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The Fishing Thread

Being serious like, I got this kit -

Came with a Daiwa S4 trout rod (and a cheap reel + 5 spools). Can't whack it for £70 really.

Plan is to get myself up Sharpley (if they've got a learner type lake? Their website isn't clear). I did a couple of hours in the summer and seemed to pick it up alright (I've been bait/lure fishing for years), but appreciate it takes a lot longer to get git gud.

At the end of each season I tie flies and every year I have a clear out of last year's flies (mostly unused) PM me your address I'll send you a box with a few dozen to get you started, they are mostly Brown trout flies and a few for Rainbows, if you are starting fly fishing then go and get a casting lesson from an instructor, it's the one thing I regret not doing and now I'm stuck with all my bad habits.

That's incredibly kind, might take you up on that. The kit only came with 50 and there's a lot of trees around :lol:
 

Being serious like, I got this kit -

Came with a Daiwa S4 trout rod (and a cheap reel + 5 spools). Can't whack it for £70 really.

Plan is to get myself up Sharpley (if they've got a learner type lake? Their website isn't clear). I did a couple of hours in the summer and seemed to pick it up alright (I've been bait/lure fishing for years), but appreciate it takes a lot longer to get git gud.



That's incredibly kind, might take you up on that. The kit only came with 50 and there's a lot of trees around :lol:
Sharpley can be challenging for beginners. Firstly it’s high and exposed and therefore windy. This can make casting difficult. In the summer the fish sometimes switch off during warmer weather so evenings can be the best time and therefore the busiest times. It’s beautiful on a nice still evening.

There is an instructor who does lessons up there called Ross. He is a Sunderland lad and very good at both the casting/fishing side but also the entomology side of the sport.

Good luck.
 
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Being serious like, I got this kit -

Came with a Daiwa S4 trout rod (and a cheap reel + 5 spools). Can't whack it for £70 really.

Plan is to get myself up Sharpley (if they've got a learner type lake? Their website isn't clear). I did a couple of hours in the summer and seemed to pick it up alright (I've been bait/lure fishing for years), but appreciate it takes a lot longer to get git gud.



That's incredibly kind, might take you up on that. The kit only came with 50 and there's a lot of trees around :lol:
Diawa stuff is great, and that seems like a good bargain.
They are here and waiting, I always try and pass them on
I once tried to count how many boxes I have but no matter what I always seem to be missing the killer pattern :rolleyes: :lol:
 
Sharpley can be challenging for beginners. Firstly it’s high and exposed and therefore windy. This can make casting difficult. In the summer the fish sometimes switch off during warmer weather so evenings can be the best time and therefore the busiest times. It’s beautiful on a nice still evening.

There is an instructor who does lessons up there called Ross. He is a Sunderland lad and very good at both the casting/fishing side but also the entomology side of the sport.

Good luck.
Steel is forged in the flames.

Aye, I e-mailed him earlier.

I'm living between Sunlun and Edinburgh at the minute. Miles and miles and miles of free* fishing in Edinburgh - Water of Leith, River Almond, Tyne.
 
Steel is forged in the flames.

Aye, I e-mailed him earlier.

I'm living between Sunlun and Edinburgh at the minute. Miles and miles and miles of free* fishing in Edinburgh - Water of Leith, River Almond, Tyne.
Chatton is good and you don’t need a licence.

Ross is infuriatingly good. I was fishing Sharpley for hours and he arrived, ran his hand through some reeds, remarked about a caenis rise and first cast into a rainbow. I wanted to chuck him in the water.
 
Sharpley is a cracking spot but it’s very different to the upland wild brownie places. It’s often infuriating and very much down to match the hatch but if in doubt hoy on a cat’s whisker with a lead head on a floating line and vary retrieve times and speed - usually stops a blank for me!
 
Sharpley is a cracking spot but it’s very different to the upland wild brownie places. It’s often infuriating and very much down to match the hatch but if in doubt hoy on a cat’s whisker with a lead head on a floating line and vary retrieve times and speed - usually stops a blank for me!
Shipman’s buzzers always worked for me.

5wt and very light tippets. Get takes as soon as they hit the water.
 
Had a couple of hours with Ross up at Sharpley. Turns out I’m not a natural born generational talent which was disappointing, but really enjoyed it nonetheless.
He’s a cracking lad Ross. I believe he fishes for Salmon these days.

where did you get too - roll casting, overhead casting?
 
I now have 3-fortnight trips booked for the Summer, the last week of June first week in July, I'll be fishing on Loch Shin in the evenings when the Sun sets the Brownies come in out of the deeper water, the days will be on the surrounding lochs where we know the big ones are, a day up at The Limestone lochs at Durness and a long day's hike high into the hills to a water where even I can't fail.
The last week in July and first week in August I head North again, the first week will be chasing the Salmon and Seatrout on Loch Brora and Trout on a couple of other lochs, then a week on Hoy fly fishing the Sea for Seatrout, September we are spending a week in Kinlochbervie fishing the lochs within 50 miles and then onto The Duke of Westminsters Reay estate with a mix of Salmon, Seatrout and Brownies, my ankle is fecked but a good mix of painkillers and Whisky and lots of hired boats should get me through.
 
Anyone recommend a decent book or online resource where I can learn about all the different types of flies for trout/grayling/etc.?
 
Anyone recommend a decent book or online resource where I can learn about all the different types of flies for trout/grayling/etc.?
A dictionary of trout flies Courtney Williams is worth buying
A website called Flyfishing.co.uk has millions of articles,
Derwent Anglers has this page
Youtube has just about everything and if you want to start tying your own (don't do it it costs a bloody fortune) then Davie Mcphail on youtube is the master
but you can't beat just going and giving it a go, the casting lesson you had will be the best thing you have ever learned.
 
A dictionary of trout flies Courtney Williams is worth buying

Cheers, will give that a look

A website called Flyfishing.co.uk has millions of articles,

Whey, that's the problem, too much information. There's loads of websites with everything on, but hard to find a 'just start with these" type breakdowns.

Derwent Anglers has this page

Entomology is a whole world I'm not yet ready to dive into, just want a simple 'this is what you start with' type intro

Youtube has just about everything and if you want to start tying your own (don't do it it costs a bloody fortune) then Davie Mcphail on youtube is the master
but you can't beat just going and giving it a go, the casting lesson you had will be the best thing you have ever learned.

Absolutely no desire at all to tie my own flies :lol: Got gifted a nice Loon kit and I don't think I'll ever use it.
 
Cheers, will give that a look



Whey, that's the problem, too much information. There's loads of websites with everything on, but hard to find a 'just start with these" type breakdowns.



Entomology is a whole world I'm not yet ready to dive into, just want a simple 'this is what you start with' type intro



Absolutely no desire at all to tie my own flies :lol: Got gifted a nice Loon kit and I don't think I'll ever use it.
Flog it! I just did a rough count and my tying materials are well into 3 grand, a top-quality cape is over a hundred quid now and you will need a couple of dozen, google Jungle Cock (it's safe :lol: ) Angling magazines like Trout and Salmon are worth buying, just don't read the tackle reviews they are only after your money :eek:
 
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