Practical UK fly fishing tips, gear guides and river advice for beginners.
Look, I’m not going to pretend that fly fishing is a cheap sport. Walk into any tackle shop and you’ll see rods costing more than a weekend away, reels that could fund a month’s food shopping, and flies so beautifully tied you’d feel guilty dragging them through the Wye. But here’s the thing. You absolutely […]
Getting Started in Fly Fishing for Under a Hundred Quid Read Post »
Right, let’s talk about fly lines because I reckon this is where most people starting out get properly confused. You walk into a tackle shop or start browsing online and suddenly you’re faced with weight forward this, double taper that, sinking tips, intermediate densities, and about fifty different price points. Honestly mate, it’s enough to
Best Fly Line for Beginners in the UK Read Post »
Right, so you’ve got your rod sorted, you’ve watched a few YouTube videos, and now you’re staring at a wall of flies in the tackle shop wondering why on earth anyone needs seventeen different shades of olive nymph. I get it. The whole thing can feel overwhelming, like learning a new language where everyone’s fluent
Choosing Your First Fly Fishing Flies Without Going Broke or Barmy Read Post »
Right, let’s talk about the knots that really count. Not the fancy stuff you see in YouTube videos where some bloke ties seventeen different variations while you’re sat there thinking “mate, I just want to catch a trout before the hatch finishes”. I mean the proper workhorses. The knots you’ll tie a hundred times a
Connecting Leader to Fly: The Knots That Actually Matter Read Post »
You know what’s funny about fly fishing? We all spend hours tying on different patterns, reading articles, watching videos, trying to crack the code. Then some bloke turns up with a scruffy old Pheasant Tail that looks like it’s survived three seasons and absolutely smashes it while you’re faffing about with the latest fancy pattern
Best Flies for Trout in UK Waters Read Post »
You know that moment when you’re standing in the middle of the Test or the Usk, squinting at the surface trying to work out if that’s a rise or just a bit of leaf litter? Yeah, I’ve been there more times than I care to admit. Spent the best part of an afternoon last May
Best Polarized Sunglasses for UK Fly Fishing Read Post »
Look, I’m not going to pretend I got this right first time. My first pair of waders were cheap neoprenes I picked up from a catalogue about fifteen years ago, and I spent an entire February morning on the Usk slowly turning into a human ice lolly from the waist down. Learned that lesson the
Best Waders for UK Fly Fishing: What Actually Works on Our Rivers Read Post »
Right, let’s talk fly reels. I’ve watched blokes spend more on a reel than their entire rod setup, and I’ve seen others fish perfectly happily with something that cost less than a round at the pub. The truth sits somewhere in the middle, though closer to the cheap end than the tackle shops would have
Best Fly Reel for UK Fishing: What Actually Matters Read Post »
Look, I get it. You’re just starting out or maybe you want a spare rod that won’t have you weeping if it gets slammed in a car door. A hundred quid isn’t much these days, barely covers a decent night at the pub with mates, but can it get you a proper fly rod that’ll
Best Fly Rod Under 100 Quid for UK Anglers Read Post »
You spend all this time perfecting your cast, tying flies at the vice until your eyes blur, reading about hatches and water temperatures. But how often do you actually think about what’s happening below the surface from the fish’s perspective? Gear Used in This Article View on Amazon I’ll be honest, I spent years fishing
What’s Really Going On Down There: Understanding Fish Behaviour Underwater Read Post »
