Fishing life 2012

Well, I really did have the fishing bug after Islay and could not wait to get out again. I bought myself a vice and started to tie some simple F flies with variations. I remember one day at a still water no one was catching I was having take after take on my peacock hearl F Fly and took a sizable rainbow back home for Sunday dinner.

Simple but very effective

After a few visits to my local still water something didn't feel right and I couldn't think what it was. Driving home after a few hours fishing it dawned on me that I was bored! Bored is probably the wrong word, I definitely needed a new challenge though. I remember from the trip to Islay of Glen and Woody talking about river fishing and Wayne and H having a guided day with John Tyzack - this was the challenge I needed. I promptly joined the fly fishing forum and bombarded Glen with texts and phone calls about what gear I would need and ways of starting out.
As I couldn't wait to get out again myself Wayne and H ventured out to west yorks to fish a nice little urban river. So there I was with an 8ft 6 #5 rod that I used for my dry fly fishing, hardly the gear that is ideal for nymphing but I just wanted to get out on the water. I muddled my way through the day fishing a duo and caught my fair share of WBT and Grayling. I loved it and the fact that we were constantly moving and crawling through bushes really appealed to me.

Urban Fly Fishing

Nice little dry fly section

My biggest Grayling of the day

H finally avoids a blank - All quotes in this video are from "Pete Roberts classic Islay one liners"

After this day fishing I met with a couple of guys off the forum - Dave H and Woz and fished more rivers with them. They gave me some flies that they tied and really helped me out. Being a Manc Woz would probably tell people I stole the flies off him!! This was the banter and social side of fishing that I mentioned in my first blog - manc/scouse style. Anyway, I bought some new nymphing gear and really started to learn about river fishing - set up, flies, where and how to fish the river and I was absolutely loving it.

Nice WBT on the dry

Woz with a nice WBT and full Man Utd kit on under his waders!!

Woz trying to climb up what he thought was a well rooted tree to get his flies back (fat b@stard)



I was loving the different challenges that were being thrown up from river fishing, and constantly picking up tips especially entomology and learning every time I went out on a river.
Summer was into full swing and then I  had a little phone call off Glen Pointon
Glen: "Scouse laaad, fancy the Wye? There are some raaate good fish in there bro".
Me: "is Ken Dodds dads dog dead" (yes)
Am off the the Derbyshire Wye for some dry fly heaven.

Tim