A celebration of fly
fishing on
Dartmoor and Devon rivers
Video transcripts Instruction video
soundtrack
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.
The best solution is to spend a few hours with a
qualified
game angling instructor.
We recommend beginners take their first lesson on a
stocked
stillwater that gives you an opportunity to catch a fish on a
fly.
We provide suitable rods, reels, lines, flies and
explain how
to select appropriate tackle for different types of fishing
We will teach you how to perform roll and overhead
casts and
shoot line to achieve distance.
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.
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”.
Hopefully you will then catch a fish so that we can
show you
how to play, land and safely
Guiding video
soundtrack
Over 50 years ago when the pace of life was much
slower the
writer Dermot Wilson commented “In the West Country you can
catch trout from after breakfast till sunset, and enjoy the open
air and the country for as long as the sun is in the
sky"
Devon is still blessed with mile after mile of superb
fishing
for wild brown trout, sea trout and salmon.
A fly fishing guide can unlock the secrets of
catching these
wild fish in unspoilt surroundings.
Many of the beats we use have benefitted from work
carried
out by the Westcountry Rivers Trust to improve access for
anglers.
A guide can help you read a river and understand why
some
parts of the river are more likely to hold larger fish.
Westcountry trout are generally not fussy eaters but
sometimes the size of the fly does matter.
Being able to recognize the insects that live on
stones on
the bed of the rivers will give you confidence that you are using
the right type of fly.
A roll cast is often the best way of delivering a fly
when
you are faced with overhanging bankside vegetation.
We can help you refine your casting techniques.
If you understand what triggers a trout to take a
natural fly
then you will be able to choose an artificial fly with greater
confidence.
A guide will explain how a trout manages to intercept
a tiny
morsel of food being carried by the current down a fast flowing
river.
This will help you present your fly more effectively.
We can help you plan your trip by offering advice on
where to
stay and suggesting places to eat after a day on the river.
You probably prefer to use your own equipment. But if
you
want, we can lend you a rod, reel and line and supply flies and
tippet material at no extra cost. Please bring your Environment
Agency rod licence. We can supply you with Westcountry Angling
Passport permit tokens.