Trout Fisherman Issue 531 (Digital Sampler)

FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

NEW GEAR ON TEST

www.troutfisherman.co.uk

STILLWATERS

ELLERDINE'S MONSTERS HORSEY'S 10 TIPS

WINTER

CATCH 'Must have' advice for success in the cold

RIVER TACTICS

Climate change & your sport Paul Procter's grayling flies

ISSUE 531 2 JAN - 28 JAN, 2020 | £3.70

39

FLOAT-TUBE TIPS

SMALL WATERS

WHERE TO FISH

FLY-TYING

Search water in a tube

Find winter trout in the flow

Winter waters to fish now

The stillwater nymphy lure

DIGITAL EDITIONS AVAILABLE

Contents I SS U E 531

Cover image by Peter Gathercole

BE INSPIRED

6 Your first

TF highlights fly-fishing ‘firsts’ sent in by readers of all ages

14

TACTICS

FLY-TYING

63 Red-ribbed ed-ribbed Cormy

COVER STORY Peter Gathercole’s step-by-step sequence to a fly that bridges the gap between nymph and lure

66 Flybox fillers

8 Down the sides

Russ Symons ties a GRHE Cruncher

Phil Dixon says you don’t have to cast far for success as he goes in search of Ellerdine’s specimen trout COVER STORY

70 Flymasters

Cased Caddis larva imitations come under scrutiny

14 Shallow focus

TACKLE

Even in winter fish can be high in the water, as Peter Cockwill discovers...

75 Gear on test

COVER STORY Robbie Winram reviews a high-end reel, comfortable waders and a powerful rod

20 Incoming!

COVER STORY Target the inlets, they are great fish-holding areas, says Russ Symons

79 Fly-tying products

Tying with flashy tinsel and synthetic jungle cock

25 New year problem solver

OPINION & NEWS

We all have problems to solve or skills we’d like to learn. Start the season as you mean to go on...

74 Tackle memories

28 Fin power

Dave Malpas remembers the tackle of yesteryear and his first-ever international

Matt Roberts and friends take to their float-tubes to catch big pike on fly

80 News

33 10 hot stillwater tips

England’s most consistent match angler, John Horsey, reveals his ‘catching’ secrets

Events to look forward to and what’s new on the trout scene

COVER STORY

WHERE TO FISH

70

39 UK waters

COVER STORY Five top stillwater trout fisheries you should visit this month

OFFER

42 Clearwater revival

62 Reader offer

How Sussex stalking water Chalk Springs plans to grow COVER STORY

Save up to £109.99 on the high-spec Greys GTS900 fly reel – yours from only £110...

48 Ebro gems

Jamie Sandford heads to Spain’s mighty River Ebro to flyfish for a variety of species

ADVICE

83 Taking the temperature

COVER STORY The winter climate may be changing but is it changing the way you fish?

86 Letters

TF readers have their say

88 Book reviews

Four more publications get the Jeff Prest treatment

90 Cockwill

On plans to see more of the UK fishing scene

91 Troutmasters

Are you among this month’s badge winners?

54 Advice squad

95 Iain Barr

58 How to...

98 Wading in

Iain sings the praises of the new World Champion and reveals what it takes to be the best

TF’s experts answer your questions on ‘all-round’ rods, keeping warm in winter and more...

In part 3 of his series on grayling fishing, Paul Procter looks at which flies to select

Do you prefer new gear or making your old gear last longer?

COVER STORY

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY www.t ro u t f i s h e r m a n .co.u k

troutfishermanmag TroutFishMag troutfisherman troutfishmag troutfisherman troutfisherman troutfisherman-online @troutfisherman

THIS MONTH’S WINNER My 28lb salmon.

Sent in by Paul Greenacre

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

TACTICS S M A L L W A T E R S Words Phil Dixon Pictures Peter Gathercole

Phil Dixon gets among the 'exotics' at Ellerdine.

TACTICS

Down the sides Phil Dixon says you don’t have to cast far for success on many small waters in winter

TACTICS S M A L L W A T E R S Words Peter Cockwill Pictures Peter Gathercoleo

Pete McLeod cradles a four-pounder from Haywards Farm.

Shallow focus

Even in winter fish can be high in the water, as Peter Cockwill & Pete McLeod discover...

TACTICS S M A L L W A T E R S Words & pictures Russ Symons

Inlets aren’t just summer hotspots. They attract winter fish too.

INCOMING! Inlets are great fish-holding areas, even in winter says Russ Symons

READER OFFER

SAVE UP TO £109.99

GTS900 FLY REEL

FR E E P&P

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT OFFER

T

HIS month’s great offer from Glasgow Angling Centre is the high specification Greys GTS900 fly reel.

Suitable for all forms of freshwater fly-fishing scenarios, the GTS900 is Greys' flagship fly reel and is made with full bar sstock construction. It's also lightweight, without compromising on strength, and features high-quality components and cosmetics.

Features of the GTS900 reel include: ■ Centralised twin rulon disc drag ■ 6061 bar stock aluminium construction ■ Tool-less conversion conv from left to right hand wind ■ Large arbor design with captive spool release ■ Supplied with neoprene pouch.

The Greys GTS900 reel is available to Trout Fisherman readers in two sizes (see panel below).

FROM ONLY £110 REEL SIZE (CODE)

RRP

NOW

YOU SAVE

2/3/4 (GR2356)

£219.99

£110

£109.99

4/5/6 (GR2357)

£229.00

£130

£99.00

How to order

When ordering quote “Trout Fisherman offer” & code “00153TF”.

Please state reel size/code you require. Offer available while stocks last. Free P+P. Tel: 0141 212 8880 | Fax: 0141 331 6340 Email: sales@fishingmegastore.com | Order online: www.gac.fishing/00153TF Post: Glasgow Angling Centre, Unit 1, The Point, 29 Saracen Street, Glasgow G22 5HT

TACTICS F I N A L F R O N T I E R S

New Year resolute?

We thought it was just us. Shying away from that one fishing skill that seems forever beyond us. Then we asked our readers which ‘final frontier’ they’d love to cross in 2020. Seems we are not alone…

TACTICS F L O A T - T U B E F O R P I K E Words & pictures Matt Roberts

FIN POWER

Matt Roberts & friends float with flippers to catch big pike on fly

A large, strong fly-caught pike is returned to the water.

WHERE TO FISH C H A L K S P R I N G S Words & pictures Jeffrey Prest

Due to be refurbished, the lodge forms part of the backdrop to this photo of East Lake.

Clearwater REVIVAL

Chalk Springs is under new management but for anglers who like watching the action unfold before them, the show goes on‌

WHERE TO FISH S P A I N Words & pictures Jamie Sandford

Quality Ebro perch fall to the fly.

Ebro gems

Spain holiday-maker and flyfisher Jamie Sandford hunts a variety of species on fly on the River Ebro

NEWS & VIEWS

Taking the temperature The winter climate may be changing but is it changing the way you fish?

TACTICS S T I L L W A T E R S

S P I T R E T A W L L I T S T HO John Horsey, England’s most consistent match angler and guide, shares his angling lessons from a glittering career

D

URING my early 20s, I became obsessed with fly-fishing and made it my goal to qualify for England.

Last autumn I came second in the English Loch-style National Final, making it five top five places in consecutive years and thus qualifying for my 48th international cap in Wales later this season.

I’ve captained England at loch-style, rivers, European and World Championship level, with my greatest achievement being part of the World Champion winning team in Scotland in 2009.

I’ve also been fortunate to be National Rivers Champion and National Loch-style Champion.

So, these are 10 of my top tips and, unless otherwise stated, apply primarily to stillwater fishing from boats.

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

ONLY £ 1 2 . 99 PL U S £2.9 9

P& P

WHIL STOC E LASTKS !

AVAILABLE TO BUY FROM www.greatmagazines.co.uk/248flies 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, H Bauer Publishing, 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).

Name ......................................................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................

Total to pay: £.......................................

Address .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

Postcode ........................................................ .............................................................................................................................................................................................. ...............................................................................................................................

Email*............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. .......................................................................................

Tel.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tel ...............................................................................................................................

VIEW THE TRAILER AT www.youtube.com/troutfisherman

Yes please, keep me up to date via email [ ] post [ ] phone [ ] with the latest news and special offers from Trout Fisherman. Please do let us keep in contact so we make sure you don’t miss out. *You can unsubscribe at any time from any email we send you via the unsubscribe link or by emailing dataprotectionofficer@bauermedia.co.uk For our privacy policy go to www.bauerdatapromise.co.uk

Fly-Tying In association with Veniard

Red-ribbed Cormy

Peter Gathercole ties a y for winter that bridges the gap between nymph and lure www.troutfisherman.co.uk

Visit our website www.veniard.com

PRINT | DIGITAL | ONLINE

Print & Digital Subscriptions www.greatmagazines.co.uk/troutfisherman

www.troutfisherman.co.uk OFFICIAL HOME OF

TROUTMASTERS Europe’s largest flyfishing competition Available from

Connect with us