[Closed] Fly fishing

Would you need a permit? Anywhere up here is pretty rigourous in policing fishing rights, particularly fly fishing.

[u]Fly fishing[/u]: A friend visited for a few days on the weekend (keen [u]coarse angler[/u])..

Point of order: Coarse angling is not fly fishing.

If you are talking about using a float, spinner, lure, bait, weighted line etc then that is [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coarse_fishing ]coarse fishing[/url].

If you're talking about using a hook with feathers on it then that is [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_fishing ]fly fishing[/url].

jojo - I was aiming to pop into a few local tackle shops for permit details

Cheers Graham! aware of the difference, he just spotted the trout, I was completely unaware of them previously. I have never tried Fly Fishing before and it looks pretty difficult for a beginner! maybe I'll just float a bit of bread down first.

Fly fishing isn't that difficult (ime/o), it's more of a knack. I learned how to do a passable cast, even a Spey Roll cast in a day. The intricacies of fish behaviour, reading the water and knowing which flies to use when and where are the things that take a lifetime.

Cool, wasn't sure if you knew the difference or not.

My dad is a very keen fly fisherman (he's won various national competitions). He took me flyfishing a few times as a kid and I can confirm that learning to cast [i]properly[/i] is very difficult.

Practise in the garden/street/field using a fly with the hook cut off (so you don't hook yourself in the back of the head). Pull a load of line off the reel and let it pool at your feet. Hold the rod in your right hand and grip the line in your left. You want to make a smooth back and forth action with the rod, letting out a little more line each time. Keep it smooth, if you let it crack like a whip then the fly will get damaged or will come off completely.

Once you get good you can cast out a full reel of line!

I would agree that as with anything one takes up, doing it [i]properly[/i] takes time, however, in my expreience a passable cast that gets results can be learned easily.

Thanks for the info jojo/Graham,

There's a rugby field a street over that would be fine for practicing.

I've tended to avoid any 'new' pastimes like this and have just stuck to MTB'ing previously, as ever there's a huge amount to learn but with the river so close and using it as an addition to longer overnight rides it seems a shame not to have a go.

jojoA1: yeah agreed, especially if you're fishing a river as you can just stand above the pool you want to cover and let the current do the work for you.

If you're fishing a loch/lake then being able lay out a long line and land it precisely where you want it becomes a more important skill.

scratch: another tip, when/if you catch a fish then have a look at its stomach contents when you gut it. This will let you know what it is eating so will help you select better flies in the future.

Be aware you won't be able to fish any running water until June 16th. It's the closed season atm.

Ponds are fine and you are better off learning the basics there anyway.

Top Tip; you can get most things on a lowish budget but get a decent fly line. £30 will get you something reasonable and will make a big difference.

get your self a casting lesson,shouldn't cost to much,i paid £15 for an hours lesson which is enough to go away and practise with.most places sell day tickets for their water's which shouldn't cost too much.as for rod and tackel its like bikes "buy cheap,buy twice" but you don't need to start with xtr.

If you want to learn to fly cast then get a lesson. You can teach yourself but you'll waste a lot of time. It's not difficult to get good enough for river fishing as several have said on here.

You can fish for game fish (trout, salmon etc.) on rivers in their season which is not the same as the course fishing season. Different rivers have different seasons but they should all be open by now.

Catching a fish on a dry fly is brilliant. Not for the fish though. Wet fly fishing is o.k. too, but not as brilliant.

Be aware you won't be able to fish any running water until June 16th. It's the closed season atm

That's the coarse season - most trout seasons start end March beginning of April

Point of order: Coarse angling is not fly fishing.

If you are thinking of getting into salmon fishing - beware, it has similar properties to heroine use, very expensive & very addictive
Fly fishing for trout is much more manageable although there are still some very expensive fisheries, Southern chalk streams etc.

Fly fishing for trout is much more manageable although there are still some very expensive fisheries, Southern chalk streams etc.

Of which the Test is the finest in the world.

Guess where I fish..... 8)

trouble is though CFH - the upstream dry season is far too short

I too get to fish the Test occasionally as my boss is part of a syndicate that has rights at Broadland 🙂

Thanks for the tips!

Float a maggot or two down into the fish's run, trout love maggots more than flies!

OR, take advantage of the fantastic bass fishing along the north wales coast as it's the season from now for the next 3-4 months.

You can coarse fish the Test and the Itchen outside of the fly season during the winter.

Timsbury Manor on the Test, and Lower Itchen Fishery on the Itchen. Both have websites - must pre book.

Fantastic grayling fishing on both beats.

Scratch, my advice would be to get a light as gear as you can afford, I have a telescopic rod for use when ont he bike, all the rest of tackle fits in a large camelbak and the net (foldable) sits on the back of that , (where you Lid would normally sit) your then ready for a day of biking and fishing. The good thing with Fly Fishing is that you can eat it, so ride, fish, catch, clean , feed, bike home, smiling......Right that sounds good, i've persuaded myself to get out there and Fish mmm Ride thiw weekend