Fly Fishing for Beginners - Part 3

Fishery Reports Fly of the Month Tried & Tested Review Page

Entomology Part 3

The Flyfishers Free Emagazine

Issue 3

May 2013

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Robin Lambert: Editor “The Flyfisher” Email: ukflyfisher@gmail.com

Editors Comment

The weather here in Scotland at the beginning of April was still very cold between -2º and 3º degrees, still a wee bit on the chilly side to do some serious fly fishing for the brownies and rainbows. The fish were still in their winter mode - lethargic and on a go slow, so you had to slow your retrieve right down to nearly a static approach, which meant when you did retrieve your fly line it was freezing on the rod rings (not so good for your lines as they would get minute cuts from the ice on the rings).

Contents Fly Fishing for Beginners Part 3: Page 5

Scottish Rivers and Lochs: Page 9 Fly of the Month: Page 13 Recipe of the Month: Page 13 Tackle Review: Page 14 Have your Say: Page 15 Entomology Part 3: Page 16

A Short History of Bamboo Rod Making: Page 17 Fishing Reports: Page 20 Trout Fishing in New Zealand: Page 25 Fly Fishing Competitions 2013: Page 28

© The Flyfisher

To advertise within the magazine, please email ukflyfisher@gmail.com for an advertising rates quote Parent website: www.flyfishingdirectory.co.uk Front cover photo: Loch Faskally

Welcome to “The Flyfisher” the free Emagazine by keen fly fishers for keen fly fishers throughout the UK and Abroad.

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Open Individual Fly Fishing Competition for Help for Heroes

My sponsorship website page is: - http://www.bmycharity.com/RobinLambert

It is still not too late to sponsor me

Sponsored and Supported by

On the 13 April I had organised and ran and also competed in the first annual Open Individuals Fly Fishing Competition on behalf of Help for Heroes at Glencorse Reservoir. The weather had picked up just nicely, still a bit cool but some sunshine and ocassionally good cloud cover to bring the fish up a bit; also on the day there was a slight Easterly breeze, occassionally turning to a good strong swirling wind between the mountains which made the boat turn this way and that way when casting. The best method on the day was a fast glass line due to the fish still being down deep, with small black lures on the point and nymphs/buzzers on the dropppers. Unfortunately due to the failure by many competitors not turning up on the day; There was only 10 of us in this years inaugral event and some cracking rainbows were caught – 38 fish bagged for 122lb 8oz with another 38 fish returned (bonus points = 76lb). To date there was £322.00 raised, still have some more sponsorship money to come in from another couple of fly fishers. The winners were:- 1st Place £150 GAC Vouchers – Bob Johnston; 4 fish for 13lb 8oz and returned 9 fish 2nd Place £100 GAC Vouchers – Kenny Gray; 4 fish for 11lb 2oz and returned 9 fish 3rd Place £50 GAC Vouchers – Derek Sibson; 4 fish for 9lb 12oz and returned 7 fish Heaviest Fish Box of Flies/Lures - Scott Drysdale a cracking 8lb Rainbow caught on a black and green tadpol. Next years event will be held on Saturday 31 May at the Tweeddale Millemium Fishery. If your interested in entering contact me at Robin.Lambert@scottishwater.co.uk for entry and sponsorship forms and further details on the event.

Glencorse Reservoir

Flyfishing Directory.co.uk www.flyfishingdirectory.co.uk

Robin Lambert Website Owner

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Fly Fishing for Beginners Part 3

By the Editor

The Art of Casting

The ability to be able to cast well is fundamental to the success and enjoyment of fly fishing. It would seem that many anglers particularly those new to the sport want to be able to cast a full line every cast. And some will use enormous amounts of wasted effort and energy in trying to achieve this. A good understanding of the basic principles will help you to cast better and with less effort. It is worth pointing out that more effort does not translate into better or longer casts. Trying to put more effort into a cast does not produce more distance. The two T’s are the main key to successful casting – Technique and Timing. To be able to cast a fly you have to put a bend into your rod by smooth and gradual acceleration of the rod so that it pulls against the weight of the fly line. This action flexes, or loads, the rod. This applies to both the back cast and the forward cast. Increasing the acceleration and then stopping allows the rod tip to straighten which sends the fly line, as it unrolls, either backwards, or forwards to the target. There is no essential difference between a back cast and a forward cast. (This can be demonstrated by turning round and making your “back” cast the forward or presentation cast). This is a technique that works very well if, for example, you are fishing a tree-lined river bank where there is no or little room for a traditional back cast or fishing a loch or reservoir with steep embankment behind you. You must remove all slack from your fly line before you can load a rod. To load a rod properly requires tension between the top ring and the line so that the weight of the line makes the rod bend as you start the back cast. If you move the tip of your rod and not the line as well, then you are wasting energy. So start your back cast with the tip of your rod close to the water, eliminate any slack and then, when the line is moving, you can start your back cast. Using part of a back cast to take slack out of the line is inefficient. The only way to load your rod is through a continuous movement of your casting arm, starting slowly and building speed before coming to an abrupt stop. This speed increase and abrupt stop is critical. A fast and short speed up and stop movement will result in high line speed and a tight loop. Conversely, a lack of acceleration or an abrupt stop will cause the rod to lose part of the load and the line will end up in a heap on the water. Care must be taken when casting to lift only the right amount of line of the water: enough to load the rod but not so much that you risk over-loading it. This point is more important with both weight forward lines and sinking lines. When fishing sinking lines – and particularly fast sinking or deeply-sunk lines – it may be necessary to role cast the line to the surface before lifting-off and making a back cast The False Cast: - The false cast can be used for two different operations in fly fishing. First it is used to help in changing directions between casts. It also helps to set and determine the desistance of the cast to a given point. The false cast is repeated three or four times to help move to the right or left, not letting it lay on the water until the final cast. The false cast is also a great way to help to dry out a water logged dry fly. 1 – Lift the fly line off the water as in any normal cast. 2 – Let the back cast unroll behind you until you feel a slight pull backwards on the rod. Your line should make a small loop. 3 – Bring your fly rod forward but do not let the line settle on the water. Wait until the line is out in front forming a small loop. Repeat all movement until you are ready to make your final cast.

The Overhand Cast: - The overhand cast is used to pick your fly line up off the water and reposition your fly on a different target. This cast will be used many times over to get you into the spot where you might encounter a fish. 1 – Face your target and point your rod tip at the target. Lower your rod tip to let all the slack out of your line. 2 – Raise your rod tip and begin to accelerate your lift slowly but steadily to get your fly line off the water. 3 – Apply some speed to your backstroke. This will load your fly rod with energy to propel your line into the back cast. 4 – Stop the rod quickly to form a tight loop as it passes overhead. The shorter the stroke and a good straight plane will make a smaller loop. 5 – Stop as the back cast unrolls behind you. You will start to feel the slightest pull. This will start to be the signal to begin your forward acceleration. 6 – A short forward speed stroke and aim your cast at the target. Stop. Let your line settle on the water. To make your next cast repeat.

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To practice you’re casting skills it is best to find a field near to you so that you can hone your skills and get a better feel for your rod and line and how the rod loads during the casting process. Or book some professional coaching to assist you in the art of casting and to iron out any faults that you may have picked up along the way.

The Retrieve The fly fisherman has a broad range of retrieves at his disposal to simulate the natural motions of the aquatic life within the trout’s food chain. Insects possess a variety of means of locomotion. Some move slowly while others are much faster. Likewise, aquatic insects display a wide variance in their motions. A fish is fooled when a fly both looks and acts lifelike. The importance of using both the correct retrieve and fly/lure matching colour, size, shape, and silhouette of the insect will be deadly. Most of the time in lake fishing the goal is to present the fly just above the bottom. This is achieved by taking into account the line’s sink rate, suspension depth, and allotted sinking time. Adjust these factors to place the fly precisely at the optimal depth. The retrieve is accomplished by a combination of rod and line hand movements. The basic hand position prepares you to both properly retrieve the fly and to set the hook during the retrieve. The basic rod hand position when rod movement is not part of the retrieve is as follows: The rod hand grasps the cork grip in the normal casting position with the thumb extended on top of the cork and the index finger directly below it. The index finger controls the line by acting as a guide and a brake that can pinch off the line against the cork. By applying slight finger pressure, a line drag can be instantly applied and adjusted. The line finger plays a role in both fighting a fish and making the retrieve. With practice this line finger can become proficient as an instant judge of drag tension. A retrieves basic rod position is to point the rod downwards toward the line and the fly. By varying the speed and style of retrieve you can change the action or movement of your fly/flies as well as change and adjust the depth at which they fish. If you are fishing in an area where you can see that fish are feeding and your fly is being ignored, a change of retrieve speed or style could well make a difference. Stillwater and reservoir anglers in particular – it can happen on rivers as well – must always be alert for the fish that has followed a fly or team of flies right to the end of the cast and retrieve sequence. Trout will often grab a static or semi-static fly just as you are about to lift off to cast again. The basic retrieves are the strip and figure of eight: - Strip Retrieve:- The line is grasped between the thumb and first finger of the line hand and stripped in a down and backward motion. Next, release the grasp on the line and return the line hand back to its original position. The length and speed of this strip can be varied; by using a slow long strip can sometimes produce a take during hot spells where the fish are lethargic due to the temperatures of the water. The faster strip retrieves or pulling the lure fast through the water columns can produce some savage takes when the fish are actively feeding. The rod hand’s line finger acts as a line guide and as a brake for a sudden stop in the retrieve or in firmly striking a fish. This retrieve is most commonly used to imitate a wide variety of prey.

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Fast retrieves:-

In contrast to the strictly imitative static or slow retrieve is the fast continuous retrieve, sometimes known as the roly poly. Fast retrieves are appropriate if fishing fish or fry imitations or perhaps a caddis. Also a fast retrieve can inject life into fish on a dour day. To achieve a fast and continuous retrieve you need to tuck the butt of your rod under your arm, so that both hands are free to retrieve the line in fast steady and continuous pulls, one after the other.

Figure of eight Retrieve

One of the best-known retrieves is the figure of eight. This retrieve is ideal when you want a slow, steady and continuous retrieve. Line is retrieved through a combination of pulling with your thumb and forefinger and rotating your line hand. Start by holding the line with the thumb and forefinger of your line hand, close to your rod handle. Rotate your wrist backwards, towards you body, and then put your little finger over the line and rotate your wrist in the opposite direction. Now, holding the line in the palm of your hand, having released your thumb and forefinger, take hold of the line again and repeat both rotations. The line that has been retrieved will start to form a figure of eight in your hand.

The Sink Draw Retrieve The sink-and-draw retrieve is accomplished by allowing the fly to sink to the desired depth and then by retrieving upwards toward the surface. Hatching insects naturally migrate toward the surface so this sink-and-draw retrieve simulates this action. Take into account the bottom’s contour by casting from the shallows toward the depths, or this retrieve can be used by casting parallel to the bottom’s general contours. The speed of the retrieve is matched to suspend the fly within a foot of the bottom. The retrieve is accelerated to raise the fly to the surface, and stopped or slowed to sink back down again. Both the line’s sink rate and the retrieve rates are the factors that suspend the fly at the desired depths. When the sink-and-draw retrieve is used with a floating line and an increased retrieve rate, the fly will rise toward the surface. Emerging insects move in this same manner. When using a floating line and a long leader, the fly is allowed to sink to the bottom. As the retrieve starts, the fly rises from the bottom and becomes readily visible to the fish. Its pathway to the surface simulates an emerging insect. The fly needs to be optimally weighted; that is, heavy enough to sink it and the long leader to the bottom but still light enough to move upwards toward the surface when retrieved. A fly tied on a heavy wet fly hook with sparse webby hackles and a fur dubbing will usually suffice. Sometimes a few turns of fine lead wire may be needed to weight the fly enough for it to sink. Fluorocarbon leaders are denser and easier to sink than monofilament ones. The emerging motion of the midge or caddis pupa is well mimicked by the sink-and-draw retrieve. The rise-and-fall retrieve differs from the lift-off-and-settle in that the rise-and-fall “s” motion is of less magnitude. It is best used to imitate insects that tire and settle back down to rest. A damselfly’s vigorous abdominal motions are energy consuming and tiring. These nymphs need frequent rest stops and during these pauses the nymphs sink. Also, scud’s and water boatmen’s motions are well mimicked by this rise-and-fall retrieve. A slightly weighted fly paired with either a floating or a short sinking tip line is used depending upon water depth. A floating line is used for the shallower waters while sinking lines are used for deeper waters. Simply allow the fly to sink and retrieve it toward the surface with a slow strip retrieve. Next, stop the retrieve and allow it to sink back again. Perhaps the countdown retrieve is the most valuable still water technique. This retrieve purposefully presents your fly at the desired depth for the longest time. Fishing just above submerged weed beds is perhaps the most effective still water technique. Next months fly fishing for beginners will be on River Fishing

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Scottish Rivers and Lochs Scotland has a vast and varied range of year round fly fishing for the

visiting angler from lochs, rivers to fisheries and is one of the best locations in the world for Salmon fishing. It’s now a lot easier than you think to access the Lochs, Rivers and Fisheries that Scotland has to offer and at very excellent prices to suit everyone’s budget. Scotland is the home to some of the world’s best salmon fishing and its famous rivers like the Tweed and Spey attract anglers from all over the world. Anyone who has mastered the art of Spey Casting will want to visit the Spey. Those looking to fish the river Spey; that now catches the most Atlantic salmon in the world, will also find in Scotland, other great rivers that offers some fantastic salmon fishing as well. The wild brown trout fishing in Scotland is also of superb quality, whether it be in the remote small rivers and lochs of our beautiful hills and glens, or the more sedate rivers in the lush countryside. There is also a range of excellent stocked trout fisheries and some very productive grayling fishing on offer as well. There are many rivers within Scotland that will have your heart racing at the thought of catching the salmon of a lifetime, or catching a wee wild brownie on a size 22 dry fly in beautiful surroundings. Whether you are walking along a river bank with your rod in your hand and an eye on the water, or climbing some hills to get to your fishing location on a small brook, Scotland has some fantastic scenery, wild life and lovely rivers meandering through heather covered lands. Even if you are not having a great days fishing, you can sit back and relax with your packed lunch and watch the deer roaming the hills, eagles and hawks soaring the skies and all manners of wild life to admire. Nowhere in the world can offer such a wide variety of fishing for wild brown trout than Scotland. There are well over 30.000 lochs and lochans throughout Scotland including hundreds of major rivers, streams and burns in beautiful stunning countryside to wet the keen fly fisherman/woman’s appetite. If you take a look at a map of Scotland you will find a location not too far away from where you want to base yourself when travelling through this lovely land. From late spring and early summer the rivers, streams and burns offer a challenge to the dry fly aficionado. The wily Scottish Brownie is extremely educated and demanding. You will require all your skills, cunning and precision casting to present your dry fly or wet fly to the fish. Even if you do present your fly absolutely perfectly, the wee wily brownie will sometimes just swim up look at your offerings and if you look hard enough you will see it shake its head as if to say not good enough and swim away again. There is a Trout Protection Order on several of Scotland’s better rivers in the interests of conservation.

Loch Achray

Whilst the fish populations of the majority of the lochs in Scotland are dominated by brown trout of 8oz or less, they are usually free rising and free taking; such places are ideal for a family day out whereby the children can have their first introduction to fly fishing. There are some lochs that offer the occasional trophy fish between 2lb and 6lb. Some of the deeper lochs usually contain small populations of ferox trout, a strain of slow growing heavy brown trout often with cannibalistic tendencies, which can grow to great weights (up to 20lb or more).

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Due to the vast amount of Lochs within Scotland I have only mentioned a few of the well known ones for you to choose from. There are many more that are not even mentioned in books, on the web or in magazines as they are owned by private landlords or consortiums. Also some are well kept secrets due to how good they are at fishing. However if you investigate hard enough you will be able to glean the information from local’s; other fishermen/women that you know who have fished the areas, plus contacting the private landowners for access to their rivers, lochs and lochans. The Orkney and Shetlands might only be a small area of islands, but they do have about 800 lochs and lochans with some of the best wild brown trout fishing in the world. So give the islands a visit it will be worth your while and you will want to go back for more. Fishing within Scotland is not just about catching fish it is about being one with nature and your surroundings, so the more you are in tune with your surroundings the more you will enjoy your days fishing and if you do catch a fish or two it is an added bonus. Loch of Aboyne: - Situated in the heart of Glen Tanar Estate, the private Glen Tanar Loch offers fly fishing by boat surrounded by outstanding scenery and beautiful, tranquil surroundings. The Loch is stocked with Rainbow Trout and is available for fishing 7 days a week. Salmon fishing also available on four beats of the River Dee. Day and Evening sessions are available Feb-Dec; bookings must be made during office hours. Glen Tanar Estate – Fishing, Brooks House, Glen Tanar, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire AB34 5EU Loch Achray: - The loch lies between Loch Katrine and Loch Venachar in the heart of the Trossachs and has an average depth of 11 metres. The loch is popular with anglers who fish for the wild brown trout within its waters. The fishing is controlled by the Loch Achray Conservation Association. Only fly fishing is permitted and only from boats. Permits obtained from:- M Meikle – day..0850 558869 evening...01786 841692 Boat Hire:- James Kean & Morris Meikle Tel : + 44 (0) 850 558869 (day) +44 (0) 1786 841692 (evening) Loch Ard: - The loch is approximately 4 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide and runs approximately east-west along a sheltered glen. The main island on the loch is called Eilean Gorm (Bluey /Green Island). Though one of Scotland’s smaller lochs, it is one of the most picturesque and its sheltered location means it is ideal for kayaking and other water sports. Loch Ard is only 1 mile from Aberfoyle . The loch is in three parts which are joined by beautifull waterways. Fishing is allowed by permit from boats or bank. Loch Ard also has quite a reputation for catching large pike. It is bank and boat for fishing brown trout and the season is March 15th till October 6th Prices, permits and further information can be obtained from The Forest Hills Hotel in Aberfoyle Telephone : +44 (0) 1877-382277 Also from the Alskeath Hotel in Kinlochard Telephone : +44 (0) 1877-382266 Loch Dee: - Fly fishing only for wild brown trout which can grow to specimen size. Located near Clatteringshaw Loch off the A712. Bank fishing only. Loch Dee is a large upland loch, situated in Dumfries & Galloway. Until the mid 1960s, the loch supported a significant wild brown trout fishery. However, in the following years the loch’s trout population was seen to exhibit a decline. It is now known that this decline was mainly due to the effects of acidification on trout egg survival. In recent years a recovery has started to take place in the trout fishery and it is hoped that this recovery can be sustained through the work of a unique partnership between Newton Stewart & District Angling Association (NSDAA), Galloway Fisheries Trust, Fisheries House, Station Industrial Estate, Newton Stewart , Wigtownshire Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, DG8 6ND Telephone: +44 (0) 1671 403011; E-mail: mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org Website: http://www.gallowayfisheriestrust.org Loch Faskally: - The loch lies between steeply wooded hills and is approximately 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) in length, narrowing to around 700 metres (800 yards) wide. The dam incorporates a salmon fish ladder allowing around 5,400 salmon to ascend annually, and is a popular visitor attraction. The loch is popular with anglers who fish for brown trout, pike and salmon. The water holds a good head of brown trout and the native fish are augmented by a stocking in the 1-5lb range. A 7lb brown trout was recorded in 2001. Salmon and a few sea trout pass through as they head up the Tummel and Garry systems. 54 salmon were caught in 2001 the best being a fish of 14 ½ lbs; however fish to 28lbs have also been caught. June also sees the arrival of the summer grilse. There are also good numbers of small pike with a few larger specimens mixed in. The best recorded pike have been over 30lb. Trolling, fly, spinning and bait fishing are all methods used on the loch, trolling for salmon being very popular. Permits can be obtained from the Pitlochry Boating Station Tel: +44 (0)1796 472919 Email: info@fishfask.com

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When I think of Scottish wild trout fishing, my thoughts always turn to the lochs, where I would fish, “loch style”, from a drifting boat, casting a team of wet flies on a short line to eager wild brown trout on an equally wild highland loch set amid heather clad mountains Loch style fishing is a very old and traditional Scottish method of fly fishing from boats on lochs. Also known as fishing on the drift ‘loch style’ involves casting a team of flies; usually wet flies, though it can be nymphs over the front of a boat drifting side on to the wind. In windy conditions it can pay to fish a leaded fly on the point such as the ‘cat’s whisker’, not only to stabilise the team but also to improve the lines turnover during casting, thus reducing the risk of tangling (wind knots). The fly on the top dropper is usually bushy and worked towards the end of the retrieve to create a disturbance that, hopefully, will attract a fish. I normally always use a Drogue in windy weather to slow down the speed of the boat as it drifts along, thereby giving me more control over the way the flies are fishing in the water. Loch style fishing is normally conducted with a floating line, though in the early part of the season when the water is still very cold and fish deep I usually start of with a fast sink line (normally a DI3). I normally use up to 4 flies at a time and short casts are the order of the day, I simply cast downwind and tease the flies back to the boat. At the final part of the retrieve the rod is lifted and the ‘bob’ fly is dibbled across the surface, this usually entices a take from any following fish. The majority of takes come to the bob fly; however the middle and point flies also take their good share of fish.

The brown trout (Salmo trutta)

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is an originally European species of salmonid fish. It includes both purely freshwater populations, referred to Salmo trutta morpha fario and S. trutta morpha lacustris, and anadromous forms known as the sea trout, S. trutta morpha trutta. The latter migrates to the oceans for much of its life and returns to freshwater only to spawn. Sea trout in the UK and Ireland have many regional names, including sewin (Wales), finnock (Scotland), peal (West Country), mort (North West England) and white trout (Ireland). The specific epithet trutta derives from the Latin trutta, meaning, literally, “trout”. The lacustrine morph of brown trout is most usually potamodromous, migrating from lakes into rivers or streams to spawn, although evidence indicates stocks spawn on wind-swept shorelines of lakes. S. trutta morpha fario forms stream-resident populations, typically in alpine streams, but sometimes in larger rivers. Anadromous and nonanadromous morphs coexisting in the same river appear not to be genetically distinct. What determines whether or not they migrate remains unknown. The species has been widely introduced for sport fishing into North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries, including Bhutan, where they are the focus of a specialised fly fishery. First planting in the United States occurred April 11, 1884 into the Baldwin River, one mile east of Baldwin, MI. Brown trout have had serious negative impacts on upland native fish species in some of the countries where they have been introduced, particularly Australia. Because of the trout’s importance as a food and game fish, it has been artificially propagated and stocked in many places in its range, and fully natural populations (uncontaminated by allopatric genomes) probably exist only in isolated places, for example in Corsica or in high alpine valleys on the European mainland. Farming of brown trout has included the production of infertile triploid fish by increasing the water temperature just after fertilisation of eggs, or more reliably by a process known as pressure shocking. Triploids are favoured by anglers because they grow faster and larger than diploid trout. Proponents of stocking triploids argue, because they are infertile, they can be introduced into an environment that contains wild brown trout without the negative effects of cross-breeding. However, stocking triploids may damage wild stocks in other ways. Triploids certainly compete with diploid fish for food, space and other resources. They could also be more aggressive than diploid fish and they may disturb spawning behaviour. Scottish and Irish sea trout populations in recent years have seriously declined, possibly due to infestation by sea lice from salmon farms.

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Château des Ormes, Dol-de-Brétagne, Brittany

Set in 250 acres of woodland in the grounds of a château, Dol-de-Brétagne offers two man-made mature lakes, all well-stocked with perch, carp and some catfish. There is a lot of easy on-site fishing at Chateau des Ormes if you don't want to wander too far.

La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Rivière, Paris Situated in the Aisne Valley beside a gently flowing river, La Croix du Vieux Pont is an attractive, relaxing parc where you can enjoy fishing as well as spa facilities too! The River Aisne is good for silverfish plus specimen carp and catfish, whilst the lake is heavily stocked with carp, roach and sturgeon. Anglers can also fish in the on-parc lake too.

Parc de Fierbois, Ste Catherine, Loire Valley Camping Parc de Fierbois is set in 250 acres of beautiful wooded parkland surrounding a private château and offers fishing in a natural 12 acre lake set in a wooded valley. Fish stocks include roach, perch, carp, pike and tench.

La Garangeoire, St Julien des Landes, Vendée La Garangeoire a member of the 'Castels' chain, is beautifully set amongst woods and offers two natural mature lakes, renowned for their predator fishing, whilst a carp-only lake is just 5 minutes away and very easy to fish.

La Pergola, Lac de Chalain, Jura La pergola located on the banks of the enchanting Lac de Chalain in the Jura region, is home to trout and pike. Take a boat out onto the lake or perch on the banks, sit back and relax.

L'Étoile d'Argens, St Aygulf, Riviera Situated next to the river on which a busy boat ferries the parc's residents to and from the golden Riviera beaches, here at L'Etoile d'Argens you can let the time pass you by, fishing on the river bank.

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Fly of the Month

Black Superglue Buzzer

Buzzers can vary greatly in both size and colour and be the prominent food source on both still waters and slow running rivers. Sizes can vary from the equivalent of #26 up to #8. Colours range from bright red (bloodworm) to the darkest black and include all shades of olives and brown. The cheeks shown on most patterns only occur on the naturals as the pupa reaches the surface to emerge. Buzzers fish well on all lines in appropriate depths of water. The key is in the retrieve. Superglue buzzers work well due to the fact they emulate the pupa effectively and they sink quickly to the feeding zone. The painted cheeks can be of any colour you require, the most common being bright red or orange. These are easy flies to tie you just have to be careful of the glue. Hook sizes will depend on the local buzzer population although #10 and #12 are the most common. Preferred hooks are either grub or sedge, sedge being my personal favourite. Fly Tying Method Hook - #14 - #10 Grub or Sedge Thread - Black Rib - Fine Silver Wire Body Coating - Superglue Cheeks - Red Poster Paint Tying Procedure Bed the hook with tying thread; tie in a small length of silver wire. Carry on with the thread past the bend and return the thread to a few millimetres before the eye of the hook. Ensuring to cover the whole of the hook with thread evenly. Rib with the silver wire, in fairly open turns the body of the fly, and continue up to the point where you have stopped the thread. Tie in the silver wire rib and trim off as close as possible. Continue to wrap turns of thread until you obtain a nice bulbous thorax area as per photograph. Whip finish. Apply 1 coat of superglue. Allow the superglue to dry thoroughly and paint on the cheeks. If you paint the cheeks before applying the glue the paint will soak into the thread. Allow the painted cheeks to harden and apply the second coat of superglue. Once dry the fly is ready to fish.

Recipe of the Month TROUT AND BACON Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 x (225 g/8 oz) prepared trout juice of 1 lemon salt 1 clove garlic 4 teaspoons chopped dill 4 teaspoons chopped parsley 65 g (2 1/2 oz) cream cheese 2 tablespoons milk 100 g (4 oz) thin rashers streaky bacon 2 shallots 25 g (1 oz) butter 150 ml (1/4 pint) chicken stock 3 rosemary needles, chopped Garnish: Wedges of lemon rosemary sprigs Method: 1. Wash the trout under cold running water. Season the lemon juice with salt and rub into both sides of the fish. Cover the fish and leave it to stand in the refrigerator. 2. Chop the garlic very finely. Stir together the garlic, dill, parsley, cream cheese and milk and spoon the mixture into the stomach cavities of the fish. Wrap each trout in 3 rashers of bacon. 3. Arrange the fish side by side in a large oven-proof dish and bake on the middle shelf of a hot oven (220 c, 425 F, gas 7) for about 30 minutes, until cooked. 4. Peel and finely chop the shallots and fry them in the butter until transparent. Add the chicken stock and chopped rosemary. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time pour the stock over the fish. 5. Garnish with wedges of lemon and sprigs of rosemary.

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Tackle Reviews

This months tackle review is on the Daiwa Wilderness Game Bags

All tackle reviews are impartial and honest reviews undertaken by the editor. If you want an honest and frank review of your fly fishing tackle please email me at ukflyfisher@gmail.com

Daiwa Wilderness Game Bags

Product Description

This collection of Wilderness luggage from Daiwa is designed to serve all the needs of today’s travelling fly fisherman/woman. Whether you need a combination of capacity and easy access or just pure function the Daiwa Wilderness Game Bags has it all. All are made from high grade fabrics with excellent workmanship. There are three sizes available:- 18 Litre - Dimensions 39cm x 23cm x 20cm; 30 Litre - Dimensions 48cm x 26cm x 25cm; 40 Litre - Dimensions 51cm x 29cm x 28cm Top compartment with removable Velcro dividers for six/eight reels & spools with internal mesh pocket Large bottom compartment with internal mesh pocket; ideal for all your various fly boxes and packed lunch Two large side pockets Large front pocket with internal mesh pocket Small front pocket with internal mesh pocket Padded shoulder strap and padded handle Price: £49.99 from any good tackle retailer

As a loch style fly fisher I got the 40 litre bag last year as my older bag was well passed it. When I received it I thought it would be too big and cumbersome to lug about from the car to the boat and on the boat and it would be too heavy with all the reels, fly boxes and all the other equipment that I normally have with me. However; I found the bag a delight to use and very easy to access all my equipment. In the top compartment I had my 2 reels and all the spare spools for them, plus all the various sizes of leader material was kept in the intregated mesh pockets. Within the very large bottom compartment I had me various fly boxes; drogue and a pair of waterproof trousers, and had enough room to spare for my packed lunch. Needless to say the more pockets you have the more you stuff into them, from a camera to binocculers, sun cream to moscetto sprays, some knacky tools that’s never been used in all the years I’ve had them (in fact some are as old as me). The broad padded shoulder straps help to cushion the weight of the bag when lugging it about. I’m sorry to say at times I’m not very light handed when throwing things either into the boot of the car or into the boat when getting ready to go out for the day, I’m normally in too much of a hurry. However the padding on the bag has helped to keep everything safe and no damage done (except perhaps to the outer material of the bag) Despite the heavy handedness, being on the bottom of the boat during bad weather getting soaked etc; the bag is standing up really well. When it’s time to get a new boat bag and their still on the market I will deffinately get another one.

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Fly Fishing against Golf By the Editor

Fly fishing is as big as golfing with as many if not more fly fishers as golfers around the world. Yet we don’t seem to have the same promotion or recognition as the golfing fraternity.

Admittedly we do have some television programmes dedicated to fishing of all sorts and the various competitions like this years World Fly Fishing Championships being held in the Vesfna Region of Norway. However if the World Championships were a golf one it would be fully televised; in every paper around the world on all the news channels etc etc etc, But being a fly fishing competition it will only get mentioned in the various fly fishing magazines and websites by dedicated fly fishers. Apart from the various fly fishing associations around the world, why are all the major fly fishing companies not sponsoring and promoting fly fishing competitions and pushing the events too all the various media channels. If the major fly fishing companies did push for more recognition it would promote both fly fishing and the companies products to a wider audience, thus giving the sport a bigger following.

Have your say here. Why not start up a discussion with other like minded people, or just get something off your chest as long as it is kept clean. Email your comments to: ukflyfisher@gmail.com

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Entomology Part 3 Diptera

True flies are insects of the order Diptera (from the Greek di = two, and ptera = wings). They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax. Apart from secondarily flightless insects (including some flies), the only other order of insects with any form of halteres are the Strepsiptera, and theirs are on the mesothorax, with the flight wings on the metathorax. The presence of a single pair of patent, metathoracic flight wings distinguishes true flies from other insects with "fly" in their names, such as may flies, dragon flies, damsel flies, stone flies, white flies, fire flies, alder flies, dobson flies, snake flies, saw flies, caddis flies, butter flies or scorpion flies. Some true flies have become secondarily wingless, especially in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, or among those that are inquilines in social insect colonies. Some authors draw a distinction in writing the common names of insects: true flies are written as two words, e.g., crane fly, robber fly, bee fly, moth fly, fruit fly. In contrast, common names of nondipteran insects that have "fly" in their names are written as one word, e.g., butterfly, stonefly, dragonfly, scorpionfly, sawfly, caddisfly, whitefly. In practice, however, this is a comparatively new convention, and, especially in older books, one commonly might see the likes of "saw fly" and "caddis fly". In any case, non-entomologists cannot in general be expected to tell dipterans, "true flies", from other insects. The Diptera comprise a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species of mosquitoes, gnats, midges and others, although under half of these (about 120,000 species) have been described. It is one of the major insect orders both in terms of ecological and human (medical and economic) importance. The Diptera, in particular the mosquitoes (Culicidae), are of great importance as disease transmitters. Flies are adapted for aerial movement, and typically have short and streamlined bodies. The first tagma of the fly, the head, consists of ocelli, antennae, compound eyes, and the mouthparts (the labrum, labium, mandible and maxilla make up the mouthparts). The second tagma, the thorax, bears the wings and contains the flight muscles on the second segment, which is greatly enlarged; the first and third segments have been reduced to collar-like structures. The third segment of the thorax bears the halteres, which help to balance the insect during flight. A further adaptation for flight is the reduction in number of the neural ganglia, and concentration of nerve tissue in the thorax, a feature that is most extreme in the highly derived Muscomorpha infraorder. Flies have a mobile head with eyes and in most cases have large compound eyes on the sides of the head, with three small ocelli on the top. The antennae take a variety of forms, but are often short, which reduces drag while flying. Because no species of fly has teeth or any other organ or limb that allows them to eat solid foods, flies consume only liquid food, and their mouthparts and digestive tracts show various modifications for this diet. Female Tabanidae use knife-like mandibles and maxillae to make a cross-shaped incision in the hosts' skin and then lap up the blood. The gut includes large diverticulae, allowing the insect to store small quantities of liquid after a meal. The genitalia of female flies are rotated to a varying degree from the position found in other insects. In some flies, this is a temporary rotation during mating, but in others, it is a permanent torsion of the organs that occurs during the pupal stage. This torsion may lead to the anus being located below the genitals, or, in the case of 360° torsion, to the sperm duct being wrapped around the gut, despite the external organs being in their usual position. When flies mate, the male initially flies on top of the female, facing in the same direction, but then turns round to face in the opposite direction. This forces the male to lie on his back for his genitalia to remain engaged with those of the female, or the torsion of the male genitals allows the male to mate while remaining upright. This leads to flies having more reproduction abilities than most insects, and at a much quicker rate. Flies occur in great populations due to their ability to mate effectively and in a short period of time during the mating season. The female lays her eggs as close to the food source as possible, and development is rapid, allowing the larvae to consume as much food as possible in a short period of time before transforming into adults. The eggs hatch immediately after being laid, or the flies are ovoviviparous, with the larvae hatching inside the mother. Mosquito larva. A typical Nematoceran. Note the head capsule and clearly defined three segments of the thorax Syrphid larva. Maggot-like anatomy, typical of a Brachycerid fly, lacking both a conspicuously demarcated thorax and head capsule Larval flies have no true legs. Some Dipteran larvae, such as species of Simuliidae, Tabanidae, and Vermileonidae, have prolegs adapted to such functions as holding onto a substrate in flowing water, holding onto host tissues, or holding prey. Roughly speaking, there is some anatomical distinction between the larvae of the Nematocera and the Brachycera especially in the Brachycera, there is little demarcation between the thorax and abdomen, though the demarcation may be very visible in many Nematocera, such as mosquitoes (see image, both here and in the mosquitoes article); in the Brachycera, the head of the larva is not clearly distinguishable from the rest of the body, and there are few, if any, sclerites. Informally, such Brachyceran larvae are called maggots, but the term is nontechnical and often applied indifferently to fly larvae or insect larvae in general. The eyes and antennae of Brachyceran larvae are reduced or absent, and the abdomen also lacks appendages such as cerci. This lack of features is an adaptation to food such as carrion, decaying detritus, or host tissues surrounding endoparasites. Nematoceran larvae generally have visible eyes and antennae, though usually small and of limited function. The pupae take various forms, and in some cases develop inside a silk cocoon. After emerging from the pupa, the adult fly rarely lives more than a few days, and serves mainly to reproduce and to disperse in search of new food sources.

Next months report will be on: - Ephemeroptera

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A Short History of Bamboo Rod Making

Fly fishing is described as a distinct and ancient angling method, mostly renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, however today’s modern fly fisher now uses it for a wider variety of species including pike, bass, panfish, and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. There are many reports from around the world of fly anglers taking species such as chub, bream and rudd while fishing for trout. From the ancient methods of catching fish on a pole, horses hair line and bone hooks with feathers tied to them up to today’s method, the production and technology has been astronomical with newer, finer and stronger materials being used. However the purists cane rod anglers still prefer to use bamboo rods for casting their fly lines as they feel it presents the flies more easily and natural. It seems likely that fishing with a fly rod the way we now know it started between 1790 and 1845. In those days many variaties of bamboo and wood species were used to make the fly rods. Bamboo soon became the preferred material in the production of the rods . In 1846 Samuel Phillipe a gunsmith from Easton, Pennsylvania made the first 6 strips designed tip from Calcutta Cane and his son Solon, built the first complete hexagonal rod from Calcutta cane in 1859. As the use of using bamboo increased in popularity, in the late 1800’s, Hiram Lewis Leonard designed and built his first fishing rod of ash and lancewood in Bangor, Maine. A friend had suggested that he should send it to a sporting goods house in Boston. They were so impressed with his work that they commissioned him to build four-strip cane rods for them. Leonard subsequently adapted the six-strip principle for producing his cane rods and thus was born the first commercially built six-strip cane rod. In 1881 the Leonard factory was moved to Central Valley, N.Y. Many famous rod makers learned their trade under apprenticeship to Hiram Leonard; such as Ed Payne, Fred Thomas, Billy Edwards, and the Hawes brothers. From the heavier Calcutta cane from which Hiram Leonard’s first rods were made, and with the introduction of Tonkin cane and dry-fly fishing, which unfortunately he did not live to see, the present-day light rods have been made on the same six-strip design, and on the same machinery he designed. Hiram Lewis Leonard undeniably earned the title of father of the modern bamboo fly rod. William Mills and Son, of New York, acquired an interest in the Leonard Rod Co. and after the death of Leonard in 1907; Thomas Bates Mills purchased the remaining interest in the Company. The Central Valley factory was operated under the direction of Arthur C. Mills III, the great grandson of the early Leonard partner H.L. Leonard rod company started making machinery to produce bamboo fly rods. The first fly fishing rods were then made from ash and lancewood. Square or Quadrate rods were the first rods Leonard made because his belief was that these performed much better but he eventually started making 6 strip or hexagonal rods because of commercial reasons. At that time good quality cane was hard to find. What was available was often full of scorch marks and insect damage. For this reason it was easier to acquire six strips of good quality cane than 4 wider strips for the Quadrate rod.

The hexagonal version was easier to produce and soon became the standard.

Bill Edwards, Sam Carlson and Ebenezer Green produced Quadrate rods and others even made bamboo rods which had pentagonal and octagonal cross-sections.

Bamboo soon became the preferred material for all fishing rods with Tonkin cane being prized above other species. This continued to early 1950 when a trade embargo was imposed on all Chinese goods.

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Due to the resultant shortage of quality bamboo and the concurrent development of synthetic fibers the fabrication of bamboo rods nearly stopped. By the time the embargo ended in the early seventies only a handful of craftsmen were still making bamboo rods. The main reason for bamboo rods regaining their popularity was a result of Everett Garrison together with Hoagy Carmichael publishing bamboo rod building ‘secrets’ in their book A Masters guide to building a bamboo fly rod. A bamboo fly rod or a split cane rod is a fly fishing rod that is made from bamboo also referred to as cane. With more than 1,000 different bamboo species and nearly a hundred different kinds, Tonkin Cane (Arundinaria amabilis or Pseudosasa amabilis) is most often used for fishing rods.

This bamboo species originally grew on vast areas of land up the Sui River in the Tonkin region of Guangdong Province in China. It is said to be one of the strongest bamboo species because of its high density of fibers. This high density is what the bamboo fly rod maker is after because this gives the rod its strength and flexibility. However, is not the only reason that bamboo rod builders use this species. It also is selected because of its straightness, and well-spaced nodes. To make the bamboo fishing rod, the bamboo culms are split and then split again into smaller and smaller strips, which are then planed and glued together to form a blank. This process, together with the wrapping of the guides with very fine silk thread, varnishing and making of the cork grip and wooden reel seat, can easily take up to more than 100 hours by a highly experienced rod maker. It is for this reason that some of the contemporary rod makers can charge more than £2,500 for their rods today. Collectors of bamboo rods are known to pay more than £15,000 for antique rods in pristine condition. The bamboo rods are very susceptible to being damaged and warpage can also occur if stored incorrectly. The varnish finish on the rods can crack or become checked from too much sunlight over the years or too much heat. Breakage of the bamboo rod tips is commonly caused by getting them trapped in car doors, power windows, and house doors is notorious. The bamboo rod cane is also known to snap at the ferrule if too much heavy line is thrown in the air with too much force. Despite all the care and handling caution is required of these natural fiber sporting goods. They are still valued by many anglers today, because of the way they cast. Many hold that there is nothing that casts a trout fly line like a good quality hand made Tonkin cane bamboo fly rod. Fishing rod manufacturing engineers have dedicated decades of research into experimenting with resins, fiberglass’ carbon fiber, boron filaments etc. in the quest to replicate the line-throwing and presentation qualities of the bamboo fly rod; they have got very close over the years, but have not equaled the perfect results of the bamboo rod. The bamboo rod produce a smooth, fluid backcast which provides its own ‘dampening’ effect at the end of the backcast. The forward cast accelerates the line throw through the air with the same ‘dampening’ effect at the beginning of the cast, and then again at the end of the cast as the caster lays the line out over the target water; generally with a smooth and precise placement of the line and fly.

Top quality bamboo fly rods and their rod tubes are made by highly skilled craftsmen using the best quality canes, reel seats, nickel silver-plated fittings and cork. These rods often maintain a very good condition even after decades of use if stored correctly. Bamboo rod reel seats match up well to todays modern reels with no modifications, so no special requirements are needed to use a modern reel and line with bamboo rods. Some dedicated bamboo fly rod users will even mount an antique reel on the rod and use braided silk lines with dressing, like their. It connects them to fly fishing as it was once done; hopefully for decades to come as these ‘ultimate fly fishing tools’ are preserved and passed on to the newer generations of sportsmen and women.

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Todays Modern Bamboo Rod Makers

Harry Boyd 1211 Newman Street, Winnsboro, Louisiana 71295 Tel: (318)282-1825

email: maker@canerods.com

http://www.canerods.com/

A. B. Herndon Rod Co. PO Box 275, 50 Blue Place Road Malo, WA 99150 Tel: 509-779-4247 E-Mail : info@herndonrods.com http://www.herndonrods.com/

490 Grand View Drive, Luray, VA 22835 2660 Tel:540 743 7169 Email: cbogart@shentel.net http://www.shentel.net/canerod/

The Edward Barder Rod Company, Ham Mill, London Road Newbury, BerkshireRG14 2BU , UK Tel +44 (0)1635 552 916 Email: edward@barder-rod.co.uk http://www.barder-rod.co.uk/

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UK & Irish Fishing Reports

Scotland

Tel/Fax 01877 385664 www.menteith-fisheries.co.uk

Lake of Menteith 17 April

Iain Campbell (pictured left) and Ken Oliver of Inverclyde AC had a fine time in Butts Bay fishing a booby and buzzer/diawl bach on a sink tip. A quick report today as the priorities are moving our fish out from the stock ponds into the pens in Gateside Bay and stocking the Loch. The fish are happier when moved at low water temperatures as their immune system appears better able to keep ahead of the bugs that take advantage of the ingress possibilities associated with the minor knocks and scrapes that can occur with the movement of live fish.

Fishing in the past week has been the most prolific I can remember in my time at the Lake. This is due to our stocking policy, combined with catch and release and the late arrival of warmth in the water (and anglers) and some fantastic buzzer hatches (big black ones). Unfortunately the change in wind direction that heralded the milder weather has brought strong winds (as well as the swallows which arrived on Sunday) and our fishing was cancelled yesterday (Tuesday). The big catches have been mainly in the Butts Bay area and particularly at the extreme west end of the Bay (Chicken Leg Bay). Method has been mainly the sink tip with a booby on the point and a buzzer or Diawl Bach type (also cormorants) in the middle. Dries and lures have also been effective. Some notable catches were Gary McGinlay 35 rtd, SANACC 8 boats 4 fish for 9lbs and 180 rtd, Dundee West end 6 boats 37 fish 86lbs, D. Pozzi (Glenrothes) 10 fish 26lbs and 15rtd, I.Campbell and Ken Oliver (Inverclyde AC) 4 fish for 11lbs 12oz and 40 rtd, IBM 7 boats 96 fish 110lbs plus 42rtd, Fairlie and Whyte 4 for 10lbs 8oz and 50 rtd, Rainbow Warriors 8 boats 69 fish 159lbs plus 79 rtd……..and so it went on.

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Lake of Menteith 24 April 2013 Clarity 1.8m 6ft Water temperature 7 C In the first National Championship Heat at the Lake 25 boats (49 anglers) caught 356 fish in total of which they returned 224. The average weight of the fish was 2lbs 3oz. On a very gust day with the wind coming out of west/north-west most of the fish were taken in Gun Butts Bay, Tod Hole and Lochend and, considering the wind, this number of fish caught confirms how well the Lake is fishing at the moment. The full results are available on the SANACC website at http://www.sanacc.org.uk/2013_heats.html. The top bag was Lee Anderson (pictured centre) from Balbeggie AC with 17 fish who was fishing at Lochend with a team of cormorants on a fast intermediate line. In second place was Philip Hunter of Airdrie and District (on right) and third placed was Andy Dunn (on left) of Change Fly Fishers.

It has been an exceedingly windy week which resulted in two days completely cancelled and difficult fishing conditions. The fish pens in Gateside have now been stocked and this will attract free swimming fish to the Bay. Hopefully some warm weather will see the hot spots spread out from the sheltered south eastern corner. Sky Sports 2 Angling Programme “Tightlines” is on this Friday at 6.30 and features Steve Cullen (Total Flyfishing Editor). Not sure what it is about but the Lake gets a mention. We plan to stock tomorrow or Friday this week – depending on how time goes.

Below left: The new weigh-in in operation with Andrew Glasgow and fish. The anglers looked liked they appreciated being out of the weather. Below right Colin Fairgreave of Earlston AA.

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Burnhouse Fishery, Burnhouse Farm, Bonnybridge Stirlingshire FK4 2HH Tel: 01324 840404 Mob : 07742 755737 Website: http://www.burnhouse-fishery.co.uk

Burnhouse Fishery Report week ending- 14th April 2013

The first busy week of the year but despite the improving weather, it still managed gale force winds all day on Sunday! Some good sport and excellent bags kept all our anglers happy……

Eddie Hunt (Cumbernauld) started the week off with 2 fish for 5lb 2oz caught on an orange buzzer, Ian Don (Bonnybridge) caught 2 for 5lb and went on to release a further 5 fish of which one was at lease 5lbs, John Knox (Glasgow) caught 2 fish for 5lb 2oz on a green pea buzzer, Jim Ivat (Alloa) released 5 fish caught on barbless pink bug and g/head cormorant, Alan Stirling (Bonnybridge) released 8 fish most were on a rosie bell damsel, Antony Green (Denny) caught 2 fish for 5lb 8oz,

Glen Grant (Grangmouth) had 3 fish for 6lb 3oz on a m/bug and dawsons olive. Biggest fish of the week was caught by Blain O’Donnell (Cumbernauld) a cracking rainbow weighing in at 8lb 8oz caught on an olive damsel.

Warm weather forecasted and some nice evening hatches, we are open from 8.00am until dusk and the quality of the stocked fish is excellent.

Linlithgow Loch Tel: 01506 671 753; http://www.fafa-linlithgowloch.org.uk Published April 16, 2013 | By Janet I meant to say in last week’s report, that, despite rumours to the contrary the loch – at the moment – is in very good heart. The water quality is very good with a wee touch of colour which is not Algea but is in fact suspended material stirred up by the strong Easterly winds. This colour is no bad thing. Crystal clear water is pretty to look at, but clear water fish are very easily spooked. There are of course no weed problems at this time of the year. Last year’s ‘super weed’ was caused by constant heavy rainfall throughout the summer. Any nutrients in the farmland around us were simply washed into the burns and then to the loch to feed the Canadian Pond weed – we can only wait and see what this summer brings – in any case we always have our large area of deep water to accommodate anglers. Last week was another bitterly cold spell and few anglers turned out early in the week. We had four anglers on the Bank – Messrs Skedd – Moodie and Johnston each had two fish for eight pounds before packing in; Alistair Golding went one better with his limit of three fish for eleven pounds and three returned. On the same day, regular Jim Russell from Longcroft packed in early but not before netting his six fish limit for 21 lbs and returning three. Mr Donnelly fishing from the bank had 3 fish for 11lbs 14oz – 1 at 4lb 10oz; 4lb 2ox and 3lb 2ox, caught on Viva and Fiery Brown A change of wind to the South on Saturday put a lot of the fish down, but Leslie and Glenrothes AC with five boats managed 27 fish for 97lbs and Carronbridge ACalso had five boats did not fare so well with 13 fish for 48lbs. Sunday was also a bit disappointing with Trevor Gibson from Herriots AC being the best rod with 5 fish for 17 lbs For further information or booking please phone the lodge on 01506 671 753 Swanswater Fishery Swanswater Fishery, Sauchieburn, Stirling, FK7 9QB Tel : 01786 814805 email: swanswater@aol.com Website: http://www.swanswater-fishery.co.uk/index.html

Heavy rain, which coloured the water, and strong winds meant conditions were quite tough at the start of the week, but things improved as the week went on and conditions were much better by Friday and the weekend when the fishing was very good. The Tigers remain very active and feature frequently in the catch returns with the occasional Brown trout also being taken. The fish have been well spread out although there were times when the dam area and the front of the island were fishing better than other spots.

The small ponds continue to fish well with one angler releasing around 20 fish after reaching his bag limit!

Favourite patterns this week include the usual small lures, with fish also being taken on nymphs such as Damsel, Diawl Bach, PTN, Bloodworm and Buzzers. The fish are still relatively deep and an intermediate line is working better than a floater. The Fishery is currently open 8.00am to 8.30pm every day.

Charles Devine, Stirling, 2 for 8lb 12oz including 5lb 12oz Rainbow Gary Malcolm, Darvel, 3 for 9lb 6oz including 5lb 9oz Tiger William Galbraith, Darvel, 5lb 8oz Blue Brian McIntosh, Banknock, 2 for 8lb including 5lb Blue Frank Barr, Falkirk, 5 for 14lb 12oz including 2 Blues and a Tiger Chris Walder, Ratho Station, 5 for 13lb 14oz including 3 Blues and a Tiger Kevin Malcolm, Darvel, 5 for 13lb 2oz Kevin McCallum, Dunfermline, 4 for 11lb 8oz including 2 Tigers Harry Butler, Newbridge, 3 for 9lb including a Tiger Ronnie Balfour, Fallin, 2 for 6lb 8oz including a Tiger Steven Bracher, Darvel, 2 for 6lb 8oz including a Tiger Danny Doherty, Denny, 5 for 13lb including 4 Blues Michael King, Dumbarton, 4lb 4oz Tiger

Two beautiful examples of the large batch of Tiger trout to be stocked atSwanswater over the coming months.

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England

Bellbrook Valey Fishery Bellbrook Farm, Oakford, Tiverton EX16 9EX Tel: 01398 351292 www.bellbrookfishery.co.uk Bellbrook Fishing Report week ending 19th April 2013 Another excellent week at the fishery and this time accompanied by lots of primroses and daffodils brightening the place up. Now that the temperature has increased the fish are more active in the higher parts of the water column and you can sense that it won’t be long (weeks) before they are taking off the top – the best fishing of the year. This past week we have had the annual Bellbrook Heat of the Trout Masters Fishing competition. This takes place in April every year and allows those lucky enough to catch a good fish the previous year to pit their skills against each other for a chance to compete at a national level. This year’s winner was Pete Simons from Bridgewater who caught his bag of 6 fish (4 specimens and 2 normals) at a total weight of 20lb 5oz. A very good result but Pete was not the only angler who caught his bag that day with Graham Morris and Ken Swift of Radstock, Bath and Jason Malin of Studley, Warwickshire also achieving that goal but with the slightly less weights of 17 – 8, 18-0, 16 – 3 respectively. This was one of the best bags at the fishery for some time and bodes well for the rest of the season. Other visitors this week included Chris Pritchitt from Henley who fished on a half day rover ticket catching 1 specimen and 2 normals for 5 – 14. His best fly was a yellow tadpole fished slow and deep. The warmer weather has also allowed us to make progress with the refurbishment of Ottmoor Lake and we have now re seeded around the new lake. Hopefully this will have greened up in the next few weeks. Any questions about the fishery please call Chris on 01398 351292.

International Fishing Reports

As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.

The week of April 13-20, 2013

Weather Conditions: Warm and muggy with hazy skies (tarpon weather) Air Temp: High temps in the mid-80s Water Temp: 79-81 Wind: Wind mostly from the ESE of 5-15 mph with some periods around 20 mph Tides: A high tide of 11:51 a.m. on the 14th put high tides through the afternoon all week. Moon Phase: First quarter on the 18th

We had a mix of new and experienced anglers. The weather was warm and a strong breeze was somewhat welcome, although it made for difficult casting at times. Permit and bonefish were the main targets, but a couple of large tarpon were seen rolling, indicating that tarpon season is near. Return guest George M. from Ore. visited to fish with veteran guide Pops. Pops and George focused on bonefish and George began the week by hooking several fish, but breaking them off. A new spool of tippet was the ticket and George then managed his personal best on Thurs., a fish in the 8-pound range! He reported losing a larger fish – as always, the really big ones manage to get away. George had several good permit opportunities, but didn’t get one to eat. George was joined by his wife Ann, who took part in our Atoll Adventure program. Mont. couple Jeff S. and Julie R. split their time between permit fishing from the skiff and wading for bonefish. They had good bonefishing each day and were amazed by the large schools they saw. Julie struck first by landing her first permit on her second morning. Way to go Julie! Julie then took a couple of days off from fishing and joined the Atoll Adventure program for snorkeling and other eco-activities. Jeff, an experienced angler, took this opportunity to fish solo and focus on permit. On Fri. morning, Jeff landed his permit from a school feeding tight to the mangroves. Pictures of Jeff’s permit as well as other recent happenings at Turneffe Flats can be seen on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turneffe-Flats/174002965953110 Jim T. and Stuart B. of Calif. are avid striper fishermen in the States and they joined us to try their luck at bonefishing. As the week progressed, their ability to spot fish improved significantly under the tutelage of Dubs and they reported consistent bonefishing. Their spouses, Barb and Liz, enjoyed everything related to the Atoll Adventure with Abel. Guests Tony and Nick H., of Calif. took a day off from diving to have a father-son fishing adventure. With little flyfishing experience and with the breezy conditions, they took some spinning gear out. Tony and Nick enjoyed learning a new activity and they landed a variety of fish including snapper and barracuda. Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at www.tflats.com with questions or our DVD. For upcoming tides and moon phases, go to http://destinationsbelize.com/belize-ti ... t-year.htm. They are for Belize City, but pretty close to what we get on the atoll.

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New Zealand Fishing Report

April 2013

“Wild gold – Autumn Brown, Maruia River, South Island”

Every great trout destination varies profoundly from season to season, and New Zealand is no exception. The spring months of September and October are a time of voracious appetite, when the big sea runs come into the river systems to slash for whitebait, and all trout are keen to put on weight after the short, dull days of winter. Summer is of course the time of plenty, with abundant hatches of mayfly, stonefly and cicadas, but also lower flows, warmer water and more anglers. For many – myself included – the autumn months of March and April offer the best of all. The holiday crowds are long gone and trout are focussed on gaining weight, with many sporting heavy shoulders and well-conditioned muscle. On some rivers small late afternoon hatches blend with the autumn gold of yellowing poplar leaves, a sight almost beautiful enough to make an angler stop his cast. There are only days to go and the season of 2012/13 will be a memory. If truth told most rods have already been cleaned and put away. Now is the time when hides (a duck hunter’s hide is a maimai in New Zealand) are given a quick spruce up, the 12 bore gets a polish and the Labrador a few quick refresher courses. The first weekend in May is duck opening day, andits coming marks the end ofmost fly fishing ambitions. There is however an opportunity for the enterprising angler to cast a fly even in deepest winter, with some waters – Lake Taupo and the Rotorua system as examples – still open. The NZ winter is not as harsh as that of much of Europe or North America and the fishing can be red-hot but is governed by specific local regulations. The main reason for this is that the fish are running up local rivers to spawn at this time. More reports on the winter wonderland next month – in the meantime, good fishing to you wherever you may be. Pete Ryan Faraway Hunting and Fishing http://www.faraway.co

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Trout Fishing in New Zealand.

By Maurice Broome

My name is Maurice Broome and I used to live in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand; down-under next to Australia. Now I live in Paraparaumu, 55km north of Wellington, close to good fly fishing water. The writer can be contacted at maurice.fishing@yahoo.co.nz

Best between September and November – our winter/spring for the spawning season. At the river mouths We have about eight river mouths with the Tongariro River being a delta, so is best reached by a small boat and beached. We also have the Tauranga Taupo and the Waimarino. I tend to fish the Waimarino river mouth. After heading north from Turangi, after about 5 km there is a small bridge with a sign that says “Waimarino River mouth No exit”. I travel down for about 2-3 minutes a “bush track” till I come to the lake and then drive around the lake edge to the river mouth which has a marker. Park the car there and walk about 60 metres out into the lake. After about 50 metres, start to shovel with your feet, as we are heading for the drop-off which goes down about 35 feet. Too far and you will go over the edge- about 30 foot drop off. The depth here where an angler stands can vary between knee depth and waist deep. Gather the shooting head or sinking line and chuck out or cast out the large glow bug and let it sit there for about five minutes or more and begin a slow retrieve. This is the method used at this river mouth. You can keep in the spot you first stood, but at 6am and 2C you may want to move around to keep warm. Having hooked into a trout, after say 4 minutes or four hours, drag it up over the drop off and back onto the shore. Here I used to have a suitcase-table (now I use canvas deck chairs) where I can come out and have coffee or a hot drink as needed, and there are plenty of bushes to release the coffee or drink when it has gone full term. We can fish at Turangi only from 5am to midnight, so yes, we often start fishing in the dark and the best fish are often caught on the change of light.

Have you seen these large glo bugs. ..mainly on size 6 to 8

For rainbow trout from 4lb to 15 lb we travel 330km north (about 4 hours as our highways or motorways are usually single lane each way). Here we come to Turangi at the bottom of Lake Taupo. Look at a map of the North Island and you will see Lake Taupo in the middle, with Turangi at the bottom of Lake Taupo. At Turangi we can fish the Lake from a boat, the river mouths and the rivers from wading. A nine weight rod is often called for as we tend to use a straight leader of between half a rod length to 1 ½ rod lengths of 10lb nylon. Once we hook a trout we literally haul it onto the shore, by walking backwards. (Here I use a 9 weight Sage, as it has a lifetime guarantee).

This area is ex-volcanic and I was fishing once when Mt Ruapehu blew up about nine years ago and showered ash covering most of the middle half of the north island.

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The Rivers The Tongariro River is the best known in Turangi as is can be a mere 200 metres from the motels or even have some motels beside the river. (About NZ$85 for double per night). Here we nymph and wet line. Nymphing we still use 8lb to 10lb nylon with a bomb and often a size 14 or 16 glo bug. Here we use “truck and trailer” technique with weighted bombs (hair and copper and size 3.5 or 4.0mm tungsten beads on size 10 hooks) and small glo bug about size 14 on “grub” hooks.. On what is called the Bridge Pool it is often the case were anglers find a spot and do not move up or down. Use a sinking line – cast to the other side and wait for the swing and then retrieve. Allow plenty of space for other anglers. Normally nymphing up and wet lining down – behind the person in front of you. Other fishing limits are all fish under 40cm (about 14 inches) are to be returned to the water and you cannot kill more than three fish per day. A guide is about $NZ600 per day. 2. Another great adventure is hiring a raft and fishing down the Rangitikei river. A river coming down almost from lake Taupo to Wanganui –on the bend bay left side of North island. For about NZ$700 (shared cost) you and a mate (fishing buddy) can share a raft for about 8-9 hours with a guide and lunch and food supplied. Here we drift down on a large enough raft to take some mild rapids but stop off at a beach or a drop off to fish. These are called fighting rainbows where you can expect your reel to scream and go to the backing in a run from a 3lb trout. These flies would be our reliable hair and copper, and also a hair and copper, as well as a hair and copper. With a new replacement for my tip 5 weight Scott rod ( a mere 2 ½ ounces in weight) I placed on a cicada (like one of your crickets) up came the trout , I waited then striked a bit too hard, as crack, off went this trout with half my rod, and I was left with half a rod. This was up a side creek which had already yielded me another trout. 3. Other places I have fished have long Maori names, so as a non-Maori I use a name I can pronounce. Lake Otamagakau (the Big O) about 25km south from Turangi – a man made lake with plenty of weed and large browns such as 8lb to 14lb. Here I use a float tube.

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4. The Mohaka river is out of Napier and access can be gained by most sedans, but with 40km on a sealed road then 15 minutes on gravel then a forestry road for 5 minutes you will find some water often not fished by anyone else for a week or two. Here I have been successful with size 14 stone flies. Accommodation is available at $NZ25 per night. Napier is 360 kms north of Wellington on the East coast and takes about 4 ½ hours.

5. We also have excellent waters in the area of Wairarapa a mere 1 ½ hour’s drive from Wellington open all year. 6. The South Island holds the mystery of Salmon as well as large browns. Rainbows are stocked in some of the lakes around or inland from Christchurch. I found a guide for $200 per day if I supplied my own gear. The day started at 4:30am and ended at 1:30am the next morning. Here we favour the Rakia and Waimariki rivers. The river's headwaters are located in the Eyre Mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward. It then passes through the town of Mataura, and enters the Pacific Ocean at Toetoes Bay on the southern coast of the South Island. Much of its channel is braided. The Mataura is renowned as a source of brown trout, and is a popular fishing venue. The Matura River is known for great dry fly hatch in the evenings and this is down by Invercargill. 7. I used to have a job that took me traveling for 13 weeks a year and my luggage included a holder contained a fly rod, a spinning rod and a surfcaster which occupied my evenings better than watching the giggle box (television) or working during the evening in a motel.

We have fishing regulations which separate New Zealand into two fishing license areas. Around Lake Taupo from 1 July to 30 June about NZ$120 pa…and the rest of New Zealand from 1 October to 30 September each year for about NZ$110pa. Access to streams and rivers is often (not always) we have what is called the Queen’s Chain, which means you can walk 20 feet either side of the river bank as public land for free= no cost.… Best to check with the local farmer there are no bulls nearby.

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Fly Fishing Competitions 2013

The Lexus European Flyfishing Championships is the biggest Individual Fly Fishing Event in the World! Known as the “Friendly flyfishing championships”, it is an unparalleled opportunity for competitors to share a boat with some of the best anglers in the World. You can enter as many Heats as you wish, on any of the venues located across the UK. 'Wild Card' Fish Qualification Everyone has a chance to win! There is a unique “Wild Card” qualification at every Heat, where the captor of the biggest fish, regardless of individual placement in the match, will qualify for the Grand Final. Win a fishing holiday, courtesy of Anglers World Holidays at the Grand Final! In keeping with this “Wild Card” theme, the person who catches the biggest fish at the Grand Final will win a superb fishing holiday*, courtesy of Anglers World Holidays! Join the Top Individual at the Team Final and Championship Manager John Horsey for this top fishing trip. Entering the Championships could not be easier: Simply download the entry form from http://www.lexusflyfishing.co.uk/lexus-individual-fly-fishing-championships and complete the Entry Form and send it along with payment (detailed on the form) to the address given. Esthwaite Open Pairs Competition 2013 sponsored by Masterline Walker and Shakespeare/Berkley An open pair’s boat competition fished as a series of heats, throughout the season and culminating in the Open Pairs final in September. Entry is open to all fly anglers. The entry fee of £32.50 per person includes the cost of the fishing permit and boat with engine for the day. Each heat will run from 10am until 5pm and both the heats and the final will be fished to Esthwaite Water competition rules. The top two pairs from each heat go through to the open pairs final. Entry forms are available from the fishery. Entry forms are available from the fishery. Tel. 015394 36541 Full details will be sent out with the entry forms Open Pairs Heat Dates 2013

Heat1 Sunday March 17th Heat 2 Saturday April 20th Heat 3 Saturday May 11th Heat 4 Saturday June 8th Heat 5 Saturday June 29th Heat 6 Saturday July 13th Final Sunday 29th September

Prizes 1st Prize 2 x Gold season permits (£900), £300 cash plus tackle prizes 2nd Prize 2 x Silver season tickets (£700), plus tackle prizes 3rd Prize 2 x Bronze season tickets (£450), plus tackle prizes Plus prizes for every contestant and individual heat winners! Full details of the event can be seen at: - http://www.hawksheadtrout.com/competitions.html

Friday 21 June 2013 Lake of Menteith – 4 Man Team Fly Fishing Challenge event on behalf of WaterAid. This competiion is open to amatuer (no International competative) teams who likes a good day out on the water and raising funds for a good cause. Team entry cost is £400.00, this covers your teams days fishing and a presentation meal afterwards at the Forth Inn in Aberfoyle. The event is also open to novice fly fishers. Full fly fishing instruction given the night before the event and free use of equipment on the day. Novices if not fishing in a team will be paired up and taken out by an experienced boatsman who will show them the best places to fish and to give them extra coaching. Full details and entry forms for either the team or novice sectons can be obtained from Robin.lambert@scottishwater.co.uk