When I got the call from Ron to ask if I was interested in exploring a new stretch of the River Dee, I of course jumped at it.   Although this stretch is owned by The Bangor-on-Dee Salmon Anglers Association (BODSAA), The Hoylake Fly Fishers Club (HFFC) are also allowed to fish it on their…

My much anticipated day of discovery had arrived and it didn’t disappoint.   The first spot took some getting to but I was soon rewarded with a couple of fish. I was further rewarded when 10 metres upstream, I found the well worn path that suggested this might not be the closely guarded secret I’d…

Today was another glorious day that just had to be spent by the river. As I was accompanied today, it was to be a much more relaxed and genteel affair than my last couple of outings.   There were plenty of little Trout around today but there were a few monster Grayling caught on both…

On Saturday, I found myself with a few hours to kill but as I was picking up from the airport and then going on to dinner, actual fishing was out of the question.   The airport is not too far from my ‘local’ river so I decided to walk some of its very public but…

Small stream Trout fishing presents many challenges. Wading over algae covered rocks can be hazardous and a stumble can be enough to send the fish bolting for cover.   In addition, the lush, overgrown canopy and bank side vegetation make casting difficult and fly loss inevitable so this type of fishing isn’t for everyone.  …

Hoylake Flyfishers Club is a small, busy club based in the Wirral but with most of its fishing in the North Wales area.   In addition to having access to some excellent waters, they have a full calendar of events that includes regular club competitions, group outings and tackle auctions.   Tonight was the annual…

Whilst visiting a convalescing friend recently, he remarked on how easy it is to take good health for granted. He also mentioned how much he was missing getting out and about.   Human beings need to connect with nature. Some do it via their gardens, for others it can be as challenging as climbing a…

To paraphrase the popular idiom, One mans rubbish is another mans gold. Whilst the current conditions were rubbish for Salmon fishing, they provided us with a golden opportunity to fish some very special beats which would otherwise have been off limits to us.   Day 3 was a similar story. This time we were fishing…

Back at the hotel I bemoaned our predicament to our host Nigel and told him we were planning to head downstream to Lazonby where apparently, the water levels would be better.   After much whining from me and a good deal of deliberation from him, he eventually offered something. “I know a very special place…

A fishing trip up to Cumbria is always eventful. My three blog followers may remember that I was trapped at the Tufton Arms hotel in the floods of 2015 and since then, every subsequent trip has coincided with heavy rainfall, albeit thankfully not on the same scale. The net result though has been poor fishing…