FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH
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Tips to be a
37
NO.1 FOR AUTUMN TACTICS
High Flyer
FLIES TO TIE NOW PIKE ON FLY
Explosive autumn action
Expert tactics to help you catch more off the top FLY-TYING
Daddies & Hoppers
11 SEPT - 8 OCT, 2019 | £3.70
ISSUE 527
Top tyings to boost your catch rates
RESERVOIR SKILLS
UPLAND WATERS
DIAWL BACH TIPS
FINDING THE EDGE
From a Blagdon specialist
Water craft to try now
WHERE TO FISH
LLYN BRENIG
Autumn hotspots & flies
TACKLE ON TEST
HONEST REVIEWS
Get informed about gear
TACTICS R E S E R V O I R S Words Iain Barr Pictures Peter Gathercole
A lively trout leaps for freedom at Eyebrook.
TACTICS
Dabblers & Daddies
Iain Barr tries typical autumn surface tactics at Eyebrook reservoir
TACTICS U P L A N D W A T E R S Words and pictures Mike Thrussell
Mike nets a trout in the shallow margins of Llyn Cynwch.
Fishing on the edge
Mike Thrussell reads the water to find the fish at Llyn Cynwch
TACTICS F I S H I N G D I A W L B A C H S Words & pictures Russ Symons
A Blagdon rainbow taken on the everreliable Diawl Bach.
BACK TO BACHS
Today's fly-fishers can't afford to say goodbye to the deadly Diawl Bach, as Russ Symons explains...
TACTICS R I V E R S Words & pictures Jeffrey Prest
Direct line insurance
Is your river nymphing getting a little flabby? Tighten up that leader, says Fred Bainbridge – the shortest distance between man and fish is a straight line...
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EEP all your essential gear close to hand with the Daiwa wading waistcoat which is packed with storage options for everything from floatant to fly boxes. There are five external zipped pockets and four Velcro pockets on top of zipped pockets, all providing quick and easy access to a variety of accessories. On the inside are two zipped pockets, ideal for keeping valuable items safe and secure. The waistcoat has 3D foam mesh shoulders and is lined with an internal mesh backing for comfort and also features a retractable rear panel for increased ventilation on those hot summer days. THE DAIWA WADING W WAIS AVAILABLE VAILABLE TO AISTCOAT IS A TROUT FISHERMAN READERS IN THREE SIZES: M (code DW7784), L (DW7785) and XL (DW7786). Please state size and code when placing your order.
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When ordering quote “Trout Fisherman offer” & code “00149TF”. Please state waistcoat size/code you require. Offer available while stocks last. *Plus £2.99 p&p. Tel: 0141 212 8880 | Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: sales@fishingmegastore.com | Order online: www.gac.fishing/00149TF Post: Glasgow Angling Centre, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen Street, Glasgow G22 5HT
TACTICS S M A L L W A T E R S Words & pictures Jeffrey Prest
The big day We all dream of that first ‘double’ but how much of a culture shock is hooking one?
Greg Hoggan with his 14lb 8oz rainbow.
TACTICS P I K E O N F LY Words & pictures Matt Roberts
Once the ferocious battle is over, admire the colours! This 29lb 7oz pike was taken from a shallow bay in spring.
Large water PIKE ON FLY
The sheer aggression of a perfect freshwater predator hitting your fly is highly addictive, says expert Matt Roberts 36 Trout Fisherman September 11 - October 8
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T
HROUGHOUT the UK, most anglers are within driving distance of a range of large waters including reservoirs, natural lakes, lochs and loughs. Many of these expansive, daunting and – on the surface – often featureless bodies of water hold large pike and allow you to fly-fish for them. There is an air of mystery associated with large waters, the 'unknown' of what lies beneath and tales of waterfowl being plucked from the surface. With modern social media, it’s now the pictures of behemoth pike that provoke the angler’s imagination. Pike can flourish in these relatively unpressured conditions when plenty of high-protein trout www.troutfisherman.co.uk
Matthew Roberts
Chartered town planner & angling writer Heaviest fish 30kg blue fin tuna on a 14wt Favourite reservoir Blagdon for pike Favourite small water Chalk Springs
and coarse fish are on the menu. Knowing the monsters are there doesn’t make locating or catching them on vast waters any easier! Fishing large waters can be daunting at first and many anglers have tried and left disappointed, swearing never again to return. I have spent many hours without even the slightest whiff of a pike, but I’ve also enjoyed many epic captures on large waters and in this feature I’ll share a few of my top tips to help you improve the odds of catching pike on UK’s formidable large waters. Being able to double haul cast will further increase your chances of success, it is a game-changer when casting large flies, especially in windy conditions. You’re able to cast further in all conditions and
ultimately cover more fish. Once the fly hits the water, I begin counting the fly down to the desired depth I wish to fish, always keeping tight to the fly as it falls through the water columns. On more than one occasion, I've been snoozing and had the line ripped from between my fingers (which leaves the heart racing and you cursing). Once the fly has reached my chosen depth (usually two to three feet off bottom) I start my retrieve. This is usually a slow retrieve as, in my experience, pike are lazy so strip, pause (two seconds), strip, strip (pause two seconds) etc. Takes mostly come on the pause and range from a slight tap and tightening of the line, to having the line wrenched from between your fingers (be ready)! September 11 - October 8 Trout Fisherman 37
WHERE TO FISH R E S E R V O I R S Words & pictures Jeffrey Prest
GONE WITH
My odyssey among Northumbrian Water’s flagship venues ends as it
Spot the wind-lane. Andrew Scott prepares to cast into the teeth of the gale at Grassholme.
THE WIND began, in the blustery splendour of the Durham moors…
THE ULTIMATE FLY-TYING BOOK A lifetime's flies in one beautifully illustrated book – from the publishers of Trout Fisherman and Trout & Salmon magazines
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Catching a fish on a fly you’ve tied is one of the most rewarding aspects of our sport. The satisfaction is everlasting. If you've not tied a fly before, this quality 200-page book will help you to achieve that goal. Discover the basics of hook and fly anatomy, and the tools and materials to get you started. There are explanations of basic techniques, including applying thread to a hook, the whip finish and everything inbetween: hackling, dubbing and ribbing. But this book is not only for beginners: the fly collection will satisfy the experienced modern game-fisher's every need. Modern patterns feature alongside traditional stalwarts that continue to be effective. Dressings and easyto-follow sequences are clearly written and beautifully photographed. The flies are presented in colour-coded categories for stillwater trout, river trout and grayling, and salmon and sea-trout. The book is ringbound for easy viewing when you tie. All the flies have appeared in Trout Fisherman and Trout & Salmon over the past two decades and are the most successful patterns from gamefishing’s finest anglers.
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