Last Sunday I popped over to Treemeadow with a view to having a look around in the shop. I was hoping initially to go fishing as I now have some time, but with one look out the window when I woke up I decided against it as it was dark, and the sky was full of that good Cornish ‘mizzle’ (mist and drizzle). Typical.
I was having a chat with John in the shop and decided to scoot off home (1), get my kit and go fishing anyhow.
An hour later and I am at Sedge lake, the larger of the two. Alan (or is it Pete?) who works there came over and was very, very helpful in giving me some tuition on casting which was totally invaluable. For any other beginners starting out I cannot stress enough how different I found casting onto water to practising on a field.(2)
I was using a gold headed nymph and after I was shown how to retrieve I spent a couple of hours without any luck, although there were a lot of Trout jumping out the water all around. Hmmmmm……my fly is in the depths yet I think they are feeding on the surface...............
.........I went into the shop and bought a couple of more flies, one of them being a Daddy Longlegs, and along came Alan and this time he showed me how to fish with a dry fly. I did have a lot of flies with me that a neighbour let me borrow, but these needed dressing as they were just sinking.
An hour into using this daddy longlegs I was just letting it drift as there was a lot of surface ripples from the wind and then there was a splash right where the fly was situated……
……Would you believe it – I’ve caught a trout!
When I got it in I weighed it and it was just over 2lb (small in comparison to some, but a dam site larger than you get at Asda
– and more importantly it was great fun with it at the end of the line).
Although I had bought a 2 fish ticket I was happy with just the one fish. Added to which it was getting late now and I was due to go out for a meal so I didn’t stay too much longer.
Observations from this first outing?
(1). I really could do with a 3, or more, piece rod. The one I have is a 2 piece, yet with a 3 or 4 piece it can stay in the boot of the car always there incase I decide to finish early one afternoon. The 2 piece does not fit and has to go on the back seat.
(2). Instruction from anyone who has more experience is priceless. This is so different to sea, or coarse fishing…………and much more fun.
Having some knowledge of what will work well in certain conditions is important. I am now stocking up on flies, building my own collection so I know what it is I have.
Hopefully this will come with experience.
All in all, this is a great sport/hobby/pastime and I can’t wait till Friday when I’m off to Treemeadow again.
All the best,
-Neil
First experience of fly fishing.....
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