There’s something primal about watching a trout intercept your fly. Once you’ve experienced it, fishing blind feels a bit like casting into an empty bathtub and hoping for the best. Sight fishing transforms the whole game from hopeful repetition into a proper hunt, and the best part is that UK waters offer perfect opportunities for […]

I’ll be honest, when I first heard about euro nymphing a few years back, I thought it sounded like just another gimmick. We’ve got perfectly good French leader techniques and traditional upstream nymphing methods that have served British anglers well for generations. Why complicate things? Then I spent a frustrating afternoon on the upper Wye

Right, let’s talk about something that most British trout anglers completely overlook. While everyone’s busy matching the hatch with size 18 olives, there’s a different approach that consistently catches bigger fish, especially outside the main mayfly season. Streamer fishing doesn’t get much attention in UK fly fishing circles, but it absolutely should. Gear Used in

I spent most of my early years on the river stubbornly casting dry flies, even when there wasn’t a rise in sight. There’s something pure about watching a trout rise to a floating fly that kept me committed to the dry, come hell or high water. But I was leaving a lot of fish uncaught,

Ask ten fly fishers about the best month to fish in the UK and you’ll probably get ten different answers. That said, after spending enough cold mornings on riverbanks and enough warm evenings watching rises, I reckon May edges ahead of the pack for most of us. Gear Used in This Article View on Amazon

There’s something properly special about fishing the Yorkshire Dales. Maybe it’s the way the rivers tumble down limestone valleys, or how you can walk for miles without seeing another angler. Whatever it is, this corner of northern England remains one of our most underrated fly fishing destinations. Gear Used in This Article View on Amazon

If you’ve never cast a fly line across a Lake District tarn at dawn, with mist rolling off the fells and not another soul for miles, you’re missing out on something special. This corner of Cumbria offers some of the finest wild fly fishing in England, though it’ll make you work for every fish. Gear

The River Test has earned its reputation as one of England’s finest chalk streams, and after spending countless days on its banks, I can tell you the hype is absolutely justified. This Hampshire treasure has been kicking out trout to selective anglers for centuries, and it still manages to humble even the most experienced fishers

I’ll be honest, for years I walked straight past perch swims on my local rivers, eyes fixed on likely trout lies or chub holes. What a muppet I was. British perch on the fly is absolutely brilliant sport, and I’m frankly amazed more fly anglers don’t target them deliberately. Gear Used in This Article View

There’s something properly addictive about watching a pike absolutely nail your fly. I’m not talking about the gentle sips we’re used to with trout. I mean that violent, explosive take that nearly rips the rod out of your hands. If you’ve only ever caught pike on deadbaits or lures, you’re missing out on what might