Amazing offer
FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH
FLYBOX & 200 FLIES
ONLY £29.99
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W IN
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Tie a proven winter lure
£554 WORTH OF
ISSUE 504 6 DEC, 2017 - 2 JAN, 2018 | £3.50
GREYS clothing PLUS
12 Deadly Lures
Go light for the
FIGHT Why you need a 6ft cane rod RESERVOIRS
RIVER TACTICS
SHRIMP SKILLS RISING RIVERS Get more action in the cold
How to cope in high water
WHERE TO FISH
PITSFORD TIPS Boat & bank hotspots
TACKLE
GEAR ON TEST Our reviews help you buy!
Contents
BE INSPIRED
FLY-TYING
6 Cane is still able COVER STORY
Andy Parker has fun with 6ft cane rods
Cover image by: Peter Gathercole
TACTICS
64 Flymasters
19 New tricks!
68 Flybox fillers
24 The power of 2
TACKLE
Craig Barr enjoys the best action he’s ever had late season at Grafham Water Jonathan Tomlinson and Ben Beckwith sample new flies for big fish at Lechlade Russ Symons has a two-fly set up that works well for him during late season
28 Egging them on
46 Reader offer
Get a Storafly fly box and 200 flies for only £29.99 – a saving of £148!
COVER STORY TF reveals 12 of the most popular lures used today and five readers can win the lot!
OPINION & NEWS
ADVICE
What’s new on the trout scene, plus Scottish news
COVER STORY
JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN Bankside
an-up Our Bankside Cle Campaign Clean-up campaign continues to gain momentum with more fisheries asking for the poster and creating their own bins for discarded leaders. Spread the message…we can do this.
WHERE TO FIND US...
Paul Procter on fishing a rising river
WHERE TO FISH 47 UK waters
Latest information on Bank House, Knitsley Mill, Achagour and White House Mill fisheries
50 Spotlight on... COVER STORY
Winter hotspots for Pitsford Reservoir
52 Avington rises again
Avington gets new management and is back on track after a bit of a lull by its own high standards
53 In hot water
Steve Cullen heads off to Iceland’s River Varma in search of big brown trout
ONLINE www.troutfisherman.co.uk TroutFishMag troutfishermanmag Trout Fisherman
Russ Symons explains his fly line to leader connection Travel vice, Straggle String selections and deer hair
42 How to...
WIN a new range of Greys clothing worth over £554 by entering our competition.
COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews the latest gear including rods, clothing and luggage
78 Fly-tying products
Our panel of experts answer your questions on the washing-line, Snakes, rod actions and more...
COVER STORY
71 New gear
FOCUS ON...
38 Advice squad
60 Reader competition
How to tie a Yellow Deer Hair pattern
76 Tippet rings
34 The down & dirty dozen
Receive an Airflo Outlander mesh vest when you subscribe to Trout Fisherman magazine
Your wet fly patterns are judged by Peter Gathercole who also sets a new tying challenge
One of Burns Fishery’s regulars explains how Egg Flies work so well during winter
COVER STORY
58 Subscribe
COVER STORY Follow Peter Gathercole’s fly-tying sequence and get catching!
12 Faster, bigger, stronger COVER STORY
OFFERS
61 Tie a simple lure
80 News
82 Investigation
The future of Chew Valley Lake
84 Letters
Trout Fisherman readers have their say
86 Read on the fly
Two more publications under the spotlight
87 Cockwill
All about exotic pheasants and feathers for tyers
88 Troutmasters
This month’s badge winners and catch pictures
92 Match news
Anglers World Holiday Individual Final
94 Iain Barr
The World Bank Masters and a Rutland double
98 Wading in
Why we will never swear by just one fly
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THIS MONTH’S WINNER
Heriot angling club outing - Glencorse reservoir, Edinburgh. Sent in by Matt Wolstenholme
HOW TO ENTER
Shot of the
MONTH
If you have a flyfishing image that you would like to see here, please send it to us. Images must be: original size • high resolution. Email them to leigh.johnson@bauermedia.co.uk If the image is too large to go over email, send via the free service wetransfer.com (for help see wetransfer.com/howitworks). Published photographers will receive a landing net from Sharpes of Aberdeen. Browse their products at www.sharpes.net or call 01466 794415.
Enter our competition now for your chance to win a Sharpe’s landing net
Words: Andy Parker Pictures: Peter Gathercole
6 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2
www.troutfisherman.co.uk
BE INSPIRE D Have a bit this winter of fun . Tr y cane rod a
Cane is STILL ABLE
Top all-rounder Andy Parker has made a new friend in an old 6ft cane rod, which he says is great fun. What do you think?
www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk
DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2 | TROUT FISHERMAN 7
Words: Russell Hill Pictures: Peter Gathercole
Bigger, faster, STRONGER! Craig Barr takes a boat out for feisty shrimp feeders at Grafham...
12 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2
www.troutfisherman.co.uk
TACTICS Catch m
ore w late-season ith stillwater t ips
Expect all-out action with Grafham’s lateseason shrimp feeders.
www.troutfisherman.co.uk
DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2 | TROUT FISHERMAN 13
TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words & pictures: Jeffrey Prest
Graham Bicket prepares to land his latest victim.
28 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2
www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk
Egging them on…
Don’t dismiss the humble Egg Fly – multi-purpose and closer to Nature than you think, it does the trick again…
www.troutfisherman.co.uk
DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2 | TROUT FISHERMAN 29
SPECIAL READER OFFER
STORAFLY BOX AND 200 ASSORTED FLIES
ONLY£29.99
THIS month’s great reader offer is a season’s worth of fly patterns in this Storafly competition fly box. The slim and stackable fly box is made from lightweight but highly durable high-impact clear plastic. And inside are 200 flies including dries, nymphs and lures that will see you catching fish from early spring to late season.
(* Plus £6.99 p&p, offer available while stocks last).
SAVE ! 8 4 1 £
The slimline fly box measures 30.5 x 22.5 x 2cm deep.
Please note that fly selection may vary from that shown and flies are not slotted into box.
HOW TO ORDER Quote ‘Trout Fisherman offer’ and code 00126TF
Tel: 0141 212 8880 Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: sales@fishingmegastore.com Website: http://gac.fishing/00126TF/ Post: Glasgow Angling Centre Ltd, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen St, Glasgow G22 5HT
WHERE TO FISH ICELAND Words & pictures: Steve Cullen
IN HOT WATER Steve Cullen grabs his river kit and heads off to Iceland’s prolific River Varma, in search of big brown trout!
www.troutfisherman.co.uk
DECEMBER 6 - JANUARY 2 | TROUT FISHERMAN 53
DON'T M THIS GISS R OFFEREAT !
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13 issues for £26 when you pay by Direct Debit or Debit/Credit card or PayPal
Airflo Outlander mesh vest
The ultimate lightweight fly vest. Ideal for deep wading or travelling light the Airflo Outlander mesh vest has it all and does the lot! Features include: n A pocket for every situation n Vertical zip-down fly trays n Mesh pockets n Double front D-rings and back D-ring n Straps and leashes to attach your gadgets n Adjustable one size fits all system
PRINT & DIGITAL + MESH VEST BEST OFFER
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QUOTE offer code AEAA TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. Payments by Direct Debit will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise and you will not receive a renewal reminder. We reserve the right to replace the gift with one of equal or higher value or offer a 3 issue extension if the offer is exhausted. This offer closes on January 2nd, 2018. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximate) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximate) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. Overseas? please phone +44 1858 438828 for further details. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit: http://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions
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Goldbead Cat’s Whisker Peter Gathercole shows you how to tie a popular lure
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