y Dorlan, Llyn

‘Back On The Stream’ An Oyster catcher flew screaming from the sandy pebbly shoreline with that lovely haunting call, then disappeared into the dusk. I was making my way back to the car after a delightful evening on the river Eden. I had hooked and released five nice brown trout between 13 and 16 inches, all taken on the dry fly. An owl called from some nearby trees, bats were flitting about the water surface. For me there is always some excitement when fishing the dry fly on a small river or stream, where everything is visual. Casting a dry fly to rising trout is a wonderful experience, and one I have been doing for many years. Today it’s just as exciting. The adrenaline still pumps through the veins of this old guy as a feeding trout takes my artificial fly in mistake for the real thing. Some are missed, but when I get it right and the fish dives or runs across the shallows, I get that great sense of fun. Sometimes a better fish is hooked, the rod tip is pulled downwards and a few feet of line are taken. Though on many of my small rivers it’s very rare for a trout to take any line, unlike the bonefish that wants to empty the spool. But, as I have said before, it’s still great fun.I always associate dry fly fishing on rivers as a nice walk with nature. For most of my river fishing I use a six weight rod with a floating line and a nine foot leader together with a selection of artificial dry flies that have barbless hooks. The beauty of dry fly fishing is, it’s usually quite easy and relaxing,The great thing about brown trout is they will show you where they are feeding by leaving an ever increasing circle when they take an insect. Watch for a few minutes and you will see, as they grab a fly, what they are eating. It’s as simple as that. When river fishing I always return all my brown trout. Should I need a couple of fish for a friend, I then visit a local still water trout fishery where I can catch a few rainbows which are usually most obliging. This month my thoughts turn to sea trout, bass and flounder fishing, Living in the north of England certainly has its advantages. Good quality river fishing for sea trout costs as little as 60 GBP a season. I have miles of rivers, often surrounded by acres of moor land, with some of the most beautiful countryside I could ever wish for. Some ten minutes drive from home I can be on the river Hodder, which in the past was highly rated as a sea trout river. Hopefully with all the work being carried out by the Hodder Consultative members along with the EA, the fishing will again return to its former glory. If we are lucky to get some rain to give the river a lift, then it’s still possible to take a brace or two of sea trout in a couple of hours fishing. I would like to ask all of you, that should you find the fish in a feeding mood, to return most of your fish to the river. Especially those over 4lbs. The bigger the fish the more reason it should be returned. These fish have a bigger and better gene pool and produce more eggs. If you live in North Wales or Northern England why not apply to join the Prince Albert AS? You might have to wait a couple of years for membership but it’s well worth that wait and you will have many miles of excellent fly fishing for brown, sea trout, grayling and salmon. Some of the rivers you will have the opportunity to fish include the Banwy Twrch, Clyedog, Teifi, Dee Dulas Esk, Ribble, Lune, Hodder, Vyrnwy, Dove, Dovey, Border Esk and many more. The grayling fishing in the summer months can certainly be exciting when fishing with a dry fly. For further details write to Mr. C Swindells, Membership Secretary, 37 Sherwood Road, Macclesfield, SK11 7RR enclosing a stamped addressed envelope.’Flounders and Bass’I bet you thought you had turned to the wrong feature when you spotted the words flounders and bass, No you’re on the right page. The above two species can be caught using a fly fishing outfit and, if you live near the coast, you will no doubt have some flounder fishing close to home. All you need is a rod capable of casting a fast sinking eight or nine weight line fitted with a two foot leader of about 15lb breaking strain and a selection of Clouser minnows in size 2’s and 4’s. If you’re fishing a strong tidal run then cut the leader back to a foot. The best sporting fish we have in the ocean is probably the bass. They can be found all round the coast of England and Wales, and in fact they have been caught around the coastline of Scotland. They can be taken on both floating and sinking lines. If you can only afford to purchase one line my advice would be to choose an intermediate. A nine weight rod rated for a nine weight forward line is a good combination for many conditions. It will also make an excellent outfit should you choose to cast a fly for a pike but of course there are times when I would be quite happy using an eight weight rod and line if I am casting into a light wind, using small flies. Having said that, I get many days when its a ten weight rod with a weight forward intermediate line. This outfit is for those day’s when the wind is doing its best to be a hooligan or I am chucking very big flies or poppers, or sometimes a combination of both. Then the ten weight outfit is the only one to use. Some anglers tell me I am over gunned and it isn’t necessary. In my book the ten weight makes casting a big deceiver a lot easier and hopefully I get to hook more fish. There is no one single outfit when fishing the ocean, it all depends on the wind strength. Even on the best days there is often a ten to fifteen knot wind blowing. A great way to go in search of bass is with a fast 17 foot boat where you can work the rocky shore line, search the quiet coves and bays or fish close to the beach. At the same time, keep your eyes peeled for diving birds, especially terns which usually give away the location of feeding fish. When fishing from a boat in search of bass I have three outfits made up, with floating, intermediate and a fast sink line. Whatever the conditions I encounter, I will have the right set of tackle ready. There is nothing more exasperating or worse than finding fish feeding on the surface then realise your rod is fitted with a fast sink line. If you’re shore fishing, either from a sandy beach or rocks, it’s often difficult to have more than one rod tackled up. You will find it’s a case of using ones experience when deciding what tackle set up to use. My first choice when fishing the shallow waters on the Fylde coast are a floating line outfit followed by an intermediate line. Fishing off rocks into deep water you’re probably better off with a fast sink line. I often start off fishing a small popper to see if fish are interested in coming up on the top. Bass will often just chase and swirl at the popper, giving away their location which can be very exasperating. If this happens, try fishing a Clouser minnow or a deceiver pattern. One of these days I will try a popper with a 2/0 deceiver or a Clouser a foot below the popper and see what happens.’Night Time Sea Trout’Several of you have written seeking advice on sea trout fishing. The best advice I can give is this. Visit your chosen stretch of water in the daytime, make a note of the deep holes, gravel shallows, channels in the river bed and the various snags that a fish might break you on and don’t start fishing until it’s dark.I like to arrive at the waters edge an hour or so before dark. Just sitting there with a mug of tea in my hand letting the darkness envelope me and getting my eyes accustomed to the failing light is such a nice experience. Sitting there quietly listening to the owl’s calling to one another up the river valley or watching bats twisting and turning in their search for insects. Sometimes I am lucky and get to see a fox, badger or roe deer as they come to the waters edge to drink. Should there be any badgers in the area, I will take some peanut butter sandwiches along. I don’t know why but badgers just love peanut butter. What ever you do, don’t mention the location of badgers when you’re in the pub. The information could fall into the hands of evil men and women who dig badgers from their setts or send down terriers into the sett. I put these evil people in the same category as child molesters and rapists. Should you see anything suspicious when you’re at the waterside, please go off quietly and call the police or dial the Environment Agency on 0800-80-70-60 My chosen tackle for sea trout when fishing small rivers and streams is usually a six weight rod with floating line and a nine foot leader. On the bigger rivers I usually have two seven weight rods made up. A floating line outfit and an intermediate or slow sink. I never go below a 6lb tippet, usually it’s 8lb. If I expect big sea trout then it’s a 10lb tippet. Fishing the river Teifi and other rivers where sea trout are taken into double figures I use 12lb tippet material. Should the mist start to come off the water, I switch to an intermediate or slow sink outfit. If the mist is combined with an air temperature that drops a few degrees then I go home. Fishing is all about enjoyment and I don’t enjoy shivering at the waterside in the summer. Perhaps it’s my old age. If you’re looking to spend a few days after the sea trout I can do no better than suggest you purchase a day or weekly permit from the Llandysul Angling Society who control some excellent fishing on the river Teifi. The club also have a scheme where if you’re a disabled angler, they will get you to the waterside. It’s something other clubs and associations could well copy. You can get more details about the Association, its waters, accommodation etc. at www.fishing-in-wales.com The club have a delightful book entitled ‘Tribute to the Teifi’ edited by Pat O’Reilly, published by Llandysul Angling Society, Glas-y Dorlan, Llyn-y-Fran Road Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales, SA44 4JW. You will find plenty of good B&B or pub accommodation in the area and I have found the people very friendly and helpful here. Most important of all, you have the chance of hooking into a fifteen pound plus sea trout! If you fancy trying for the bass during your stay then this part of the West Wales coast line, either side of the Teifi estuary which flows into the Irish sea, can offer you the chance of a good fish. When fishing for bass and other fish in saltwater around the UK, I often use neoprene waders to keep out the cold. Mine are a bit special. They are made to measure by Aeroc, a Leyland Lancashire based company, and come fitted with a fly zip. No longer do I have to strip down when I get the call of nature. Why all neoprene chest high waders don’t have a fly zip I will never understand. It’s nice to know a British company are giving us a top quality product.Trout, Carp and Pike On The Fly – All in a Day!I recently travelled down to Milestone fishery, a family run fishery situated one mile east of Fairford on the Letchade road in Gloucestershire. I had come to record a program for BBC Radio Lancashire’s “At The Waters Edge” program. The lakes comprise some 70 acres of privately owned crystal clear water that forms part of the 11,000 acre Cotswold Water Park, which is within easy travelling distance of Birmingham, Swindon, Bristol, Oxford and Gloucester. It’s also close to the delightful river Colne, a noted trout water. From the Bull Hotel in Fairford, not only can you get some delightful food but you can also purchase a day permit for fly fishing on some two miles of this wonderful river. Milestone Fishery is managed by Bob and Sue Fletcher who treat everyone as a very important angler. Rolls Royce or Mini, everyone gets treated the same. They are certainly a charming and friendly couple with a good knowledge of the fishery and the fishing tactics required. The Milestone lake is a trout water of some 10 acres with an average depth of 11 feet. There is bank and boat fishing available. You can, if you wish, hire a float tube for the day. Rainbow and brown trout are stocked with a minimum size of 2 pounds but they will average 3 pounds and the lake is stocked daily. It’s a well sheltered and very mature fishery.When I visited the fishery it was a very cold day with a strong north easterly wind. Every angler I met had caught fish, including Geoff and Angie Walker from Ross on Wye who were on their first ever days fly fishing. This in conditions more like winter than summer!The top pool is approximately 2 acres, very well stocked with 1lb rainbows, 11 feet deep and will accommodate 10 anglers. Ideal for the novice or more experienced angler who wants to improve his or her dry fly fishing skills. Some of the successful patterns of dry flies are Black Hopper, Daddy Long Legs, CDC Shuttlecock and olives. Nymph patterns are Damsels, Buzzers, Pheasant tails GRHE. If you’re one of those anglers who likes to chuck lures, then try a Cats Whisker, Milestone Killer, Cactus Fly or Zonker.The Glebe Lake is a water of some 56 acres which has an excellent head of double figure pike with fish over 20lbs. In fact, the best to date weighed 30lbs 5 ounces, truly a magnificent fish. Don’t try to fish for these with a 5 weight rod, it needs to be a nine or ten weight. You will need a couple of lines, a floater and a slow sink, with a selection of pike flies, some twenty pound leader material and some twenty pound wire. Make sure your hooks are barbless and have a big landing net.Fly Fishing For Big Carp.One man I felt very privileged to meet at Milestone Fishery was carp fly fisher and big game angler Trevor Gunning from Swindon. Without doubt Trevor Gunning must be one of the top anglers in the country when it comes to using a fly rod and line for catching big carp. The imitations in Trevor’s fly box are some of the best imitations of caster, bloodworms and pedigree chum I have seen. Trevor’s best carp weighed in at 21lbs ounces. This year he has set his sights on catching a thirty pounder. I believe he can do it. In the Millennium issue of the magazine “British Sportsfisherman” Trevor gives the following dressing for the Caster ‘Bug’. Hook: size 6-12 wide gap specimen. Thread: Orange fine. Body: A mix of brown and orange fine floss Varnish: Clear First tie in a 3 inch length of brown floss. Run floss up and down the hook shank to a chrysalis shape then varnish. Next, tie in a length of orange floss and cover over brown floss. Finish with several coats of varnish until smooth. The brown colour will show through the orange. Trevor’s Egg Fly is available from Fulling Mill stockists. Trevor writes “I use this fly in two sizes, 10’s and 12’s. They are available in several colours, I vary mine to suit the light conditions”. Why not target some carp this summer with your fly fishing outfit?A few yards from the fishery office I watched Denis Froud take three good fish in five casts. Denis is another big game angler who also likes to fly fish for trout. Some time ago Denis, a builder from Maidstone, Kent, was on a big game fishing trip to Panama when he and the rest of the anglers got hijacked by some Colombian drug terrorists! They were eventually released by a group of Panamanian marines – after the marines had shot and killed all the Terrorists! When not fishing or working at his building business, Denis is also the treasurer of the Sportsfishing Club of the British Isles. If you’re on holiday in Gloucestershire this summer take a look at Milestone fishery and enjoy a days sport with still water trout carp or pike.Fly Fishing Florida?If you’re visiting Florida this month with the family why not have a days fly fishing for redfish, jacks, tarpon and seatrout in the Indian River around Titusville, it’s great fun. You don’t even need any tackle or a fishing license if you book a guide. E-mail Patti or JD on maxfish@Digital.net Tel 407-868-0000 From the UK you will need to prefix this number with 001. You’ll have a lot of fun, get your string pulled and return home wanting to go again.This brings me to a recent trip I made to Florida. I was fishing the Indian river for sea trout with a new 9’6″ Red River rod from Masterline International. It’s rated for a six weight line and comes in four pieces. It’s perfect for the travelling angler. The blank is high modulus Daimaru fitted with good quality stripping and snake guides with a rosewood and brass winch fitting. The rod comes in a nice green satin finish with an aluminium tube. This rod is well balanced and at no time did I find any difficulty with casting into the wind. There is enough power in the butt to handle a good size fish and I was lucky enough to take redfish to seven pounds, sea trout to four pounds and also some good ladyfish. I have used the rod for brown and sea trout on the river Teifi where it proved ideal for sinking and floating line work. If you are looking for a new rod, and one that you can take on board the aircraft when off on holiday, then take a look at the Red River nine foot six from Masterline. If you use it for fishing in saltwater, make sure you give it a good wash down in warm soapy water then rinse off in cold fresh water before drying thoroughly.Any questions please E- mail me martin@flyfish.demon.co.uk