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It’s not all about lonely days spent on damp riverbanks, fly-fishing is now seriously cool. Graham Mole dons waders and grabs a rod to showcase a handful of easy-to-reach locations to get you started.
Fly-fishing for trout and salmon had always been a sport for players rather than spectators but this year, angling societies are seeing surging numbers keen to take up Europe’s biggest participatory sport. And now, cheap travel allows you to try your hand in more exotic European locations.
For most people though, the image of the fisherman is still a bit geeky. There’s a classic cartoon image of a scruffy angler, hunched in a bankside chair, puffing a cigarette, completely still for hours, just waiting for a bite. As Samuel Johnson put it: “A worm at one end, a fool at the other”. But this is changing.
“The difference between 'ordinary’ fishing and fly-fishing,” says Roy Gurney of The Fly Dressers’ Guild, “is that you make it happen, it’s more of an art. You’re not just sitting there on a bank as the typical image of a fly fisher would suggest.”
Fly fishermen – also known as game anglers – argue that they’re different. Not for them the mucky canal bank or dugout gravel pit. Their patch is a tranquil stream meandering through meadows – be it in Normandy, Hampshire or the foothills of the Pyrenees. Or maybe a raging mountain torrent. And they pay for it – up to ¤580 a day on some chalk streams in the south of England and thousands of pounds a week for salmon in Scotland, complete in some cases, with a butler and silver tray bearing a lunchtime tipple at the fishing hut.
“But it’s a surprisingly cheap sport,” says Roy. You can get started on less than ¤145. In some places in the UK you can fish all day for ¤20. A cheap fishing rod will set you back ¤40, and the line costs around ¤7, so it’s not as expensive as most people think.”
Nowadays it pays would-be trout catchers to fly into Europe and get the same, or sometimes even better fishing, for a fraction of the price. And, in most European countries there isn’t a single city, town or river that doesn’t have a local fishing club. Membership is invariably cheap and provides not only access to the local rivers, but also gives you an introduction to guides and trainers. They’re experienced anglers who’ll teach you not only how to fish but where to get the tackle and clothing you need, at the right price.
One popular trip for novice and experts alike involves flying into Bilbao in Spain and fishing along the coast up to the Picos de Europa and its idyllic salmon and trout streams. There’s no shortage of fish either – the streams were stocked in the past by a fanatical fisherman – by the name of Franco.
The Picos de Europa is just the sort of out-of-the-way spot adored by fly fishermen – great bars, brilliant weather and rivers teeming with fish. And then there’s the flavour added by quaint local customs. One involves pouring a lethal shot of the local cider (cidron) from a great height into a bucket.
If you’re mid-river and hear people yelling: “Encima, pronto” and waving, then get back to the bank as soon as you can. You’ll suddenly find the water level rising – and fast. Somewhere upstream they’ve opened a dam – “encima” is Spanish for “above”. But the fishing makes up for it – especially if you adopt the local method which involves dragging a small plastic sphere tied to imitation flies across the river. It does though, require local advice, otherwise you find you’ve tied the sphere on upside down, causing a bow wave fit to frighten a fish as formidable as Jaws.
Over in the Pyrenees you’ll find two fly-fishing highlights. Make your way from Barcelona to Pamplona – a great drive – and then you can fish in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway on his favourite river, the Irati, near Pamplona. There, in a cafe just opposite a statue of the great man, you can feast on one of his favourites, trout bleu. The next day you can amble up the road towards Logrono and the Rioja region and a tumultuous river called the Najerilla.
One tip: the huge trout here lie not in the deep pools, but in the very shallowest of riffles – the reason being that’s where they get the most oxygen. So bear that in mind before you cast.
But Spain doesn’t have exclusive rights to great game fishing. You can also adopt the French option. Fly into Toulouse to reach the River Tarn – a huge attraction for any fisherman. What’s guaranteed is that it is the most spectacular river you’ll ever fish, with the world’s highest viaduct and gorges 400 metres deep.
Less spectacular in the way of scenery, but another place bursting with fish, is Ireland where you can fly into Cork and fish your way up to Shannon. Either location offers a distinct advantage for beginners: it’s easy to hire guides who will know the best spots on the rivers or, in the case of the magnificent loughs in Kerry, the boatmen. They’ll know which flies work best at what time of year and, apart from expert advice, they have a fund of stories to help entertain you during the quieter times. The area has some of the most gloriously under-fished rivers around loughs containing monstrously big sea trout. Wherever you are, they’ll be a stream or body of water with possibly your supper in it. You should catch onto the craze this spring.
FISH FACTS
• Whichever country you fish in you must get a licence. Regulations vary from country to country and in some places from region to region. Best bet, and this applies to tackle, flies and licences, is to use the local tackle shop.
• In Spain, one favourite method for catching trout is to use a short spinning rod, a fixed spool reel and bolos (pronounced bolios). Again, it’s the local tackle shop which will have them and the right flies for the local river.
• A great online resource for everything you’ll need to know can be found at www.fishandfly.co.uk
FLY - FISHING FOR BEGINNERS
• Make sure you’re properly dressed and treat your feet to a decent pair of wellies or thigh or chest waders, depending on where you’re going. If you plan on fishing throughout the year it’s worth spending that bit extra to get a pair made from a breathable material, GoreTex for example.
• Your most crucial buy will be a selection of flies. Its best to wait until you get to the local tackle shop and take their advice. And don’t be afraid to ask questions – they’ll jump at the chance to show off their local knowledge.
• Remember: stay silent. The art of fly-fishing is stealth and the ability to deceive the fish. You have to stay out of sight.
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