Trout Fisherman 506 (Digital Sampler)

FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

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EXCLUSIVE

31 JAN - 27 FEB, 2018 | £3.50

ISSUE 506

DABBLER BACKLASH McClearn hits back

Get top winter

ACTION

Just follow our flies & tactics

37

DEADLY PATTERNS

You need to fish now

STALKING TIPS

Be a take spotter

RESERVOIRS

PIKE ON FLY

Blagdon pike trials report

TACKLE TRICKS

GEAR CHECK 13 things to do now

RIVER ADVICE

GRAYLING TIPS Learn from Europe's finest

WHERE TO FISH

4 TOP VENUES Plus guide to Blithfield

Contents

BE INSPIRED

FLY-TYING

Peter Cockwill enjoys a clear water stalking session at Avington

Peter Gathercole’s step-by-step sequence for this classic wet fly

6 The thrill of the take!

COVER STORY

64 Flybox fillers

Cover image by: Peter Gathercole

TACTICS

12 Mid-winter risers

Paul Richardson shallows up as fish gather near the surface at Elinor

18 Hit the bubble line

Mike Thrussell knows the importance of fishing near an aerator

25 Small gains

OFFERS 46 Subscription offer

COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews the latest gear including the QRS cassette reel from Greys

74 Reader offer

34 Winter grayling

John Horsey reports from the Blagdon

Mike Handyside shares some of the experts’ top tips from the European grayling festival COVER STORY

Simple maintenance tips that will prolong the life of your gear COVER STORY

44 Fly evolution

One man’s approach to ‘tweaking’ his flies

WHERE TO FISH 47 UK waters

Four top fisheries to visit this month

50 Spotlight on...

Blithfield Reservoir in Staffordshire

All the latest news on the trout scene

84 Investigation

The cost of trout feed has gone up. Jeff Prest asks if there’ll be an increase in day tickets

86 Letters

COVER STORY Trout Fisherman readers have their say, including the Dabbler backlash

90 Save our reservoirs

Gareth Jones urges us all to support a revamped Llandegfedd reservoir The final badge winners of 2017

52 Advice squad

TF’s panel of experts answer your questions on droppers, the different species of trout and casting in windy conditions The importance of selecting a tapered leader

ONLINE www.troutfisherman.co.uk TroutFishMag troutfishermanmag Trout Fisherman

OPINION & NEWS

92 Troutmasters

ADVICE

56 How to...

A look at clear lacquer, strong thread, goose CDC feathers and a new blob material

82 News

40 Spruce up your tackle

COVER STORY

75 New Gear

80 Fly-tying products

FOCUS ON...

WHERE TO FIND US...

Peter Gathercole judges your Bloodworm patterns

30 Pike on the fly pike trials

an-up Our Bankside Cle Campaign Clean-up campaign continues to gain momentum with more fisheries asking for the poster and creating their own bins for discarded leaders. Spread the message…we can do this.

68 Flymasters

TACKLE

COVER STORY

JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN Bankside

Russ Symons ties a Humungus lure, the perfect pulling pattern through the winter months

Jeff Prest meets two anglers at Ardgowan Fishery who use mini lures when fish get picky

Save up to 49% when you subscribe to Trout Fisherman magazine Get a Storafly box and 200 assorted flies for only £29.99*!

61 UV Gold Dabbler

95 Iain Barr column

The former world champ talks about match final congestion and the future of our reservoirs

98 Wading in

Jeff Prest has a rather dim view of some fishing guides on the far side of the Atlantic

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THIS MONTH’S WINNER

Maran Lakes/Marston Wyse Trout Fishery, Long Marston, North Yorkshire.

Sent in by Dean Corbett

HOW TO ENTER

Shot of the

MONTH

If you have a flyfishing image that you would like to see here, please send it to us.

Images must be: original size • high resolution.

Email them to leigh.johnson@bauermedia.co.uk If the image is too large to go over email, send via the free service wetransfer.com (for help see wetransfer.com/howitworks).

Published photographers will receive a landing net from Sharpes of Aberdeen.

Browse their products at www.sharpes.net or call 01466 794415.

Enter our competition now for your chance to win a Sharpe’s landing net

Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Stalking fish provides some of angling’s heartstopping moments.

6 TROUT FISHERMAN | JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27

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BE INSPIRE D

See a big fi s your fly in h take clear water

The thrill of THE TAKE! Peter Cockwill enjoys seeing a fish hit his fly in clear water...

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JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 7

Words: Paul Richardson Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Mid-winter RISERS Paul Richardson shallows up as fish gather near the surface in winter at Elinor...

12 TROUT FISHERMAN | JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27

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TACTICS Catch m

ore w late winter ith stillwater t ips

Even in winter, a mild spell can bring fish up in the water to feed.

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JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 13

TACTICS PIKE ON FLY Words & pictures: John Horsey

Blagdon holds some truly incredible pike to over 40-pounds.

30 TROUT FISHERMAN | JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27

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Ultimate Challenge

John Horsey reports from the Blagdon pike trials

W

HEN Bristol Water announced their plans to open Blagdon Lake for pike fishing, I have to admit I had mixed emotions. But, when I realised their intention was to have a limited period of just 14 days, utilising five boats per session and making them strictly ‘fly only’, all my fears were allayed.

The Blagdon pike trials turned out to be a huge success, bringing ardent pike anglers, mustard-keen fly-fishers and newcomers to predator fly-fishing together in total harmony.

Whatever your views on reservoir fly-fishing, one thing is for certain – gone are the days when we simply fish for trout.

In days gone by, I’ve witnessed shocking sights of dozens of 2lb-plus perch thrown up on the bank in disgust. I have seen massive roach treated in the same manner and, more recently, huge pike condemned to this ignominious fate. River anglers used to deal with grayling in the same fashion, but thankfully, as Bob Dylan said: “The times they are a changing” so the ‘lady of the stream’ is now revered rather than hated and so are other freshwater species – so should they be!

Fisheries are under more pressure than ever to increase footfall to keep them profitable, so like many other aspects of business, they need to diversify. Both pike and perch readily take a well-presented fly and provide great sport on a catch-andrelease basis. Unlike stocked trout, these indigenous species cost nothing and have been in our waters for many years.

As you know, I love my fly-fishing, but have never kept to just freshwater trout fishing. I also regularly target salmon, pike and perch but try to get away and fish for more exotic species in saltwater.

Thankfully this trend is becoming increasingly popular as more and more anglers broaden their horizons.

Live draw for places To get hold of a Blagdon pike boat, you have to apply online and all names are entered into a draw; performed live on Facebook. My name came out early and together with two guided days for Bristol water, plus a bonus day, it meant I could www.troutfisherman.co.uk

get four cracks at this hitherto unknown quantity.

However, this is not strictly true because we knew several pike over 40lb had been caught by Bristol Water staff during their own test fishing, where they weighed and tagged the pike. Other pike had been caught accidentally by trout anglers over the years and some of these weighed more than 40lb.

Day one came and I was fishing with Dave Sproston, a brilliant fly angler who I regularly fished with for pike on Chew Valley. We started in deep water and landed a 5lb jack after about 10 minutes – not exactly what we were targeting! So, we ventured to the Top End to fish depths equivalent to where the Chew Valley pike frequented and it didn’t take long before we started to get hits. In fact, during a half-hour spell, we both hooked up at the same time with pike between 17 and 23lb.

The action was frantic, with fish being landed, weighed, quickly photographed, then released. Three times we had double hook-ups!

There was one specific area around nine to 10 feet deep, where four grebes were constantly working. Normally these birds are very timid and leave as soon as a boat arrives, but I watched them dive and bring up perch after perch, without leaving.

This is why we targeted this area and made me realise that these Blagdon pike predate heavily on perch, just like they do on Chew.

In fact, in 23 years of guiding on both lakes, I’ve never had a pike even follow a trout that I’ve been playing to the boat, let alone take one off my line! In contrast, I regularly watch pike hit small roach and perch on the surface at Chew and the areas where the smaller baitfish frequent, is where I target the pike. Many people chose not to believe this, but it is true. I honestly believe that both the Chew and Blagdon pike predate mainly on the coarse fish but will eat the carcasses of the thousands of dead trout throughout the year.

Other boats were also into the action and I have to say, these were the hardestfighting pike I had ever encountered – anywhere in the world! The Canadian pike fight hard, but they are nowhere near as dense and heavy for their length as JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 31

TACTICS RIVERS Words & pictures: Mike Handyside

The grayling is now a revered game fish and it’s easy to see why.

34 TROUT FISHERMAN | JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27

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Chasing PEWTER

Mike Handyside follows Team Hanak in the European grayling festival on the Welsh Dee and shares some of the experts’ top tips... www.troutfisherman.co.uk

JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 35

Fly-Tying In association with Veniard

trout FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

UV Gold DABBLER

Peter Gathercole ties a classic wet fly for rivers and stillwaters Visit our website www.veniard.com

SPECIAL READER OFFER

STORAFLY BOX AND 200 ASSORTED FLIES

ONLY£29.99

THIS month’s great reader offer is a season’s worth of fly patterns in this Storafly competition fly box. The slim and stackable fly box is made from lightweight but highly durable high-impact clear plastic. And inside are 200 flies including dries, nymphs and lures that will see you catching fish from early spring to late season.

(* Plus £6.99 p&p, offer available while stocks last).

SAVE £148 !

The slimline fly box measures 30.5 x 22.5 x 2cm deep.

Please note that fly selection may vary from that shown and flies are not slotted into box.

HOW TO ORDER Quote ‘Trout Fisherman offer’ and code 00128TF

Tel: 0141 212 8880 Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: ºsales@fishingmegastore.com Website: http://gac.fishing/00128TF/ Post: Glasgow Angling Centre Ltd, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen St, Glasgow G22 5HT

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