Tuition & Coaching

Good anglers are always on the lookout for new tips and new information. The charm of angling is that it is a never-ending journey in which we never stop learning.

In a culture where everybody is learning, there is always time for a beginner and some coaching when you begin to cast will avoid the development of bad habits and save you a lot of wasted time later. Even if you are an experienced fly-fisher, you may benefit by having your basic casts checked out and possibly want to learn some more advanced ones. Finally, if you have experience on still waters, but now wish to fish on rivers, there is a huge amount of watercraft to be learned and a few lessons will short-circuit that process.

There is a lot more to fly fishing than casting.

Guiding

Thanks to the Wye and Usk Foundation’s work, and in particular to the Fishing Passport scheme in which the Foundation acts as a clearing house for beat rentals, there is today more widespread angling access to these two wonderful rivers than ever before, usually at a very reasonable price. Over 500 km of river fishing is now available, as well as the lakes of the Welsh mountains. I have had a wonderful time getting to know much of this fishing over the years, whether on the wider stretches of the main rivers with a dry fly, stalking wild brownies with a nymph on a small brook, or paddling my float tube around on an upland lake.

 You may wish to learn a particular skill, such as spider fishing, light or heavy nymphing. Or you may simply need some help and advice in finding your way and hopefully some productive lies on unfamiliar water during a fishing break. You might like to try out something as specialised as night fishing for sea trout or winter trotting for grayling with a centre pin reel, see my Species page.

If you have anything in particular in mind, I will be happy to discuss this through and put a package together which suits your requirements.

Group & Family Tuition

 

 

 

Most of my clients are individuals
looking to benefit from one to one or one to two
coaching. Larger groups can sometimes be
accommodated, although extra instructors will be
needed depending on your particular numbers and
budget.

I also often teach families with children wishing to
learn fly fishing. Childhood is a great time for
learning new skills and some lessons early on can
lead to rewarding family days for years to come.
When angling with children, it is very important to
produce results for them quickly.

Note: We have special protocols for working with
families including child protection and DBS checks.

Fly Tying 

It’s a wonderful thing to catch a trout on an artificial fly, and especially so if you have tied the fly yourself. Bob Church described fly-dressing as not a science, but an ancient and romantic art, and so it is: carried out by hand, incapable of automation, described by antique words like hackled and palmered. Although the traditional materials of silk, fur and feather have now been joined by glittering modern ones, there is still something of black magic about the mysterious business of tying flies which will deceive fish.

I teach fly-tying for beginners and improvers, for brown trout, grayling and still water rainbow fishing, as well as salmon and sea trout.

I have a particular interest in some of the more traditional patterns once used on Welsh rivers, as well as the North Country spider patterns, the so-called “soft hackle” flies which unfortunately don’t last that long once a few trout teeth get a hold on them. For this reason, you need to re-tie your successful patterns regularly and quickly.

Please call me if you are interested in fly-dressing lessons or advice on traditional flies and materials.