URBAN WAYS FLY CASTING LESSONS

2nd of November 2009

I had some time on my hand’s so I popped out  for a bit of Grayling fishing, the river was high and murky   and running fast, it was a gray cold overcast day, so I warped up warm and went out for a couple of hours.

I was using a pink gold head nymph and a sinking tippet leader of 3lb with a yellow bite indicator.

I had two small Trout in the first hour then I moved to a deep pool and had a nice Grayling of about two lb, lucky I had my camera.

Had a call from Liam about going Grayling fishing on the River Itchen in Winchester.

We aranged to meet at my house at 8am on the 18th of November, and hoping the weather would get better.

Our luck was in, I looked out of my bedroom window to find that the rain had stopped, but it was still a bit windy, and the  river had risen, but still a good day for fishing for grayling,  well every day is a good day for fishing, apart from my wife's birthday maybe.

Liam arived just after 8am we had a cup of tea then went out to the river and got set up, Liam was using a 6 weight 9ft rod with a floating line and a 3lb leader and a gold head nyph, it was not long before he had his first fish a small trout not a Grayling sorry,

We had a few more goes in Water Lane we were getting the bite's but Liam was a little slow on the strike, never mind it's all part of fishing along with catching the tree's and bushes.

We had a few more cast in Water lane then moved into the town stretch known as the Weirs it is a bit faster flowing and more of a challenge you must be able to roll cast as you have no room for the over head cast, We had more fish but not a Grayling, I was very surprised this is a good water for them, never mind thats fishing and Liam had a good day which is more importent to me.

Thank you Liam and all the best

Happy Birthday Tony

 This was a very nice Birthday present from Tony's wife Zoe, A day out with me at John 'O' Gaunt trout fishery at King's Somborne.

  Zoe phoned me for a surprise birthday present for her husband Tony and a treat for her son Jason.

He had only done sea fishing in the past and always wanted to try fly fishing, Zoe asked if I could give them some lessons on a peaceful lake, I knew of the perfect lake, it is ideal for the beginner and the more advanced with a good stock of good Trout.

We started the day by showing them how to set up the rod's, of which I suppied, they were very surprised with the weight of them, as they were used to using sea rod's, once I had explained the setup and the fly's, we made our way to the small lake, the water is very clear with plenty of fish of about 3-4lb.

We started with the over head cast, they picked it up quite quickly but I must say Jason was a bit better than his dad Tony.

We had about 2 hours of coaching then started fishing, I set them up with a May fly nyph on the advice of a fellow fisherman  and on Jason's second cast he had one on but played it a bit too hard and off it went, oh well more fish in the lake.

It was a perfact day for fishing a bit over cast and warm but the fish were being a bit fussy we had plenty of follows but no takes changing the fly had no effected but we carryied on, one good thing was that their casting was getting better as Tony proved he had a very good cast with a good result a lovely trout that put a big smile on his face Well done Tony

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY

I went out this morning and had two very nice Trout ,one of witch was my best from this Water for a long time 4lb, on a gray wulff very nice, the sacond was in the same swim and on the same fly, good fishing for only two hours. The second fish was 2lb 4oz still very good for this Water

Spotted my first May fly today at about 13.30 on the River Itchen in Winchester.

HI All, got  up this morning, what a nice day, I went out and got my wife a paper, and made her a cup of tea, she was happy, so of I went,

I started just out side of my house in Water lane in Winchester, I had a 9 ft 5/6 rod with a  no5 floating line, and I put on a gold head Mayfly Nymph, and on about the 3rd cast I had a small trout in very good condition.

The water at the moment is a bit cloudy, I think it is because there is work going on up stream at the nature reserve, I continued fishing Water Lane with no more luck, when I got to the end of Water Lane I crossed the road and went into the town stretch of the river known as the Weirs.

Still keeping on the gold head nymph, this is a hard stretch of water to fish, no chance of a over head cast, it's all roll casting, due to the amount of people walking up and down the footpath along the river, I started fishing, just a small roll cast and letting it drift down and  then a slow retrieve, this when the fish bite, I had my second trout, again a small one but all good fun, then after about five minutes I had a lovely browney at 3lb 6oz,

Very nice, a very good fish from this water, and released safely.

I like to return all the fish from these waters as thay are not stocked, and are all wild brown trout, so if you do fish these watres PLEASE do the same.

I carryed on fishing and had two more small ones, then went home to watch the F1 race, well done Button keep it up.

19/02

 Keith was very curteous and helpfull, Making the afternoon a pleasurable experience

 Thanks Kevin & Sam.

2/04

Good instuction to the basics, Clear instuctoin well put across.

13/04

Excellent tour of the river, very helpfull indeed, explaind everything very well.

Thanks Peter & John.

29/08

Very knowledable and helpful. at times I needed to do things myself, make mistakes, adjust and try again.

Thank you.

03/10

Very enjoyable. Relaxed and competenat and approach adapted by Keith. Easy to understand, not made to feel uncomfortable. Liked the very thorough and systematic approach to the subjest- good mix of technique, theory interwoven with personal anecdotes. Knows his craft well.

Alan.

21/09

This is just a note to say how much my uncle and I enjoyed our days, fishing at Lower Mill. The surroundings were fantastic and the water lovely and clear. Keith was an excellent ghillie, getting the balance of advice and assistance and I would thoroughly recomment him to your other cleints.

Dr.D.G.

       I got a phone call from Martin Porter, an Experienced Coarse Angling Coach nr Newbury Hampshire, we met on the River Itchen about 2 years ago, he asked me if could help him to polish up a young lads casting.

 On Thursday Martin and Tayler went to Moorhen Trout fishery's in the Meon Valley in Hampshire, and gave him his first fly casting lesson. He done very well, but they  both blanked.

 Martin picked me up from home in Winchester and we  went back to Moorhen, he very kindly payed for a two fish ticket for me. He  only had to pay £10 because they had no fish on Thursday, we started fishing and I was very surprised with Tayler's casting he was very good,  Martin had done well. I  went off and spoke to the owner of the lake for advice on the type of fly, he recommended a small black buzzer. I returned back to Tayler and put on a small buzzer then within  about 10 mins he had one of two fishes, two and quarter pounds, and the second of two and three quarters. Well done.

 Martin was fishing with a light outfit and done very well with two fish, I had one of about 2.5lb.

Martin Porter  WWW.tryangling.com

Hi all, i just popped out for an hours fishing tonight, i was using a cadis dry fly, fish rising all over, i had two small brown trout, but as i was casting to another there was a large splash to my right, hoping to see a large rise, but no there was a large adult Otter swimming down stream, that was the end of my fishing, i got out my camera to get a photo, but by this time the Otter had gone, heading of down stream toward the city mill, what a lovely way to end the evening.      9.10pm on the 29/7/2008.