Upstream Dry Fly

Ladies' Day - Presented by Upstreamdryfly, the Peat Spade Inn and Hardy Greys.

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

Ladies Day organised by Academy Member

Hardy & Greys Ltd Game Academy Member and Game Product Consultant, Howard Taylor of www.upstreamdryfly.com and The Peat Spade Inn, Longstock held their second ladies fly fishing day back in May.

Twenty ladies took part in the event held on Sunday May 18th on a private estate lake on the River Test. This year the weather was wonderful - thank you. The ladies learnt basic casts, some entomology and how to hook and land their first trout in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, from one of the professional AAPGAI instructors.

Supported by Hardy & Greys Ltd and using fishing tackle newly launched for 2008 including the Hardy Demon Rods and Greys G-Tec reels the ladies, aged between fourteen and sixty five were surprised at how easy fly fishing was to take up and enjoy.

Ladies day participant, Mandi Doyle said;
�The Ladies day was booked by my husband as a surprise for me and I had a fantastic time with visual demonstrations and one-to-one guidance. Everyone was proficient, really patient and very friendly. Bagging my first ever rainbow trout was a real thrill but just being there was more important. The day confirmed I am passionate about this sport.�

Howard Taylor said;
�It�s a real pleasure to teach ladies as they generally make far better students than men. Ladies listen and put words into practice very well, making excellent casters within a matter of minutes. They certainly show their husbands and boyfriends that they�re not �fishing widows� and show a great deal of finesse with a fly rod.�

A prize giving followed the fishing and prizes included a Ladies Fishpond Vest, won by Mandi Doyle for most improved angler and all ladies received a Hardy Demon cap.

Howard would especially like to thank Hardy & Greys Ltd Public Relations Coordinator, Lucy Bowden and Hardy Game Academy Member, Rebecca Thorpe for their help at the Ladies Event.

We will see you all next year! Details of next years Ladies' Day to be announced this winter.

Slovenia - trout and grayling fishing

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

Slovenia - trout and grayling fishing on the beautiful rivers of Slovenia such as the mighty Soca. � Trip led by the esteemed fly fisher and writer Paul Procter and chalkstream guide Howard Taylor, in conjunction with Slovenia Fly Fishing.

Slovenia is quite a small country that lies at the foot of the Julian Alps, from which most of the rivers run through lush green valleys surrounded by heavily tree lined hills. All of the rivers are spectacular in both vista and fishing. They are calcium rich, similar to our chalkstreams and capable of producing very big fish. Nearly all run over golden pebbles or gravel, making for fairly easy wading.

Most of these rivers are home to a species unique to Slovenia called the marble trout, which grows to a large size � often in excess of 20lbs! � while double figure wild rainbows are also not uncommon! They also hold brown and hybrid brown trout � which again grow big. Whopper grayling and large brook trout can be found as well. The fishing on offer is truly world class��

Paul Procter has been fishing these Slovenian rivers for many years, and whilst a guide is not essential, Paul�s knowledge will be invaluable in putting us onto the best stretches. He is actually on his second visit there this season as we speak.

Please contact us for further details - howard@upstreamdryfly.com

Bombers on Test

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

Bombers on Test

It�s not uncommon, on Hampshire�s sea trout beats, to see thirty or forty fat, fresh sea trout lying motionless in a hatch pool. Each indolently positioned to face all but upstream, as they point their noises into the complex eddies and vortices. With unfortunate regularity, I watch them slowly sink into the depths as I cast my artificial offering toward them in anticipation of a take. They are either up for it or they are not � more often they are not.

At one such pool on the lower Test this summer, I sat on the bank to calm down after spotting the fish and formulate my plan of attack. �The first cast counts�, I said to myself. I opened my fly box and ran my finger over the usual weighted nymphs and wet patterns preferred locally. I stopped on a dryfly I was given in Newfoundland this summer, called a bug. �What the hell, this might just work� I mumbled to myself. I tied it on, greased the fly and rubbed a little mud on the leader. I roll cast to my limit across the old hatches and my bug landed beautifully amongst several whoppers snoozing in the slack water opposite me. I looked at the fly, the fish and at the increasing bow in my fly line pulled by the main flow. I watched in disbelief as a monster fish awoke and slid unhurried toward my fly. The moment its mouth opened, my time was up, my slack line drew taught and the fly moved. But instead of skating un-naturally, the line un-twisted and the fly span through 360 degrees like a whirligig beetle. The sea trout actually left the water as it ate my offering a millisecond before it began to drag. The ensuing battle has to be in my lifetime top ten fish fights. After searing runs and aerial displays that took me to the backing twice, I eventually slid the net under a near 10lb sea liced hen fish. Taken on a five weight Hardy outfit in mid afternoon on a summer day � she was well and truly up for it and as I slipped her back into the current, she left me a quivering mess!

I continued upstream in Hampshire with my Newfoundland bug and took another two beauties that day. I also lost one of about 4lbs and actually rolled a grilse to the fly. As I filled in the book at the end of the day: 10lbs, 7lbs, 6lbs�.. I fantasised that I had discovered the new super fly, or was it the upstream, dead drift way I was fishing it?

Have you ever caught a sea trout on a dry fly? What about an Atlantic salmon? Both an ambition of most UK fly anglers I�m sure, but sadly the conditions and opportunities rarely arise for us to achieve this. Could this in part be down to our traditional techniques of fishing bombers and surface sea trout lures as �wake� flies? Maybe we disturb the pool with this un-natural surface movement more often than we induce a take? Salmon and sea trout par feed heartily on surface insects during the early stages of their life cycle in fresh water � I�m sure as adults they still have this deep set instinct � it is up to the skill of the angler to �flick the switch� and get them to rise to the dry fly.

River keeper Donny Dibden catches sea trout in spring on dry mayflies on his water at Nurstling on the Test and Geoffrey Dashwood, the sculptor induces a rise from sea trout on the Beaulieu River using similar techniques. Those rare, heart stopping moments when one fools a sea trout or salmon to take a dry, are to me, the absolute pinnacle of fly fishing. I seek to increase the frequency of these moments in my fly fishing career and, like many modern fly anglers, I�m prepared to travel to do so. The place to go is Canada�s Atlantic coast: The provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia � here the dry fly is actually the preferred and most successful method for catching sea run salmonids. I now know to just do as the locals do.

This July, I was told by a salmon fishing guide in Newfoundland that 80% of Newfoundland salmon landed are caught on the dry fly. Principally on the bomber and various �bugs� as all of these spun deer hair patterns are known locally. Bombers are so popular in Canada�s most easterly provinces that in Newfoundland and Labrador one sees them for sale in gas stations, corner shops and drug stores!

I was delighted to be invited to fish Newfoundland�s Atlantic salmon rivers this summer, but as a six footer, long-hall flights with knees on my ears are a mode of travel I dread. It was music to my ears to find Newfoundland is only a 5 hour flight from London�s Gatwick airport � Canada�s premier Atlantic salmon fishery is actually the same distance from London as Cypress! Newfoundland is home to 60% of North America�s active salmon rivers and it makes the perfect destination for a long weekend of salmon fishing at a price that won�t break the bank � I couldn�t wait.

With my nose pressed to the plane�s window, we flew in over mile after mile of beautiful wilderness. I saw little sign of human intervention, the odd remote forestry camp and perhaps a logging track. I was amazed by the myriad of lakes and rivers I saw � they all looked so �fishy�, fuelling my excitement and expectations. Armed with Spey rods and modern salmon flies, I arrived at Steady Brook airport on Newfoundland�s west coast, hoping I had discovered the new Kola. If not, I was sure I would show these Canadians the proper Scottish way to cast to and catch a salmon � how wrong I was! It was I about to ride on the steepest learning curve of my thirty years in fly fishing.

I was promised by my host and friend, Joe Dicks, that if conditions are not right for taking salmon in one Newfoundland river, there is another within an hour or so where the salmon will be taking. Joe, owner of one of the largest outfitters on the island, proved this first hand during the hottest summer for years and the most testing of conditions. � That�s not all; we took most of our fish that week on the dry fly!

Joe is based on the banks of the Lower Humber River, near Corner Brook. The Humber is a beast of a river. As I first set eyes on her, I realised how much I had underestimated sheer size and volume. Its no wonder this river produces fish to over 40lbs each season.

I set up my 15 footer and spent the best part of two days Spey casting from bank and boat. I found it difficult to get the fly to �fish� in this volume and speed of water. I worked my way through lines and tips of various densities as weighted flies are unfortunately not allowed. Try as I might, I just didn�t feel in control and my confidence started to wane. The locals all fish with a single handed 8 or 9 weight 9� rod, they cast a very short line and dead drift a bomber as we would fish an upstream dry fly on a chalk stream. Using a short line they are in constant control of the fly and as soon as it starts to drag in current, it is re-cast upstream and the process repeated over and over the same water. This intrigued me as I have to say it looked a little daft. �Surely one needs to work the pool?� I asked Joe. �Not if you are fishing for running fish�. �Running fish aren�t �takers� are they?� �Well it works for us�. Our conversations continued in the boat, over dinner and at the bar. We argued Scottish against Newfoundland techniques. When I explained the wake fly methods used in Britain and Russia for example, I was told in no uncertain terms that this is the fastest way to ruin a pool and put the fish down. Distance casting? Not a bit of it, �You�ll catch salmon ten feet off of the gunwales, why cast to the opposite shore?� I had watched as the locals took fish and I ate a large chunk of humble pie as I relented and assembled my 9� outfit the next morning � do as the locals do.

The following days were hot and bright � weather conditions rarely seen in Newfoundland, even in the heights of summer. Although on the same latitude as Paris, Newfoundland lays outside of the warming Gulf Stream. Newfoundlanders are used to a short summer season and long crisp winters with lots of snow, skidoos, skiing and ice fishing. The T-shirts and sun cream used during my stay are a rarity here. After consulting the internet and the guides� grapevine, Joe suggested we leave the Lower Humber for other catchments. We fished several rivers all within an hour or so of our base at the Marble Inn. I saw and photographed plenty of salmon on their lies in the beautiful clear waters and leaping waterfalls, but failed to tempt a fish as water temperatures soared to reach 19 degrees Celsius in the higher catchments. Joe�s promise ran through my mind.

The following day we headed for Main River, guided by John a close friend of Joe�s. John reminded me of Clint Eastwood, a large framed, softly spoken and sure footed mountain man, with whom I felt very comfortable, especially in the grips of wilderness. Both are professional guides and between them their knowledge of nature, salmon fishing and wilderness survival was very reassuring � I could not have been in better hands and I felt confident we would find taking fish. Rather than take a helicopter or floatplane, we opted to hike into this remote location. We left the highway and drove for an hour or so in Joe�s 4x4 along dirt logging roads. We parked, inspected our kit and bouldered our way upstream, staying below the high tide mark of this spate river, carefully traversing the rock lining in the sharp conifer lined valley of the Main. We stopped and dabbled in a couple of small pools enroute. After hiking for a couple of hours we turned a bend in the river to unveil the most beautiful of salmon pools. Headed by a wondrous waterfall and tailed with a bottle neck of water that flowed between two enormous boulders, I could just smell the salmon. I framed a shot with my camera and a silver fish leaped on cue to completely overdose me with anticipation.

We tackled up and put on our waders. John asked me to follow him into the bottle neck at the bottom of the pool. The wading was a little tricky. I was extra careful as we really were an awful long way from anywhere. He tied on a small bomber or bug as he called it and pointed to a seam in the dark peaty water. I cast upstream but the fly landed with a bit of a splat. He patiently explained to flick the wrist up at the end of the cast to parachute the fly onto the water. �The fly landing naturally stimulates the salmon to take�, he said. He was dead right, third cast rose a fish just like a brownie taking a sedge at home. That silver bar left the water as I struck and torpedoed downstream making my reel sing. Joe tailed this cracking silver grilse of about five pounds � my first salmon on a dry fly. It doesn�t get any better�..

Oh yes it does�..We moved to just below the falls and I flicked the bomber upstream into the pool�s eddies, a fish rose and I struck. It felt different, diving deep and giving those horrible thumping headshakes that often prelude a slack line and stream of expletives. As Joe landed the fish for me he yelled �sea trout�. It was a beautifully coloured sea run brook trout of about three pounds � another first for me. I didn�t even realise brook trout ran to the salt and again, taken on the dry. We took a total of nine salmon and three sea run brookies that day before we had to hike back down the valley with enough daylight to spare.

Not only had I made some super new friends in a stunning country, I had been taught a method of fishing that I took back to England with great success, enabling me to achieve fly fishing ambitions I thought were almost impossible � both salmon and sea trout on the dry fly. Roll on next summer, I can�t wait to return.

Although I�m fairly unpractised at dead drift �bombering� in the UK, or anywhere else for that matter, I plan to continue to pursue this most spectacular method of salmon and sea trout fishing well into the future. I would challenge anyone fishing a salmon or sea trout beat to give it a go. Once one has witnessed a big fish inhale your dry offering from the surface, wet fly fishing just isn�t the same again. An old Test river keeper said to me, �Nipper, one on the dry is worth five on the nymph�, and as far as I�m concerned he�s dead right although I�d probably up that ratio a little in relation to salmon and sea trout.

I have had most success in water where I can either see the fish or they have given away their presence by rolling on the surface and I can make a pretty accurate cast. The clear mill pools on the salmon beats of Hampshire�s chalk streams are a classic example. If approached stealthily, one can see the sea trout before they see you and a pin point cast can be made. On larger spate rivers like the Dee and the Upper Tay for example, a similar principle applies although the �bug� is best fished over salmon lies, perhaps where fish will hold nearer the surface or in shallower water. That said, I have seen salmon come shooting up to take a bomber in over fifteen feet of water. This attractor pattern sparks a deep set memory or instinct within the fish to feed from the surface. I�ve witnessed adult sea trout rise to take moths and mayflies twitching on the surface many times. Although we are told they do not feed in freshwater, they still retain that urge to do so. For sea trout, also try flies like a foam bodied blue damsel, a large G and H sedge or a big mayfly pattern � These work, but I find the Newfoundland �bug� the best and my favourite is one I tie with spun dark grey deer hair, a tail of white calf�s tail, and a palmered ginger cock hackle � the fly is about an inch long tied in a strong hook. The first cast is always your best chance � as the fly gently lands, it often sparks a take on or soon after �touch down�. If it drags, mend or re-cast upstream immediately, as a wake seems to put the fish down. I urge you to give it a try if you have not done so, you can then tick the box of having taken a salmon or sea trout on the dry fly � in my book the ultimate piscatorial challenge.

The Peat Spade Inn and Upstreamdryfly present: The Ladies' Day on Sunday May 13th 2007

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

The Peat Spade Inn and Upstreamdryfly present:

The Fly Fishing Ladies Day on Sunday May 13th 2007

We all had a great day despite the aweful weather....The casting and fishing was going so well until the thunder clapped and the lightening flashed! The Peat Spade lunch afterwards was great and we're all looking forward to the next Ladies' Day with the sun shining!

Ladies make excellent fly fishermen! Many of the largest game fish captured in the British Isles have been caught by ladies. The most famous, the British record salmon of 64lbs taken by Miss Georgina Ballantine at Glendelvine on the River Tay 7th October 1922 still stands today. On that particular day, Miss Ballantine had already caught three fine salmon of 17, 21 and 25lbs! Within two years, Mrs Morrison took a 61lb salmon from the Deverton and Miss Doreen Dover took the famous 51 pounder from the River Wye at Lower Winforton!

In a sport often thought of as a male preserve, today there are over 300,000 women anglers! In fact, at the highest level over 150 ladies compete in the Ladies� National Championships and their results match those of their male counterparts. Famous fly fishing ladies have included, HRH The Queen Mother, The Queen, Diana Rigg, Faith Brown, Fiona Armstrong, and Jenny Hanley among others.

Fly fishing is male-dominated only by accident, not by design. The sport requires technique not physical strength � Moc Moragn of the Welsh Salmon and Trout Association acknowledges �When they are good, women anglers are very, very good � far better than most men for some reason.�

Come along to our private estate lake in the beautiful River Test valley and learn this most graceful and relaxing sport. Let one of our professional instructors take you through the basics of fly fishing in a relaxed and informal atmosphere well away from the crowds.

Use our top quality Hardy and Greys fishing tackle and surprise yourself at how easy fly fishing is to take up and enjoy.

9am � 9.30am. Morning coffee at The Peat Spade. Introductions to course instructors and fellow pupils � Drive to the lake (10 minutes away).

9.45am � 3.30pm
� With fly rod in hand - learn how to set up your tackle.
� Go through the basic casts with an instructor. (Roll cast and overhead cast).
� Learn how to �match the hatch� with some essential entomology.
� How to hook, play and land your first trout.
� Pack a trout or two to take home. Look at how to clean and prepare your catch for the pan!

4pm � Return to The Peat Spade for Sunday Lunch (optional � booking
advisable).

Book now, cost �145 per person. Including all instruction, tackle and EA rod licences. Sunday lunch not included.

To book please contact:
The Peat Spade Inn, Longstock, Hampshire SO20 6DR � 01264 810612

For further information:
Contact Howard Taylor
www.upstreamdryfly.com
01425 403209
howard@upstreamdryfly.com

A fly fishing workshop on the river Test and Dever in Hampshire for grayling (Febuary 24th and 25th)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

The �Lady of the Stream� Weekend.
A fly fishing workshop on the river Test and Dever in Hampshire for grayling (Febuary 24th and 25th 2007).

with Paul Procter, Howard Taylor and Brett O�Connor (aapgai)

At the Peat Spade Inn, Longstock, Hampshire.

UPDATE:
The weekend was a resounding success and a big thank you to Paul and Brett for their first class tuition and presentations on grayling, entomology and chalkstream casting techniques.

We kicked off with some introductions at the bar over a quick pint and filed upstairs to the wonderful private dining room �the Mayfly Mess�. The conversation over a superb dinner resounded �fishy� themes as stories were swapped and recounted. As coffee was served Paul started his excellent presentation with some first class slides taking us through the habits of grayling throughout the year and how to catch them under various conditions.

We reconvened the next morning after breakfast and made our way to the river full of expectation. With a rare opportunity to fish some very private water at the confluence of the rivers Dever and Test, eyes lit up as our guests first saw this very beautiful water. After two nights of heavy rain the water was holding some colour and the wind certainly wasn�t helpful. However, with the help of Paul, Brett and myself, everyone took fish and the resulting feedback of the weekend was very encouraging.

Paul kicked off with a talk through tackle comparing the merits of a long rod for Czech nymphing techniques for example. He then took some �kick samples� from the river bed and talked through some basic entomology. As we looked at the natural insects he showed us the artificial and talked about how to tye it and present it to the fish to mimic the natural. He also spoke about making your fly stand out to the grayling and how brightly coloured flies can help to do this. Brett was up next giving a first class casting demonstration and workshop showing various upstream casts, how to mend line and keep the fly from dragging. He also spoke about detecting a �take�.

The demonstrations were followed by what most had really come for�the fishing! We divided ourselves among the six, two rod beats and went fishing. Paul, Brett and I made our way round everyone several times giving some one-to-one tuition and getting a few grayling on the line!

The Peat Spade chefs prepared a wonderful hamper lunch which we ate in the old thatched fishing hut on the estate and afterwards we all fished on until late afternoon. Some returned to the Peat Spade for a well earned pint afterwards. A big thank you to all at the Peat Spade Inn for a first class job!

The star of the weekend was Mr Clive Collier, who as an experienced fly fisher took over fifty grayling to over 2 � lbs on one of the upstream beats. Well done Clive!

Coming soon:
The Peat Spade Inn Lady�s Day,
Chalkstream trout workshop,
Fly fishing in Slovenia for marble trout with Paul Procter and Howard Taylor (September 2007).

Hardy / Greys Ltd collaborate with Casa Batida Fishing Club, Cayo Largo, Cuba.

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

Febuary 2007

Following over a year of emails and telephone calls around the world, Upstreamdryfly successfully instigated a collaboration of the oldest fishing tackle company in the world � Hardy and Greys Ltd with one of the best saltwater fly fishing destinations in the world � The Casa Batida Fishing Club, Cayo Largo, Cuba.

The Club is now outfitted with the latest Hardy and Greys saltwater outfits including the superb Hardy Zane rods and reels, the Greys Platinum XD saltwater range and the awesome Greys G-Tec rods that are being launched in saltwater sizes very soon.

Howard Croston and John Wolstenholme from Hardy / Greys joined Howard Taylor on an Upstreamdryfly trip to Cayo Largo in late February this year as part of a party of nine. Even with the weather being somewhat changeable and a couple of days fishing being less productive due to rain and cloud cover, we still managed to boat some specimen fish, prove the Hardy / Greys tackle in the saltwater yet again and shoot some great photographs.

I got some super shots (with the fly....but not the camera, alas) at my most prized fish the permit. This year they managed to evade me - but only just! We were poling a beautiful flat looking for permit riding the backs of stingrays. The first thing to look for are the small clouds of mud puffed into the water as the stingray noses for crabs and shrimps in the soft sea bed. Permit will often find a ray and stay with her for over an hour at a time. Just riding in her wake and picking off food items that are disturbed by her grubbing about as she feeds.

We saw only a few rays that afternoon. I was holding position on the bow poised for action and scanning the water in front of me. After an hour, my mind was starting to wander when Alexi my guide yelled �Ray mud at 12 o�clock � 100 meters. Prepare�. I checked my shooting line in the bottom of the boat. He said �Yes, there is a permit at home � prepare!� As I looked, I saw the scimitar black tail of the permit stick out of the surface of the water and slice a sharp wake in the glassy surface. I started to wind up a cast and placed the large Merkin right over the ray's back � "Perfect, strip slow� said Alexi in his calming Cuban accent. As I stripped the permit spotted my fly and turned to follow. My heart pounded! As it was broadside to us we could see this was a monster fish of near 30lbs. Alexi said �This is a very big fish� in his best Spanglish. �She follows your crab, get ready�. My knees were jelly...."Concentrate Howard", I thought. The slab of a permit tilted its face towards my fly and again its tail tip cut the water's surface. What a moment! Alexi yelled �STRIKE� and I gave a very healthy strip strike expecting to feel first contact with this monster. Instead, as so often happens with the permit, I felt nothing and the fish turned and swam away. We looked at each other and shook our heads in disbelief. Alexi said "I watch him eat your crab - his mouth wide open - what happened?" We stuck the pole in the mud - stopped fishing and opened a well earned cerveza to calm the nerves! That's just permit fishing. Every evening since, as my head has hit the pillow, I have gone through a step by step account of this in my mind. Those superb moments most certainly made the whole trip worthwhile for me and I am counting the days until I can return. That fish has my name on it...

Please enjoy the photographs I have posted here and you'll find some more in the gallery section.

For any further information or interest in saltwater fishing or for info' on our next trip to the salt please email of telephone.

Don't forget to strip strike!
Howard Taylor

Fly fishing for grayling on the River Test and River Dever with the experts.

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

It was recently my pleasure to set up fly fishing on the river Test and Dever for several members of the Spanish International Fly Fishing Team and one member of the English squad.

We were fishing for grayling and rather than fish as well, I took along my camera and guided for the visitors on some of my local beats of the rivers Test and Dever.

They were all expert fly fishermen and I learned an awful lot. To me traditional upstream fly fishing on these chalkstreams is my usual technique. However, these gentlemen took this a step further and introduced me to technical fly fishing.

With over fifty grayling in a four hour session to his name, I could not help but listen, ask questions and soak up all the information I could.

For example, they all used automatic reels with 10� 4 weight rods, rather than my 8 �� foot 4 weight. They also fished small nymphs beneath a small dry. One angler coiled a 3 inch piece of florescent orange monofilament around a pencil held it in stream. This created a spiral of mono that was tied into the leader and greased as a bite indicator. It worked superbly showing the most delicate of grayling bite.

I will shortly be submitting a complete article about this day to the Fish and Fly website.

The 2006 Cheeca Lodge Redbone Tournament - Islamorada, Florida. USA

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

�To Catch the Cure for cystic fibrosis� The Redbone Tournament.

I have fly fished for as long as I can remember - one could call me a fanatic. Many moons ago I worked as a river keeper in the beautiful Test valley. From there, I eventually started my company that specialises in letting guided chalkstream fly fishing. Seven or eight seasons ago I was introduced to a wonderful American couple who sought a local �guide� whilst they were fly fishing here on the river Test and that was the beginning of a beautiful fly fishing friendship as they say!

For the past two winters, my friends have kindly invited my family and I, to their beautiful Florida Keys home in Islamorada to fish the Cheeca Lodge Redbone Tournament. My long suffering wife has heard the expression, �It�s the chance of a lifetime darling� one too many times, so to have a ten day family holiday in the Keys with a few days fishing carefully woven into the agenda works very well for us (well me!).

Redbone was founded by Gary Ellis, a famous Keys guide who�s beautiful daughter Nicole was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The family were told that with special care she would survive into her early teens. In 1988, Gary and his wife Susan set out to find a way to fight the disease their way. With the help of some friends they founded the Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund the research to cure CF. Guides, anglers, and celebrities teamed up to fish for two species � redfish and bonefish � the Redbone was born. From raising $16 000 in that first year, that small acorn has grown into a staggering 27 fishing tournaments spanning the whole of the US, Bahamas, Mexico and this year even Wales! Over the last nineteen years the Redbone has raised a staggering $10 million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation due to Susan�s and Gary�s amazing efforts to �Catch the Cure�. Nicole is now studying hard at university.

This December, things did not go so well. In fact, I failed to get on the scoreboard completely. However, my fishing partner in the Redbone was the legendary Sandy Moret, owner of the Florida Keys Outfitters. He was a joy to fish with and a true master of the salt. He managed to boat a nice snook, but neither of us unfortunately took bone nor red. We watched several rays with redfish on their backs � I had one take the fly and in a moment of panic I made the fatal error of a trout fisher � I raised the rod on the strike and pulled the fly clean out of the redfish�s mouth! I did account for some nice speckled trout and a super jack cravelle from the back of a large stingray, but none scored Redbone points. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, fishing with and learning from Sandy was an absolute highlight � thank you Sandy.

I would thoroughly recommend the Redbone experience to any UK fly fishers who feel they are fairly handy in the salt. If freshwater is your bag and you don�t like the idea of flying to the US, this year sees for the first time, the Redbone coming to the UK. The ACA Red Dragon Redbone comes to Wales on the 13th and 14th June 2007. This is an excellent opportunity to do your bit for a very worthy charity and experience some first class fishing. Not forgetting the wonderful �apr�s fish� atmosphere of the Redbone. The Anglers� Conservation Association (ACA) is inviting competitors to come and fish the river Wye in Wales. Competing Anglers� lodging will be in the historic and beautiful Llangoed Hall and 25% of the money raised will support the ACA fighting pollution and other threats to UK aquatic environments. The remainder will support the Redbone charity as usual.

Vinnie Jones fishing with 'Upstream Dry Fly'

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

A weekend fly fishing on the river Test with Mr Vinnie Jones and Mr Christopher Ellard. Excellent sport on the dry daddylonglegs. So good Vinnie and Chris returned to fish with us again two weeks later!

McMillan Cancer Relief Charity Fly Fishing Day

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

A day's guided fly fishing on the River Test with a 3 course a la carte champagne lunch was kindly jointly donated by Mr and Mrs John Govett, Mr David Reed of the White Buck Hotel, Burley, Hampshire and Upstream Dry Fly. The chalk stream fly fishing day was auctioned at The George Gale Brewery Charity Fly Fishing Day in aid of the McMillan Trust and fetched over �500!. The lucky winners thoroughly enjoyed the day and caught plenty of buttery brownies on dry sedges and spent mayfly. The complete event raised over �5600 for the Charity.

A History of the rivers: Test, Itchen and Hampshire Avon

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

The Test, Itchen and Hampshire Avon are the world's most famous flyfishing rivers. Their crystal clear waters flow through the bands of subsurface chalk that run across southern England producing the internationally rare and unique phenomena � the CHALKSTREAM.
As the rainwater soaks down slowly through the porous chalk geology under gravity, it is filtered and stored in these aquifers. The water eventually emerges from the aquifers as a spring at the source, feeding the river system with very high quality water of a consistent temperature in both summer and winter. The alkaline water that flows in these chalkstream ecosystems is extremely fertile giving rise to an abundance of weed, invertebrates and of course salmon, trout and grayling. These calcium rich waters allow freshwater shrimps, snails and other creatures to build external skeletons. With over half a dozen species of stonefly, twenty two species of mayfly, and nearly forty species of caddis, it is no wonder that these diverse rivers are justifiably famous to the dryfly fisherman.
Chalkstreams only occur in our British Isles, France and New Zealand. Here in southern England these rivers reflect major human intervention over the years. The Romans used the rivers to great effect, particularly to power their mills. In later years an intricate system of carriers and millstreams were dug out criss-crossing the floodplain. These redirected water to drive mills and flood farmland and meadows, thus enriching the land and giving early season grazing - the relatively warm water allowed meadow growth even in the coldest winters. Most of these backwaters can be seen today away from the main river channels. They actually provide some of the most testing and exciting fishing.
The rivers today are privately owned by various �riparian� estates and carefully managed by the estate�s riverkeepers. The riverkeepers maintain the river in optimum condition for flyfishing; cutting weed, mowing banks and boosting the natural fish stocks with stocking programs. We are proud to offer flyfishing on some of the most exclusive estate beats these beautiful chalkstreams have to offer.

THE TEST
The majestic river Test has four main tributaries; the Bourne Rivulet, the Dever, the Anton and the Dun. The large Test floodplain drains an area of 1260 square kilometres. She flows in length for just under 40 miles (64km) from her source in the upper chalk at the village of Ashe, through Whitchurch, Longparish, Chilbolton, then past the Peat Spade at Longstock, down to Stockbridge, Kings Somborne, Romsey, Testwood and through tidal marsh into the estuary at Southampton Water. Her water is so pure it is used to wash the paper that makes the Sterling bank notes for the Bank of England at Portals Mill near Overton.
If one adds all the backwaters and carriers, often running parallel to the main river giving the Test her braided appearance, her total length adds to over 86 miles (139km), giving plenty of water on which to practice this most noble of sports � flyfishing.
The river Test is the birthplace of this sport in the modern sense; the famous Houghton Club in Stockbridge can date back its records to 1822 and every year thereafter. Great fishers and entomologists such as Halford and Lunn started their work on this great river, particularly in this area. This was the precursor to today�s flyfishing techniques � in particular the tying of dry flies and the upstream method of fishing.
The Test is also known for its prolific mayfly hatches - as the name suggests in May (and early June). The mayflies hatch, following two years in their aquatic nymphal stage. The nymphs swim upwards and struggle out of their skins, through the surface film, to emerge as a flying adult - the dun (or sub-imago). If they have been lucky enough to avoid the teeth of hungry trout, they fly to the trees, shed their skin again and the final adult stage of their life cycle is born, the spinner or imago. They hatch, mate, lay their eggs and die � all within a day � hence their name � Ephemera danica �the ephemeral dancer� Anyone who has witnessed clouds of �dancing� male spinners in the trees attracting their mates, knows what a sight it is to see the fall of spent mayfly once they have finished their reproductive duties. The trout go into a feeding frenzy, taking full advantage of this nutritious bounty and packing on their body weight after a more frugal winter. These two weeks are sometimes known as �duffers� fortnight� because the fishing can be so easy. However, it is also the time when the very large trout can be tempted to the surface from deeper lies to be taken on a traditional upstream dryfly.

THE ITCHEN
With Winchester at its heart, this chalkstream is the Test�s smaller sister. She flows through some of the most beautiful countryside England has to offer. The Itchen stretches for 28 miles (45km) and includes its three tributaries that unite from three separate points of the compass - the Cheriton Stream, the Candover Stream and the River Alre (or Arle). The Itchen�s total catchment is about 400 square kilometres.
Her source is at New Cheriton, she flows near Alresford, on to Itchen Abbas and Kings Worthy. The Romans built a route around the city walls of Winchester, on through Twyford, Eastleigh and out into Southampton Water via Swaythling. Her route is also �braided� with many feeder and carrier streams, weirs and sluices. At her estuary she flows through the ancient city of Southampton and the original docks, home to ocean liners from the Titanic to the Queen Mary II.
As with the Test, the Itchen is regarded as one of the finest chalkstreams in the world. Her pristine waters are still used today to grow watercress. She is home to many rare and beautiful animals such as the otter and the tiny brook lamprey. The Itchen has equally diverse insect life and her impressive mayfly hatches tend to start slightly earlier that the Test. Mayfly can be seen as early as late April, although the fish do not tend to rise to them until there are significant numbers over the water.
This river has also seen its share of famous flyfishing pioneers. Skues spent many hours on the well known Abbots Barton beat perfecting his nymph fishing - fishers still use his books as a reference today. Isaac Walton was another famous fisherman. He wrote one of the most published English books of all time � �The Complete Angler�, and is buried at Winchester Cathedral where a stained glass window pays tribute to the most famous �brother of the angle�.

THE AVON
The westerly cousin of the aforementioned rivers is also longer and has a greater watershed. It is one of the country�s most varied rivers. Salisbury is almost a halfway marker and above here features some of our finest wild brown trout and grayling fishing, consisting of gin clear water and again some beautiful and challenging side streams and carriers.
Below the city of Salisbury, the Avon changes considerably; her four tributary chalkstreams being a big factor here. They are the Wylye, the Nadder, the Bourne and the Ebble. The piscatorial quarry changes somewhat as well, coarse fish and salmon are in greater numbers downstream of the city, and the trout that do exist here seem not to rise so freely to the fly.
The Upper Avon starts with two streams, one flowing southwest from Milton Lilbourne, Pewsey and the other southeast from Bishops Canning. These meet just near Upavon, close to the A342. From here this most majestic river winds her way south reaching Netheravon. She passes near to Stone Henge and into the ancient city of Salisbury. Below Salisbury the Nadder, Wylyle and the Bourne converge. Here she changes appearance and with the increased flow becomes wider and deeper, hence the coarse and salmon fishing takes over here. Still flowing very much south she passes Downton, Fordingbridge, Ringwood and through the famous Royalty fishery, along the grounds of Christchurch Priory to flow out into her estuary in Christchurch Bay.
Her upper reaches are of particular interest to the dryfly fisherman. The upper Avon in particular enjoys good hatches of upwing flies, olives and iron blues in early season, alongside hatches of terrestrials such as hawthorn flies which hatch out of the trees to be haphazardly blown onto the water. Trout love Hawthorns and the fishing can often equal that of mayfly time. The upper Avon mayfly occur generally in Mid May, and can last up to 3-4 weeks. Sedges will work well June onwards, normally in the evening, as will olives, which you will hopefully see for the remainder of the season. Many of the beats here provide testing fishing for wild browns and some super grayling to over 3lbs! Chest waders and a wading stick are essential as much of the fishing is from within the river.
It was on these famous upper waters that Frank Sawyer developed his famous style of nymph fishing specifically for grayling. He was the first to tie up artificials with fine copper wire, perfect for light subsurface fishing - this breakthrough gave way to the Grey Goose, the Sawyer�s Pheasant Tail nymph and his Killer Bug, three of our most famous patterns. Oliver Kite was another famous fishing name who spent a lot of time on these waters. A pupil of Sawyer�s, Kite wrote �Nymph Fishing in Practice�, a book famous for its study of upstream nymph fishing - this is the style that all of us use today on the English chalkstreams.

SEASON
The trout fishing season for these rivers is from April until October, although riparian owners set specific seasons for their stretch of water. The grayling season follows the trout season in the winter.

The 2005 Cheeca Lodge Redbone Tournament

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

"To catch a cure for cystic fibrosis".

The 2005 Cheeca Lodge Redbone Tournament Islamorada, Florida. USA

As a keen fly fisher and guide on Hampshire�s chalk streams, fly fishing in a tropical saltwater tournament requires a whole new approach. Forget the 3 and 4 weight outfits, forget whispering to a client suggesting a gentle upstream cast and forget the raise of the rod tip to set the hook as the trout sips under a size 16 Greenwell�s � These environs require double hauls on a 10 weight straight into the trade winds, with a fly that feels more like you�re casting a coat hanger. A �suffer no fools� backcountry guide breathing down you neck, yelling �strip strike�! .........The hook is set � I�m told to �play the fish hard�. The rod down for maximum power - it smokes 150 yards of backing through the tip ring. I now know that time is of the essence when fishing a tournament in Islamorada!

The Super Fly Tournament starts the three day event. This �fly only� one day competition requires angler and guide teams to select one pattern of fly � The Super Fly. It is photographed with the team�s disposable camera and submitted to the officials. The fly must be used throughout the day to catch as many �slams� of redfish and bonefish as possible. A tricky task as reds live in the backcountry Everglades National Park and bones live on the ocean side of the Florida Keys, nearly an hour�s skiff ride between the two. The team tactics are worked out the evening before over a cold beer or two. The event is started at 8am sharp the following morning � complete mayhem as a hundred powerful fly fishers� skiffs zoom in all directions � some opting for the ocean side first and others going for the backcountry.

For Captain Pier Milito, my guide and I, things started well. Under his expert direction we caught two reasonable redfish �out back� in the first two hours and photographed them both with our team camera against the official measure. Pier opted to head out of the back country for the more difficult bonefish on the ocean side. He poled me around all his best flats and for the rest of the day we only spotted two or three bones. None gave us a decent shot. It was heartbreaking as Pier thought we were on track to win the event with our two redfish if we could �slam� and get a bonefish as well.

The hooter for the last cast is sounded at 3pm. My legs and eyes were tired from standing on the bow all day squinting into the shallow sea searching for signs of bonefish. At precisely 2.45pm Pier yelled �Tailing bones 200 yards at 2 o�clock. How the hell could he see them that far away I thought? Then the sun mirrored of off a tail and glinted at me � got them. I daren�t take my eyes off that spot. As we edged closer I stared at the mark like a �man over board� drill on a sailing boat, determined not to loose them. I could see two and then three big bonefish tails and my heart was going treble time. Pier said �That�s a tournament winning bone right there buddy � make that cast count.� �No pressure then!� I replied sarcastically.

As he manoeuvred the skiff into range, I wound up my best double haul shooting the Borski Bonefish Slider towards our target. Twenty feet short. Pier tried to get the boat a little closer as I was casting in 5 knots of cross wind. The shallow draft boat grounded as they were feeding in such shallow water about two feet from the beech. Those three tails wagged at me again and a big cloud of silt puffed from their dinner table. This time I hit the button perfectly. I let the fly sink into the soft sand and gave a sharp pull to make an enticing puff as it jigged towards me. The biggest bonefish shot towards the fly and I nearly lost all control with the apprehension and excitement. Pier whispered �strip slow and get ready, he�s gonna eat it.� I twitched again and that double figure bone followed. I could just feel that �tug� when the other two bones were suddenly spooked by something and fired out to sea alarming their team mate. He left my fly to join them. I was gutted. As I sat down on the bow, I could have wept. I looked at my watch - It was bang on 3pm - end of day.

We headed back to the dock heads hung low. With all teams back we looked at the scoreboard � we finished in a respectable third place with our two redfish. With a slam we would have been in the prizes and with that monstrous bonefish we would have won! A �limey� winning the Islamorada Redbone, now there�s a thought! That�s fishing eh!

We have been invited back to fish in the 2006 Redbone this December - look out for the forthcoming journal entry. Come on England!

The Cheeca Lodge REDBONE is one in a series of REDBONE charity tournaments raising funds for cystic fibrosis. What an experience, I absolutely loved it and I�m very proud to take part. A very big thank you to Bob and Mindy Rich � please see www.redbone.org.