Devon School of Fly Fishing Team blog

The waders only have a small leak and I have some new ones on order. I have checked the fishing vest and I have everything I need. There is a new leader on my fly line and I have tied to motherlode of flies over winter. Looks like I am ready to go and hit the river. Friday I shall be doing just that in the company of some like minded people I am lucky enough to call friends.

What more do I need? Not a lot really. The weather might suck but I don’t really care. I am just looking forward to fishing the river I love so much and if I am lucky enough I might even catch a fish.

We gather bright and early, have a coffee, swap stories and do some fishing. It is more of a social event more than anything else but I really enjoy it and we all have a few drinks afterwards as well.

If you are out I hope you have a great one and enjoy the day!

Fly Fishing in Devon – Pete Tyjas Fly Fishing Guide

Eat, Sleep, Fish

We have been working hard on Issue 14 of Eat, Sleep, Fish. Latest news below!

Eat, Sleep, Fish

Today, to clear the head a little, Emma and I decided a walk along my beloved Taw was in order. It was a perfect idea and a nice walk.

I love to see the river at times when I can’t fish it and as I walk along it I wonder how some of the features may be just a little different to the previous season. Spots where I know there will be a fish or at least hope there will be a fish may have just changed.

Where we walked is a spot I love to guide but also to fish myself. There is a nice little mix of water that lends itself well to both dry fly and nymph fishing and there are a couple of pools that are good holding spots for both salmon and sea trout too.

As we walked along the beat there was some wind, there always is there, but it would have been on the anglers back. I could imagine a nice little hatch of Large Darks trickling off.

It will be good to get out on the Taw again; I will have to wait a bit though, I don’t mind.

Fly Fishing in Devon – The Devon School of Fly Fishing – Fly fishing tuition, lessons and guiding

It has been a a while since I wet a line. My timing hasn’t been that great and the tiny windows of opportunity that have appeared have clashed with other things.

It means that I have had a bit of a sabbatical from fly fishing and sometimes that can be good. Not always, but a little break can help you realise how much you love it all and can’t wait to get back in the waders again.

In the run up to Christmas I have been doing some casting tuition and looks like I’ll be doing some more in Jan for those heading off in search of bones. I really enjoy this sort of thing and it heralds the start of preparation for 2013 and for some the start of an exciting new pastime.

In the short term though I’ll just keep checking those river levels for my chance.

Fly Fishing Devon with The Devon School of Fly Fishing – Fly fishing tuition, guiding and lessons

I just wanted to wish every one out there in fishing land and beyond and very, very Happy Christmas and all the very best for 2013.

We look forward to seeing you next season!

It seems like a while since I have had a rod in my hand. I have done a few lessons but fishing has had to take a bit of a back seat. Once again this has been down to timing or planning things around a fishable river.

I have been doing a lot of travelling and it has involved the M25 which whilst stuck in traffic has had my mind drifting away to the river and grayling.

I have tied flies, more than I can ever remember but once again the grayling river is against me. That will change and I can wait but with our daughter, Charlie, home we decided to head out and I thought it might be an idea to look at a few rivers I haven’t seen in a while.

They looked nice, really nice and are now on the list to try and fish in 2013!

Fly Fishing in Devon – The Devon School of Fly Fishing – Fly Fishing Tuition, Guiding and Lessons

I make the same promise every year. It isn’t too hard and it is a nice one to try and stick to but up until now I haven’t stuck too. It’s simple – to fish some more. looing back as the river season is now over I think I have managed it.

This is despite the weather and mainly due to Eat, Sleep, Fish. I’ve been so lucky to fish new and differing water, meet some great people and to catch a few fish. I have been amazed by the genorosity of fellow anglers in showing me their Home Waters.

Like I said at the beginning weather has been a big factor and it affected my guiding work more so than in all the time I have been doing this but what it did do was give us good water for salmon. I can’t think of a time I have had a salmon rod in the truck and felt this might be a good time to swing a fly. It worked a couple of times for me and I really enjoyed my two salmon.

The last day of guiding was due to be bass but the high winds kept us off of the water. I opted to have a last go for salmon and watched a few run through. I really worked the water partly, I guess, because the clock was ticking down but I had a salmon on briefly that seemed like a good time to end the season.

Not being able to work the last day sucked a little but meant my last day of guiding on the 29th ended on a high. I was guiding first time salmon angler Josh for salmon.

When we met over coffee he told me he’d been awaiting the day for 6 months having booked it March and was awake at 3am with excitement. As a guide I’ll never say we’ll have some fish but on the way to the beat I told him I really did feel we were in with a chance as conditions were really good.

We fished a few pools but all was quiet. Heading to one of my favourite pools Josh was soon latched on to a salmon that we returned and headed for lunch. We were both over the moon!

I took Josh to another beat in the afternoon and showed him a way I like to fish the water. He did everything perfectly and salmon number two was on. This time a slightly smaller hen fish. After some photos Josh popped the fish back. It seemed the perfect way to end a season.

Fly Fishing Devon

Choosing the perfect fishing buddy isn’t always a quick process. You have to go through many things together to see how each of you react and if it will affect either the fishing or the balance of the friendship. It is good to experience the highs as well as the lows just so you know how the land lies.

If you know that they will get all moody if you hook the big one of the day then you need to make a note. It is going to be a long day if it was just after you started fishing. What about if they hook the big one, how will you feel?

A lot of us, I am sure, will take great delight and those I fish with certainly do as do I. For me though the real test is when there is a big one you have both spotted that is begging to be caught and you have both seen it. Perhaps even the most polite would quietly edge themselves in to position and have a go.

I don’t, and the friends I fish with don’t. Partly because these sorts of shots even themselves out over a fishing trip and there is always the banter that will accompany a stuffed cast that put the big one down.

Dude nymphing

I have just come back from an amazing trip to Derbyshire fishing with my fishing buddy Ray (The Dude). We have fished many places together and caught many fish together and he is the perfect company on the river.

The Dude and I generally stay in B & Bs which will do just fine, but for one night we decided to splash out on a swanky hotel that had some nice fishing. The budget didn’t allow for 2 single rooms so we shared. Now I have to admit I snore a little. Just a little but we had been fishing hard for 3 days when we hit the room and I was bushed. The alarm bells started to ring when The Dude got his ear plugs out and I spent a sleepless night worrying about the volume of the snores.

Dude and Dove trout

This might be a tester for many fishing buddies but, like I say, we have fished together a lot and he knew the score. The really interesting thing is that while I was thinking about the river we would be fishing the following day and what flies I might use, I found out is that The Dude is a snorer too but I did as any good fishing buddy would do – I didn’t say a word!

Eat, Sleep, Fish Issue 8 is now out, we hope you enjoy! Fly Fishing in Devon

It is great to head out on a fly fishing adventure but sometimes, when the conditions are far from ideal, planning a fishing trip around the weather and finding some fishable river can be great fun. I was planning in a day with Toby. We were on the phone every few hours planning where we might head to after yet more heavy rain. The plan was hatched to head as high as we possibly could to fish this particular river.

We met a few miles below where we were going to fish and the river was pushing (quite a lot) but there was visibility in the water and I saw a mayfly spinner that I took as a good omen.

We set up our gear and it seemed that nymphs were going to be the only real option but the river where we were fishing is really small and overgrown and my usual 9ft 2wt rod was going to be too long so I used my 8ft 4″ 2wt instead. Toby gallantly offered me first shot and we were both pleased when a trout took my fly first cast.

This pattern continued and by fishing just off of the main flow we were able to have a really good day, when at the start of it we were just pleased to be out on the water.

The Devon School Of Fly Fishing – Fly Fishing Tuition,Lessons and Guiding in Devon

I’ve tried to keep the blog more related to my fishing adventures and the weather has played a part on my ability to work but also to grab some fishing too. I got out on the 18th June with my good friend Toby. We headed a little further than normal and found the river in good shape with a few rising fish to spice things up a bit. We did the old share the rod routine and I really enjoy this way of fishing and as the fish were coming at pretty regular intervals it worked out well. We both had our first grayling of the season too which was cool.

Today I had the day off and the river was still pushing with some colour too it. I decided to go nymphing for trout and see if I could find some sea trout too. I really like to go for sea trout during the day as it is a little different and good fun. I don’t believe that a rising, colouring river is the only time to catch day time sea trout. I have taken people out during the day specifically to catch them even in the brightest of conditions. Spending a lot of time on the river makes the process a lot easier as I know where the fish hold and if they are in or not. If you know the answer or can work it out then you are in with a shout.

I did have a couple of sea trout. the first was 2lb and the second just a touch smaller. I also lost a smaller one too but I had a great time and would recommend day time sea trout!

Devon Fly Fishing – The Devon School of Fly Fishing – Fly Fishing Tuition, Guiding and Fly Fishing Lessons