Monthly Roundup

     Hello everyone and it's that time of the year once more when the problem of deciding on what to buy for friends, relatives and loved ones come each Christmas Time. Maybe there is someone for whom you are stuck for an idea so why not give them a gift voucher for a fly fishing lesson or two. It doesn't matter if they have never picked up any type of fishing rod before - lessons are geared from the absolute beginner to those that want to improve the skillsthey already have.

        My apologies that it has been a few months since I last wrote anything on this page but with competitions and my wife deciding that the downstairs needed one last overhaul in decorating plus deciding we needed to modernise the brown furniture I have been pretty hectic rubbing down the skirting boards, arcitaves and all the cabinets and display units, getting in a chap to do the ceilings and walls, changing some of the electrics and getting a new carpet I have been busy. Fortunately, it's hopefully the last time for such a big project before we push up the daiseys.

     Once the hot weather finished and things cooled down the lakes could be re-stocked and fishing at my syndicate water at Great Leighs and at Chigborough was very good with some nice fishing coming to the net indeed sometimes it was too good and I had to tell clients that what they were experiencing was not normal. The fish tend to shoal up when recently stocked and getting a bite a cast may be fun for for a novice but skillful it is not.

     Now in December the weather on some days has been decidedly cold with rain never far away but the fish don't mind. Last week, at the end of November I had the guys from Fishing for Heroes at Chigboro and the trout were happy to feed despite temperature only just above freezing so they all enjoyed their day which we used as a Xmas fayre with a full English breakfast followed by a Xmas dinner with all the trimmings.

     The west of the country has been hit pretty hard with rain and the north with snow so no long trips to fish the rivers of Yorkshire and Wales so this will have to wait for more pleasent weather conditions.   

     Closer to home I took part in the EPSA  Croker Cup event at Chigboro Lakes and won both the individual and heaviest fish cups. This is a special match with competitors fishing 3 hours on each of the lakes swapping lakes after a compulsary lunch break. They are allowed only 1 fish from a swim and must move after catching and a maximum of 3 fish per lake. I was pretty lucky with my first fish on my first cast using a very small tequilla blob and having let the fly settle started to fill my pipe but before I could light it, the line ran taught and I had my first fish. In the end I had six rainbows and the second place managed five but we shared the cup for the heaviest fish both catching a trout of just under 3 lbs.    

     With Christmas approaching and the difficulty in deciding what presents to buy you may want your loved ones to get you a voucher or two for tuition or perhaps you need to think of a gift for someone special so I hope to see some of you as clients who might wish to learn or improve in the gentle art of fly fishing.

All the Best.

Iain Fraser. AT Angling Lead Coach, License Number 1274.