Timing

[Jeff S]

I haven't seen any posts in this section in a while. Not sure if it's lack of interest or the wrong time of year. Has anyone been flyfishing recently and caught anything or not? I'm about to try it myself and would be interested in what flies are being used and how they are being fished. I'd like to target grayling this year.

 

Hope you all had a Happy Christmas

[malevans]

Hi there, not sure but winds etc this time of year tend to keep people of the water. As I personally cannot stand still water fishing, particularly for rainbows, I don't do much fly fishing near home in Northants. I always have my pike flies with my however when I go dead baiting.

Fishing slow this autumn, but I am lacking bank hours due to work commitments at the moment.

Tight lines.

[Jeff S]

Hi Mal..? Yep I found out yesterday just why it has been slow. Way too windy. I'm not good enough yet to even attempt a cast in a moderate wind. I'll try again in a few days. Thought I would try a pheasants tail or hairs ear on the grayling. I don't think anything is going to hatch any time soon. Slowly adding to my collection of flies by tying my own. Quite fun too only my wife thinks I've gone totally mad... Making bugs she says.

 

Good luck finding the time to fish. I find my self making time.

 

Cheers

 

[ 29. December 2003, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: Dvarcet ]

[malevans]

Hi Jeff. Yeah wind is bad news. I ma lucky my wife ties our flies, cos i don't get time. Her variant of the greenwells spider is deadly on the river we have season tickets on in scotland. I don't fly fish down here at home, except for pike. When down here I carp or pike fish. But of lighter stuff now and agin for tench or Perch.

 

Tight lines malcolm

[Gillies]

All my fresh water fishing is done for Brownies, Sea Trout and Salmon from mid April through to early October, and I'm not a fan of fishing for Rainbow Trout.

 

Though I do plan on "hopefully" doing some Sea Trout fishing in February with the fly in the sea, if the weather allows me.

 

Gillies

[Cranfield]

I think the time of year and the weather, has a lot to do with the lack of posts.

 

Being a "wimp" fly fisherman, I get my rods out in the Spring and they go away again in the Autumn, after the last sea trout trip.

[Jeff S]

I just started learning how to cast and seem to be doing a decent enough job. Second day out and hardly any tangles. Yesterday I drifted a black bead head through a few swims and couldn't tell if I had any takes. Got to figure out how to make a visible indicator.

 

It was nice to be out and oh so quiet with all the snow on the ground. I spoke with one person that had just caught a nice sized chub and a few grayling. Nothing for me though.. But thats only a matter of time.

[malevans]

I don't start till spring either. My first trip to scotland is at Easter. Except for, I will stalk a pike with fly if i see one whilst dead baiting. Glad casting is going well for you Dvarcet. Trouble is casting gets two much emphasis for people new to fly fishing, especially on the rainbow still waters. I taught my son and wife on rivers where distance less important and technique can be concentrated on. Unlike my views expressed regarding starter kits for coarse angling, i hold the reverse view regarding fly gear. I reasonable (but not bank account breaking) out fit is essential (particularly for kids due to weight). So I hope those of you that due enjoy the stillwater rainbow scene are bagging loads. Like wise to you who live close enough to Greyling to have a few trips over winter.

Tight lines Malcolm

[Jeff S]

Thanks Malcolm, I haven't been to any still waters to fly-fish yet. Too much fun on the river. I'll have to agree with you about concentrating on technique versus distance. Average cast for me is about 30 feet. I'm still working out tangles but I think that comes with any type of fishing.

 

As for today, I caught what I think is a grayling. It had a large dorsal, but didn't have the same markings that I am used to seeing in all the pictures. It was obviously juvenile not much longer than my finger but better than blanking. I hooked another an hour later that was probably nearing a pound. Unfortunately I have a habit of cranking them in and lost it. So is it a juvenile grayling? It's a new PB on a fly.

 

 

Not sure what's up with the photo..

 

[ 03. January 2004, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: Dvarcet ]

[Ed Matysiak]

Nice one Jeff. Lets hope the next one is bigger !

I only just put my fly line back on the reel today. It's been looped around nails in the shed wall over X-mas to stop it from coiling up. This weekend I shall go out for the first time this year.