[Sandy Nelson]

"What do you know?" this is a question i get asked on a daily basis by a guy at work, it may just be his friendly greeting, but it got me to thinking.

Over the course of the year, we read lots of articles, Forum posts and have many quality conversations with like minded anglers,
we also experiment with flies, techniques and generally try different things.

So my question to you all is "what do you know?" what have you read, listened too, tried out, explored and learned over the last 12 months. It could be something that has improved your fishing success, something that has changed your perception or attitude to the sport, or maybe it might just be a fly or retrieve that has given you a new found confidence.

It strikes me that we will have all learned something this year, so why not share it and perhaps we can all give it a go next year and have a similar experience or perhaps just look at something from a perspective we may not have considered

Looking forward to seeing what has changed in your fishing world this year.

Sandy

[Sandy Nelson]

My fishing year has been fairly quiet, although it did contain some lifetime high spots

My trip to the backcountry in NZ highlighted to me the importance of casting technique. I have been lucky enough to spend many hours learning to cast with some of the best in the country and it does rub off, as does many hours spent practicing

I found myself on a heavily wooded stream, casting a weighted nymph and an indicator, once i adapted to the strange rod and line combo and found the sweet spots for casting i ended up throwing the nymph a long way. This allowed me to cover fish that the guide informed me, no-one usually ever managed to reach, consequently i had the best days fishing on that river that the guide had seen this year. I thought the fishing was amazing, but when the guide tells you it was much better than usual because of your casting technique it makes you think, what benefits will this bring to all the aspects of my fishing?.

I know this is something we all know, but this was the first time that it had made such a huge difference to me on a river.
When i was Saltwater fishing for Tuna last year i became very aware of the difference, good casting made and up until then i had thought of it as being something that was nice to be able to do , but not necessarily essential when it came to catching fish. I should confess that i then began to think it was something that made a difference in extreme conditions but my trip to the wee river in NZ backcountry put all that into perspective  .

I would recommend to all fellow fly anglers, learn a few different casts, expand your distance and practice to make sure that when you need to do it on the river/loch/sea that you can adjust and adapt and still get the fly out to the fish. Do all this with your favourite fly rod/line combo and you will add another dimension to your fishing. Lessons are a great way to do this.

Casting is not about hitting landmarks, its about getting the fly to the fish, give yourself the best chance possible, practice your casting and those fish may no longer be just out of reach

Sandy

[Euan Innes]

I learned that all work and no fish makes Soundmixer a wanker. I had let it all go and was finding excuses to NOT go fishing. I didn't sell the kit though....
Finally, after much coercing from the Coastguard I went to Assynt with a bunch of like minded nutters. This brought it all back - I could still cast (laying myself open to abuse here), could still catch fish, tie flies, read the water, and do all the other things that I tried to give up, the reason for which was getting murkier and further away into the past. I re-discovered the joy of float tubing and especially a drifting wooden boat on a highland loch.

I was also introduced to salt water angling, albeit with a real c**t of a rod until the YMCA came to the rescue, again! Wow, not addictive at all (salt water fishing , not the Coastguard) and now looking at a salt rod. See how buying gear never goes away!

Some of my own flies seemed to work well too, so I haven't lost that knack either.

Several trips North later as well as two trips back to one of the best fisheries in Scotland for coffee and abuse (thanks Iain) I'm back to where I used to be.

One new rod, reel, AND line (money bags) later and I'm back in business and not keen on letting this get away from me again.

Probably still a wanker, but at least I'm fishing.

Is it June yet???????  

 

[Hamish Young]

I see young Ben has been busy in your post there Euan  Thanks for the kind comments though fella

Anyhoo - a (now retired) fellow Coastguard said a wise thing when I attended one of his training sessions "we're always learning". To be honest I never really considered the great significance of that comment until recently but that is, as they say, another story.

With fishing, if I haven't learnt anything new in a year, then something is far wrong. I mean, if I didn't learn something new every season I'd be convinced that maxima is the only leader material in the world worth using, that a DT line is the answer to a fly fishers wet dreams and the only fly to fish for Salmon is an Allys Shrimp......
What have I learnt this year - or more in fitting with Sandys post - what do I know this year that I didn't last year A hell of a lot, and I'm still learning or understanding new stuff every day. The most significant thing I know from this year that really I didn't last year is there is no better way of improving casting performance than practice, practice and just for the hell of it some more practice. Going fishing doesn't count - practice is a different discipline.
But there's a catch..... practice isn't any use unless you practice the right things and to do that effectively then someone who knows what they're doing needs to be guiding your progress.

However, if I had to pick one thing (not necessarily a highlight from the year, that's a whole new topic to start off) that's not practice but something else I do know from this year is the fact I must frankly admit that I actually really like the Sage 9' #5wt TCR. I used to think they were the spawn of the devil and akin to using grass rods, but now I understand the merits of the TCR - so much so I bought one. That's what I know, we're always learning.

H

[Rob Brownfield]

I learnt that wild Brown Trout can, at times, be extremely, extremely, extremely stupid!

I learnt that pound for pound, I have not hooked anything as strong as a Pollock on the fly.

I learnt that the 20 year old 9 foot 5/6 Daiwa Osprey rod I gave away to a friend to start fishing with was an extremely easy rod to cast, no effort, relaxed timing and a full Barrio fly line could be cast with ease...and I wish I had not given it away!

I learnt that 11 year old daughters pester me to go fishing!

I learnt that 45 year old fathers wish their 11 year old daughters did not like fishing!

[Mike Barrio]

Good topic

This year has been a great one at the fishery and I have probably learnt enough to write a book!

The gradual, careful changeover from rainbow trout to brown trout stock in the loch has been a fascinating project and certainly not something that you can do overnight. Keeping everything in balance and sustainable within the boundaries of the habitat of the lake has been crucial in maintaining healthy fish throughout the project and there has been a lot to monitor and learn. We are now more than 12 months down the road and I am really, really pleased with the progress so far



What about the fishing? ..... This has totally changed, but at the same time it hasn't

Anybody that has fished Haddo on a regular basis over the years will have hopefully gained a basic understanding of the prolific food available in the lake, yes things get blown off the trees, but some of the key food items in the water include Corixa, damsel nymphs, alder nymphs, olives, freshwater shrimp, sedge, midge and bloodworm and the Brownies have obviously found them. Imitating these continues to be a good idea

The Brownies have been much more active on or near the surface throughout the season and this has been the most obvious change in the fishing ( although they also appear to like a bit of movement, where the rainbows often preferred things static ) As for tactics, the thing that I have noticed more than anything else throughout the year ..... is that presentation is king, a well presented fly catches far more fish

More gentle presentation can of course be easier with a 3wt or 4wt rod and line, but this is far from crucial and it is certainly possible to present a fly well with a 6wt, just back off the delivery power a little and put a bit of thought in to what you are trying to achieve. I want my line to land reasonably quietly on the water and I want my fly to extend the full length of my leader beyond the end of my fly line and land on the water without putting the fish down. I've been watching this all the time, it does not appear to matter a hoot whether your fly line is olive, cream, peach, blue, hi-viz yellow or hi-viz orange, as long as your fly extends the full length of your leader beyond the line and presents well then you are in with a very good chance of success ........ if your fly and leader "dumps" behind the end of your line and you have to retrieve your line to clear it away from the fly - you have reduced your chances of success by miles!

Best wishes
Mike

[Sandy Nelson]

I learnt that wild Brown Trout can, at times, be extremely, extremely, extremely stupid!

Awww Rob you shouldn't sell yourself short, with all that practice it was enevitable you would catch one eventually

 

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

I believe the following video was filmed in secret on a highland loch somewhere up North

Names have of course been changed to protect their identities, but I can reveal that "Ernie" is in fact Euan and "Bert" is Hamish

[Sandy Nelson]

I just wet myself
now i'm having an Asthma attack
But you didn't need to tell me who was who


Sandy

[Euan Innes]

Well that about sums up the day!  (sorry H)
Ernie was using the new Orvis Access 104.....

Mike, has technology not arrived in Inverurie yet, that you had to video the TV screen and not just download the movie?

 

[Mike Livingstone]

Just glad Mike didnīt show the evening footage of the guys.  Most of us have seen Sesame Street 

[Hamish Young]

Going back to the topic title "what do you know?" I know now that my sense of humour isn't what it once was.

H

[Euan Innes]

PMSL 

You know, in my head, I can actually hear you saying that! 

 

[Iain Goolager]

I know now that my sense of humour isn't what it once was

I sensed you were gettin' a grumpy old bu**er! 

What do I know?

a) I know it's time for bamboo.
b) I know that however much you love fishing the dry fly it's gonna affect your daylight catches of Sea-Trout.
c) A flask and a fag might not please the GMC but it will improve your appreciation of the river.
d) Fishing in good company is as important as fish caught.
e) It is best to fish alone if there is a large fish showing. 
f) When the winter comes you regret those summer days when you decided to do the garden 'cos you can always go fishing tomorrow.
g) I cry when the weekend comes after 4 days of rain  :z19
h) I need to get my casting sorted.
i) Entomology is a mindnumbingly exciting subject.
j) Scoop nets are brilliant.
K) CDC is brilliant.
l) serious note - honestly! If I couldn't fish then I'd be as well in prison.
m) Noel is a plank

Iain
 

[Euan Innes]

"a) I know it's time for bamboo."

I'm sorry Iain, for starting you on the path towards financial self destruction