Check out my interview and podcast with Pete Tyjas from Fly Culture here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei_0YUHr0n0
Also check out Fly Culture here for their excellent magazine, loads of interesting fly fishing stuff and other podcasts too
https://flyculturemag.com/

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Catch & Release Best Practice:

Its been a dry season so far and a lot of our rivers are very very low. Add to the fact that temperatures are in the upper 20's with bright sunshine means that it's great for sunbathing and watching the World Cup with a cool one in the shade but not great for us fly fishers or for the trout & grayling either.
I thought it might be useful to share some handy Catch & Release advice just to remind ourselves and make sure we are all doing our best to look after our wo...
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Thanks to Jon from Outdoor Empire for allowing me to share the following link.
Not that we need another reason to go fishing as we already have thousands however there is an important one that few anglers ever consider:  FlyFishing – is great for your health.

Anytime you spend time outdoors in the natural world, you’ll enjoy the restorative and stress-relieving benefits nature provides, but fishing provides a number of other benefits that you won’t get by just going for a picnic or bird...

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Charles Mountier (above) the founder of Wilderness Now is fanatical about adventure in the UK and wants to help you get out there.

Wilderness Now and their team, which includes The Durham Fly Fishing Company, are working with the best UK guides offering unique, personal and authentic adventures for you to discover. 

Their community of adventure seekers include city professionals, families, sporty couples and those seeking to discover the outdoors for the first time. 

Man...

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On 12 March I had the chance to fish the beautiful West Tanfield Club waters on the Ure as part of a grayling brood stock programme. To say I was honoured is an understatement as it's a piece of water that has so much history but is also one ...of those "dead mans shoes" sections of river.
To be able to fish in Walbran's footsteps was an absolute privilege and also to get a few of his beloved grayling was a bonus.
More info on Max Walbran and a brief glimpse...
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It started last Monday evening meeting John & Mick at Earlston and a couple of pre trip beers in The Bull before our start on Tuesday morning.
These trips are not really planned  just an idea of a direction to head in and a few options and then see where we end up. John offered to do the driving so that was a result and early Tuesday morning we're off to the Clyde near Abington for day one.
Our final itinerary:

• Clyde (Abington/Crawford)
• Pitlochry (overnight)
• Spey (Kingussie)
• Aviemore (overnight)
• Don...

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Guiding on Monday, a re-arranged day due to the very cold & slow early April we had. A month later and the forecast was not much better apart from a tad warmer but still snow, hail, wind, gale force gusts and rain interspersed with sunny spells ...so the forecast was not great.
Skippy once told me (Stuart Crofts) that some of the days we think are not going to be great actually end up being some of the best days !!....it must be good old fashioned Yorkshire common sense.
Anyway arrived at the r...
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Blimey...this spring is taking some time to warm up and I'm sure it's because we were so spoilt last year with such a warm early start. In reality the insects never really get going until there are a few leaves on the hedgerows & trees and they are just now showing some greenery up in the frozen north !!.
I managed to squeeze just over an hour this Wednesday on a warm but very windy river in between some appointments with hotels, guest houses & one of my major tackle suppliers.
There was still ...
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These Easterly winds have been with us for over 3 weeks now and with temperatures just getting above zero and daily snow squalls it is a completely different season to our glorious 21 degree start last year!. We're now into April and there's still snow around !!



Large Dark Olives and Midge are coming off at lunchtime and a few out of season grayling are moving on our rivers East of the Pennines however the trout definitely have their heads down and the odd ones coming to the nymph are in need ...
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We all seem to travel more to fish different rivers and waters than we ever did before...often to other parts of the UK but also abroad too.
So this is vitally important and illustrates that we anglers are a responsible bunch and take bio security seriously to protect our waters now and for the future.
It's really just common sense and not at all difficult so please everyone let's all do our bit and make sure we prevent the spread of invasive species on our waters ...... CHECK - CLEAN - DRY

Che...

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A few pictures from last Saturday's Grayling taster day on the Tees.
Have a look at my Facebook page for the update and comments:
http://www.facebook.com/DFFCo
Feedback has been tremendous and already have plans for some more taster days

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I've recently  been appointed as a Pro Staff member of the USA  AQUA Design Team.
For those who have seen me in my camouflage shirts and wondered where you can get them follow the above link. The quality of the AQUA range of gear is superb and I'm positive that anything you can do to help disguise yourself and not spook fish has to be a definite advantage.

Spot me with this years Commonwealth Fly Fishing Team in Tasmania (with Dave Grove, John Tyzack, Andy Gooding, Phil Lebski & Bernie Maher)




M...
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For a number of years now I have been so lucky to receive an invitation to fish with some great friends on some superb private chalkstreams on the Wiltshire Avon & Wylye.
Last Friday saw me travelling South to meet up for a meal, a few 'pre-fishing' drinks at the Hotel for a good old catch up before our 2 days fishing.
The opportunity to sight fish for grayling in clear streams is one that I look forward to each year as it really helps to increase my understanding of  the behaviour and reaction...

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Last Friday I was fortuntate enough to be invited to coach and fish on the beautiful Derbyshire Derwent below Rowsley.
Despite high & slightly coloured water, hardly a fish showing and very little hatching we managed a respectable number of fish to the nymph and blind dries.
Both Gordon & John are now busy developing their newly learned nymphing methods and I'm looking forward to our future fishing exploits and search for local pasties !!.
At least one photo came out OK....

A derbyshire derwent...
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On Wednesday, myself, Dave Southall and Peter Sinclair tried out a bit of Tenkara (traditional style of fly fishing originating from Japan) on the wild trout of upper Teesdale.
The precision and drag free control afforded by a 14' 6" Tenkara rod enables superb drag free dry fly presentation and illustrated its effectiveness by about 2:1 compared with long leader and long #3 fly rod. The length of the Tenkara providing a definite advantage while covering the many pockets and holding spots in th...
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I managed to keep hold of a couple of fantastic brown trout this week ...a 54 cm and a 58cm which fought like tigers. Lost a few others as well !!......need this rain to stop and then back on my travels.

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Another day today on the middle Tees and it was tough going. I was about to go home but decided to change locations at 2.00pm......good job too as I just caught the start of the hatch 2.20pm which kept going until 3.30.
5 grayling and 18 trout (up to 1.5lb) in just over an hour !!!....it doesn't get much better than that and made up for my 10.00 am - 2.00pm one fish
In spring time it's all about the hatch, the timing and being in the right place at the right time.
The fish are waiting for the h...
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First trip out for the trout today and headed to the Eden as it opens on 15 March while other North East and Yorkshire rivers don't start until 22 March.
A sunny fresh spring day.... and one of a few lovely trout to the dries.


Get in touch if you would like a day on the Eden or any other river or lake.
Springtime is special witha great chance of catching your personal best trout.



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Well this current weather is certainly not helping the fishing on the rivers with huge floods in the North and Cumbria it will take a week at least to settle down to more fishable conditions.
The opportunity to fish the stillwaters that remain open is certainly the best bet with good reports of  excellent fishing from the local stillwaters.
Lets hope the weather improves and the severely cold conditions of the last couple of years stay away !!!.

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