Fish Wild

If like me you sometimes get tired of the repetitive nature of mainstream fishing magazines such as Trout & Salmon and also Flyfishing & Flyting. There is an alternative. Click the following link.....

Fish Wild

The first issue of the new Fish Wild has just been published and is available for download as a pdf for online or offline reading.

It is available as a high (35MB) or low resolution file (7MB) - high is recommended for best image quality.

You may also be interested in visiting the long established forum at WildFisher Forum where you will find a wealth of information dating right back to its early days in 2004. No politics, no aggro, no hassle, just Wild Fishing and the Great Outdoors!

On the River Clyde

Thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours earlier in the week  on the River Clyde! Hunting Grayling with heavy beaded bugs!
I must have been doing something right as I hooked but lost a fish! No idea if it was a grayling or a troot as it wasnt on long enough!  Im a total novice at this game but once I started to gain  confidence wading with the aid of the wading staff I soon got into a rhythm of  taking a step then making a short cast. My new rod was a real joy to cast and was ideal for the river! 

It was most enjoyable fishing along the river despite a couple of heavy squals of rain and strong downstream winds.

The UCAPA freshwater ticket is outstanding value as it covers me from now until March 2023 yes 23 . So for £60 you get two grayling seasons and the usual trout season!

Lets Prepare for the Clyde!

Having secured my UCAPA ticket for next season I've been focusing on patterns for the River Clyde! With inspiration coming from Bert Sharp's book and Davie McPhails excellent instructional videos!

I've also been delving into North Country fly literature and tying up North Country Spiders!

I really enjoy the rich history of the above flies and style of fishing upland rivers.

I last fished the Clyde regularly over ten years ago but didn't go often enough to really get to know the river and all its peculiarities. Its all very well being clued up in the tying and theories etc but I really need to get more experience of the river.

I visited the Clyde down by Abington and Crawford a few weeks ago and it really whetted my appetite. Its such a lovely area to fish. 

I recently read a quote from Arthur Ransom who rather accurately  Identified that  flytying during the dark winter months is indeed a good substitute to fishing itself. He says “It is the sort of licking of the lips that eases a thirsty man in a desert” I couldnt have put it better myself! 

The Davie McPhail Vlog

Heres a very interesting and enjoyable vlog from Fulling Mill on Davie McPhail who is in my opinion the most inspirational, influential and best flytyer in Uk!

Davie McPhail Interview

That'll be it then?

Well that's the brown trout season over for another year! I made one last visit to Hillend yesterday to say farewell to the troot but none of them turned up!
I used my new #5 weight Snowbee Diamond 2 rod for the first time  and I have to say its the best rod I've ever used. Its even better than my Sharpes Gordon #6 weight rod which I'm very fond of
It casts perfectly with ease.
I've always shyed away from the lighter rods thinking they would be too light for my use especially at Hillend. However I was wrong.
I'm really looking forward to using the new rod on Highland Lochs next season where it will perfect for using on the float tube etc.
It's a real joy to use, as the rod and line are matched perfectly! 

The Luck of the Draw

Last week I was absolutely delighted to be one of the very lucky winners in the UKs premier fly tier, Davie McPhail's monthly draw on his you tube Channel.

As always there are amazing prizes up for grabs each month and I was fortunate enough to win nine beautiful Scandanavian tube flies in the September draw.

The prize I wanted most was the wee box of Loch style wets as I could put those to good use as the chances of me going to Norway to try out my tube flies maybe slim. However I really should make the effort to try for silver up north next season with these patterns.

Davie is a real inspiration and has been a big influence in my flytying endevours over the years. His flytying tutorials are second to none.

If you would like to take part in the October draw head over to his channel here and find out how to enter. You never know your luck! 

Davie McPhail Monthly Draw