Trout Fisherman 517 (Digital Sampler)

FIRST FOR OR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

LATEST GEARjacket

● Airflo Puffa ● Snowbee waders ● Orvis Helios rods ● Vision travel tube ● Wychwood RS rod

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

35

Reader eader Of Offer fer SAVE

RED-HOT FLIES TO TIE NOW

£138

Full Greys rod outfit, £169.99

Full dressings & tying tips

CATCH & RELEASE

Should we use mats?

Be a winter

5 DEC, 2018 - 1 JAN, 2019 | £3.60

ISSUE 517

WINNER

Tips & flies to catch in the cool SMALL WATERS

WETS WORK

Have faith in old patterns

RIVERS

DEE GRAYLING Tips from an England ace

RESERVOIRS

FLY -TYING

RUTLAND MAP THE BEADY FLY Back-end hotspots & flies

Tie a favourite winter lure

Contents

BE INSPIRED

59 How to...

We share your fly-fishing ‘firsts’

FLY-TYING

6 Your first...

Cover image by: Peter Gathercole

TACTICS

8 Late season bank raid

COVER STORY Iain Barr gets up early to target Rutland’s big trout lying just yards from the shore

14 They still work!

COVER STORY Peter Cockwill fishes ‘old-fashioned’ wet flies at a rain-sodden Rib Valley lakes

20 The bare essentials

OFFERS 36 Subscription offer

Receive an Outlander mesh vest when you subscribe to Trout Fisherman magazine

TF meets one angler who uses only four flies throughout a season

26 Glorious grayling COVER STORY

Top tips for late season sport

36 Mat finish?

TF talks catch and release with coarse anglers and asks if fly fishermen should use mats COVER STORY

Greys GR50 rod, GTS500 cassette reel and lots more for only £169.99 – a saving of £138!

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

COVER STORY Russ Symons ties a Winter Beady that will actually catch all year round

68 Fastmail flies

Phil Dixon picks six successful flies for winter sport

72 Flymasters

Peter Gathercole judges your mobile weighted lure patterns and sets a new tying challenge

TACKLE

77 Gear on test

COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews rods, waders, clothing, luggage and more...

OPINION & NEWS

FOCUS ON...

Pike v trout feud rages on in Ireland and much more from the trout scene

Reviews of Extreme String, Slush Jelly and Easy Dub

84 News

COVER STORY How to stay warm and dry this winter plus some tips to help you catch more

86 Letters

WHERE TO FISH

88 Cockwill

Four top waters to visit this month

89 Troutmasters

47 UK waters

50 Spotlight on...

COVER STORY

Winter tactics for Rutland Water

52 Big fish & bear country

Wild adventures on Alaska’s Kodiak Island

ADVICE

TF’s experts answer your questions on fry-feeding, wading boot soles and tying techniques

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

66 Flybox fillers

Jeff Prest gains insight into how our trout are farmed and how one farm has become very efficient

56 Advice squad

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Peter Gathercole ties a firm fry-feeding favourite for late season on stillwaters

82 Fly-tying products

42 Winter fishing

COVER STORY

63 The Humungus

INVESTIGATION 37 Fish farming

46 Reader offer

Catch a grayling with river specialist Paul Procter

troutfishermanmag TroutFishMag troutfisherman troutfishmag

Trout Fisherman readers have their say Taxidermy: is it an ethical way to preserve fish?

Are you among this month’s badge winners?

93 Iain Barr

The 2019 World Bank Masters is launched

94 Match tips

England International John Horsey makes the case for competition fly-fishing

98 Wading in

Jeff Prest describes the end of his love affair with Boobies

troutfisherman troutfisherman troutfisherman-online @troutfisherman

THIS MONTH’S WINNER

Rod at the ready: Balmule Fishery in Fife.

Sent in by Cameron McGrath

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: iain Barr Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Iain Barr prepares to net the fruits of a two-hour session at Rutland.

8 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 5 - JANUARY 1

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

TACTICS Winter

reser bank skills voir specimen t for rout

Now’s the time to get up early and hunt a huge Rutland trout from the bank.

They’re closer in than you might think, says Iain Barr...

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

DECEMBER 5 - JANUARY 1 | TROUT FISHERMAN 9

TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Peter Cockwill fishes traditional wet flies at a rainy Rib Valley to prove they still have worth...

14 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 5 - JANUARY 1

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

They may lack movement and be unfashionable, but they still catch trout!

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

DECEMBER 5 - JANUARY 1 | TROUT FISHERMAN 15

TACTICS SMALL WATERS Words & pictures: Jeff Prest

Few flies; many fish.

John Bicker prepares to land another Borland rainbow.

20 TROUT FISHERMAN | DECEMBER 5 - JANUARY 1

www.troutďŹ sherman.co.uk

In a world of anglers surrounded by more flies than a dead horse, the guy making do with a handful of patterns can seem an almost mythical figure. But we found him...

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

december 5 - january 1 | TrouT fisherman 21

DON'T M THIS GISS R OFFEREAT !

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

Receive an Outlander mesh vest when you subscribe to

Enjoy 13 issues a year PRINT ISSUE + MESH VEST 13 issues for £39 when you pay

by Direct Debit or 13 issues for £41 when you pay by Debit/Credit card or PayPal. Offer limited to first 250 orders.

Airflo Outlander mesh vest

The ultimate lightweight fly vest. Ideal for deep wading or travelling light the Airflo Outlander mesh vest has it all and does the lot! Features include: n A pocket for every situation n Vertical zip-down fly trays n Mesh pockets n Double front D-rings and back D-ring n Straps and leashes to attach your gadgets n Adjustable one size fits all

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND BENEFIT FROM:

● Never missing an issue ● Free delivery to your door or instant download to your digital device ● Complimentary Outlander mesh vest ● Be the first to read the latest news

Subscribe securely online at:

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

QUOTE offer code MEAA TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. OFFER IS LIMITED TO 250 UNITS. We reserve the right to replace the gift with one of equal or higher value or offer a 3 issue extension if the offer is exhausted. Payments by Direct Debit will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise and you will not receive a renewal reminder. This offer closes on January 3rd, 2018. 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? Please phone +44 1858 438828 for further details. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit: http://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions

Fly-Tying In association with Veniard

trout FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

Peter Gathercole ties one of the best stillwater lures Visit our website www.veniard.com

GREYS ROD OUTFIT FOR £169.99 GR50 rod, reel & lots more...

SPECIAL READER OFFER

SAVE £138

THIS month’s great offer from Glasgow Angling Centre is a complete fly-fishing fl outfit based around the Greys GR50 fly rod.

This four-piece rod is a light, fast recovering model featuring a non-flash ice grey gre paint finish with section ID and line up markers. It has a burl hardwood spacer with aluminium hardware, hardw a hybrid handle design with hard-wearing rubber-cork tippings and high grade gr full cork main grip, and light single leg guides in black nickel finish. Choose from a 9ft 5wt or 9ft 6wt model when you y place your order.

The offer also includes a Greys GTS500 cassette reel, a full die-cast die-cas construction, large arbor design with a dual rulon disc drag system. It features a unique line ID system, sy with coloured pegs supplied, and also comes with two additional polycarbonate spools and a neoprene reel case.

Plus you also get a Greys Platinum Stealth floating fly line, a pocket pock fly box and 50 popular stillwater flies, a pack of three braided loops and a 50 metre spool of braided backing.

The normal RRP of this outfit is £308.94, but it is available to Trout rout Fisherman readers for £169.99 – a saving of £138!

The Greys GR50 fly rod (right) and Greys GTS500 cassette reel.

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

Greys Platinum Stealth floating fly line.

Light but strong foam-lined pocket fly box (10x8cm).

HOW TO ORDER

Quote ‘Trout Fisherman offer’ and code 00139TF. Please also state size of rod you require when placing your order.

Fifty popular stillwater fly patterns.

Pack of three Airflo floating braided loops.

50 metre spool of abrasionresistant backing.

Tel: 0141 212 8880 Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: sales@fishingmegastore.com Website: http://gac.fishing/00139TF/ Or by Post: Glasgow Angling Centre Ltd, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen St, Glasgow G22 5HT

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT A lifetime's flies in one beautifully illustrated book – from the publishers of Trout Fisherman and Trout & Salmon magazines

Catching a fish on a fly you’ve tied is one of the most rewarding aspects of our sport. The satisfaction is everlasting. If you've not tied a fly before, this quality 200-page book PLUS £2 will help you to achieve that goal. .99 P&P Discover the basics of hook AVAILAB LE FROM and fly anatomy, and the tools and materials to get you started.

There are explanations of basic T techniques, including applying thread to a hook, the whip finish and everything inbetween: hackling, dubbing and ribbing.

But this book is not only for beginners: the fly collection will satisfy the experienced modern game-fisher's every need.

Modern patterns feature alongside traditional stalwarts that continue to be effective. Dressings and easy-to-follow sequences are clearly written and beautifully photographed.

The flies are presented in colour-coded categories for stillwater trout, river trout and grayling, and salmon and sea-trout. The book is ringbound for easy viewing when you tie.

All the flies have appeared in Trout Fisherman and Trout & Salmon over the past two decades and are the most successful patterns from game-fishing’s finest anglers.

ONLY £12.99

HOW TO ORDER

Online at www.greatmagazines.co.uk/248f lies From ebay | By post (see form below)

ORDER FORM | 248 MODERN FLIES & HOW TO TIE THEM To order your book by post complete the form and send it with your cheque/postal order (payable to Trout Fisherman) to Mary-Ann Payne, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Please write in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Please send me (insert number required)………… copy/copies of 248 MODERN FLIES & HOW TO TIE THEM at £12.99 +£2.99 per book (making a total of £15.98 per book).

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