Any fishing enthusiasts?

Hi all,

I am a full-time custom rodbuilder and a keen angling enthusiast.
Always interested in a natter about anything piscatorial related, anybody else ?

Marty

Hello Marty, mostly fly fishing for me,im a member of a couple of fishing clubs.One loch and the other is a river, I've cast a line in a good few Scottish lochs although I mostly fish my local, the Gadloch taking the boat out and seeking out it's trout . It's a great top of the water loch as it's only goes down about ten foot at it's deepest. Dry fly, nymphs and traditional wets all do well with floating or intermediate lines . I've had quite a few rods in the past but for now I use a Sage nine and a half foot, a Greys G-tech and when I'm away in the motor home I normally take my travel rod, it's the Orvis frequent flyer seven section.
I've fished a few of the well known rivers in Scotland, the likes of the Spey and the Tay for salmon and sea trout although believe it or not my best salmon catches have come from the river Kelvin.The Kelvin starts in the west end of Glasgow running from the river Clyde and meandering it's way northwards for twenty or so miles.I use a Hardy spinning rod and do quite well with a flying c and the big Canadian worms.It really does astound me the salmon that make their way up this river.

What a great job you have Marty.

Tight lines,

Pat
 
I used to be a keen sea fisherman off the rocks on the north Cornwall Coast but my lack of mobility in my shoulders started making casting and pulling them back in a chore so sadly I gave it up a few years back.
It's a very enjoyable hobby though and wish I could still take part.
 
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I used to be a keen sea fisherman of the rocks on the north of Cornwall Coast but my lack of mobility in my shoulders started making casting and pulling them back in a choir so sadly I gave it up a few years back.
It's a very enjoyable hobby though and wish I could still take part.

Thats a pity , Paul.A beautiful place to cast a line and take in the sea air.
 
I lived in Billings, Montana for 15 years and acquired 2 Winston fly rods. Soon as I moved to England they became pretty useless as you have to join a fishing club and pay astronomical fees for the privilege of fishing...that's if you can find a club near you with membership openings.

I find the annual fee for my loch to be reasonable paying £127 + an extra £10 if you want to moor your boat. The brown trout season runs from March to October though they stock it with rainbow and blue trout for year round fishing.You are allowed to take 4 fish per day although I always release any fish I'm lucky enough to hook.
They also have 3 club boats for members that don't own a boat and they pay an extra £4 on top of their annual fee.
Fly fishing only.
 
I find the annual fee for my loch to be reasonable paying £127 + an extra £10 if you want to moor your boat. The brown trout season runs from March to October though they stock it with rainbow and blue trout for year round fishing.You are allowed to take 4 fish per day although I always release any fish I'm lucky enough to hook.
They also have 3 club boats for members that don't own a boat and they pay an extra £4 on top of their annual fee.
Fly fishing only.
I live in southern England, near Ringwood, and there's a dearth of fishing clubs with openings. The ones that do have openings have strict standards as far as what you can wear: Tweed jacket, green sweater & tie, wool trousers and wellies; along with a flat cap. They want you to wear a uniform to fish in the chalk streams, so you don't scare the fish.
 
I live in southern England, near Ringwood, and there's a dearth of fishing clubs with openings. The ones that do have openings have strict standards as far as what you can wear: Tweed jacket, green sweater & tie, wool trousers and wellies; along with a flat cap. They want you to wear a uniform to fish in the chalk streams, so you don't scare the fish.

Ye I catch your drift,(pardon the pun) and that no doubt is why these clubs still have openings for new members. The fish would likely prefer to be hooked by a fellow in a nice tweed jacket though, don't you think.:D
 
I lived in Billings, Montana for 15 years and acquired 2 Winston fly rods. Soon as I moved to England they became pretty useless as you have to join a fishing club and pay astronomical fees for the privilege of fishing...that's if you can find a club near you with membership openings.

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Fishing club? Membership openings? Privilege to fish?

American ignorance here, but I don't understand.
 
I lived in Billings, Montana for 15 years and acquired 2 Winston fly rods. Soon as I moved to England they became pretty useless as you have to join a fishing club and pay astronomical fees for the privilege of fishing...that's if you can find a club near you with membership openings.

Not really true. Sure, if want a rod on the Test, you're looking at massive costs but it is mainly overpriced fishing for stocked, non-native Rainbows, designed to snag overpaid London bankers.

I fly fish, mostly small stream wild brown trout and costs are far lower. Membership of the Crediton Fly Fishing Club runs a less than £100 per season, as an example. For the forthcoming season, I will be once again buying a Wye & Usk wildstreams permit, giving access to many miles of Welsh small streams for only £80. Even daytickets on the main beats of the Wye and Usk, two of the finest trout rivers in the country, are no more than £25 or £30, less than a resturant meal.

Although no longer a member of CFFC, I go down to the Fox & Hounds hotel in Devon for opening day, when the proprietor lets us fish for free. To be honest, it is rarely warm enough to catch on anything other than deep nymphs but it's great to catch up with the blokes. I'm really looking forward to it.

As a small stream fly fisher, I have 7' and 7' 6" rods, in 3 and 4 wt, all by Orvis, who make nice slow-actioned rods. I also have a 6' 6" fibreglass rod made by a chap in the US, which is great for getting under low tree canopies. I bought a Tenkara rod a couple of years ago but haven't used it yet. It could be great on, say, Dartmoor, where there is no tree cover and you're fishing mostly pocket water. I still have a 9' 6wt Orvis Trident TLS for the odd stillwater day and a Guideline Fario 9' 5wt for bigger rivers.

If I'm honest, I'm not actually a very good fisherman. A few years ago, I had an entirely blank season, despite a whole day on Wimbleball in a boat, trips to Wales and a day with a Tenkara instructor on the Usk! Thing is, just being in the water is hugely enjoyable and catching a fish is just a bonus. I like to combine fishing with camping and when I can get a pass from the long-haired CO, I'll take off for Wales, camp for a few nights and fish all day. I'm planning on backpacking on Dartmoor this year, taking a Tenkara rod with me.
 
A fishing license costs me $25, and I probably burn less than $50 a year in boat gas. Bait might run that same $50, depending on how much fishing we do for what species.

The biggest cost, aside from owning the boat, is pickup gas getting it to and from the various lakes. But even if you don't own a boat, almost everybody else around here does, so it isn't a costly pastime at all. And the fishing here is pretty spectacular.
 
Not really true. Sure, if want a rod on the Test, you're looking at massive costs but it is mainly overpriced fishing for stocked, non-native Rainbows, designed to snag overpaid London bankers.

I fly fish, mostly small stream wild brown trout and costs are far lower. Membership of the Crediton Fly Fishing Club runs a less than £100 per season, as an example. For the forthcoming season, I will be once again buying a Wye & Usk wildstreams permit, giving access to many miles of Welsh small streams for only £80. Even daytickets on the main beats of the Wye and Usk, two of the finest trout rivers in the country, are no more than £25 or £30, less than a resturant meal.

Although no longer a member of CFFC, I go down to the Fox & Hounds hotel in Devon for opening day, when the proprietor lets us fish for free. To be honest, it is rarely warm enough to catch on anything other than deep nymphs but it's great to catch up with the blokes. I'm really looking forward to it.

As a small stream fly fisher, I have 7' and 7' 6" rods, in 3 and 4 wt, all by Orvis, who make nice slow-actioned rods. I also have a 6' 6" fibreglass rod made by a chap in the US, which is great for getting under low tree canopies. I bought a Tenkara rod a couple of years ago but haven't used it yet. It could be great on, say, Dartmoor, where there is no tree cover and you're fishing mostly pocket water. I still have a 9' 6wt Orvis Trident TLS for the odd stillwater day and a Guideline Fario 9' 5wt for bigger rivers.

If I'm honest, I'm not actually a very good fisherman. A few years ago, I had an entirely blank season, despite a whole day on Wimbleball in a boat, trips to Wales and a day with a Tenkara instructor on the Usk! Thing is, just being in the water is hugely enjoyable and catching a fish is just a bonus. I like to combine fishing with camping and when I can get a pass from the long-haired CO, I'll take off for Wales, camp for a few nights and fish all day. I'm planning on backpacking on Dartmoor this year, taking a Tenkara rod with me.

If fishing was easy it would be called catching. I've had great days at a water, and never caught a thing.
 
Love to fish. I live in Minnesota, which is full of lakes, so am pretty much on the water whenever it isn't covered by ice. I mostly fish out of my boat, but love to use the kayak.

Your very lucky, i have a penchant for bass, boats and kayaks!
I import a lot of my rod components from the States, so hoping for a post-brexit trade deal that saves me a few quid!
What a great job you have Marty.

Tight lines,

Pat

pat its a lifestyle thing rather than a way to become rich!

I dropped out of the corporate system 10 years ago and decided that i would try and make a living from my passion. Long story short i am poor (ish) and happy rather than affluent and miserable, and although it brings its own stresses having to watch the pennies I wouldnt swap it for a 100k job working a 9-5 someone else.

Every rod i build i fall in love with, its an extension of my pride if you get what i mean, and i count myself lucky that i spend most of my life doing something i love.

(a new car and a holiday would be nice though ...lol!)
 
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