Fluff Chucking and Me......

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Sorry st but I had to title this thread that way, after all, that’s what you do isn’t it??

Not something that has really interested me, not something I enjoy watching when on the TV, but when I visited Scotland a few years back with the wife we signed up for a day. We arrived at this fishery, forget the name, and had a one hour lesson with the instructor talking about rods, lines, reels and the fish themselves. At the lake we were shown how to cast the fly and both of us picked it yup quite quickly (I had expected the wife to have a nightmare but she picked it up better than me!!!).

Corrinna got the first bite but unfortunately (tongue in cheek) it fell off before it could be netted. The next bite came also to her rod and this one, a rainbow of around 2lbs, was duly netted by our ghille. Out came the priest and screams of “Nooooooooooo” echoed around the valley. Corrinna didn’t want the fish harmed, she doesn’t eat fish and wanted it to be put back, so after much pleading with our instructor the fish was released. I was next to receive some action although my fish too fell off, an obscene amount of fluff tied to my hook didn’t help matters but apparently that’s what makes it attractive to the fish so who am I to argue!!??

So, that was my one and only fly fishing day. I enjoyed it and, as with most things you try and enjoy, I vowed to purchase the appropriate kit and have a go when I returned home on some of the local trout fisheries. Needless to say, the carp gear removed from the shed the day I got back and an evenings stalking wiped away any thought of fly fishing for me.

I’d like to try it again though, someday, who knows???

[St.John]

I started life as a fly fisherman. I was taught how to cast by my grandfather at the age of six, maybe seven and started tying flies when i was about ten. Grandpop as we called him was a loch man, fishing for trout, salmon and char on the fly and spinner. I still have his double handed cane salmon rods which one day will get done up and used on the wye. Fly fishing to me is the most in touch and delicate form of fishing, as well as the most traditional. I fish the monnow every year for wild brown trout, which has taught me how to stalk and read a river. I only use traditional dry flies that I tie myself (although a klinkhammer does often feature!!! Although I do tie them). The pleasure of catching a fish on your own fly is great indeed, and I belive that more course anglers would get a lot more out of there fishing from a season spent 'fluff chucking'. The fly tying kit I own was my grandfathers, and contains some rare, vintage feathers that only get used once in a while. Including a game cock cape that is nothing like the modern ones in quality. Grayling are a favourite of mine, and fishing for them on the dry fly is brilliant sport. One day my course tackle will get hung up, and i will retire to a chalk stream and fish the fly, while complaining that course angler don't know what they're doing, and that it's just not sporting to use bait!!

[GloucesterOldSpot]

I started as a coarse angler (some would say I still am) but very soon became drawn to fly fishing, an unfortunate predeliction as there were no trout fisheries within a bus ride of home, and even if there were I couldn't have afforded more than one trip a year. Grafham was my nearest, forty miles away. So I first cast a fly on the Grand Union Canal, using the top two joints of a glass float rod, a cheap Strikeright centrepin and a Galion number eight double taper line. It worked, after a fashion.

Then I heard about a little stretch of river nearby that held a few wild browns and, being in a public park, was free to fish. As soon as April arrived I went to explore. It was a lovely little chalkstream, perfection in miniature, with pale chalk bed, lush green ranunculus and (as I was to find out at the end of May) a phenomenal mayfly hatch. Sadly, I caught no fish - in fact I didn't see a trout for the first two years, though I did spend most of one day casting a succession of flies at what I thought was a sullen escapee rainbow lying just off some camp sheathing on the far bank. It was unmoved by my efforts, and in the end I decided to wade across to get closer. I got right up to it without spooking it, which wasn't surprising as it turned out to be a lump of wood. Fish or no, it was just nice to be there.

In my the third year two momentous things happened. A friend lent me a proper fly rod - a three-piece split cane of very basic construction and with a startling degree of set (my love of cane stems from this one rod) - and I caught a trout on a dry fly. It was admittedly tiny, but it kicked off something in my head that still flares up occasionally, especially around the end of March/early April. I went on to catch many more trout from that river, up to nearly a pound, on both dry and upstrem wet flies.

I eventually began to fish a local stillwater trout fishery that had opened close to the same stream (it was fed by it) and found my river tactics wanting. For one thing, it was necessary most of the time to cast twenty yards or so to reach the rising fish, which necessitated some adjustment on my part. Once you achieved the required yardage however, the fly pattern didn't seem to matter too much. It was fly fishing certainly, but not the kind I liked best.

Nowadays I fly fish rarely, simply because good river trout water is ferociously expensive. Moreover, I was spoilt all those years ago in having free access to a first class bit of chalkstream (and usually having it all to myself). I still prefer chalk to any other kind of stream where fly fishing is concerned, though I admit I did enjoy a few days' fishing on a river in Snowdonia.

Oh, and my favourite fly? Kite's Imperial.

[StalkingLuke]

I must confess to also being a part time fluff chucker and have to agree it really is fishing taken back to the pure basics.

I've never been happier or more at peace with the world than when many miles from the nearest person, in stunning mountain scenery, wading in a crystal clear river and casting to a big rising brownie in a New Zealand stream, something I was fortunate to do many times in the past.

As much as I enjoy stalking carp from the margins of an old estate lake or perhaps trying to lure a chub with a piece of floating crust from a stream, wild flyfishing for me is where I find my own spiritual enrichment. (whatever that is?)

I'm fortunate to be a member of the Salisbury and District angling club which has many miles of lovely chalkstreams but I'm unfortunate in that it it is just that bit too far from home to be able to visit them regularly.

I've also fished a fair bit in Cumbria and Scotland and in particular the Outer Hebrides which is an amazing place.

I don't own much in the way of vintage fly tackle just a few old flies and a couple of boxes.
Most of my fly tackle is top end american, fast action rods that let you punch a heavy nymph or bushy dry into a headwind. Something I guess you couldn't do with a cane rod although I've not tried.

There are some stunning fishing scenes in the film A River Runs Through It, based on the book by Norman Maclean although I'm not convinced Brad Pitt is using cane in all the scenes!

A quote from the film - "In Montana there are three things we are never late for, church, work and fishing"

Apart from the work and church bit it's something I've always adhered to.

[Rutilus.Bobicus]

I have to admit, I've always been a coarse angler, but this year I intend to 'have a go' at fly fishing. Taking a leaf out of Mr Crabtree and going for some spring trout. It's not something I've looked into doing before but I certainly want to give it a try, just for something different for a few weeks of the year.

There's a couple of trout stillwaters not far from me so I'm doing a bit of research and putting together some tackle. It's the casting technique I'm a little worried about and selecting the correct 'flies' to use. I would appreciate a bit of advice from anyone locally.

[MGs]

I have chucked a bit of fluff in my time, although I didn't start until my late 30s. I have a couple of rods, nothing special but I must admit I do enjoy a bit of fly fishing when I get the chance. I view it a bit like spinning, constant activity and concentration..

[GloucesterOldSpot]

I have to admit, I've always been a coarse angler, but this year I intend to 'have a go' at fly fishing. Taking a leaf out of Mr Crabtree and going for some spring trout. It's not something I've looked into doing before but I certainly want to give it a try, just for something different for a few weeks of the year.

There's a couple of trout stillwaters not far from me so I'm doing a bit of research and putting together some tackle. It's the casting technique I'm a little worried about and selecting the correct 'flies' to use. I would appreciate a bit of advice from anyone locally.

Best casting tip I can give you is this: take the reel in your left hand (assuming you're right handed; otherwise reverse the procedure) and pull off about five yards of fly line. Stand in an open space, preferably on grass, and lay the line out in front of you, more or less straight. With the right hand, pull the line smartly off the grass and throw it behind you so it lays out straight. Turn round and repeat as often as necessary. Once you can do this every time, try to throw the line a bit higher behind you and then, whilst it is still in the air, throw it forward again.

Once you can do this consistently, casting with a rod will be easy. If however, you start right away with the rod I'll bet a pound to a penny you'll do what every other novice caster does, and swing the rod back and forth through an arc. Once this habit grabs you it's hard to shift, and you'll spend years trying all manner of 'tips' without improvement. Try throwing that line with just your hand through the same arc and the lesson is learned straight away - it won't work! The line has to travel in a straight line, both back and forth. The line can only follow the thing propelling it, so if your hand moves straight, so does the line. If you wave your arms around in an arc centred on your elbow, you might win floor event gold at the Olympics but you won't cast very far at all.

[Beresford]

The first fish I ever hooked was a fresh run ten pound salmon, sadly not on the fly. My father landed it. So aged six I thought that fishing was salmon and trout. Although my father fished for coarse fish as boy his only interests were trout and salmon so naturally when we fished together that is what we did. My dad acquired an 8' three piece split cane rod that had been badly rewhipped. He put some decent rings on the rod and gave it to me with a Rimfly. Having cane I felt proper angler. I caught my first brown trout with this rod, a beautiful fish of a pound. A second followed an hour or so later. I'd been left at a fishery whilst my father picked up my sister from horse riding so aged eight I managed this alone.

Although I did go coarse fishing, so I could go with my school friends, it was fly fishing that really captivated me and ultimately I fished Grafham and Rutland. Of course it was expensive with day tickets and petrol and as a student I could no longer afford it. My fishing friend suggested we try coarse fishing again. I wasn't enthusiastic but went along with the plan. We fished a local pool, a mixed fishery and somehow more by the good fortune of perfect weather, I caught three carp. Two of ten pounds and one of thirteen pounds, float fishing in the margins for whatever came along, be it roach or carp. I went back the following evening a caught another of twelve pounds that took 45 minutes to net. I was hooked.

From then on fished with fly for trout or with bait for carp and occasionally on the rivers for roach, perch, chub and pike. Two years ago I had an accident that has left me unable to boat fish but would like to do more small river fly fishing. I like the light gear, the precision and delicacy of it all.

[Kingfisher]

I went for years as a coarse fisherman not having any interest in fly fishing whatsoever. If a fly fishing programme came on I'd turn it over. My Mum had a friend called Steve and he was into fluff chucking in a big way, she'd often tell me that Steve said he'll take you fly fishing when I went to visit very often just to wind me up as she knew full well I couldn't bare anything to do with fly.

In the end what was inevitable happened and I asked Steve to teach me to fly cast after watching the film A river runs through it. I could see there was an art to it and I wanted very much to master it. I practised all the hours God sent and when I couldn't go out I'd watch the Howell Morgan dvd's my wife had bought me. I quickly took to it and bought a season ticket for my local trout fishery..LlynGwyn "White Lake". This place was stocked with wild carp in the 1700's by the cistercian monks of Abbey- Cwm- hir and still contains them and tench to this day, aswell as a regular stocking of rainbow and brown trout fortnightly. I believe last year someone caught a 14lb wildie from there whilst fishing for trout. Infact I've also caught a few carp from there on the fly and I can tell you they can be a nuisance if you're out for a fish for tea.

http://www.rhayaderangling.co.uk/llyngwyn.htm

as time went by i got more into fly fishing and even started to tie flies too. my son came with me one day after plaguing me for days and we took the boat out one chilly october day. He completely showed me up. As you can see here!
http://www.rhayaderangling.co.uk/news.php#45

I was left with nothing more than two 2lb rainbows both caught on my hometied flies. This happened the same day as a troutmasters qualifier was being fished on the bank and only one trout was caught by those involved whereas we caught three.

my fish


I'm not grinning my teeth are chattering....man it was cold that day.

Appologies for the camo.

[TonyPrior]

I started out fly fishing as a 10 year old, 52-odd years ago, with my grandfather. He told me to copy the way he set up the rod, tied on a little bit of fluff on the end, demonstrated a couple of casts and disappeared off downriver, leaving me to get on with it. I lost my temper within minutes and broke my new greenheart rod (accidentally) within hours. The advice from GOS about casting with a bare hand is spot-on, and I think there is a video somewhere on YouTube showing something like this, except the guy is casting about 15 yards or maybe more.
Following this impressive start, it was about 7 or 8 years before I could bear to pick up a fly rod again, though during that period many a small brown trout succumbed to brandlings, Mepps and anything else that might work. From then it was a progression through the various types of fly fishing for trout. The highest point in fly fishing, for me, was dry fly on the River Don in Aberdeenshire. If any river could rival the English chalkstreams for the size, number and free-rising habit of its trout, this would have to be a strong contender, and best of all, most of it runs through wild and unpopulated countryside. You fish mostly alone.
The downfall came with starting fly fishing for salmon in my my late 30's. Years of hopefulness, varying from slight to fairly slight, with rare moments of excitement - I am not one of salmon angling's high achievers. Worst part - the blinding to all but salmon fly fishing. Why should this be so, when it turns out to be such an unrewarding, difficult and insanely expensive pastime in terms of fishy encounters?
This month, for the first time in 35 years, I am heading back to the river Don. Have been hunting out the special cock capes - the honey badgers and medium blue duns, and mentally preparing for tying on tiny hooks again. I hope to rediscover the excitement and absorption of following a tiny dry fly as it passes over the lie of a large, wild brown trout. There is nothing quite like it, it's exquisite, delicate and rational - quite unlike salmon fishing. I hope I can still see the flies....