It was my birthday on Friday so took the day off work and planned a days fishing as you do when you are given such luxuries.

Due to the special occasion I wanted to go somewhere that was almost guaranteed fish, especially as I am a clumsy amateur. So with a flask of South American blend coffee I headed for my local back garden - the Yorkshire Dales. What a beautiful place. I remembered feeding the fish at Kilnsey Park as a kid and also remembered there been monsters there that were similar size to me when i was six.

Kilnsey is first an foremost a trout farm but has other facilities on site too including a restaurant and natural trail. They raise trout for commercial sale, their restaurant and also for fishery stocking purposes so it comes as no surprise that their two waters, around an acre each hold a high number of fish from around 1.5lb to the 18+lb beast mounted proudly in the restaurant.

I arrived just after 09:30 and after paying the small fee of £14 for a full day C&R eagerly started constructing my weapon of choice. Now, I have never fished in winter as I only started a few months ago but I assumed that the trout would be deep, but to my unsuspecting astonishment they were popping up all over, so I knew I had a chance at a birthday haul if I played my cards right.

With my hands still warm from the car heater I tied on a rough GRHE on a 9ft leader of 5lb.

For my birthday I had been given the full set of Hywel Morgan's Stillwater Fly Fishing DVDs. Whilst I was waiting for the missus to get ready for work I put them on and had a nice hour's viewing whilst she decided what to wear, ah bless, she just started a new job that week. Taking on board the advice given i started to deliver casts in a fan shape to test different parts of the water without disturbing potential areas. I had one take that I missed in the first 40mins or so. Change of tactics require so I headed back to the car for a cup of the best.

I removed the rough GRHE and I took a fancy to a black and green Montana that sat in my fly box singing a well known birthday song. On it went. I finished my coffee and headed back onto the only platform and lay a 10yrd cast out along the left margin. Now I love the outdoors so I was looking the crag with surrounding snow capped hills and wondering what everyone was doing in the office round about now. I couldn't give a rats tail for what they were doing. I was stood with a fly rod in my hand, wrapped up like Michelin Man and had fresh crisp air in my lungs, along with a smile so broad my teeth were hurting from the cold. Note to self - get some toothpaste for sensitive teeth when having so much fun.

On Hywel's DVD he mentioned a retrieve called the FTA which explained as "Messing the Trout About" retrieve. The DVD was not certified as 18 so I had to guess how "Messing" began with an "F". 1-2-3-4-5 small slow pull, two fast pulls, figure of eight, slow medium pull, stop,1-2-3-4-5 etc. Missed. I have not had chance to get out recently so my reactions needed oiling up.

The gentleman on my right fishing between the holding nets and the car parks struck into a solid fish and began gathering in his line onto the reel. As I waited for my nymph to sink again I glanced over and smiled as I enjoy it when others are catching even if I am not. We swapped nods and diverted our attentions to the jobs at hand.

Needless to say I missed take after take but at least I was instilled with the confidence that the fish were also singing the same tune as the Montana nymph, it was just my reactions that were letting me down. I put it down to the extra year in age. After a 10yrd cast directly in front, an 8 Mississippi count, two short sharp pulls and I was rewarded with a solid pull on the line. Hurrah!!! I glanced up, the gentleman to my left glanced back and nodded and the late starter to my right glanced over, smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Look at me with a fish on! Woo hoo! No, it's now swimming back to its friends. ******!” Another coffee and this time a relaxing smoke to compose myself.

I then headed round to the peninsula after a quick exchange of pleasantries with the two other anglers and cast towards the snow covered hills. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, pull, pull, stop. 1-2-3-4, pull, slow draw, BANG. FISH ON!!!! Determined and in full concentration mode, there was no glancing around as a "Look at the big man in campus!", this time I was going to land it even if I had to wade in after. Not allowed and not recommended. After chasing it around the shallows with the net desperately wanting to get one on the board it laboured over the lip of the net and it was mine. As I lifted it out and swung round to unhook my quarry, my fellow fishermen gave a cheer and a small round of applause causing smiles everywhere. Something that will no doubt remain with me for the rest of my life and reassure me of the good nature, camaraderie and general celebration and enjoyment of the sport that is held by so many I have met that should see me through some tough times.

That fish was definitely the turning point. After ten more minutes I was into another and the following cast another. I was to be on a hat-trick twice in the day without conversion and finished with a total of 14 bars of sleek wet silver for my efforts before being asked to leave as they were closing. Just one last cast, please?

What a day I had and was very glad I watched the DVD to enable me to mess trout about. Such a simple thing but I am sure it made all the difference.

If you want to go to Kilnsey, I recommend you do if you are ever in the area, all of the details can be found here:

http://www.kilnseypark.co.uk/

Nice reading Ian, but I thought you were going to Helwith?

Kilnsey is not bad at all for beginners, I teach alot up there. More or less guaranteed to catch but good fun

See you soon

Steve

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Stephen Cheetham GAIC ADB
www.fishingwithstyle.co.uk