Fly Fishing Devon instruction for beginners and improvers

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We teach roll and overhead casts
Single and double hauling and single-handed Spey casts

Learning to fly fish
We welcome enquiries from beginners and improvers as well as experienced anglers.

Please contact us to discuss any of the following:

"Beginner and Improver Sessions" for people who have little or no prior experience of fly fishing,
more ...

"From Stillwaters to Westcountry Rivers" is an introduction to fishing for wild brown trout on Dartmoor rivers,
more ...

"Fly Fishing School" modules cover basic as well as advanced casting and presentation skills,
more ...

"Gift Vouchers" A Fly Fishing Devon Gift Voucher makes a great Christmas, birthday or surprise present at any time of the year, more ...

Beginner and Improver Sessions

These normally take place on a stocked stillwater that give you an opportunity to catch a fish on a fly

Casting - roll and overhead casts
Casting safety
Essential knots
Tackle selection
Insect life (entomology)
Fly selection
Where to find fish
How to play, land and safely release fish
Duration: 3 hours
Please bring (sun)glasses and a hat for eye protection

Suitable for individuals, families or groups of friends. Maximum group size is three people. Children must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Please read these comments if you are considering booking fly fishing instruction for children.

From Stillwaters to Westcountry Rivers

This is designed for people who have some previous experience of fly fishing. It will introduce you to fishing for wild brown trout on Dartmoor rivers. This is the type of fishing that we particularly enjoy because it requires an amalgamation of field craft, precision and experience.

We begin with a revision of the roll cast and teach you single-handed Spey casts - an essential skill to get the most enjoyment out of small river trout fishing.

We will describe how to spot likely trout lies, which casts to use to present a fly, the importance of examining the insects present on the river bed, and what to do if no fish are seen rising.

stealth

Instruction is on a one-to-one basis. We can supply a suitable rod, reel, line and flies.

We recommend thigh or chest waders to cope with deeper sections of the river.

Please bring (sun)glasses and a hat for eye protection and your Environment Agency rod license.

Fly Fishing School: "From beginner to expert"

This comprehensive set of modules covers fly fishing for trout on rivers and stillwaters.

It is suitable for beginners as well as experienced anglers who wish
to brush-up their skills, or progress to wild brown trout fishing from
a stillwater background.

Video technology is available to identify and rectify casting problems.

Module 1: (available all year round)	fishing safely roll and overhead casts simple change of cast direction dealing with winds shooting line retrieving the fly

Module 2: (available all year round)	tackle selection essential knots stillwater insect life and fly selection false casting hooking, playing and releasing fish single and double-hauling reach, curve and slack-line casts

Module 3: (available from March 15th to September 30th)	river craft - the importance of stealth river entomology and matching the hatch fish vision and rise forms types of wet and dry flies fishing the wet fly single-handed Spey casting fishing the dry fly

Module 4 (available from March 15th to September 30th)	detecting the take the New Zealand dropper technique the Belgian or elliptical cast fishing the nymph drag-free drift: mending the line high sticking 'dead drift', 'induced take' and the ‘Leisenring lift’ 'flymphs' / wingless wet flies and emergers

Module 5: (Available from June to September)	Sea trout fishing life history and feeding habits tackle selection judging distance and casting in the dark wet fly techniques dry fly at night playing and landing sea trout

Module 6 (Available all year round)	Fly tying Partridge and Orange Black and Peacock Spider Cruncher Sparkle Dun Elk Hair Sedge Shipman's Buzzer

Summary:
1. Learning how to cast a fly can be difficult because you can’t watch yourself while you cast to see what you’re doing right or doing wrong.
2. The best solution is to spend a few hours with a qualified game angling instructor.
3. We recommend beginners take their first lesson on a stocked stillwater that gives you an opportunity to catch a fish on a fly.
4. We provide suitable rods, reels, lines, flies and explain how to select appropriate tackle for different types of fishing
5. We will teach you how to perform roll and overhead casts and shoot line to achieve distance.
6. We can also teach you how to single and double haul to deal with awkward winds and cope with those “just out of reach” fish.
7. We will introduce you to some of the bugs that make up a trout’s diet. And how to select a fly to “match the hatch”.
8. Hopefully you will then catch a fish so that we can show you how to play, land and safely release fish.

Author Paul Kenyon