Fly fishing has huge benefits and FlyZone are trying to encourage individuals or family members to get outdoors and experience nature, whilst it helps you to relax. Some novices think that it is a complex sport and it can take many years of experience to grasp most aspects. The learning process should be both fun and informative for all abilities and can be accelerated with fly fishing tuition and instruction from a suitably Qualified Fly Fishing Instructor.
Like all types of Instruction, it not only helps you learn faster, but more importantly, you will learn the correct techniques and therefore not slip into bad habits right from the start. We provide coaching in all aspects of fly fishing, fly casting and deliver it in a friendly, enjoyable and professional manner, which will make your experience a memorable moment in your life.
We currently hold 1st 4Sport, Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Angling (QCF Fly fishing), which
is issued by the Angling Trust. To operate as an Angling Trust Coach we are obligated to hold: a. A current Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Certificate. b. Safeguarding & Protecting Children Certificate. c. Emergency Response First Aid Certificate. d. Holds Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Game fishing is the second most widespread type of freshwater angling in England. In this kind of fishing you try to catch fish in freshwater, rather than the sea and sometimes the fish are taken for food if the venue or fishery owner allows. Most people live within a few miles of a freshwater river, stream, lake or pond where they can catch game fish after getting a fishing licence and permission or a ticket to fish from the fishery owner. Here are some great tips on how to get started in game fishing...
COME FISHING AT AN EVENT NEAR YOU
We currently provide regular Fly Fishing courses at the following venues: Low Osgoodby Grange Fly Fishery, Kilnsey Park Estate, or other venues of your choice.
The "Get Fishing" campaign at www.getfishing.org.uk is also run by the Angling Trust and funded by the Environment Agency and Sport England to get more people out fishing, more often. As part of this, angling clubs, fisheries and organisations run taster sessions which give beginners of all ages and abilities the opportunity to try fishing for the first time or to return to angling after a break. Most of these sessions are either free or very low cost and include the use of tackle, and a fishing licence for the day. After that all you'll need is some low-cost tackle, a fishing licence and a day-ticket or club membership (see below) to access some fishing venues.
ASK YOUR TACKLE SHOP
You can either ask FlyZone or your local fly fishing tackle shop for advice about what tackle you will need to get into game fishing. Some expert anglers might spend hundreds of pounds on rods, lines and reels, but you could buy a basic fishing setup for about £50. The key to getting started is to keep things really simple and try and get a friend or family member who has been fishing before to show you how to begin.
JOIN A FISHING CLUB
Joining a local fishing club is a great way to learn how to fish and to get access to fishing venues near to you. A lot of fishing clubs will arrange fishing sessions for new or young anglers. If you are interested in competitive game fishing where you might win prizes, your local club will be able to help you get started. You can also find clubs that are members of the Angling Trust on this link: HERE.
FISHING LICENCES
If you are over the age of 12 you need to have a fishing licence to go fishing in rivers, canals, lakes, pools and streams in England, unless you attend one of our coached sessions. You can get your fishing licence from the Environment Agency at www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/when-you-need-a-licence.
FIND A VENUE NEAR TO YOU
For identifying local venues, you can also request information from FlyZone or find places to fish in fly fishing magazines and on the noticeboard at your closest tackle shop.The Angling Trust website www.fishinginfo.co.uk can help you search for a place to go fishing near to you. All you need is a postcode. You can also find useful information for when you go fishing such as weather and river levels, and save your favourite places for next time you visit the website. You can also request information from FlyZone or find places to fish in fly fishing magazines and on the noticeboard at your closest tackle shop.
GAME FISH SPECIES
The most popular targets for game anglers are trout, sea trout, salmon and sometimes char, although the latter are a fairly rare species. Game anglers also fish for grayling using fly fishing methods, even though these are also regarded as a coarse fishing species. When you go game fishing it is important to remember that although there are general bylaws about the size and type of fish you could keep, nearly every game fishing venue will only allow you to take fish away with you as long as you stick to their own rules about size and number limits. In some places it is not possible to take fish away at all. This might be because the fish are protected and/or the fishery owners want to help numbers of wild fish to increase.
Salmon and sea trout can be more difficult to catch because they only come into rivers as adults to spawn and they eat very little if anything at all. Anglers use lures which for one reason or another provoke them to take the fly. Little is known about why they do this on some days, but not on others, and there are many theories! Sea trout are often caught after dark, and salmon during the day.
Trout and char can be found in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Some of these places hold our native brown trout while others are stocked with rainbow trout. It is possible to go fishing for trout for as little as £5 but there are often additional charges for any fish that you want to eat.
It should also be noted that many other fish may be caught using fly fishing equipment (e.g. Course Fish: Pike, Perch, Roach, Carp, Chubb Sea Fish: Bass, Mackerel, Po***ck etc ) and should not just be restricted to the varieties of game fish.
GAME FISHING TECHNIQUES - THE BASICS
The main techniques used in game fishing are fly fishing, spinning and lure fishing. Different rods, reels and tackle are used for each technique. The info below will give you an idea about how to start fishing, or explain a bit about the type of fishing you might have seen other people doing, but the best advice we can give you is to come fishing at one of our events listed above or through www.getfishing.org.uk .
Fly fishing: The most common type of game angling is fly fishing, which involves casting a thick plastic line which acts as the casting weight with 5 to 20 feet of fine nylon or fluorocarbon line attached to the end, and an artificial fly usually made from feathers and animal hair to attract the fish. The fly is used to imitate insects either under the water or floating on the surface. Larger flies (known as lures) are made to imitate small fish and are pulled through the water or allowed to drift round across the current in rivers. The thick plastic line, or "fly line", can either float on the surface, or there are various types of sinking line which sink at different speeds.
Essential kit: As well as basic tackle you'll need a landing net to safely bring your fish on to the bank or unhook them in the water. It's important to carry a pair of long-nosed forceps (which are lightweight pliers) to remove the hook from a fishes mouth. It's a good idea to wear sunglasses or some other type of eye protection and polarised sunglasses make it easier to see the fish you are trying to catch. A hat, waterproof jacket and shoes are a good idea too.
HOW TO HANDLE GAME FISH
The Angling Trust, Atlantic Salmon Trust and FishPal have teamed up to produce a series of three short films called “The Gift” which contain advice that aims to minimise harm to game fish and includes tips on the right choice of tackle and equipment, how to play and land fish and how to handle them in the net. Now that anglers voluntarily release around 80% of the salmon they catch we want
to make sure that as many of these fish as possible go on to reproduce successfully.
The top tips on fish welfare are:
Use barbless hooks whenever possible
Avoid the use of treble hooks,
Carry long-nosed forceps with you at all times
Use a large landing net with small, soft mesh to avoid splitting fins and damaging scales
Use strong line that will allow you bring fish to the net rapidly
Not lift the fish out of the water if at all possible (other than for a very quick photo)
Never lift a salmon by its tail or gill cover
Avoid taking fish onto the bank or dragging them over stones or gravel
These simple principles will enable us to provide suitable welfare to the fish to ensure the fish can be returned safely to assure sustainability of our future fish stocks and the enjoyment of anglers.
Should you require any further information please contact us on our page, Instagram, Website.
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