July 10, 2010
It seems like the season of fishing is only beginning ,yet we are now in the 7th month of the year!Yes it has been a strange year so far.It looks like many are holding onto their money as things around are very much uncertain.Water levels in rivers are very low and hosepipe bans coming into force,weed and algae which the harsh winter should have destroyed is in full bloom,not making it good for fly anglers or any angler.Fish have gone from starved to lethargic and cold to hot so it is a case of taking full advantage of the times you can get out to fish,Always as I grew up ,fishing was best early morning and evening,yet these seem to be the times which are quiet and anglers are coming out much later on for some reason.Our junior club on friday evenings is going from strength to strength and Davy is doing a great job and our new anglers enjoy their time at it,learning skills of fly fishing.2 great sucesses at Scone for them in the distance casting comp at Scone game fayre where Craig Alexander and Cameron Walker both came first and second at 10 and 11 yrs old casting full lines and into backing,which is no mean feat at this age I assure you.There is still plenty going on in the angling world and time to get out and take advantage of it while we have it.Forums continue their typical repetitve ways and are slowly becoming boring places,they say magazines repeat things ,just read topics on the forums and you will see the the same thing and kettle and pot comes to mind.The obvious back stabbing always lurks around these places as egos come to the fore and the many experience of good top anglers leave and take no part, to the loss of many very good people which are a pleasure to be among in angling.A big shame.They are now places for money makers and less for those who enjoy the sport of fly fishing.Some competitions are entering the finals stages now and these are a good and enjoyable place to be and worth taking a wee go at ,treat it as a learning curve,but enjoy it most of all,there is much good from them other than the winning at all costs that is mainly talked about.
Yes times we are in at present are hard and therefore we should take advantage of the time we get and enjoy it.Hope to see you out and about sometime soon.

May 26, 2010
as May comes and goes and we enter the 6 th month of the year nearly,it should be into prime fishing by now,but the winter has never been so long.With last week being slightly warmer,today we saw hailstones!!!Fish have been doing well on the surface and flies like black spiders,suspender buzzers a favourite with them just under the surface and taking as the adult is about to hatch,has been my pick of flies.The orange head damsel has also done well,but fished on an intermedieate line and slow figure of eight retrieve.But apart from the cold,the fishing around has been very decent and good catches and sport is being enjoyed.forecasts say it will be a good summer,just wish it would hurry up and arrive!game fayres will start in july and should be good ,but again all dependant on conditions as there is alot of lost fishing to make up in just a few short months.This month we decided to bring in a rule at the fishery and banned fishing lures,blobs and any hook size above 10 fished under the indicator.this was not an easy decision but in the case of fish welfare was needed.We didnt ban indicators as they are a part of fly fishing these days and do benefit some,but what is under them is another matter.Fish with lips ripped off them and then eventually dying is not good for fish or fishery so we took steps on it and it has not been a bad thing and other fisheries have now followed and all in all,it has been well recieved.fish welfare has to be paramount and it does help anglers in the long run,as they increase their knowledge of having to cast and fish the way it should be with the option of another method of fishing buzzers under an indicator,rather than this being the only method used.so it cant be a bad thing to learn.Thats what its all about.

December 6, 2009
As the year draws to a near end,its been a good year with many good things in fishing .Weather will be remembered as floods hit and winds still made their presence known.But still the fishing has been very good and especially for the dry fly,which has been fishing since march and even upto just last week where some were still taking fish on drys.The quality of fish has been supreme as expected and good sport has been had by many.More new anglers,including youngsters and women have joined the ranks which is great to see.Many have enjoyed sharing and making new friendships ,which is what this sport is all about and steps in the right direction for the angler have been made by those who direct the overall angling with new things planned for next year.I am certainly looking forward to 2010,for many reasons,the taking part in competition,game fayres etc and meeting up with others and having some good fishing and craic which really is what its all about.If you havent tried it ,you should its a major part and something to remember.
So I want to wish everyone and there families a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New year and hope tyo catch up with more anglers next year.

November 1, 2009
I dont know about you,but when I fish i observe others fishing,watching to see what they are fishing,what lines being used,flies,retrieves to help me in my fishing as we can never know it all.
While out fishing this week my observations which may or may not help were this.
6 anglers including myself were fishing,I was catching well and another 2 had one or two fish now and again.
So I watched to work out the reasons why.I told my mate to put on an intermediate line and fast figure of eight retreive and watched as others quickly changed lines. They still never caught.There was 3 things I can put it down to.1 was the inter line I had was different to theirs. 2 the retrieve was different to theirs. 3 the distance of cast was longer than theirs.(Im not being big headed here and my point will be added later on)
These 3 things were the main reasons I could see.Fish were quite away out and to get them you had to be among them and others were not getting that far and an angler on the other side who was fishing on a point and could reach from where he was did get fish.he was on a floater with small flies.So when you break it all down,it wasnt really the line,nor was it the retrieve but the fact that you had to be in among the fish to get them or you had no chance.I did myself move onto the same point after the angler moved just to see myself and as I had an inter line on I still caught from there and the angler who had been there with the floater and had moved stopped catching.So its worth watching and thinking about what your doing and it will help catch more and we can never know everything and adds to the thrill of fly fishing.

October 17, 2009
Things have been a bit hectic of late,hence no report and just getting it together now after the Airflo finals.What a really good event which I enjoyed alot ,not just for the fishing but catching up with old pals that I havent seen for a while.Fishing was hard and you had to fish hard to get anywhere with wind blowing and fish far out,it needed a long line to cover them,if you had a decent draw you were in luck if not you had work even harder.White and lime seems to be working all over now and it was that colour which saved me on the team event after being a billy blank on the saturday,it happens,floating lines did well and it was a great two days.well organised and good craic.thats fishing.A big well done to the winners on both days who fished well in not easy conditions.Compys do get knocked for a few reasons but I have to say this compy was a good advert and enjoyable for all.

September 20, 2009
One of my most memorable fish caught,was fishing On the Derwent reservoir.A huge water and at the time was fly only.Down on the dam wall a smalloutlet ran out into the nearby river Derwent which was a river I always wanted to fish but couldnt get on it at the time due to lack of a vailability,while sitting talking,out of the corner of my eye I saw a fish rise in the outlet, which wa sonly about 3meteres wide,as we continued talking the fish kept teasing with sipping rises and I said Im going to try and get that fish.On my rod was a peter Ross, a productive fly, then and still is but alot less used as it should be as it catches many a fish.So a cast and a pluck,obviously interested so another cast and a take,but missed it,on the third cast it took hold and took off,it was fit and when landed a really nice fish of 2lbs odds was at my feet and taken home.This was befoe the times where many fish in a day were the norm and working really hard for your fish to get your limit proved harder as there wasnt the amount of stillwaters about as there is today.another fond memory of which fishing is all about that,

September 13, 2009
Its always nice when you here from people that have been helped by some of the things that you write and it makes it all worth while in doing it.So heres another story which sticks in my mind from my early adventures fishing on a small river in devon.It was a beautifull smallish river set in woodland and quiet and so peacefull.just below a bridge was a nice pool with a small rapid running into it.Checking in the afternoons to see if there was any fish to be seen was a bit if a ritual.Not many fished here but the pool always had fish in it,salmon,sea trout and browns.Of ten the salmon would sit with there heads into the bank and some were huge.I used to arrive a couple of hours before dark and using just the one fly which often than not was a size 10 Peter Ross,in these days there was nothing flashy about flies and the old tradtionals always did the job.As the night wore on and the dark came in,a nice moon helped with vision and you could hear fish splashing up the rapids and into the pool,reading from books the tail of the pool was always a good bet for a few sea trout,there was a couple of salmon jumping in the pool which really wasnt big and was surrounded by trees so casting had to be carefull and picking it out of trees at night was a pain especially when in water. one fish jumped and I covered it as best I could and then bang,what a take it was hard and being honest it was my first Salmon ,the heart was pumping as it went up and down the pool in front of me,panic and excitement combined and it felt a good fish,I played it for ages,just as it was tireing and ready to be landed,a voice from behind shocked me as he said "Got your license son?"At that the fish went "ping" and at about 1am in the morning where if you let your mind wander as owls hooted it was a rush to the car and home.I lost my first ever Salmon but it sticks in my head as a good memory as I can still remmeber the peace of it all .Untill I got the shock of my life.This is what fishing is about and not just about catching fish.

September 3, 2009
This week is a bit more of a story but will also be something of a confidence boost for some and also abit lf learning aswell.
When I lived in Devon in the 1980,s,I used to fish many of the rivers there which were great adn peacefull places to be,but another I fished was a reservoir called Burrator,right on the edge of Dartmoor.It was in a beautifull setting,cheap and you could fish from the bank and wade.It was only ever stocked with fingerlings.The amount of times I went and blanked was unreal,but it never ever deterred me from going back.The most I ever had was 2 rainbows and I was over the moon at that.believe me when I say I really worked hard to get those fish.It wasnt that I blanked alot then,I just loved being there ,fishing and enjoying the scenery and standing in the water,watching my fly in the hope it would get chomped.seein a rising fish made me upbeat and hopefull.I nearly always left fishless but satisfied all the same.As time moved on and new places to fish ,none can compare to the peace and enjoyment I got from there.So is it all about catching fish ,I dont think so.
In answer to last weeks question.If you catch a fish to kill,always kill it first then remove the hook,its the humane way,rather than try to get the hook out while the fish bounces about in stress and leaps back into the water with a fly still in its mouth.

August 30, 2009
Well nearly into september already,where has the year gone?But with the onslaught of september I see it as one of the best months for fly fishing,Daddy long legs is a top fly in this month and larger fish tend to be on the take alot more as cooler weather comes in,so dont hang up the rods yet and miss out on superb sport.There has been alot of discussion about the new Angling Trust and a one voice for anglers and I urge you as an angler to visit this link http://www.anglingresearch.org.uk/index.php?q=forum
and air your views.it may make a difference it may not but worth a try anyway and the more who do it the more influence it will carry.Doesnt take long to do.
I have been awaiting to see results of the Junior Troutmaster Finals and have yet to see them and feel this should be published around to encourage them and more to take up the hobby.Encouragement should be given to all newcomers no matter their age or sex or disabilty and gladly I dont see any discrimanation but I do know it does raise its head now and then and needs to be got rid of.On a small point for you to ponder on,When you catch a fish and are keeping it,Do you take the fly out first and then kill it,or Do you kill it first and then take the fly out?Something to think about and ill answer my thought next week.In a few days I intend to put up step by steps in fly tying to help budding tyers,I hope some will gain from it and enjoy it.

August 18, 2009
August is a month where the fishing can be really good with the dry fly and daddys can take a good hold along with cdc,s.Its when fish are starting to think just like us about the coming winter months and begin to fatten up in readiness.Time to make advantage of it and reep the rewarsd of it.
Friend Ally Gowans and wife Moira popped in to the fishery and it was timely with youngsters fishing and given a few tips and were able to show off their own casting and this was great to see and we should take full advantage of getting youngsters into something like angling which can give them and communities so much back.So often there is crys of we are bored and there is nothing to do and right on the doorstep is something which can offer these young people so much and help them in everyday life,but just need pointing towards it and thats where parents,uncles friends,auntys grandparents come in,rather than ridicule them for not doing something take them fishing ,its something they may or may not like but you will never know till you do it and the cost is minimal than a day at the pictures or shopping.there has been lots of debates going on and on various subjects within fishing,some I feel strongly about and will always make my own personal view clear and stand by it if its wrong I will admit that,but I believe in and I am passionate about seeing waste of hard earned money and fat cats getting fatter and throwing funds at things for the sake of numbers and reults to look good.Practical results are far better and channeled simple actions often result in a final product than throwing money at it for something which will run for two minutes and flop.There is many who are hard working with little finance and do a great job for this sport and do it not for gain but becuase they love it and I get very annoyed when we are asked for more money to promote things so as a voice can be heard to get any progress within angling,its like paying an MP to speak up for angling rather than them doing it for all the good reasons it can offer,like keeping kids off the street,teaching them social skills,interacting with older people,learning about the outdoors away from Tv and computer games,keeping them away from crime and to help lead a decent life.How much more payment would an MP need.It seems pretty common sense to me and How can they not see the part of a solution without the £££££££.
I will leave that thought with you.Too many say nothing, fear of rocking the boat ,but if it acheives something good its got to be worth it.

August 9, 2009
yesterday was the annual Moy game fayre which was greeted with fine weather and was a busy fayre.Some new stalls were there and everyone seemed to be happy with it.Peter Anderson was in the main Ring doing casting demos which was simple and educational and any angler of any standard would have taken something from it.I certainly did and speaking to Peter afterwards we discussed what I think is very true and agree totally with what he said and that was when people pay huge prices for 3 day courses,price Peter said was £1800 to learn to spey cast was crazy.he said if he couldnt teach someone to spey cast in 20mins he was a dummy as it is quite simple as are most casts ,but people add there own bits which throws the casts out.Doing the simple movements makes the cast work.All the fancy swaying and sweeping of the rod is not required.This was clearly demonstrated .A good all round demonstration from a great teacher.Down on the casting water and fishermans row,seemed well attended and Bill from Dunfly had a good stall with some quality products at really good prices and if you type in "dunfly" you will find his site and its worth a visit and he is excellent to deal with and helpfull.I dont recommend easy but the ones I do are worth every penny.Wind was fairly strong which detered some from having a go at the casting accuracy and distance casting on the salmon but those who did have a go did well in the conditions.There was tuition available aswell for any who fancied.SANA were there doing their bit and Abigail Montgomery was there to promote the womens scottish team who need support from anyone who can help and I know she does alot of hard work to help do this.All in all a fairly decent show.

June 28, 2009
One of the biggest and most prolific problems that anglers face and have is damaged tips to rods.These are ALWAYS the rods fault or are they?
Its never our fault that the rod tip breaks we always thread the rod properly and our casting is always perfect ,we play a fish right so it has to be the rod.Hasnt it?
Its something I feel we should look at so lets do it.
Firstly ,rods today are alot lighter than years ago and due to the materils used this is why and also the blanks are alot thinner than they ever used to be before.Rods are fine and will last ,yes we will get a break now and again as we would with anything,but if we do our best to look after them ,they will last alot longer .So lets look at when we set up for starters.I have seen rods been lifted by the tip ,lines pulled while holding the butt untill the tip of the rod is like a hair pin and I cringe just waiting for the snap.Common sense tells us if you lift the rod from the tip ,the weight of the reel on the butt end is far heavier and it wont last and will break ,same as if you hold it from the middle sections aswell.Simple solution ALWAYS is DONT lift the rod by the tip at anytime always from the butt.When threading the line through the eyes feed it with the butt on the ground or a towel to protect the reel,and move the line through the rings all the way to the tip and pull line through there.If the braided loop falls back through the tip eye ring put the rod down and feed it back at the tip not holding the butt and pulling it ,it wont go through and the tip will break.When your casting a slight knock of a gold head fly on the rod can cause a slight fracture to the blank and cause a weak spot ,this is very common and cant be helped unless you are a perfect caster all the time.If you get stuck either in a branch or weed dont just stand and yank as hard as you can the rod WILL break point the rod straight and the tippet will break and is cheaper to replace than a rod tip.Common sense will save you money and these tips all will aswell.

June 21, 2009
This year has been a very busy one to date and also even though hard work, very rewarding.The fishery has seen more new anglers coming into the sport aswell as many more young angler and lady anglers.Dry fly has been the main stay for a few months which despite weather conditions it has bucked the usual trends and has been really good.Time has been very precious and it has been all go with improvements to the fishery and other things with flies,tuition and trying to fit it all in.We have done alot for charity over the past few months which is very satisying and a big thankyou goes to all those who have taken part and donated both time and effort into acheiving the results to help all the charitys.Of this involvement in competitions was capped last week on a busmans holiday where my son and myself travelled to newcastle to visit family and also to take part in a charity competition ,held at Sweethope loughs.It was a fine example of what a competition should be like and this was down to not only the organisers,but the attitude taken towards it by all anglers who took part.With big money prizes you would expect as you see in other huge comps a must win at all cost attitude but in this one it was the opposite and for me the correct way for the approach to a comp should be.It was fun,enjoyable ,friendly and win or lose all took away with them memories of what was a very good day out and all had a good laugh despite the huge prizes on offer and despite if you didnt win all were very happy for the winners and everyone WON by being part of it with the attiude and fun which all shared.It was great to be among it and to be among anglers who fished well and I look forward to next year and meeting up with them all again.THIS ,is if anything, is the advice that I can offer to you and rather than the red faced, high blood pressure racing madness towards a competition ,it is not a be all or end all it should be done for enjoyment and taking part,if you win you win ,lose ,you still win by having a good day.Do it for the right reasons its alot more enjoyment.With half way through the year still many more fishing to do,events to go to and flies to tie and peopel to teach and dont I enjoy a great way of life with great people and genuine anglers at heart.For that i thank you all.

May 28, 2009
After a week of schools flyfishing it has been really good to see so many enjoying themselves and being interested in flyfishing and catching fish.Not only that so many others who are enjoying it.The right encouragement and help which we all have to offer and takes seconds to give,can change an anglers perseption of a sport we all enjoy.With the better weather on the way more will take the chance to get out and enjoy them selves.
Dry fly has been working really well and this is the cream of the sport,those who opt for lures at this time ,will catch but miss some very good top of the water fishing which many enjoy.Some are unsure how and a few words in the right ears is all it takes and im sure you will find it enjoyable and it will also add to your fishing armoury of methods of fishing ,rather than sticking to the pulling of a lure or "in the zone" with anything under the indicator and a drugged stare as you concentrate waiting for the slightest twitch.Sample and learn all methods,nymphs,drys,buzzers wets and give yourself more chances of catching rather than relying on the fish just happening to be taking that fly you choose on the same method you use day in day out.Its all about learning and its only an ask away.

May 19, 2009
There been some really good fishing about so far this season and plenty has been on the surface which for me is the cream of fly angling.Yet still most tend to slip on the indicator and blob and fish away or a sinking line and a lure and miss out on the best and what we wait for in fly fishing top of the water fishing.The guys who are seen catching plenty have done the thinking,looked at the water and tackled up accordingly and catch.FORGET what was working last week or yesterday its on the day that counts what worked last week often will not work today as so many weather changes will have come and gone in between and its a big mistake that many anglers do.Learn to fish dry,wet,nymph buzzer,lures and you have all in your armoury rather than just an indicator and a blob.
Troutmasters final was won by a worthy angler but the darkside which creeps into some desperate to win showed up but thanks to on the ball officials was caught and banned.This should bode for all competitions youll get caught so play fair if you are into compys.
it was one reason why I stopped fishing competitions and I do miss the chat and banter and a day on a new venue as a new challenge.
Now the season is up and going with a good summer forecast ,fishing should be enjoyable and I have had some good and peacefull sessions which saw good quality of fish,although they were not huge it was the sport and big fish are not the be all and end all fo fly fishing.Seeing the whole picture is what angling is about,wildlife is partly my pleasure and seeing my first Eagle ever was great and ospreys diving for fish,how often do we take time to look and see whats around us.So next time your out enjoy it and take a camera to remind you later on in life of that special,once in a lifetime experience that so many of us miss.

May 3, 2009
Plenty of good fishing about now that the weather is warming a little,I say a little as its still freezing cold and even today we had hailstones.Even so the fish are still obliging anglers and good catches are being had by many.Great to see and when young anglers are catching their first fish its encouraging for them and us and it gives you a great sense of satisfaction seeing it.To help run a fishery isnt a money making lottery ticket but a way of life and anyone wanting to do it has to do it for just that.When it all comes together its satisfying and seeing the rods bending and good hard fighting fish been caught with comments of" great day"make it worth doing.Now is the time to switch onto surface sport and if you are not upto date on how to fish drys ask someone to show you as your missing out on some cream of fishing and its visual and exciting.Wind should not deter any angler as you can have some great sport when its windy ,forget casting huge distances as fish wont be far out so try close in,you may have to cast alot more but the rewards of a good days sport could be the return for your efforts.Whats the use of casting 30 yards into a blowing wind when fish are rising a few feet in front of you?you know the scene and many still persist in trying to cast miles and ending up frustrated and angry and go home ,missing some fine sport.Think about it you know its true.

April 26, 2009
With a very busy april not much time has been available so here is a belated update.The biggest problem of late that has been seen has been anglers being broken.This can be caused for many reasons and a quick checklist for you is worth a look at.Knots make sure you lubricate them and they are good strong knots.leader that you use is suitable for the fish you are going for,ie 2lb breaking strain for fish to 20lbs is no use to anyone.On average the best is 8lbs which will hold most fish sought after by anglers.Dont strike to hard so as you haul fish out of one loch and up into space,this often causes breaks,play the fish and try not to haul them inespecially larger ones and finally make sure your nylon is not ancient ,it does degrade over years from non usage.As for the fishing it has been brilliant and top of the water expecially has been good.Activity and feeding is a good sign this early on and for the season only underway things look like being v good,so take advantage of it.Fish are in top condition from what I have seen and I have enjoyed some good fishingand even smaller fish have given a good fight and made it enjoyable sport.Its not all about size of fish but enjoying it and I have enjoyed some good trips out and about with many more to come.

March 22, 2009
Not much time of late to put anything here due to busy times,tying and the fishery.Good to see alot of young anglers who now are coming to the sport and enjoying time with Dad fishing.Developing new patterns has been on the menu also and tuftys have been a find aswell as some new nymphs,dries and some buzzers all tried and now tested and in production.Much of the time spent apart from this has been developing the fishery to make it a top venue for anglers and catches are certainly now reflecting the work being put in by all of us invoved.Now with April around the corner,bookings for tuition are building up and the start of the next generation of anglers starting off.Competition dates are coming in thick and fast and juggling it all is a good thing to be having to do.Weather comes and goes and hopefully the warm weather isnt all that far away and we can then enjoy some cream of fishing off the top.

March 1, 2009
After a busy week where some fine catches were recorded and many anglers enjoying some excellent sport,which is what its all about,It was time to have a bit of fishing myself.It was cold and windy but a very relaxing session with some good sport with my son catching a couple more than myself ,but he has to sometimes.Fish were deep and it was my first time using my new creation ,the tufty and it didnt let me down.having seen many others taking fish on them over the weeks it was good to see it work for its creator and even a double hook up at one point.On leaving I left some with a couple of people and I hope they worked for them.fast retrieves were needed not only for the fish but to keep my hands warm aswell.
A fine day capped off with Maan Utd winning the league cup.

February 22, 2009
After one of the hrshest winters for many years which stopped all fishing it was good to see it clear and watch anglers nejoy some top class fishing,with the best seeing youngsters,our next generation of fishers,out with Dad and catching fish.many fish were even on the surface and with the opening of a new season it bodes well and I for one am looking forward to it.Im a bit of a good weather fisher these days myself I have to admit.Seeing many anglers going away after a good days fishing is a big bonus for me and makes it worth while.many are now taking up another part of this sport in flytying and seeing some of the first flies that people are tying is great to see aswell as other top class flies and I enjoy this just as much as my fishing.Placing all the many materials together and seeing the end result and then fishing with them and catching is a pinnacle of fly fishing and tying.Anyone can do it and never be afraid to give it a go as everyone starts somewhere.With the world in turmoil at the moment what better way to get out and forget it all by going fishing and enjoying a good time around likeminded people.So if your feeling low ,grab a rod and go fishing .

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