I have been fly fishing since 1987 - I got hooked one misty October
morning, funnily enough, at about the same time as a bright 2lb Stocks
Reservior latched onto to my black buzzer. Tying followed a year later,
and the traumatic experience of seeing my first fly (a rather offensive
abomination of a Peter Ross) disintegrate in my hands as I removed it
from the vice was quickly forgotten and somehow, over the years, I
learned how to keep the materials on the hook. Things were soon looking
up...occasionaly at my flies.
My first love is a boat, a long rod, a line that stays closer to me
than the bottom, and a team of traditional style flies. Somehow, I feel
closer to any fly fishing 'truth', if one exists, when I'm lazily
flopping out a short line with concoctions of actual fur and feather
attached. I embrace new tying materials and techniques to see what can
be done and to improve my skills and repertoire, but nothing thrills me
more than breathing new life into a pinch of seals fur and a hackle or
two. Easier said than done, but if you squint long and hard at my page,
you might just see the odd example!
I was bitten by the competition bug about six years ago after being
talked into making up the numbers at a local event and fluking a
result! Not everyones cup of tea, and truth to tell, I never thought it
would be mine (all those evil sinking lines and reservoir 'nasties')
but if you like learning, keeping abreast of the latest techniques and
flies, and meeting new pals then have a dabble. I've learned more in
these last six years or so than in the previous fifteen... and acquired
a few more lines!
By far the vast majority of my fishing these days is stillwater, but I
do have a love of river fishing, I guess the loch-style urge is just a
little stronger. Heaven for me is a wild water and boat, although I'll
hapilly spend a day or three bank fishing hill-lochs or battling it out
in a competition on our premier large stillwaters.
So far, on my travels I've 'done' most corners of the UK and also been
lucky enough to spend a blissful week in Iceland. There's a hundred and
one more destinations I'd love to try, but if I get to Patagonia for
sea-trout,browns and rainbows, and also Belize for bonefish before I
croak then I'll be a very very happy boy.