Nick Hart Fly Fishing

Big Water, Big Fish

2008-08-16T18:44:00.006+01:00

The rain has been challenging to say the least recently. At the times the River Exe had to be in excess of 4ft over summer levels if not more. It was quite simply blasting its way through and during an abandoned fishing trip recently all I could do was stand and watch in awe at the power wondering just how many Salmon were on their way to the moorland tributaries!

The inclement weather has made a lot of fishing very tough on rivers and even saltwater fly fishing opportunities are being dashed by the moment. Many estuaries where usually the chance of a Bass on the fly is very high at this time of year are useless due to the suspended silt discharged into the area by the river. I am all for wrapping up warm, getting out there and getting on with it. But ... the current British weather is curtailing options.

However it is certainly not all doom and gloom. Exe Valley Fishery is looking superb now the Aqua Tractor has done its thing and the low temperatures make for highly oxygenated water. This means the fish are happy and has lead to the capture of some fine specimens including these two weighing in at 8lb 8oz and 9lb 8oz. The fish below was taken last weekend when the sun came out for at least 10 minutes!

Join us on Saturday 30th August 2008 for our open day and try catching one for yourself during our competition running throughout the day. The entrance fee is just £10.00 plus a two fish permit and the best bag on the day will win a Hardy Demon Fly Rod worth £279.00!

During the week we have taken another influx of budding new anglers attending our popular fly fishing courses and I have been out and about working on a new project that is proving to be a challenge but very rewarding. As the rain clatters down once more I feel a cup of tea coming on and the need to find a book picturing some very large Bonefish in a very hot country. Will we be blessed with an Indian summer? I hope so.

Rivers in Spate

2008-08-10T18:52:00.005+01:00

Just back from my trip with Dave Sedgwick. I guessed the river would be high but the Mole was daft! At least 12" up on last week, even the access points were flooded and so pretty quickly we abandoned ship after a bit of casting practice. Fishing in a section just below the stretch pictured here Jim Parrot took a couple of Sea Trout only a week ago today. Will the rain ever stop?

The huge amounts of water are good for one thing though and that's Salmon. They are running the River Exe which David and I headed back to for the afternoon session. A fish did show a couple of times in one of the pools Dave fished. Using a large Conehead Comet strapped to a 500 grain head and a 14ft double hander Dave did encounter a strong pull from the fish but unfortunately no hook up. In such high coloured water we are talking millimetres and split seconds between a hooked up fish or not. It is however hugely satisfying when everything comes to together in such tough conditions as Tim Watson found last season. Read more here.

It is worth noting the difference in clarity between the Mole, a low lying river and the Exe which is the opposite. If your fishing trip looks doomed due to high water, search around for another venue because there may just be something that could yield some action. To be honest even in the toughest of tough conditions it is worth casting, after all it is an old cliche but "if your fly is not in the water ... "

I have some flies to tie tonight, mainly coneheads and lots of sorting out here to do tomorrow before I spend Tuesday and Wednesday working on a new project that I will reveal in good time. Of course I also hope to have a fish and with the water like it is bound to be the Salmon that I am after. Things look good for the week and there are reports of Grilse running so get out there if you can!

Fishing after Weeding

2008-08-10T09:42:00.005+01:00

We are already well into August and yet it only seems a moment ago that the season began. I have been out with several guests over the last few weeks and now that Exe Valley Fishery has been cleared of weed on the main lake the fishing has suddenly become very good indeed.

Neil Pope is a busy IT director in London and needed something to help him relax. A former coarse angler he was soon casting well enough to take 3 fine Trout on dry flies. Iain Barrs Harry Potter dries are certainly devastating on their day! It is so satisfying to introduce people to the sport, particularly those with busy lives who rarely find time for themselves. When we hear back from them it is doubly satisfying!

"Nick, I just want to thank you for a fantastic day, I have not relaxed so much for a long time. I have not stopped talking about the day since my return and had great fun gutting and cooking the fish. Both me and my wife where very surprised how nice fresh Trout is when cooked. I do think I have the bug so I am sure I will be back down. Again many thanks you made everything fun and well worth while." Neil Pope, London (by email)

On Friday a previous guest of Nick Hart Fly Fishing, John Wilkinson arrived to hone his skills from his 1 day course in May. We spent an enjoyable half day working on casting and fishing techniques which resulted in 3 fish. John was using his new fly fishing kit by Wychwood. These rods are amazing value for money and ideal for anyone trying the sport for the first time.

After several reschedules firstly due to the premature birth of Scarlett (my daughter who will be one in Oct, where did the time go!?) and then due to a holiday, Mrs Boddington arrived for her very first attempt at fly fishing aged 80! Guided by Neil she made the best of the fine weather and good water conditions to take this lovely Trout plus two others. It just goes to show that no matter age or sex fly fishing is for all of us. Fly Fishing, elitist; since when?!

Today I am headed out with a long time guest who I have been looking after for over a decade. Dave Sedgwick started with a novice course and since then now takes a rod on the Wylye for Trout and has this year also started fishing the Avon for Salmon, plus he fishes the Dorset coast for Bass. Right now the truck is loaded, my fly box is full of heavy tubes and we are about to take on the Devon weather and water conditions in the hope of a summer (that's a laugh!) Grilse. Report here tomorrow and check out the tuition site as I am making some changes. Plus ... the open day is in just a couple of weeks, Sat 30th August. Look out on the blog, in the press and in your snail mail box for details.

Aqua Tractor Unloading Weed

2008-08-08T16:53:00.005+01:00

There were a few problems trying to add this to the previous blog post, so here I have provided video of the Aqua Tractor depositing its first load of Exe Valley Weed.

Aqua Tractor Goes to Work

2008-08-08T15:40:00.008+01:00

My last post was all about the clean up operation underway here at Exe Valley Fishery. This involved an amazing machine hired out to us by Kingcombe Aquacare known as an Aqua Tractor. This odd looking craft worth in excess of £60,000 cruised the lakes for a couple of days cutting out the weed at lake bed level and then conveying it on board.

This first video shows the boat working the lake and collecting the weed. Just look at that slick of algae behind the boat and the flattening on the opposite edge is more weed, now, all gone! I have had problems uploading the 2nd video but will attempt to do so in the following post.

The results are fantastic as can be seen from this picture of Exe Valley yesterday. Thousands of Corixa are now charging around the lake and the Trout are making the best of them. The feeder stream is also flowing very well now the weed has been cut back providing highly oxygenated water that bodes very well for the coming weeks including our open day on Saturday 30th August 2008. Our next step is to clear the edges and install new platforms. Most important of all we are also about to introduce a total ban on all dogs to ensure our banks are free from those nasty deposits that none of us likes to encounter!

Exe Valley Clean Up

2008-08-07T08:41:00.000+01:00

Small waters suffer during the summer months, although this year I do wonder if the weather we have experienced could really be called summer! Even so the higher temps, coupled with lower flows and de-oxygenated water do lead to the nightmare that every fishery manager seeks to avoid ... WEED!

In particular Exe Valley suffers from low level weed that then attracts an algae which coats the vegetation resulting in something akin to thick cabbage soup. This causes terrible problems for anglers when fishing and trying to land Trout. So something had to be done because over the last few years we have attracted a great following of anglers to the fishery and owe it to them to maintain the fishery as best possible.

Research lead us to the people at Kingcombe Aquacare who have a quarter of a century of knowledge and experience in the field of maintaining and improving waterways. In particular I was attracted to a curious looking contraption known as an "aqua tractor". To better explain how this works tomorrow I will post up some video footage of the machine in action and also the results of two days spent navigating the lake.

There will be further details here and on my other sites soon regarding the open day we have coming up on Saturday 30th August 2007. Plus the Hart Flyshop club launches and we have more news regarding Exe Valley including the revamped website. And finally if you have chance to get out on the River Exe it is worth leaving the Trout rod and targeting Salmon. There is a Grilse run happening and on Tuesday evening I fished with good mate Mike Boniface who hooked a nice fish despite very coloured water conditions. He had it on for a while, but the fish went berserk and then slipped the hook requiring a beer afterwards to steady his nerves!

Sea Trout by Day

2008-08-04T15:51:00.000+01:00

A week has shot past since the CLA gamefair and there hasn't been a moment since to update the blog. The show was a great event as always and I enjoyed demonstrating the comparisons between fly fishing and lure fishing alongside Henry Gilbey. The crowds this year were huge and the weather was fantastic. I got to look at a lot more of the show than usual along with my wife Sue and little lad Chester who behaved incredibly well during the weekend, despite the soaring temperatures. In particular I was amazed by the products offered trough Bass Lures
and I had to stay well away from the various 4x4 sales areas as my truck needs replacing!

What has happened to the weather since that glorious CLA weekend? It has been shocking to say the least although a week ago today I did manage to bag myself another session on the Sea Trout. That night really hammered home to me once again that no matter what text books, DVDs and general theories there maybe ... the fish make the rules. It was a really warm evening, the cloud rolled in and the River Mole was literally pitch black. Perfect Sea Trout conditions. I did get a couple of fish, small school peal and lost another bigger as did Neil at around 1.30am, but following on from the high octane action from our moonlit session the week before it made for a puzzling session. Which leads me neatly on to yesterday.

I was guiding Jim Parrot and Alex Beattie on a Grand Slam. This is an action packed day spent fishing for Trout, Bass and then Sea Trout ... all in 24 hours ... all on fly. However based on the conditions it was just not possible to take up this challenge. The Atlantic around the North Coast is milky to say the least and our main estuary was chocolate Brown due to flooded rivers flowing in. Both guys had done a fair amount of Brown Trout fishing and so I decided we would take a look at the River Mole on the off chance that the colour was clearing.

It was! There was certainly colour to be seen but this can actually be very good when fishing for Salmon or Sea Trout. Setting up with single handed rods we were soon casting with Midge Tip Lines and Sea Trout patterns. Yes, in the daytime! Twenty five minutes in and Jim was hooked up into a lovely little peal that gave a great account of itself and after a photo was carefully returned. During the session both guys got a number of takes, a typical Sea Trout habit that keeps the adrenalin levels running throughout the day. But it was Jim that converted another later in the early evening to once again catch and release another sprightly Peal. It was a shame not to be able to do take up the slam but completing our day in the Anchor Inn over a pint both Alex and Jim have vowed to return. Let us hope the weather shines upon them in 2009 and that they get chance to achieve the exciting challenge of taking a Wild Brown Trout, Bass and Sea Trout all in one day and on the fly.

Another slam turned into a slap on Friday as Tim Watson and Tony Kaye embarked on their day. All be it the smallest Browns I think they have ever caught during their many guided sessions with me, it is a day not about size but species. On schedule a couple of little Wild Browns were in the bag although Tim did also get another bigger and an escaped Rainbow before we headed out to the coast.

A howling South Westerly greeted us as we neared the estuary which was a disturbing colour. Both the River Taw and River Torridge were blown due to the huge amounts of rain and gushing sediment into the usually crystal clear waters that Crow Point has become famous for. The Bass in this area are rarely large but it is usually possible to catch a few and it is a great place for saltwater virgins to cut their teeth. I am not sure if the Browns were bigger but both Tony and Tim got loads of Bass from one clear lagoon. We could not fish the main areas because there was so much colour and so now that we had at least contacted a Bass I drove the guys West to find something bigger. Again we were scuppered by conditions finding a milky sea that did not invite fly tactics.

Gutted. But we had a couple of species, even though small and so we remained inspired that a big Sea Trout was on the cards. But I was worried. Looking across the valley as we drove inland the scene looked bleak as dark clouds enveloped the hills before us. All the way we tried to keep our spirits high but nearing the River Mole our suspicions were confirmed. Storm drain after storm drain had blown and the Mole was now a dirty brown mess. Full marks to both Tim and Tony who still took a walk upstream and had a cast or two. Reality soon set in. The challenge was over and it was time to drown our sorrows by filling our tummies with perhaps one of the finest meals I have ever had at our local Thai restaurant, Tongdam. So two grand slams that didn't go to plan, but fun was had, fish were caught and it still leaves us with some unfinished business in the future! Like I said at the beginning of this piece ... the fish make the rules!

I have some exciting news about the fishery and details regarding our open day to post up, but right now I am off home to tie up some Sea Trout flies, I have to make the most of the rest of the season! I am also going to be having a look through some of my huge collection of fly rods as I need to make some room. I have a confession to make. Thanks to Henry I am about to buy myself some lure fishing kit!

CLA Gamefair 2008

2008-07-23T14:42:00.000+01:00

Today I have been sorting my kit ready for the show commencing on Friday. Henry Gilbey and I will be there to do our daily demos and this year there are a few changes! Come and see us in the fishing village out on the casting platform. Our demos are as follows:

Friday 12.15pm to 12.45pm
Saturday 1.00pm to 1.30pm
Sunday 10.45am to 11.15pm

Hope to see you there.

On the subject of shows, another date for your diary not to miss. Saturday 30th August 2008 is our open day here at Hart Flyshop. There will be lots going on! Find out more here next week.

Seductive Sea Trout

2008-07-23T13:41:00.000+01:00

Its been busy at the fishery over the last few days as children break up from school and families begin their holiday in this magnificent part of the world. There has been lots to do in the shop amongst the guiding but migratory fish have got to me this year and so I have been enjoying as many sessions as possible. Sea Trout are the perfect fish in every way for me basically because I can catch them after work during dark and both my kids are teething right now!

On Monday night Neil and I enjoyed a session in far from perfect conditions; a near full moon and clear sky. We like it as dark as possible for these fish, then they seem to take better. But that's the great thing about fishing. Nobody makes the rules. We arrived on the Mole in plenty of time to survey the scene but all looked quiet. We sat about and put the world to rights while waiting for darkness to fall but by 10.30pm there had not been much of a change. Looking up into the sky above there was not a cloud to be seen and so we decided it was time to get going before the night had ebbed away. I love the first 2 hours of a Sea Trout session, they can be electric. Miss this witching hour and you could be looking at a blank or a very late night/early morning! Dawn is another productive time, Sea Trout are very active during light changes.

Neil got going on the well known "Island Pool" while I tried out a new pool that has been cleared just this year for fishing. Requiring a rope and a little abseiling to get there I eased into the water which was still pushing through despite the fact that the floods subsided a while ago. My instinct said the floater on my Hardy Demon Reel was wrong and so I pulled out the Midge Tip instead. This is an awesome Sea Trout line and also amazing on still waters; the perfect nymphing/buzzer line. The original version by Rio is still the best and you can buy them here.

The leader is 10 ft of 10lb line. I often fish 15lb because some real heavyweights run the river but as it was not truly dark I opted for the lower diameter material and my all time favourite Sea Trout fly; The Loxy. Just casting at night is an adrenalin rush and after reports that many fish were running the river my expectations were running high. The atmosphere when Sea Trout fishing is just electric. But 30 minutes in and not a pull. I continued working the river, getting the fly in close to the opposite bank and yearning for the moment when an invisible force takes hold. A sudden snatched take awakened me, definitely a Sea Trout but it had taken short. This spurred me on but again it went quiet.

Another half an hour later I was to enjoy 5 minutes of fishing that I will never forget. Fishing on the dangle (the line straight below me, almost ready to recast) I got an arm wrenching pull. So hard the rod almost went in. Next cast and a fish was on, but then off. Cast 3 and yet another fish smacked into the fly, so close and so hard the fly pinged back over my head into the vegetation above! I retrieved the fly and another 2 consecutive casts were met with savage takes but no Sea Trout. My heart was pounding! I tried a couple of different flies, larger and smaller to see if I could get a fish to stick, but nothing, not even a take.

All went quiet. But I was confident and so when a tap, tap signalled some interest I decided in split seconds to do something I rarely do when fishing for any migratory species; I struck. The result was a small Sea Trout (often referred to as a peal in the West Country) which launched itself into the air and proceeded to dash and dart all over the river before being captured by my camera and than gaining its freedom again. Again all went quiet. This is what is so awesome about night Sea Trout fishing, the tranquility and then the high octane action. A perfect blend.

Another school peal followed a while later and was released. Shortly afterwards I was into the top of island pool. Meeting up with Neil I was hoping to congratulate him on his first Mole Sea Trout. But so far he had only got one take for his efforts, which is far better than I managed during my first outings on the Mole. It took me 3 attempts to even get a take, let alone a fish! Island Pool is great but tricky and Neil had only just seen it a few hours before (in the dark!) so I suggested we head to Sandmartin Pool, which is more open and easier to read. By now it was 1.00am.

Setting Neil off down a prime section I went in lower but with a chill in the air and the moon reflecting on the water I did not expect much. Ten minutes later Neil hooked a fish but sadly after all his effort it got off! I was luckier landing another Peal shortly afterwards and then it was time to head home. Arriving back at base around 3am I found Sue had only just settled the kids after they had awoken throughout the night with teething pains. Ah, the joys of Sea Trouting!

The CLA Gamefair is around the corner so I won't be able to get my Sea Trout fix for a few days. I shall be making up for it next week! Check out my next post for details regarding my demos at the CLA and also news about the Hart Flyshop Open Day.

Natural Anglers

2008-07-19T19:10:00.000+01:00

Over the last few days I have run several one day courses with varied people including a 17 year old student, a Canadian with his own software company and today a financial advisor from Bristol. It is one of the many great perks of my job; I get to meet a lot of people from all walks of life. What has been really interesting, in fact amazing, is that although all of these guys are very different they have in fact been gifted when it comes to casting. I have taught many people to fly fish over the years and the majority pick it up pretty quickly but it is rare to see so many people in the space of a few days who just click straight away.

Josh Chick began his first session with Neil and then I took over on day 2. By the afternoon he was easily good enough to tackle the River Exe, even in high water and went on to land half a dozen Wild Browns in double quick time plus he easily lost as many and missed several more. The key to his success was multiple accurate casts and dedicated concentration. The successful fly was a Klinkhammer (of course!) fished on a delicate leader.

Today I have been looking after Martin East, a lifelong angler who has enjoyed many coarse and sea fishing sessions but had never attempted casting a fly. Situated not far from the well known Bristol waters; Barrow Tanks, Chew and Blagdon lake he felt it was time to investigate them. Some friends purchased him a gift voucher for a one day course and I am pleased to say that we had a ball. Within an hour Martins casting was looking good, within 2 he was chucking such a nice line that we added a fly. The Exe Valley fish could not resist an Iain Barr Harry Potter dry, so much so that by lunchtime we had banked 3 good sized Trout and missed a few too.

We covered leaders and flies but there was still some time to enjoy so I suggested that although it was a big step that we tried a session at Wimbleball Lake. It is rare to head to this 385 acre venue in the company of a first time, first day fly fisher but we had nothing to lose and everything to gain! Permit sorted I was a little concerned that there were several Nil returns in the hut but not surprised based on the changeable wind and weather.

Our first point of call was Ruggs Bay, just off the point near the bench. This is a hot spot and I was amazed to find it available, in fact the lake was very quiet today. Is this the weather, fuel prices or the credit crunch ... or all 3 combined?

Martin set to work casting with a 10'0" #7 Hardy Demon, the same rod I used to bank this Salmon not so long ago. At first he found the strong wind tough to cope with but after half an hour was into the groove. Our leader was simple; 14', tapered out of Rio Fluorocarbon and including one dropper. I tied a Glo Head Diawl Bach to the top dropper and a Crispy Diawl Bach to the point. Martin was fishing across the wind and retrieving with a steady figure 8 when suddenly the line snapped tight and he was hard into his first ever reservoir Trout which we managed to net after a tense battle. The fly, the Crispy Diawl Bach, fell out in the mesh just as we landed it! After a photograph Martin fished hard for a brace but was very happy to end with one, especially as the fishing is so tough. It is all credit to Martin that he progressed so much through the day that he was even able to attempt this large venue in far from easy conditions.

We have had a run of youngsters fishing recently which is great to see and I am out with 2 more tomorrow. Then its time to get ready for the CLA Gamefair which will involve playing with this (see below) ... all will be revealed but you will have to come and visit next weekend! I will add the timetable for my demos with Henry Gilbey soon.

Salmon Bum

2008-07-16T08:57:00.000+01:00

I seem to have an affliction. Its Salmon. These fish have really got into my blood and this year I have made a concerted effort to get out whenever I have time (mainly evenings after work). So much so the back of my truck has started to become a little untidy as waders, rods and reels are flung in and out on a regular basis!

Last night I had to wait my turn on Blackpool (River Exe) but was rewarded for some patience with this 8lb Cock Fish. It was a coloured fish but fought well on my 10ft #7 Greys GTec, which beat it pretty easily. I would rather play a fish hard with risk of losing it, rather than gingerly and then have trouble reviving it. This fish shot off spraying me with water seconds after this rather hazy shot.

Below is how a Salmon should look. A blurred image that Neil grabbed prior to releasing this magnificent fish, a bar of chrome, that fell to his rod on Monday. At present we are finding intermediates and tubes are the best bet, in particular I favour those with a cone head. Three other fish were reported on the Exe yesterday that I know of, there are bound to have been more.

I am an starting to become even more convinced by the barometer theory too. Yesterday evening it had dropped and the fishing was slow. After I had released my fish I checked and it had risen. This has been the case for the last 4 fish taken by Neil and myself.

I must head to the lake but don't forget to check back for more reports and I wait in earnest for some pictures from Ireland by Henry Gilbey. He is out there photographing (and no doubt fishing!) Bass. These are spectacular fish, right up there with Salmon and one day I hope to head out to sample the amazing sport that Henry has been enjoying.

Pack your Salmon rod, more rain is on the way and the fish are running!

New Generation Anglers

2008-07-13T10:02:00.001+01:00

It all seems a bit doom and gloom in the UK right now what with the credit crunch, fuel reaching a record high and of course the weather has not exactly been kind. Although I am not complaining about the Salmon that are being encouraged up the river!

But I am happy to report that we have been having a great deal of fun recently guiding and teaching . In particular it is awesome to see the number of young anglers who seem to be visiting Exe Valley Fishery; what better way for a youngster to enjoy a day in the fresh air? Take 14 year old George Pym who visited in the company of his grand father yesterday for a half day session. Wandering down to the lake it became apparent that George is a young tennis star in the making. We discussed that amazing Wimbledon men's final of course (how could we not!) but more importantly I encouraged George that the hand eye co-ordination he has been mastering while playing tennis would pay dividends when it came to fly casting.

I was proved correct. Within 2 hours he was flicking out a crisp roll cast, followed by a high back cast into and overhead, finally shooting a delicate line across the lake. In fact his skills were so good that within minutes of starting he had already hooked a fish. It was lost but soon afterwards another came along and this time Georges grandfather was able to proudly net it for him. Sure I taught George how to cast but in fact you could not find a more attentive young man, keen to learn. His effort and ability to listen counted for a great deal and towards the end I knew that he was hooked" because every 5 minutes he was enquiring how much time was left in which to catch another fish! He finished with 3 having lost a couple. We are finding at the moment (for those of you visiting the fishery) that Buzzers fished very shallow under an indicator or a suspender style buzzer fished high in the water are the best bet.

More Salmon have been caught on the Exe. I know of a fresh grilse and a nine pound fish yesterday plus another estimated at 12lbs lost at the net. The water is clearing down but it is still at a lovely level. A sink tip and Stoats Tail should do very nicely although I would not discount an intermediate and cone head style fly. There is a lot of fishing available through Fish the Exe, or check angling magazines etc., to find beats. Angling 2000 is also worthy of a look for West Country Salmon fishing and of course there is the Lyn. This amazing river has provided me with countless hours of fun and although it is largely only suitable for spin fishing when targeting Salmon it is possible to nail them on the fly with perseverance. I will definitely be out on the Exe myself over the next couple of days keen to add to my tally for the season. I only hope the Mole comes good for a Sea Trout soon or indeed a Salmon. The barometer is up. Could this help I wonder?

The year is moving very quickly and I can hardly believe the CLA Gamefair is almost here. Last year it was a wash out and cancelled at the very last minute, let us hope that this year the weather is kind. Lets face it, we are due some sunshine! I will be there demonstrating with Henry Gilbey, our slot is late morning/early afternoon. Exact times here shortly.

Fun, Fresh Air and Fish

2008-07-11T19:05:00.000+01:00

The title of this blog post is what we at Nick Hart Fly Fishing are all about. This last couple of days Neil and my good mate Mike Boniface have had the pleasure of looking after Jim Pool and a number of his buddies from London. Despite very high water conditions rendering the river unfishable on day one, the guys got stuck in and were rewarded for their efforts.

Day one was spent on Gilberts Lake where we amassed a great total of fish including Trout to the rods of Nathan and Alistair. Nathan has had just one attempt at fly fishing in the past but Alistair had never tried, so it was great to send him off with a Trout to his name. Jim Pool has cut his teeth on rivers but had never fished a lake so it was a pleasure to introduce him to his first fly caught Rainbow Trout. Many anglers expect lake fishing to be 2nd best to rivers, but in fact they provide a great deal of enjoyment and the chance to hone casting/fishing skills. Hugh, JJ and Keith also joined in the action and although during a corporate day our goal is for guests to have a ton of fun and catch plenty we also tune up those all important fishing skills such as casting, knots and watercraft. That's the great thing about fly fishing, it is so practical. You can actually learn while you are doing it!

JJ came in for some stick on day one having stuck to his 8'6" rod rated for a 4 line. Ideal for rivers but a little under gunned on the lake. By late afternoon everyone had caught fish except JJ and I could see that he was anticipating a night of non stop piss taking! Something had to be done! So we strapped on the most obscene Blob I could find and within minutes JJ was bent into a decent looking fish. Shortly afterwards a 2nd followed and his relief was obvious. Leaving in the early evening the guys headed back for a night of banter at the Royal Oak Inn which is receiving many good reports.

Today we once again headed to the lake as the water here is still huge. As can be seen we encountered some strange fish that are indigenous to the lake. You will have to book a day if you want to catch one like this! Of course there were Trout on the cards and Kieth was the first to connect today, followed by JJ who pulled the fish seen here out in a short space of time. What could be better than 3 Trout and a cigar before lunch! However some of the guys, (Jim and Hugh in particular) were itching to get on the river. So leaving Neil to look after Alistair and Nathan we took off in search of Trout.

Parking up on Perry bridge the signs were not good. In fact the River Exe looked even bigger than in the morning when we had passed over it. But we were there and if your fly is not in the water ......... Tackle consisted of 2 very heavy nymphs designed to dredge the bottom and then an indicator set well up the leader. We had to find the slackest water possible which in the height we were encountering was almost impossible. Diligently Jim and Keith set to work while Mike left with Hugh and JJ for a lower stretch of the beat. An hour in and nothing so I headed upstream looking all over for the slowest piece of water I could find. My eyes rested upon the lower stretch of the Haddeo which is controlled by the dam at Wimbleball. It was still very high but running a little clearer and a small pool with an inviting current looked like it may just provide a little respite for a weary fish in need of a meal.

Mike had joined me with the other guys and so I took Keith into the pool. I reckoned our odds were up to 50/50 and so when the indicator dipped I was primed ready to shout "STRIKE" whenever needed. Many of these met with nothing but after 20 odd minutes suddenly the rod hooped over and this lovely little wild Brown was the result. Not the biggest Trout, in fact not even average, but in such tough conditions a triumph. Not to be outdone JJ hooked a monster a little later that threw the hook and then under the experienced guidance of Mikey B, Keith added another to his tally.

But it was all too much for Hugh. He had picked up on the fact that Neil and I had caught Salmon just a few days before and wanted a piece of the action. The only problem is the river is about 2ft above the levels we caught in! But I like a challenge so we headed back to the shop and picked up a double hander. Last year I hooked a Salmon with Tim Watson in huge water using a fast sinking tip and so we adopted the same tactics. Hugh fished perfectly, a godsend for a guide, especially in such tough conditions. We were on a 500 grain head and a cone head tube strapped to just 2 feet of 25lb twang (anyone who has fished this kind of gear knows how hard it is to cast!) when he got hit very hard mid swing while fishing wall pool. It was a Salmon undoubtedly but today it did not stick. Even so it has inspired Hugh to try for an English Salmon as so far he has only caught the species in Scotland.

All in all the 2 days have been tough due to the weather and conditions but it just shows that anglers who persevere can reap the benefits. But there is more to a trip like this than just fish. Its about a bunch of friends getting together and having a great laugh; experiencing the lows and tremendous highs that only fishing can deliver. For me it is a privilege to be involved in such an event, I only wish the time did not pass so quickly.

I have another day of teaching coming up but right now my mind is on the Salmon. The rain looks like it is petering out and this should make the river perfect early next week. In fact fish are still being caught, I know of 2 today, one of them very fresh. It was sad to hear that this fish, a hen, laden with eggs was dispatched. Fish like this are the future of our sport, all we need is a good photo and then put it back. If a fish is to be taken it should be a cock fish and the smaller specimens.

Talking of Salmon, keep an eye on Henry Gilbeys Blog who is currently in Norway fishing with one of the top Spey Casters in the UK. It looks stunning but unfortunately it sounds like they need some of the water we have here! I will report early next week regarding the state of water and fishing for the Salmon as both Neil and I intend to give it a bit of a drubbing.

BIGGER River

2008-07-09T14:51:00.000+01:00

It seems hard to believe that just yesterday evening Neil and I were enjoying fishing the river Exe and catching Salmon like this. The river is now huge and Dulverton is on a flood warning.

Jim Pool and I have crossed the Barle, followed the Exe, headed to Badgworthy Water and even checked out the Lyn. All of them are huge and brown. I don't think even the most advanced deep water tactics would hold the flies down long enough for the fish to see them. An 8oz lead and a mackerel dead bait would probably stand more chance! Needless to say we did not wet a line and Jim's new Vision Waders will have to wait until another day to be christened.

Feast your eyes on the kind of conditions Jim and I have witnessed today including a short video clip above of the river Lyn. This is just above the Rockford Inn and always holds a few fish, not much chance of getting in there at the moment unless you fancied a closer inspection of the estuary!

Below is Badworthy water at Malmsmead and the other image shows the scene from the bridge looking back up the river Lyn from Rockford. Spectacular stuff, but not ideal fishing conditions.

But it looks like the rain is clearing a little and the great thing about our West Country rivers is that they soon return to normal plus as the flood waters subside the fishing can be sublime.

It all bodes well for next week and another trip out for Salmon. Meanwhile Henry Gilbey will be heading out for the same species in Norway. Check out his blog during the coming week for his ongoing report. I will also update very shortly with details regarding the rivers so keep checking back if you are hoping to enjoy a session this weekend. Pleeeease ... STOP RAINING!!!!

Drive Through Salmon

2008-07-09T08:51:00.000+01:00

I had one of those days yesterday when there is a ton to do and each time you sort one thing another 10 are added to the list. But there was a break in the day for a meeting with the owner of Gilberts Lake. Lunch went down very well at Woods and then it was back to the office. By late afternoon the rain had really set in (there's a surprise) and although I was itching to cast a line on the Exe, my energy had been sapped and I was looking forward to the prospect of a cup of tea and a sit down. Crikey Nick ... come on ... your only 33!

A quick sneaky peak at my emails changed all that. There was a report of several fish caught on the top beat of the Exe Carnarvon water and as Neils guy was not keen to make his fly fishing debut in the evening rain I suggested we got the Salmon gear together quick sharp and headed to the river. As you can imagine he took little persuading and a quick call to my very understanding wife met with the reply that "I should not miss such a great opportunity". So the rest was up to us.

Parking in the Anchor Inn car park we looked over the bridge on the way to our stretch and the river looked perfect. In fact it looked about as good as I have ever seen it! Neil got going in Old Woman's run and I made haste for Old Woman's pool. This is a famous bit of water that yields plenty of Salmon but the pool is not all it seems and I was yet to unlock its secrets. Many anglers catch by stripping flies up through the deep water but this proved ineffective, even when I dunked my rod tip well below the water to get my intermediate down. So I started to work the pool conventionally, although this time I cast much shorter than usual so the fly dropped just inside the seam (an area where calm meets fast water). Not long after adopting this tactic the intermediate line was gliding through a very tasty looking flat spot that looked an ideal resting place for a Salmon when that awesome thud, thud and tightening of the line heralded another fish to a Kylie Conehead. The exact fly in fact that took this fish earlier in the season.

Near to a heaving rapid I locked down on the fish, put a serious curve in my 10'0" # 7 Hardy Demon (what a rod!) and pumped the fish up into the pool. I shouted several times for Neil who dashed down to find me working the fish hard. Every time it went for the tail of the pool I just locked the drag up confident that my 15lb leader could be tested to the full. Brilliant fun! Very quickly (5 minutes max) the cock fish was in the net, measured, photographed and released. At just under 30" this fish is around 10lb and although a coloured specimen it was in great condition and scrapped superbly. It went back fresh as a daisy and I was one very happy bloke!

Neils turn. He has fished hard this year and always hit it not quite right. Would this evening be different? He got back to the run and I thought I would give Old Woman's another bash just in case my fish had a mate waiting to sample the Conehead. I worked it but lets face it one Salmon in no more than 30 minutes fishing is not bad and it was definitely Neils turn! I was just thinking about heading to a pool called Stravers Pot to see if it was worth fishing when my ears picked up.Was that a faint call? I could only just hear it over the rapids but decided it was worth a look. Checking around the corner a seriously nice fish exploded from the water and I could see a leader and line connected to it! Neil was hooked up. His fish also scrapped very hard and we had a hairy moment or two as it took off in the hope of reaching the fast water entering Old Womans. But Neil lent on it and I got my trusty Mc Leans Net out and scooped it up at the first opportunity. Fantastic ... 2 awesome Salmon in just over an hours fishing!

We could have fished on but sometimes it is right to finish on a high and lay the rods down. This we did stopping at the Anchor Inn of course to celebrate. It would have been rude not to!

Today the rain is here as forecast but not as heavy plus there is very little wind. The fishing will be tough but Jim Pool relishes a challenge and so we are going to see if we can extract something. I love playing with tactics when the river says "unfishable". Guiding a fish in these circumstances is about as good as it gets, so here goes!!!

If you have the time and like your Salmon fishing be watching the water and get out there as soon as you can. We could feel the fish in the air last night. The silver tourists have arrived! Intermediates and Sinkers will work well with tubes, my favoured pattern as I seem to lose more fish on Doubles. Plus check out Henry Gilbeys Blog over the coming week or so as he will be in Norway with team Hardy after Atlantic Salmon. I would love to fish there for them but lets face it with fish like the ones above little more than 10 minutes from my office chair I can't really complain!

BIG River

2008-07-08T17:45:00.000+01:00

The rain seems unrelenting at the moment. Thankfully in our area the weather forecasters (aka proffers of doom!) have got it all wrong on the wind front. Rather than the 60 mph predicted we have been enjoying a nice soft ripple, which is ideal to learn to fish in as Kenny Hopkins found. Here he proudly displays one of 3 decent fish caught during his first ever experience of fly fishing during a 2 day course and although it rained our wet weather kit ensured we remained warm and dry. I guide/teach well over 100 days per year and cannot fault the Greys GRXi range. It keeps me warm and dry in some of the worst conditions you can imagine.

But the rain has had an effect on the river. Here is the Exe looking down towards the Anchor Bridge a couple of days ago and as you can see it is up and dirty in a very big way. Not so great for the Trout anglers and we will have to wait for it to clear before the Salmon Flies can be given a swim, but I have to say I much prefer a river enjoying an occasional spate rather than the low water conditions experienced in a drought year.

That said, the rain is becoming daft! Let us hope that soon enough the low pressure pushes on and allows the sun to make an appearance. I am yet to enjoy a proper evening rise on the Trout this year and of course I would love to be hitting the Sea Trout too but once again the conditions have scuppered me. Going back to pressure and atmospheric conditions, I have just started using an awesome watch by Casio which measures barometric pressure. There is a theory that pressure changes can put fish on or off the feed and in the case of Salmon spur them to take or not as the case maybe. I will add a review here soon and on my shop site along with details regarding an excellent book that details the findings of one gentleman who is convinced that pressure changes really are the key to success when Salmon fishing.

For now I must leave the keyboard and ready my kit for Jim Pool. I have looked after Jim on a number of occasions and he is here tomorrow on a warm up prior to his two day corporate day with us. Jim really is a hardcore angler and will head out in any conditions in search of fish. The "proffers of doom" say that we will be enjoying an almighty deluge tomorrow but we will throw caution to the wind and be chasing down fish on the Lyn and possibly its tributary, Badgworthy Water. High winds and driving rain are not ideal but if the fly is in the water, there is a chance. I can also remember days like this ...

Corporate Fly Fishing Days

2008-07-04T17:31:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple of days Neil and I have had the pleasure of looking after Peter Anderson and his guests from various businesses including Lloyds TSB and Ernst & Young. We fished on a beautiful private lake that has matured beautifully despite only being constructed a few years ago. Set seemingly in the middle of nowhere it is possible to rent a cottage close by to the lake which is in fact just a 10 minute drive from Dulverton. Even so we did not hear a car on the road all day. Just birds in the meadow and the sound of screaming reels!

I assisted the owner with the design of Gilbert's Lake which features an island plus lots of bays and drop offs, ideal for the nurture of aquatic food items while also providing superb Trout habitat. The lake is now well established and spooning the Trout revealed a huge variety of food including Damsel Nymphs and Flies (very unusual to see the adults in samples), Bloodworm, Buzzers, Corixa and Water Limpets (a sign that the water is extremely pure). This is however not a public fishery so the fish get plenty of time to naturalise, the results are awesome, see below!

Corporate days are ideal for like minded business people to meet and chat about their work, make new deals etc. Many find endless golf and track days become monotonous, a day fly fishing is something a little different! During the course of the two back to back days we looked after several anglers who had never been fishing, let alone tried casting a fly. But all managed to catch a fish and in fact we had a couple of stars who nailed the casting and then proceeded to deplete the Gilbert's Lake stock quite significantly!

What I found very interesting was the Trouts almost complete disinterest for Buzzer pupa imitations. Although we spooned the naturals from the fish we captured, they were extremely small and numbered very few per sample. A very common tactic for us to use when coaching newcomers to the sport is to suspend a buzzer under an indicator. However this proved fruitless and so we caught fishing twitching back various nymph patterns although damsels with and without goldheads reigned supreme. These patterns have such great fishing catching qualities, loosely imitating an insect while possessing plenty of movement to capture the Trouts eye.

Look at those fish! Every specimen had a razor sharp tail and scrapped incredibly well. In fact quite a number were lost due to a frenzied first run and a panicking angler holding on to the line too tight. A number of the guys said they will be throwing their catch on the BBQ tonight, let us hope the weather holds!

All in all the two days went down very well and I look forward to our next corporate guests who arrive for their fishing on Thursday & Friday next week. Meanwhile I have a two day course starting tomorrow (weather permitting!) while very favourable River Mole and River Torridge fishing reports mean that I will shortly be heading out after Sea Trout. I just can't get enough of these fish! Tonight though I have to go and check out the first part of a new project I have been working on that I will be able to make public here very soon.

And if you are looking for a different kind of day full of fun, good food and of course fish, give me a shout. We can help your business! Or why not celebrate a stag or hen night, a birthday or just get the family together for a day out fishing? Check out Nick Hart Fly Fishing or call Nick/Sue on 01398 323 008.

The Lost Fly Box

2008-07-02T15:23:00.001+01:00

Have you ever lost a fly box? The only time I came close was during a session when I was guiding on the River Bray in North Devon. In fact I lost a bunch of dry flies that spilled out of the box when a freak gust of wind caught hold of the contents, so the box remained safe. However I was gutted and the same feeling came over me (but worse!) for a few hours during my trip to Montana with Henry Gilbey.

I had one of the new Vuefinder boxes by Wychwood which we are about to load to the shop. Now I have used a good few types of box ( including old cigar tins when I was a kid!) and in terms of value for money and practicality the Wychwood box has got to be one of the best on the market. I feel a review coming on soon! Anyway I had one of the boxes sent to me stuffed full of flies including a whole side of dries and another of nymphs. Throughout the week I used a number of the patterns to catch fish like the one seen below and was quite literally in heaven.

That was until one morning I was double checking all my kit ready for our next outing only to find that my main box was nowhere to be seen. I searched everything. The boat, the car, my bag (10 times), drawers, waders ... you name it. Over and over I went through my mind when I last had the box and slowly but surely all sorts of sinister ideas cropped up. I was sure it must have been stolen, even though Henry did make the point that why would this go missing and not his laptop computer, the car parked outside and ipods left on our bed side tables! Fair point.

Needless to say I was like a bear with a sore head, feeling worse than a kid dumped by the first love of their life. I was sure that I had seen the last of my beloved box and all its contents. Even more worrying a couple of days later I would be out guiding my guests back at home, but what with!? I searched everything again and then resigned myself to the fact that I would have to learn to live without them, falling heavily into the car seat as we headed for a new stretch of water. The mountains, sunshine, gorgeous rivers and Trout seemed like distant memories; all I wanted was my box!

Setting up I tried to laugh it off and cheer myself up when Henry said "I have a feeling we will see it". I thought he was just trying to make me feel better but decided that his positive attitude warranted another check of my fishpond tackle bag. I went through all the pockets just as before and nothing. It was then that I noticed the false base to the bag. It is removable and helps to keep the bag rigid; suddenly the light bulb came on. Pulling back the base revealed ... you've guessed it! I was the butt of Henry's jokes for several hours but did I care; not in the slightest. My fly box was back and I felt whole again!

I am out of the office tomorrow to work on corporate days that we have running back to back over the course of the next few days. We organise these events at this beautiful private lake and look forward to seeing the fantastic fish that inhabit the clear waters of this venue. Lunch will be at Woods of course! But before that lets hope Murray gets himself in to the semis of Wimbledon, the match a few nights ago was fantastic. How cool to see a player from the UK attack his game with such aggression and determination, especially having gone 2 sets down when it looked like there was no hope.

Finally we would like to welcome Ben Allen to Hart Flyshop. A young fishing junkie, Ben loves to tackle Carp but is also now a convert to the world of fluff chucking. You may have seen him one of my recent Trout Fisherman features. Ben will be welcoming anglers to the fishery and on hand to help with general running of the shop. Above Ben casts a tidy loop during our visit to the Mole in the summer of 07.