If you are a newcomer to fly fishing then our lake is the perfect venue to
learn how to cast a fly with our fly fishing instructors. It is much easier
and more enjoyable to learn to fly cast on still water rather than moving.
As the lake is private there is no need to worry about who is watching.
Sometimes, learning on a public fishery can be a little daunting but you
will have the lake to yourself.
On a typical day course we will teach you about the safety aspects of fly fishing,
how the tackle works, how to put it together and then the casts you will need for
fly fishing. This will lead up to a session of fishing on the lake where you can
put everything you have learnt into practice and hopefully you’ll be able to tempt
one of our trout. You can take one home with you if you wish or if you are staying
at the hotel they will be able to cook your catch! The important thing for us is
that you learn everything in an easy to understand manner and that you go home
knowing how to fly cast. If you can cast then you can go fly fishing for the rest
of your life!
“On a typical day course we will teach you about the safety aspects of
fly fishing, how the tackle works, how to put it together and then the
casts you will need for fly fishing”
All of our fly fishing team hold the hardest to attain casting instructors qualification,
AAPGAI (Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors) and we do this
for a living, but most of all we want to make sure you have fun.
When it comes to river fishing for trout we are lucky that the beats we will
be guiding you on are un-stocked meaning you will be catching truly wild fish.
I often say to guests that if you can tempt one of our fish you will have a good
chance of catching trout from just about anywhere in the world. This is probably
a bold claim but wild fish don’t come easily and if you have combined stealth
with a pinpoint accurate cast and the right fly then you have put the odds much
more in your favour. I don’t think there is anything more exciting than seeing a
trout rise to take your dry fly. It’s certainly something I will never tire of
seeing!
Being full time fly fishing instructors and guides we are out on the water all
day every day and if it is your first time fly fishing on a river we will be
there to help you every step of the way!
We are extremely lucky in being able to offer guided fly fishing on over 5 miles
of the River Taw, one of Devon’s famous fly fishing rivers but we also have access
to other private beats just a few minutes drive away. We feel it is important to
offer a good selection of water for you to fish but also having so much allows us
to rest it so that it is not fished too heavily. You will not be fishing club
waters, all beats are private.
For something completely different we often take guests of the fishing school up
into Dartmoor and to some of our favourite spots up there. It really is a truly
stunning setting with fishing to match. You will be fishing tiny streams sometimes
only 8 feet wide for some beautiful fish. I often head up here on my days off and
just take a rod, reel and line and a sandwich and just walk. It is rare to see
someone else as there is so much water to cover and so many exciting challenges.
The rivers tumble down over rocks and boulders creating holding areas for fish and
we are looking to land our fly into likely looking holes. It is often the case that
the fish are looking up so a dry fly will cover most situations. The takes are
lightening quick so if you land your fly in the right spot be ready!
If you would like to try fly fishing a larger still water then the Devon Fly Fishing
School instructors/guides can take you up into the heart of Dartmoor and to Kennick
Reservoir. At just over 50 acres Kennick is perfect for the fly fisher looking to make
the next step up from small still waters or big enough to be more than interesting for
the more experienced angler. Stocked with some stunning rainbow trout there is also a
good head of wild brown trout. We are able to guide you from bank or boat and there
are also opportunities to try float tubing from time to time.
