Fly Fishing Lancashire

Hello, here's a little about myself and my interest in fly fishing.

I started fishing when I was knee high, about 6 years old, catching sticklebacks, bullheads and my prize quarry - the brown trout in Bob's Brew, Horwich. Armed with a small fibreglass rod with a broken eye, I collected worms from next doors compost heap and hit the stream every day trying catch a monster trout that I was convinced lived in the stream, washed down from the Rivington reservoirs.

It was in my early childhood years I developed a love for my favourite fish, the brown trout. On summer evenings I used to sit next to the waterfall and watch the trout rise and take small flies. 

I was determined to catch a bigger trout and researched the matter thoroughly with books from Horwich library.  The pictures of fly fishers catching trout from clear chalk streams and raging scotch rivers sent my mind spinning and I decided I needed a fly rod to persue my dream.

My mother bought me my first fly rod for my 9th birthday.  It was 9ft Sundridge.  I bought myself a Shakespeare fly reel and some floating line with my birthday money. 

Off course a serious fly fisher needs a decent fly so I went Andrew Leaches in Horwich and selected the best fly I thought would be suitable for the 4 foot wide, 2 foot deep, trickling Bobs Brew stream - a size 6, double hooked, Jock Scott salmon fly...

I spent the next few days with a library book, needle, thread and my mums nail varnish learning to tie a leader to the line.

I practised my casting on the playing fields near to my home and within a few weeks I could easily cast a small piece of cloth into a hula hoop at any distance.

With my new knowledge, fly tackle  and size 6 Jock Scott I hit the stream.  After a good 6 hours I hadn't had a single bite.

It quickly came to me I may need to change my tactics or my fly to bag a prize trout so I went off up to fly lake - Rivington where 'grown up' fly fishers fish to research more my chosen art.

I strolled around the edges of the vast lake and found dangling from an overhanging tree a piece of line.  I chased the line in the wind and followed it up to a branch.  Hooked into the branch was a small light brown fly.  I examined carefully this minute masterpiece.  It was no where near the size of my Jock Scott and was so small and light.  I held the fly tightly and ran home.

Further investigation of my fly fishing artifact was required and a trip to the library yielded a book on fly patterns and instructions on how to tie them.  From my book I identified the fly as a Blue Dun May Fly, size 12 hook.  I needed one...

For getting a good school report my mum bought me a fly tying vice and few packs of feathers.  I 'borrowed' a tupperware sewing tub off my mum and quickly filled it with a musky smelling collection of feathers, furs, varnishes, tinsel, raffia and other goodies.  I carefully practised patterns from my book and made a right mess on my bedroom carpet with black varnish.  I had limited tying materials and it frustrated me that I couldn't make most of the flies on my book.  Oh for a golden pheasants feather... It wasn't long though before I created my first masterpiece. The Olive French Partridge.

So the scene is set.  Sundrige 9ft fly rod, Shakespeare reel with red wool backing and aftm 7 double tapered light green floating line, 4ld leader, hand tied Partridge fly dosed in silicone, Bob's Brew stream. Horwich.  I'd knew the trout wouldn't be able to resist my weeks of preparation and deadly combination. I carefully cast and perfectly dropped the fly upstream to drift under the trees.  Everything was perfect, the fly floated and scribed an arc across the pool.  I lifted my line and started to cast again watching my fly come in front of me.  To my sheer dissapointment the fly was now a couple of inches of unwound thread.  I flicked the fly back to me and it had started to break up. The hackle unwound before my eyes.

Under construction...to be continued.

Comments (6)

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written by Frear, October 06, 2008

I was disappointed to be told by Horwich and District Fly Fishers that a person can not apply to join thier fishery unless they are prepared to carry out Baliff duties and match fish. Isn't this rather unfair on disabled fishermen and women who's disabilities might preclude them from carrying out baliff duties? I wondered if many other disabled people have come across problem with joining other fishing clubs?

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hey u out
written by ivan, May 24, 2009

if so do u think we should talk write me pls

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hey
written by ivan, May 24, 2009

its me u talkin

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