Hello!

[Venture]

It’s gone eleven on a school night and I really should have been away by now but there’s a rod turning in the drier and I want to see how the colours set. Which would have all happened hours ago if I hadn’t stuck my head into this forum and found that all the questions I joined you to ask have already been asked and answered...

I’m going to cut and paste my ‘application to join’ email because it says it all as an introduction (probably says too much actually). Oh well, what I’m really trying to say is ‘thank you very much for adding me!’

Hello, I’m Simon, based on the South Coast where I live on an old wooden sailing boat, garden for a living and fish when I can.

Fishing is mostly fly which might be on the stocked lakes for trout or over the side of the boat for mullet. I can’t afford The Test outside grayling season and despite living afloat on the tidal Itchen I can’t fish it past the council stretch at Woodmill. This year I bought into a (tiny) beat on the Hampshire Avon below Downton but highlights of the fishing year are always weekends taking a tent up to the Wye and Usk.

You ask me to describe my traditional fishing values though and think I can sum them up with this: My metaphor for my fishing is my boats. If I wanted to get somewhere fast across water I’d jam the biggest lump of engine into the latest piece of carbon and screech across the Solent to the nearest and poshest pub. But I don’t do that. I take ten years re-building an eighty year old wooden classic and sail sedately (and beautifully) across to somewhere quiet to stop at anchor. It’s a very different journey.

I came across your forum whilst googling around for information on the finer details of wrapping over ferrules. Current project is an 8’6 five weight hollow blank by Chris Carlin (Far North Rodsmiths, Alaska). It’s beautiful already just with its blued ferrules and tip guides. Reel seat has arrived and I’m now playing with Pearsalls and Pipers to make the colours ‘just right’. Casting that with a small grey duster (tie my own of course) to a rising wild brown on the upper Wye is a very different journey to buying the latest Loomis. Each to their own though.

Other rods are a couple of Allcocks, a Seally a Scottie and a handful of the no name split cane fly rods that you pick up at boot sales for a few pounds (and always string tied with a bunch of glass fibre junk and bent banksticks that you have to find homes for). Variously restored, needing attention or are good enough to leave alone in original state and just fish with.

My little beat on the Hampshire Avon is proving difficult for fly and that is pulling me back to coarse so I have an eye open for a good little float rod to restore if necessary. Lucky strike? Wizard? Something like that. I have a twelve foot (I think) Millwards Spanish reed and split cane tip which will do for now. Need an older reel though....

[Duebel]

What a wonderful introduction! A very warm welcome to the TFF, Simon!

I hope, we'll see a lot of pictures of your rods soon!

[LuckyLuca]

Welcome to the forum Simon.
You introduction makes it feel like you've been here years

[Mark]

Welcome to the forum Simon.

[Tonytoned]

Welcome Simon. Superb introduction Sir

[Cat]

Welcome!
Regards Cat

[AllRounder]

Welcome to the forum Simon. Wonderful intro. Could we perhaps see a photo of the boat?

[Snape]

Welcome aboard, Simon.

[Pallenpool]

A super introduction - Welcome to the TFF Sir.

[Tom]

WELCOME!