Trout Fisherman 507 (Digital Sampler)

FREE 2018 NEW TACKLE GUIDE FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

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9

Get ready for beautiful

IN-FORM WATERS

BROWNS

to fish now

Expert tips for the new season HOW TO FISH...

North Country Spiders 28 FEB - 27 MAR, 2018 | £3.60

ISSUE 507

Follow our essential guide SMALL WATERS

CATCH THIS!

Early-season tricks to try

INSECT HATCHES

RIVER OLIVES How to fish 'large darks'

VENUE SPOTLIGHT

WIMBLEBALL

Guide to hotspots & flies

FLY-TYING

MINI MINKIE Create a deadly lure

Contents

BE INSPIRED

FLY-TYING

Editor Russell Hill on why we should revere our native brown trout...

Peter Gathercole ties a deadly olive dry fly

6 The finest fish that swims?

COVER STORY

TACTICS

12 The tough get going

Cover image by: Alamy

Peter Cockwill battles the bad weather during an early season outing to Duncton Mill

18 Dry of the storm

OFFERS 42 Subscription offer

Save up to 51% when you subscribe to Trout Fisherman magazine this month

74 Reader offer

Get a Storafly box and 150 assorted flies for only £29.99 – a saving of £84!

Peter Gathercole judges your synthetic lure patterns and sets a new challenge

COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews the latest gear including Daiwa’s Silvercreek fly rods

Top early-season tips for small waters from England world team member Phil Dixon COVER STORY

FOCUS ON...

75 New gear

32 Border browns

80 Fly-tying products

38 What’s hatching?

OPINION & NEWS

Mike Handyside looks forward to early season trout forays to the Welsh border streams COVER STORY

NEW SERIES The appearance of large dark olives mean trophy trout aren’t far behind

Tying with Fasna hooks, Semperfli’s twisted pure silk and Stonfo’s Coccodrillo gadget

82 News

Latest from the trout scene

84 Investigation

Four top stillwaters to visit this month

Jeff Prest asks whether anglers want variety of fish stock or quality

48 Fishery accommodation

87 Cockwill

50 Spotlight on...

COVER STORY

Newly-opened Wimbleball reservoir

ADVICE

52 Advice Squad

Discusses the joys of guiding and other things

88 Letters

Trout Fisherman readers have their say

90 Troutmasters

Badge winners and news – sponsored by Fordham & Wakefield

What to look for in a fishing waistcoat, and how to match leader strength to hook size

94 Match news

56 How to...

95 Book reviews

61 Get ready for the season

98 Wading in

COVER STORY

Fish North Country Spiders

Snowbee’s Simon Kidd talks you through a tackle check in preparation for the opening weeks

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

70 Flymasters

24 Have your best early season!

The editor reveals his four favourite fisheries offering superb accommodation

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

COVER STORY Russ Symons ties a Mini Minkie for his lightweight rod outfits

TACKLE

45 UK waters

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/ troutfisherman

66 Flybox fillers

COVER STORY Jeff Prest meets up with two Scottish anglers who fish dries in adverse conditions

WHERE TO FISH

PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS AVAILABLE

63 Tie a Para Dun

troutfishermanmag TroutFishMag troutfisherman troutfishmag

Iain Barr comments on the current match scene Jeff Prest looks at two new fishing books Jeff Prest jokingly reveals the poor man’s gear guide, but they’re all genuine items!

troutfisherman troutfisherman Trout Fisherman @troutfisherman

THIS MONTH’S WINNER

Lough Beagh, Glenveagh, Donegal.

Sent in by John Nolan

HOW TO ENTER

Shot of the

MONTH

If you have a fly-fishing 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: Russell Hill Main picture: Paul Procter

The finest fish that swims?

The editor makes the case for why we should revere our native brown trout...

6 TROUT FISHERMAN | FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

BE INSPIRE D Celebrating beauty of o the u native trou r t

www.troutямБsherman.co.uk

FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 7

Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Peter Cockwill prepares to net a lively rainbow in windy conditions.

12 TROUT FISHERMAN | FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27

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The tough GET GOING

TACTICS Beat th

e wind early-seaso at n stillwaters

How Peter Cockwill finds success in awful conditions at Duncton Mill...

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 13

TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words & pictures: Jeff Prest

Dry of the storm Storm so big it gets its own name? Perfect time for dry flies then. We watch logic go out of the window at Springwater Fishery...

18 TROUT FISHERMAN | FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27

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Mark Hotchkiss connects as Springwater’s fish begin co-operating in earnest after lunch.

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FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 19

TACTICS MEDIUM-SIZED WATERS Words: Phil Dixon Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Phil Dixon prepares to net a strong rainbow at Westlow Mere fishery.

24 TROUT FISHERMAN | FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27

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Have your best early season!

Hot early-season small water tips from England world team member Phil Dixon

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 25

Words & pictures: Mike Handyside

BORDER BROWNS

Mike Handyside turns his attentions to the numerous and productive trout streams flowing east out of Wales...

32 TROUT FISHERMAN | FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

FOCUS ON Brow

n trout riv ers bordering E ngla and Wales nd

A beautifully-marked wild brown comes to hand in the starwort.

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FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 27 | TROUT FISHERMAN 33

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Peter Gathercole ties a parachute-hackled dry for early season LDO hatches Visit our website www.veniard.com

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