Have we got it wrong

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neil mason 2

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When visiting a local tackle shop, I witnessed the sales person advising a person enquiring about getting kitted out for fly fishing for the first time.

Where his advise went along the lines all trout waters now tend to stock only large double figure fish and you'll need 10' 8# distance rod with a floating, sinker and lures for pulling.

I fish the local lakes with a 5# 9'rod and have no problems, as the local lake holds fish from 2lb to 20lb and mainly fish dry's right though the year.

My point is are the trout waters creating the wrong image with double figure fish and the shops pointing would be anglers in the wrong direction.

I have seen the same advise given to coarse lads being advised nobody bothers with silver fish, the main target is carp and fishing bollies
 
S

Shrek

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If that is the guys first outfit then I would say that it is totally unsuitable for him.

I would recommend a 9ft or 9ft 6" #6 rod and only a floating line to start with until casting is sorted out then progress from there.

It's not the trout waters that are creating the wrong image, it's the tackle shops wanting to get a sale come hell or highwater. Was the tackle shop in question a game angling shop, or a general tackle shop that has some fly fishing gear?
 
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neil mason 2

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The owner is a fly fisherman and sells from a bugdet range through the top end, sage, hardys etc. His staff cover all areas of angling.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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If there is an "all round" rod for general fly fishing I would go along with what Adrian says and say a 9 foot, weight 6 middle to tip action is as good as anything. At a pinch you can fish fair sized resevoirs down to little lakes and even rivers with this sort of gear.

And as regards handling big fish, well some of my biggest have been landed on 8 1/2 foot 5 weights with 5 lb leaders. On small lakes of course.

If you are looking for distance, don't go over 9 1/2 feet. It takes a very good caster to chuck a line a long way with a 10 footer.
 
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john conway

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I?ve started tying my own flys again, however, trying to find a local shop that sells the materials for tying most North Country soft hackle spiders is quite difficult. 99% of all the materials seem to be aimed at tying attractors or buzzers. It all seems to be geared up to still water fisheries with some salmon and sea trout fishing.
I did however, find a lovely hen pheasant, road kill, form which I got quite a few choice feathers. I?m just after a road kill partridge now.
One good thing about diverting all the budding game anglers onto trout ponds is the rivers are lovely and quiet at this time of the year.
One thing I have found, talking to most of my mates who fish the trout ponds, is the absolute must take at all cost, your bag limit for the day.
 
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Trisantona

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I think the tackle dealer was spot on,just wish i had had the same advice 40 odd years ago.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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John,

I was chatting to a professional fly tier this week (in Devon) and he was telling me that Bird Flu has severely retricted the transport of feather within the trade, so I think we can expect to see further problems in supply in the future.

Neil, As with most types of tackle, its really a case of 'horses for courses' and personally I'd agree with both Adrian and Ron on the type of kit for an absolute beginner.
 
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neil mason 2

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John

Give Jubilee lakes a call or check their website or lakeland flytying a shout.

I mainly tye spiders as I fish 99% of my time is spent fishing on the rivers in the yorkshire dales.
 
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john conway

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Peter, I've not thought of that but I suppose importing bird feathers could be a problem.
Neil, all I'm short of now is some snip hackles. I've got one shop in Lancaster to try, my daughter gave me a voucher for my birthday form this shop, so it's worth a trip in for me. If I've no joy I'll give Jubilee or Lakeland a ring.
Re our Yorkshire rivers, we could do with some rain they are well down at the moment, but I'll still be out this weekend, it's beautiful in the Dales at the moment. I'm really lucky I work for Kidde Products based in Bentham and as I type this I can look out of my office window and just see the top of Ingleborough.
 
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john conway

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BTW just as a mater of interest I fish with a 8'- 6", 4/5 weight with 4 lb leader. I tie my own taper cast generally 10lb ? 8lb ? 6lb with a 4lb dropper and point. Just off hand I can?t remember the make of my line but it?s a double taper floater. I'd like to spend a bit more on my fly gear but I have to balance this with my chubbing and barbel gear. Not to mention permits and petrol.
 
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Peter Jacobs

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John,
I hadn't given it a thought either until I was told.

The strange thing was that the chap I was talking to is not only a top class fly tier (and seller) but he also raises birds for the gun, and he went on to say that it is even easier for him to move live birds around than their feathers!

Wierd or what?

b.t.w. this chap ties some really beautiful flies and at very reasonable prices too.
 
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Ian Whittaker

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John, have you had a look at Flytek? If its not in stock Pat can get hold of most stuff you'l need for Northern style flies pretty rapidly.
 
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john conway

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Ian, I've looked on their web site and they didn't have any partridge or snipe hackle. However, if I can't get any in Lancaster this weekend I'll give them a ring. Maybe I?ll have to think about running a couple of partridges with our chucks at home? <g>.
My next door neighbour and his lad shoot and I?ve got them tapped up for a few game birds, but as far as I know they don?t shoot snipe or wood cock. Maybe shootings gone the same way as angling, we have trout ponds and wild rivers and the shooting fraternity have organised shoots and rough shooting, and like angling the more organised side of it is more popular?
 
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Ian Whittaker

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Thanks for the offer Neil, I've still a nice near complete pair though.
John it doesn't matter whether they're listed or not, he'll soon get what you need.
 
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NT

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John, Best place for natural materials for spiders is cookshill. Give Steve Cooper a ring as he knows so much and has the best quality rather than just send him an order and he may even be demonstrating / be at an event near you. He's very helpful and knowledgable even though he's from Stoke. Dyed partridge is one of his specialities... as he skins thousands of them he should know..

http://www.cookshill-flytying.co.uk/

Neil.
 
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john conway

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NT, thanks for that I may just do that he may be able to knock me up a set of feathers and other bits for tying a good selection of North Country Spiders.
We've had a wee bit of rain up in the Dales last night and it's still overcast so I'm off on the Ure tonight to try out a few of my own tied flies.
 
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neil mason 2

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Had a cracking morning on the Ure this morning several brownies around 10 oz on snipe and purple and cracking 1,3/4lb of olive f fly all returned.

Must get a shorter rod. my 9' is a bit long any ideas on shorter 4#
 
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john conway

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Congratulations, Neil, I hope you left a few for me this evening, although the weather seems to be clearing @ 15:00hrs. Hopefully there should be a good hatch just before dusk.
I use an Airflo 8'-6" #4 I'll email you the details when I get home after I've been fishing.
I've tied a few snipe and purples with some hackle I had that?s as near to a snipe hackle as I can find. I've also had some good brownies out on partridge and orange tied with a gold rib.
 
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