Good words above. The first few comps are a little nerve wracking, but I've learned more from competitions and other competitors than from a lifetime of reading fishing books and magazines. I fished my 1st comp with 2 fly lines - floater and kelly, I didn't have a boat seat and wore a barbour jacket with £6milletts waterproof trousers. I was uncomfortable because I couldn't stand up in the boat as I used to and got drenched through. I was with a chap called Peter Johnson, a fine Bewl angler and sadly now lost to a fatal disease commonly known as golf! He gave me flies and encouraged me through out and I had a great day. I've met many fine anglers and fine people, unfortunately all very ugly, but very often an absolute delight to share a boat with for 8 hours. I now truck up at Rutland, Grafham and Chew etc and always see familiar faces and have made many good friends and many aquantances that are only as a result of fishing competitions. My first comp, i stood on the outside of the group, feeling a bit of an outsider and very nervous. Every one else seemed to know each other and know what they were doing. There was another chap looking equally out of place - Clive Collier, we got chatting, it was his first comp also and Clive has been a great friend for many years now. Clive has now fished for england many times thanks to my encouraging words that day!? Many non anglers think fly fishing is a solitary sport. I can assure you Sir, competitive fly fishing is anything but. Start fishing competitions, join a club and fish their local comps, eventually join a team and fish the bigger comps; and if you don't end up taking it too seriously and losing your head up your bum and forget why you started in the 1st place, you'll never regret your first competition.
|
Linear Mode
