, closer to me this time, then right in front of me, as casual and nonchalant as you like two Carp came rainding the reeds and the banks for food. My heart started racing, these fish were both a good two foot long, grass or more likely common Carp. As quick as I could I tied Ontario biggest bread fly I had in my box, a size 8 or thereabouts and flicked it out, it landed behind one of the Carp butit sensed it, turned and took it, I struck but pulled it out of its mouth, sh1t! Amazingly it didn't break stride, so I flicked the fly out again and as before the fish turned and took it, contact this time but inexplicably the fly came off and my session came to an end, probably just as well as I was fishing a 6' 2wt with four pound leader and no landing net!

I returned again last night, this time armed with a loaf of white sliced bread, 8'6" 4wt and a landing net. Standing on a bridge, looking straight down the windy stream I dropped in flakes of bread looking to see what if anything was around, Ias the free offerings drifted down it was clear that the chub were there, under the beech tree but no sign of the Carp. As I stood on the bridge setting up my rod a a man appeared, doorman type, bald, tattoos, aggressive demeanour and armed with a bucked of extreme flavoured power baits. He could clearly see I intended to fish this stretch of water but unabated he hopped over the fence onto the opposite bank and started plopping in his freebies, after five or so minutes he came back, offered no conversation, and crossed the road to access the stream from the other side of the road. So this stretch isn't the best kept secret after all but as I was there first and now set up and ready to go I claimed the water. I didn't see Dominic Little again though lots of his bait came floating through so maybe he found another vantage point, who knows. There was no sign of the Carp at all despite all the free food and me developing an improvised technique of long trotting a large floating bread fly. On one retrieve I did get into a reasonable sized chub but after a brief fight it came off and that was it for this session. But then, as I was packing as the light had almost gone, two dark shadows appeared in the gloom, I couldn't see to tie on another fly but I know where they live and will be obsessed by them until one of them is caught. This is the urban fishing I have seen in videos, big fish in unexpected places, thequestion now is who will get them first, me or Dominic Little?
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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[Allrounder]

I really enjoyed that, Mick!

Your encounter with Dominic reminded me of a chance encounter I had on Colliford lake, a brown trout fishery situated high on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall a number of years ago. Walking across the dam I rubbed my eyes in disbelief when a couple of Bivvy's came into view. I was aware that there are some illegally stocked carp in the water and sure enough it was two carp fishers with all the kit and multiple rods set up. Now if you are wondering if I confronted these obvious law breakers then dream on! While they indeed looked like a couple of Dominic Little clones they where at least twice as big and their tattooed arms were like tree trunks. I decided to 'live and let live' (ie I wanted to live!) and let them get on with it!

Looking forward to further installments from your stream.

Alan
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Member of ...
The Angling Trust
BRFFA
B.A.S.S.
Pike Fly Fishing Association

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[drsixty7]

[drsixty7]

When Nigel organised this even months ago I couldn't wait, he'd already had a go with Arkwright last year and they'd had an absolute blast. Two worlds collided here, fly fishing and its many subtleties crossing over into the high energy power baiting world of the Carp. I'm not a fan of how Carp fishing presents itself, all that fancy flavoured stuff and complicated gatgets, extreme 'this' and 'power' that, the full-on prelude to a massive cast to the other side of the lake before a big snooze, its never been my thing, but this fish themselves are very enigmatic and I couldn't wait to see how it was all going to work. In the evenings before I got busy tying up plenty of deer hair dog biscuits and also trying out some much bigger bread 'soldiers' tied with cushion stuffing for the bread and deer hair for the crust, these are big flies even when trimmed but I figured they may come in handy as an alternative to the chum mixer that everyone else was packing.


As the day approached all eyes focussed on the weather, high winds and rain forecast for the afternoon so the morning session would be our best chance to catch anything. Following a very swift bacon butty I flicked a dog biscuit out onto one of the small breeding lakes at the side and was surprised when a number of fish immediately started to come to it, a few seconds later and I had my first Carp on a fly, a fingerling mirror Carp foul-hooked in the side!

Now for the action to begin in earnest, I tried a nearby swim first, flicking out a few dozen freebie dog biscuits to see if I coukd tempt anything to the surface but all I attracted was a couple of opportunistic swans, move on, the next swim along was a tight corner bordered with Lilly pads, again I chucked out some offerings and added some Bread to the biscuits, I waited a while before casting and soon saw the lillies start to move then right in the middle a pair of lips appeared, my first sighting of a proper Carp but uncatchable where it was feeding so I soon moved on.

The next swim was towards the adjacent corner, downwind from the bulk of the others in the group and therefore had the benefit of their bait blowing into my water and bringing with it a regular pods of fish. I hadn't quite got the measure of the increasing breeze and struggled to put the biscuit fly in the right places and so despite there being plenty of fish there I moved on to the more sheltered side of the lake and found a very open looking swim that the 'shopkeeper' had recently vacated on the grounds that back casting was difficult, I stayed perhaps a little too long before moving on to the last swim before completing a first lap. It was a narrow opening with plenty of casting room behind but framed by overhanging trees on either side, there was just enough space between the twigs to get a cast of reasonable length out to the very edge of the island out in front but and sloppiness or sudden gusts of wind would see me in trouble and so it proved but there were enough feed fish within range for me to persevere. I dispensed with the dog biscuits in favour of plan B, the bread soldier. The technique I tried was to bait up first by tearing a slice of bread into similar sized pies to the fly then squeezing them back together to make a loose bread ball then hurling it to where the fish were feeding. The seemed to be enjoying the bread and the 'soldier' had them fooled, I was getting Take after Take but couldn't get the strike right, too quick? I don't know but eventually one stuck and I was in, immediately the power difference between a Trout and a Carp is incomparable, this thing had me under control to begin with and it took ten minutes or so and an able net butler in Whistlekiller to land my first proper Carp on a fly, what a thrill!

I tried for more but Lunch was rapidly approaching along with the worst of the weather and so as forecast we fished up until lunch when time was called. This maybe unconventional fishing but boy it's fun and for me it's putting together many of the tricks I've learned coarse fishing on lakes and canals, sea fishing from piers and fly fishing all in one fun packed day, simply brilliant and I can't wait to do it again.


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From.a silk purse to a pigs ear

[Allrounder]

Brilliant report Mick! Sadly most carp lakes where I live do not allow fly fishing, but I can imagine what a decent carp must feel like on fly gear!

Alan
_________________
Member of ...
The Angling Trust
BRFFA
B.A.S.S.
Pike Fly Fishing Association

If you see me on the bank, say hello!

[drsixty7]