Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Fly fishing England

There is no doubt that England has some great fly fishing opportunities. The lakes and rivers are some of the most pristine environments you can imagine and are often specially manicured for fishing access.

Target species
There are two main fly fishing targets in England, trout and grayling, but there are many other available fly fishing targets that are less popular. There are some traditional non fly targets too that are waiting for someone to catch on a fly.

Fishing techniques
Many fishing locations in England consist of small streams and lakes and while these are idyllic locations they can be a little bit tricky to fish. Remember that on small streams you wont need to make very long casts and you may need to use a shorter back cast on very narrow rivers. Another important factor to consider is that the water is very clear, which will require a stealth approach of quiet observation and stalking the fish. Fly fishing techniques like upstream dry fly and upstream nymph are the most popular and "matching the hatch" is an essential skill.

Things to consider
Remember that in England most fishing locations require a permit or a landowners permission. There are actually many complex rules for fishing in the UK, which you should research first. You will be surprised by the lack of free fishing areas, but you will still be able to find these areas with a bit of research. Like in any new locations hiring a quality guide can make all the difference to your fishing success. A fishing guide will also be able to advise you of required permits or may even include the permits in their fee.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of a travel tour I had in the UK about 10 years ago, and I recall seeing a sign located in a small town (somehere around Avon I think) that was located near a trout river, and apparently it was common for fisherman to park in the town, because the sign said "Fisherman, please be quiet when parking, no slamming of doors" or something to that effect....somewhere i have a picture of it.