Fly Fishing in January
I don't know about you but I am no fan of January. Granted this year has been mild (very mild) so far, but generally it has been wet, grey and yuk. There is light at the end of the tunnel. January has flown by and in the next few days we begin the count down to March, the new river season and reservoirs opening their gates. But I cant wait for March, there is all of February to get through yet! So is there anything viable to chuck a fly at? Here are a few ideas.
On the reservoir scene Farmoor has enjoyed quite a renaissance and the good news is that it remains open throughout the year. Its a concrete bowl (comprising 2 separate lakes), so perhaps not every ones cup of tea, but if you want the chance of a full tailed, over wintered Rainbow this is definitely the place. Boats are available on Farmoor 2 and it sounds like it is going off. I have just spoken with one of the rangers and the boat rod average is over 18! Currently typing with one eye on the diary! There is also a catch and release lake, Farmoor 1, that is home to some monsters which just love a Buzzer swung on the wind, a Cruncher twiddled back slowly or an ultra slow fished Blob. Sunburst Yellow is a favourite. By the way if you like fishing Booby style tactics then F2 is just brilliant. Check out their fly fishing section on the Farmoor website
Farmoor Reservoir - open all year for fly fishing
But what about the rivers? I get several calls a week about the Exe and its population of Grayling. It is of course possible to catch these fish at this time of year but the major hassle is water height. The Grayling also seem to hide themselves away very well and the only way to extract one is by going super deep with heavy bugs, fished with an indicator of sorts and possibly a Czech/French style leader. This latter approach certainly provides a great deal of sensitivity and the ability to offer the most natural of presentations. A friend of mine did just that a couple of weeks ago in fairly heavy water conditions and managed one Grayling although I think it was the mended Salmon Kelt that snaffled a rubber leg nymph which surprised him most of all! If you are tempted then my advice is to keep checking the network of Farson Digital watercams for water conditions. You can see the Exe camera here
Or you could head to a chalkstream. Many have closed their doors for Grayling fishing by this time of year but John Aplins beautiful stretch of the Frome is still taking bookings and judging by his twitter post this morning it sounds like conditions could be just right. They also have a camera here.
The River Frome - Early Season
I have a few more hardcore days in the office to finish and then I have got to have a crack at one of these although there is something else. Fly Fishing for Pike. As we move towards spawning I guess our chances might diminish somewhat but there is always the chance. And even if now is not quite the right time, I have had some brilliant sessions by early March. Intermediate fly lines and highly mobile streamers proved irresistible to fish like the one below during a hectic session in early 2011. This is also budget priced sport which has to be a consideration after the expense of Christmas and now yet another hike in fuel prices on the horizon!
And I do believe the sun is shining through my office window … the season is on the way!
World Bank Masters Competition
It is with great pleasure that I can announce that the new World Bank Masters Competition will come to Exe Valley Fishery on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th March. Organised by Iain Barr, this is a national competition with a major sponsor in Airflo. If you have ever been interested in fishing a match then this is your chance to take part without the daunting prospect of heading to a reservoir to try and secure a place in the final. Nobody will leave empty handed as free fly lines and flies will be presented to all competitors paying the relevant entrance fee.
We will peg each of our competition heats by draw at the beginning of the day, with anglers moving around the lake in a clockwise direction every 30 mins to give all competitors a fair chance to fish the hotspots. The bag limit will be 5 fish, but after the limit has been reached anglers will be able to continue fishing on a catch & release basis with points scored per fish caught. There will be prizes at the heats but the main objective is to reach the final being held on 20th May at Elinor in Northamptonshire. The winners prize is £2000, with various other tagged fish and spot prizes!
The amount of places available at each heat, going through to the final will depend on numbers who enter, but there is a good chance that the top 4 to 6 rods at each of our heats could go through. The heats will be be based on fishery rules with the exception of catch & release which we are offering on the day to provide an exciting competition, barbless or debarbed hooks will be obligatory. We are also providing a special 5 fish limit at £25.00, which is based on the usual price of 4. The entry fee for the first heat is £25.00, although further heats can be attended for a reduced fee of £22.00 All forms should be sent to the organiser including a cheque for the entrance fee, fishery fees to be settled on the day of the heat. We have entry forms available at the shop, but you can also download one by clicking here. And for further details including rules for the final which will be entirely catch & release please see this page.
We already have quite a few entrants but places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. So if you fancy the chance of a lovely day out on Exe Valley, a new fly line, some extra flies for your box and even the chance of winning yourself £2000 should you make it to the final … please enter, we would love to see you. And of course we will also stock one or two specimen fish, see here for our latest catches. So those dates for your diary again, Airflo World Bank Masters Competition Heats at Exe Valley Fishery on Sat 3rd & Sunday 4th March 2012. We hope to see you there!
Is competition fishing for you?
Some people hate the very thought of fishing competitions and I can understand that. After all fishing is a great way to lose ourselves, day dream a little, become absorbed and perhaps for one moment leave behind our everyday lives. Reaching targets, fighting for promotion and in recent times just trying to hold on to a job means that many of us have been thrown into a head to head battle on a daily basis. So why take all this and add it to a days fishing? Its all personal preference of course and that is my firm belief across the world of fishing. If you don't like it, don't do it.
Personally I have had some very enjoyable times on the match circuit and found them to be a huge buzz. I also learned. A lot. Many of the tactics that we use during our "pleasure" trips have been dreamed up by competitive anglers looking for an edge. You note I have highlighted the word pleasure there because it has always interested me when anglers define pleasure/competition fishing in this way. For me even a competition has to be pleasurable. Sure we have a different mind set and I guess we add some pressure to the day. But I try to forget all that, enjoy the day, enjoy the social side and of course enjoy the fishing.
During a competition my heart always pounds a little harder when a fish is hooked. Just one fish, that's all it takes to win a match and I have experienced both the enormous high when you pull off a win, or qualify to the next round coupled with the lows when you miss out. But isn't that what fishing is all about anyway, competition or no competition? Most of the matches I entered were reservoir based because if you have an eye on an England cap for example (as I did), this is where the eliminators/finals take place. It was also an opportunity to travel around the country, see new venues, practice a variety of methods and gain invaluable experience.
All well and good but when we take into account that most of the fly fishing enjoyed in the UK is on a small water, why have they been virtually ignored by the competition circuit? After all by providing small water anglers with a chance to enjoy a match in more familiar surroundings we may encourage a few to step up to something a bit bigger in the future. There is of course the long standing Troutmasters Competition organised by Trout Fisherman magazine which has a huge following, although this encompasses both large and small still waters. Catch a big fish, head to a fish off and if you win, you are in the final. It has been hugely successful and I love to see our anglers proudly wearing their badges after they have caught a big fish here at Exe Valley. But … there is room for a small water competition that has a similar format to the matches fished on reservoirs … and it has arrived.
The World Bank Masters Individual Competition 2012 is the brainchild of 2009 world fly fishing Champion Iain Barr. Heats are going to be available nationwide and I am pleased to say that both Hart Flyshop and Exe Valley Fishery have become involved in this exciting new event. I will post full details here tomorrow regarding our heats which will take place on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th March 2012.
Getting Kids Fishing in 2012
First of all a Happy New Year! Let’s hope that despite the never ending doom peddled by the media that we can enjoy the coming months with a little assistance from this fine sport that we all know and love. I have some positive thoughts which I will share with you in a moment but for just one second I have a major concern.
