Due to the very cold spring the start of the Mayfly hatch has been delayed a little but it has now started on the lower River Test in the Romsey area.  Our chalkstreams guide Colin Alexander has been out guiding on the River Test and River Itchen in recent days – just as the Mayfly hatch was starting – and here is his report:  Click here to read more

The Trout season legally opens on the chalkstreams of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire in early-April but some beats choose not to open until mid-April or 1^st May.  Fly hatches can be sparse in the early two or three weeks but some surprisingly good hatches take place if you are in the right place at the right time.  In early-April last year there were swarms of Grannom over parts of the lower River Test near to Romsey and some good dry fly sport was had.  Click here to read more

Long Trotting for grayling is very much a traditional method of fishing for grayling during the winter months in the Yorkshire Dales, not only is it a skilful and pleasant way of fishing it’s also very effective.  Historically many of the angling clubs in the Yorkshire Dales permit long trotting for grayling, (usually with worm), after the brown trout season has finished and it’s a great way to extend your fishing season. Click here to read more

That old adage holds true, 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish which has always been one of the favourite sayings of my long time friend and indeed mentor Oliver Edwards and it’s perfectly true. Click here to read more

You see it all the time on both still waters and rivers, fly fishers doing five, six or more false casts before getting their flies into the water.  Still water fly fishers are especially guilty, busting a gut trying to cast as far as they can, it’s both hard work and frankly on most days no more effective than casting a comfortable 15yards or so. Click here to read more

When fishing dries to regular risers try to match the size, colour and profile of the natural as your first line of attack.

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This last two weeks guiding on the chalkstreams has reminded me of some of the critical factors in success catching Brown Trout on dry fly.  First, and most obviously, ‘match the hatch’.  Look at the flies coming down the stream and pick a fly from your box that is designed to imitate the naturals you can see – like an Adams to imitate a Blue Winged Olive or a Kite’s Imperial for a Medium Olive or a Tups Indispensable for a Pale Watery.  Click here to read more

May has arrived although with the weather as its been it feels more like March has just arrived.

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Its only a week since the Grayling season ended and its now just two weeks before my first day of the river Trout season.  I’m looking forward to a social day fly fishing a great beat of the lower River Test with three of my Go Fly Fishing UK guide colleagues on 4th April.  Click here to read more

During the second half of February I guided clients Grayling fly fishing on the River Test on six days.  Mostly the fishing was good with my clients catching from 5 to 21 fish, averaging about 10.  What surprised me was the killer fly – a Fulling Mill pattern called the Atomic Worm. Click here to read more