| Ladies First Trout |
| Summer seems to have arrived with more reports of high temperatures in the coming week. This is great news for sunbathers but for anglers, especially on stillwaters, a high sun and flat calm can mean a tough day ahead. My advice when its hot; get out there early. I have had some great sport on Wimbleball by heading out by 5am arriving back here for 9am in time for work.Today Lucy Daluz overcame.. |
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| Dry Run Sea Trouting |
| I have had a couple of nights Sea Trouting now. The first was guiding Tim & Tony who have just spent the last few days with me on various rivers including the Exe, Badgworthy Water & Barle. They return in August to try and net themselves a grand slam ... this is our equivalent of the famous saltwater slam comprising a Bonefish, Tarpon & Permit all in one day. Later this year we will.. |
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| Lovely Landacre |
| I can't believe we have fished 2 such stunning places in the last couple of days and that both are within a short drive of my front door. Even more unbelievable that I have not found them sooner, I must be blind.Once again I was guiding Tim Watson and Tony Kaye. Our destination today was the River Barle; set in arguably some of the most beautiful moorland I have ever clapped eyes on. The guys r.. |
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| Bowled over by Badgworthy |
| The fishing in Florida does look very good but I have to say that yesterday I would have chosen the UK. There is something unique about the UK that I have found in no other country when the sky is blue and the golden orb is out. What better conditions to sample a new bit of fishing?Heading out to Badgworthy Water with Tim and Tony I was full of adrenalin. I had never clapped eyes on the water w.. |
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| 2008 British Open Kayak Fishing Championship |
| I have just had a very excited call from Mark of White Water Consultancy who last year sponsored me with a fantastic Wilderness Tarpon 140 sit on top, a superb craft to fish from.They have just put together the first UK kayak fishing competition and anyone can enter. You will need a kayak of course and two buddies. The match is to be fished on a team basis which will also provide safety benefits.. |
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| Rainbow Perfection & Lessons Learned |
| This morning I was fishing Wimbleball by 7am. I have fished this lake since aged 11 and still I find it captivating; today has been particularly so.Tackled up with a floater and long fluorocarbon leader I fished a Mini Humungus on the point and a couple of Diawl Bachs. Fortunately the rain had left me alone and happily I slung a long cast and mixed up the retrieve. Inside 1/2 an hour I had lost.. |
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| More BIG Exe Valley Fish |
| During a particular crazy bank holiday weekend Richard Hooper has just managed to extract this huge 10lb 12oz Rainbow from the main Anchor Lake. It took an Orange Blob and apparently required 3 nets to land it! Crowds gathered on the banks to watch the fight and were keen to bag themselves a few Blobs in the hope of catching up with a similar specimen themselves! Up until a few days ago this fi.. |
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| Unusual Catch |
| After a great day with Henry Gilbey on Colliford yesterday it was back to teaching today. I had expected to find myself on the river but upon meeting my guest Paul Carr and discussing his experience to date found that he had not fly fished for 10 years and had only ever been 4 times! So we decided to stick it out on a lake spending his one day course learning about tackle, technique and tactics... |
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| Fishing Reports - May |
| All the latest from the shores of South West Lakes Trust venues .... South West Lakes Trout Fisheries ( April 2008) General: Very mixed weather has continued through the month – this has included snow, frosty nights, bright sunny days, strong winds from all directions and heavy rain! In spite of this, buzzers have been hatching, and fish have been showing on the surface. Most sites have foun.. |
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| Cracking Colliford |
| I met up early yesterday with Henry Gilbey to shoot a feature on Colliford. Leaving my house at just gone 5am I was amazed to be at this huge Brown Trout only venue by 6.30am including a stop for fuel and a slow start due to fog. As I arrived at the lake I could not believe the light, a huge Rainbow and blue sky. I should have taken a picture at that point but was far too excited at the prospec.. |
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| It is a record! |
| I arrived back not so long ago from our afternoon session on the Exe. The rain had battered relentlessly for an hour resulting in coloured water. Mike took several fish in quick succession as the colour began to appear including what looked to be a really good Brown. Sadly it took his ever faithful Terrys Emerger back to its lair leaving Mike to wonder what could have been. Packing up early as.. |
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| Grayling Surprise |
| Sat at the keyboard ringing wet after our morning session on the river I can report that there seems to be very little in the way of Salmon around on the Exe at present. I have heard of one fish caught on Saturday and the Taw is producing fish so I shall certainly be headed for the Mole very soon myself.Today has been fun though. Celebrating Mike Bonifaces birthday we did the usual run down of p.. |
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| Fair Weather Fishing?! |
| The variety of venues we fish and conditions we experience while fishing them is what keeps us going back for more. Imagine a virtual world where we could pick the conditions and tie on the perfect fly that always catches? It would be like something out of a horror story. In fact it reminds me of a story.An angler woke up one morning to the perfect day and headed off to his favourite river. Th.. |
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| Chew Valley Crocodiles |
| There is some amazing fishing to be had in the West Country and these pictures prove that point. Wayne Thomas is a mate of mine from North Devon and I think of him as the Ian Botham of fishing! He is an all-rounder to say the least catching Carp, chasing Tope, flicking flies to Trout while spending hours tantalising Mullet (or being tantalised by them!) But occasionally he turns his attention t.. |
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| Changing Flies |
| I spent a really interesting day with Dave Benfield from Bournemouth today. At 65 I could not believe the amazing attitude of this guy who survived a serious illness back in 2003. His lust for life was apparent from the moment I met him and to take him fishing today was an absolute privilege. We struggled with the wind a little which has been so apparent this last 10 days but when our fishing s.. |
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| Keep Your Fly in the Water! |
| I have been out fishing for the last couple of days while working on a new project which I will be able to reveal in the not too distant future. Essentially my brief was to "fish as hard as possible!" I was only too happy to oblige. The fish were not.My venue was Wimbleball lake which Henry Gilbey and I visited recently enjoying some prolific early season sport. Setting up the gear I was plea.. |
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| Is it a record? |
| I have been out guiding on the river during the last few days in some of the worst down stream winds I can remember, even so there have been some good hatches and the fish are feeding. In fact the season seems to have got off to a better start than in 07. Even better the trees are in bud and starting to green up, this is my favourite time of year and with May fast approaching I am really looking.. |
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| You can't play football at 80 |
| Blowing a mad one here today, Easterly and howling downstream. Marcy and Pete Tutton did brilliantly well to cope with it. In fact I was quite glad to be guiding rather than fishing, I hate down streamers! They can be coped with though. The trick is lean forward. This will raise your back cast, lower your forward stroke and cut through the wind. Keep the leader short and use big flies, the s.. |
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| First Grayling |
| I am constantly amazed how time zooms by. Today I met up with Brian Stumpe and his son Giles who have visited in the past and as we started doing the maths we realised that the last time they were guided by me was just before I got married, that was in 2001! Time is a commodity that money just cannot buy and although Brian his retired he has not found time to cast a fly during the last 7 years w.. |
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| Hardy Demon Reel Review |
| I usually use my blog to deliver all the latest fishing news live and direct from our venues as it happens, but it strikes me that those who read this blog may not only be interested in the fish but also some of the kit we are using. After all the equipment we use to pursue our chosen piscatorial target is just as much a part of fishing as the fish themselves!Sure, I would still go with a bent pi.. |
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| Chew Valley Bonanza! |
| I reckon most of us work too hard but don't play hard enough! That certainly goes for Jon Hettle; a guest of Nick Hart Fly Fishing. Jon runs a very successful insurance company, if you need commercial insurance do not look any further than Hettle Andrews, these guys know their stuff! Anyway last year Jon basically worked all hours at his office leaving very little time to pursue his passion in .. |
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| Chester goes Fishing! |
| I couldn't resist, I know he is only 16 months old but with a day to spend with my boy what else could we do? Go to the Zoo? Go to the Park? Stay in and watch cartoons ..... please!With lakes full of Trout at our disposal and a young boy growing more inquisitive by the day what better way to keep him amused than to go fishing? Wildlife, sounds, a bit of tackle and of course a fish or two ... .. |
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| Warming up on Wimbleball |
| While I may be a guide and instructor during the week I like nothing better than spending my day off fishing! This week I actually have a few days off and I intend to make the most of it ...After an evening in the company of good friend Alasdare Lambert and his wife Fiona at Three Acres Country House Hotel we had a leisurely 11am start to our Wimbleball session , Alasdare going with a Kelly Green.. |
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| Fly Lines & April Snow |
| Yesterday I was out with Gareth Jones (pictured) who was given a gift voucher at Christmas by his wife after 3 consecutive blank days. To be fair he had headed to Hawkridge reservoir which is not the easiest venue for a novice and so to start with we got to grips with the casting. Despite an icy northerly he was soon in to the swing of things and casting a decent line. As often happens Gareth h.. |
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| Buzzing about Buzzers |
| The temperature dropped today compared with the amazing heat of yesterday but the fish are still feeding! Laurence and Simon really took to the casting in no time, prior to heading off to the pub for lunch. After an extended session at my favourite venue Woods, the guys were feeling very mellow on a couple of pints of Exmoor Ale and a decent steak salad!This showed as they were right back into t.. |
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