The Alternative Angler

Another good read Kevin.

And as for the last part of the article, that's why I'm going down the route of buying fly tackle and learning to cast. In the summer, my local river is low and clear and I'm sure that normal coarse fishing tactics spook fish completely, whereas you can sit and watch them topping lots, often leaping clear of the water.

It would be good to hear how you get on and what brings you success.

As for me, I've got to learn to cast first.

Could I accomplish this at the FM Fly Fish In........?? Ron, any details on this yet?

Kevin
I recall visiting the Dane in Cheshire on a beautiful summers evening a few years ago and finding a very well known local angler dapping for dace and chub. Talking to him he said it was something he often did in mild summer weather.
Just letting the breeze take the fly around bushes or fish over the top of them with the long dapping rod. The latter is dwarfed by today poles so they should be worth a try with the right line and fly but I am not into them.

I'm also hoping to learn at the fish in .....

A bit thought provoking indeed.

I'm even thinking now of adapting a few other coarse type baits for fly only waters. Like the Bread Flake Fly, or the imitation Tiger Nut Fly, or even the imitation Sweetcorn Fly, maggot fly, and bloodworm fly. Why not?

Bloodworm flies and maggots flies have been around a long time Jeff.

Most fish take the chironimid (midge) in the pupal state as it rises to the surface to eclode and become an adult midge. Most fly fishers call this a "buzzer", mainly because it doesn't buzz.

There are many ways of imitating the bloodworm.

"Bread flake and tigernuts?"

Hardly natural food.

Yet you can buy imitation bread flake.

couple of weeks ago i started threads on peoples experiences of catching bream on fly tackle. i'm still intending to go catch one on a fly the reason being there's some lumps in a fly only water within traveling distance of me. the only problem is i don't know what i'd do if i end up catching nuisance rainbows.

eat them

don't likes eating fish it made me very ill when i was 5 an i havent eaten any since.

I've caught plenty of carp on the 'fly'..they don't half go!! I used a tiny little 7' brook rod, a WF5F Hi-Vis line and six to seven feet of 10lb Daiwa Maxima as a leader. For carp flies, I cheat..I use a cork ball, pre-soaked in liquid flavouring and hair rigged to size 4 ESP Raptor hook.

Get the carp feeding off the surface on dog biscuits, then just flick your 'fly' out in the middle of the feeding frenzy and be prepared to hang on!!

Another carp 'fly' is what Ron called the Bread Fly, only I used my own version of it. Dead simple...a piece of white foam, soaked in liquid flavouring and just hooked normally. Dropped out in the margins in amongst a few pieces of crust, the carp don't seem to notice the difference between bread crust and foam.

Another one....the articial maggot makes a great carp 'fly'. Fish it on a greased up leader, and use a sight indicator. Fished tight to lily pads, rushes etc, over a handful of mashed bread...but you have to use hit and hold tactics to keep the carp out of the snags.

And yes...a fly rod WILL stop a carp quite easily. Trust me...I'm a sweeper driver.

In my days of fly fishing, I have caught pearch, roach, rudd and carp from stillwater fisheries using natural food patterns. The carp liked the Baby Doll pattern. Made using white wool for use in knitting babies clothing(not the wife's nightie). If you go a stage further and start tying your own fly patterns, the wife's sewing box is most useful, the the world is your oyster if you experiment with materials. Don't over do it as the loft gets full of all sorts of stuff as well as tackle.
Best of luck and enjoy. Ged

Jason,

If you have been ill from eating fish, all I can say is that it must have been rotten fish.

Eating fish is one of the great pleasures of my life. I do so, also, in the knowledge that fish is good for me. I have at least 4 fish meals a week.

If you buy fish from a supermarket, be very careful. Choose only the fish which has bright eyes and shiny flanks.

It's easy to tell if fish is "off". It has a distinctive "fishy" smell. I know that sounds silly but fresh fish has a lovely smell.

If you freeze fish, do it within 1 hour of catching it. And when you have caught and killed a fish to eat, get the guts out of it quickly. The most important part in cleaning fish is to get rid of the bloodline next to the backbone, and the gills.

Don't ever refreeze fish after thawing it. You could give yourself severe food poisoning if you do.