Just one fly - what would you choose?
I have just been invited to fish in a British version of the One Fly Event that is held every year in the US. The UK event is being organised by Simon Cooper who runs Fishing Breaks, a Hampshire-based agency that organises chalk stream beat bookings.
Simon has fished in the US event, held every year over two days at Jackson Hole in Wyoming when 160 anglers compete in 40 teams. The novel rule for this competition is that each angler is allowed only one fly for the duration of the event although they may choose the fly with which they will fish.
"I went one year and a woman who was fishing from a boat lost her fly on the very first cast. You can imagine the sinking feeling you have when that happens," says Simon.
Yes, I can imagine that, which is why I fear that I will be spending most of the British competition watching everyone else from the banks of the Test where it will be held towards the end of April.
I can lose flies as I'm tying them to the line. My eyesight is not good and tiny trout flies can be really fiddly. I can be standing on a river bank with green fields everywhere, not a tree in sight, I make my back cast and, bugger, it's stuck in a tree. Trees creep up on you, I'm convinced.
It's going to be too early for the Mayfly but I imagine I will need something robust.There's tippet strength to think about too.
It's an interesting concept because it will force competitors to exercise extreme care when casting - something they should be doing anyway. My problem is that it usually takes me a while to relax. Added to that will be the anxiety created by a fear of losing my fly, so really I have no chance.
Simon has competed in the US for the past three years and has lost his fly once, not a bad record.
So now I have four months to think about my choice of fly. What's it going to be? If you were fishing a chalk stream in late April with the option of just one fly that could not be replaced, what would you choose. Imagine you're fishing for your life. Scary isn't it.
Here's a link to my FT column relating to this blog.
Simon has fished in the US event, held every year over two days at Jackson Hole in Wyoming when 160 anglers compete in 40 teams. The novel rule for this competition is that each angler is allowed only one fly for the duration of the event although they may choose the fly with which they will fish.
"I went one year and a woman who was fishing from a boat lost her fly on the very first cast. You can imagine the sinking feeling you have when that happens," says Simon.
Yes, I can imagine that, which is why I fear that I will be spending most of the British competition watching everyone else from the banks of the Test where it will be held towards the end of April.
I can lose flies as I'm tying them to the line. My eyesight is not good and tiny trout flies can be really fiddly. I can be standing on a river bank with green fields everywhere, not a tree in sight, I make my back cast and, bugger, it's stuck in a tree. Trees creep up on you, I'm convinced.
It's going to be too early for the Mayfly but I imagine I will need something robust.There's tippet strength to think about too.
It's an interesting concept because it will force competitors to exercise extreme care when casting - something they should be doing anyway. My problem is that it usually takes me a while to relax. Added to that will be the anxiety created by a fear of losing my fly, so really I have no chance.
Simon has competed in the US for the past three years and has lost his fly once, not a bad record.
So now I have four months to think about my choice of fly. What's it going to be? If you were fishing a chalk stream in late April with the option of just one fly that could not be replaced, what would you choose. Imagine you're fishing for your life. Scary isn't it.
Here's a link to my FT column relating to this blog.
Labels: chalk stream, Fishing Breaks, Jackson Hole, Mayfly, One Fly Event, River Test, Simon Cooper, tippet
posted by Richard Donkin at
5:51 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home