Fishing

Now I am back in the swing of fly fishing again some of the old problems I have had over the years are appearing again. I used to use a grinner knot for pretty much everything, flies, tippets, even attaching the leader to the fly line, but I was beginning to have unexplained breakages. At first I put it down to using old tippet material so I binned the lot at the start of the season and bought all new but the problem is still there with that knot so I have switched to using a blood knot even though I am not that keen on it. I suppose a tucked blood is secured but it makes a bulky knot I am not happy with. I have had a few smash takes, which I guess everyone has now and then, and the break is always at one knot or another, usually the tippet. I am fed up with not  trusting my knots so I am going to have to find alternatives. I play fish hard, I want them landed and released as quickly as possible and not being certain my knots will hold gives me the jitters every time a fish decides to head for the middle of the lake. So, if anyone has a foolproof knot they know is reliable for flies and tippets please let me know.

I had forgotten what a pain in the arse trout are. For over a month 90% of the fish have been caught on one particular fly then, all of the sudden, it couldn’t catch a cold let alone a trout so I am looking into my fly boxes more than a bit bemused at what to put on. It’s made worse by fish either leaping all over the place or moving upwind taking something just sub surface. There are the odd sedges hatching and a few buzzers so I get the occasional fish on buzzers and sedge nymphs but I can’t pin down what they are feeding on. I am going to have to spoon one and have a look at what they are eating.

Talking of fly boxes, mine are a continual embarrassment. Know one, and I mean know one, gets to have a peek in one of my boxes. They are just a random mix of badly tied flies. How I envy those that have rows and rows of perfect flies, all looking lovely and in different sizes and shades. Gonna have to something about that.

eat-sleep-fish

You may have noticed my lack of reportage regarding the meeting in December. No doubt you noticed Ian May clicking around with his camera and it was all about this                                                                           http://eat-sleep-fish.co.uk/content/2013/01/all-change-mike-heritage . Enjoy.

 

This Is Number One And The Story’s Just Begun

It’s a bit like being an artist. You have some blank paper and you just have to fill it… with something. Hopefully something worthwhile, but not necessarily.

The majority of us in the Friendly group are already instructors and most of you get your twice yearly fix of socializing and CPD from your various associations. Some of us aren’t so fortunate. The original idea was to fill in the gap some of us found ourselves in but has developed into something more. What more exactly will evolve as time goes on.

Watch this space.