Trout Fisherman 508 (Digital Sampler)

FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

CATCH A CTIC SPARnew species We target at Hawkridge Reservoir

PLUS HOW TO FIND THE FEEDING ZONES www.troutfisherman.co.uk

New season

SECRETS Essential tips & fly advice for your best-ever session

35 deadly

f lies to tie now

28 MAR - 24 APR, 2018 | £3.60

ISSUE 508

RIVER SKILLS

Travel light...

Explore more!

SMALL WATERS

THE FUTURE? 'Any species' fly waters

TACTICS

2-FLY SET-UPS Top spring combos to try

WHERE TO FISH

CLYWEDOG

April hotspots revealed

GEAR REVIEWS

HOT RODS!

Exclusive guide to new kit

Contents

BE INSPIRED

FLY-TYING

Nick Hart catches pretty wild browns on Devon’s River Dart

Peter Gathercole ties a simple but deadly earlyseason stillwater pattern

6 Daydreams on Dartmoor

Cover image by: Henry Gilbey

COVER STORY

TACTICS

70 Flybox fillers

Why fishing on-the-drop is such a good method on pressured stillwaters

74 Fastmail’s spring Buzzers

18 Problems with Buzzers?

76 Flymasters

24 The Rising Fishery

TACKLE

12 Free-fallin’

Peter Cockwill explains his winning ways with Buzzers during a visit to Manningford

OFFERS

COVER STORY Jeff Prest reports from a fishery with fly-fishing for any species at its core

46 Subscription offer

30 Genghis can

86 Reader offer

36 Lines of communication

Get an Airflo SuperDri fly-line worth £59.99 when you subscribe to Trout Fisherman A large Storafly box and 200 flies for only £49.99 – a saving of £145!

Steve Cullen fishes one of his secret early-season lure patterns on the drop with great results River specialist Massimo Magliocco on how to approach sections of fast water

FOCUS ON...

41 Spring fly set-ups COVER STORY

Fly combinations to try in the spring

48 What’s hatching?

Buzzer hatches start in earnest this month

WHERE TO FISH 51 UK waters

Four top stillwaters to visit this month

54 Spotlight on....

COVER STORY

PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS AVAILABLE www.greatmagazines.co.uk/ troutfisherman

Llyn Clywedog

ADVICE

58 Advice squad

TF’s experts answer your angling queries

62 How to...

Tempt fish from hill tarns

66 Tackle advice

Snowbee’s Simon Kidd on sun protection

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY www.troutfisherman.co.uk

67 Tie the Flexi-Worm

troutfishermanmag TroutFishMag troutfisherman troutfishmag

Russ Symons ties a Hopper Popper Phil Dixon picks six top patterns for April Peter Gathercole judges your early-season Buzzer patterns and sets a new challenge

81 New gear

COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews the latest tackle including rods, reels and lines

88 Fly-tying products

A look at rabbit zonker strips, peacock dubbing and a compact UV torch

OPINION & NEWS 90 News

Avington’s new staff, Sportfish show and more...

92 Sparctics are here!

COVER STORY Russ Symons samples the new sparctic trout sport at Hawkridge Reservoir

94 Letters

Trout Fisherman readers have their say

96 Cockwill

Peter on rule-breakers and respecting your quarry

98 Troutmasters

Are you amongst this month’s badge winners?

103 Match news

Iain Barr on the transition from lures to nymphs

106 Wading in

Jeff Prest shares the views of women anglers and how the sport can encourage their participation

troutfisherman troutfisherman troutfisherman-online @troutfisherman

THIS MONTH’S WINNER A true angler.

Sent in by David Dunkley

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: Nick Hart Pictures: Henry Gilbey

Daydreams on DARTMOOR Nick Hart takes a break from stocked stillwaters to catch pretty wild browns on Devon’s River Dart...

6 TROUT FISHERMAN | MARCH 28 - APRIL 24

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

BE INSPIRE D Get out int wilds in se o the ar perfect bro ch of wns

Admire them. Small but perfectly formed with markings to die for.

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 7

Words: Phil Dixon Pictures: Peter Gathercole

12 TROUT FISHERMAN | MARCH 28 - APRIL 24

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

TACTICS Catch m

ore w early-seaso ith stillwater t n ips

FREE-FALLINÕ Russ Owen & Phil Dixon fish on-the-drop at a pressured water...

Former world champ Russ Owen with a salmon from Ellerdine.

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 13

TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Problems with BUZZERS? You’d be surprised how many of us admit to struggling when it comes to fishing Buzzers. Peter Cockwill explains…

18 TROUT FISHERMAN | MARCH 28 - APRIL 24

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

Peter Cockwill enjoys some lively action from a buzzer-feeder.

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 19

TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words & pictures: Jeffrey Prest

Why must fishing be either/or…?

Changing from trout fishery to coarse fishery can be a big step into the unknown. Unless you’re fishing The Rising, where the only step involved is changing your fly…

24 TROUT FISHERMAN | MARCH 28 - APRIL 24

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 25

TACTICS RIVERS Words & pictures: Massimo Magliocco

36 TROUT FISHERMAN | MARCH 28 - APRIL 24

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

Lines of communication Don’t ignore a river’s more boisterous stretches, says Massimo Magliocco.

Sometimes the river helps you, and sometimes you must help yourself...

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 37

DO 'T MISS N GREATTHIS RRP £3GIFT! 9.99

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

Airflo SuperDri fly line when you subscribe to Three great ways to enjoy your magazine PRINT ONLY + AIRFLO FLY LINE 13 issues for £39 when you pay by recurring payment or 13 issues for £41 when you pay by one-off payment

DIGITAL ONLY + AIRFLO FLY LINE

13 issues for £26 when you pay by recurring payment/ one-off payment

SAVE* 48%

PRINT & DIGITAL + AIRFLO FLY LINE BEST OFFER

13 issues of print & digital for £49 when you pay by recurring payment or 13 issues for £51 when you pay by one-off payment *48% saving applies when you choose the annual print and digital package option and pay by recurring payment.

Airflo SuperDri Lake Pro fly line

AIRFLO'S SuperDri Lake Pro fly line has been specifically designed for the stillwater angler, and utilises the popular 'Delta' taper profile for easy distance even when casting teams of flies. The line also features SuperDri technology with a friction reducing coating which lets the line glide through the rod rings, adding yards to your cast.

The SuperDri's coating also repels water, dirt and surface scum better than any material in the history of fly lines. ● You can choose between sizes WF7F or WF8F.

Subscribe securely online at:

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/troutfisherman

or call our order line on 01858 438884 Order lines open Mon-Fri 8am-9.30pm, Sat 8am-4pm

QUOTE offer code DEAA TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. Recurring payments will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise.

This offer closes on April 24th 2018. We reserve the right to provide an alternative gift or a 3 issue extension if stocks are exhausted. Please allow 28 working days for the delivery of your gift. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximate) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximate) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat).

UK orders only. Overseas? Phone +44 1858 438828. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions: please visit http://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-termsand-conditions

FOCUS ON H ow to cope with two-fl y set-ups

Create your first fly team. Peter Cockwill breaks down the basics of multi-fly leader set-ups AS we come into spring our fisheries begin to wake up from the long, cold months of winter and aquatic life once again begins its annual period of growth and reproduction. This is a wonderful time for us fly fishers and our tactical guide will show you how best to take advantage of the fishing opportunities.

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

Buzzers are perhaps the main hatching insect now and that’s why they dominate our two-fly set-ups but you can still catcn on lures. You’ll need to slow your casting down with multi-fly combos and widen the loop to avoid tangles. It’s always best to book a casting instructor.

MARCH 28 - APRIL 24 | TROUT FISHERMAN 41

SPECIAL READER OFFER

LARGE STORAFLY BOX & 200 FLIES

E V A S 5! £14

ONLY £49.99 THIS month’s great reader offer is a whole season’s worth of updated fly patterns and a large 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 popular fly patterns including dries, wets, 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. 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 00130TF when you place your order.

Tel: 0141 212 8880 Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: sales@fishingmegastore.com Website: http://gac.fishing/00130TF Or by Post: Glasgow Angling Centre Ltd, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen St, Glasgow G22 5HT

Fly-Tying In association with Veniard

trout FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

How to tie the FLEXI-WORM

Peter Gathercole ties a deadly early-season small water pattern with plenty of kick!

Visit our website www.veniard.com

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