Lets get more women fishing! 2016 fishing days begin this month for Ladies of the Stream

Getting the balance - Ladies of the Stream fishing events

To start off the new season, we have two days organised for April. These and more events will be posted on the Womens fishing days page as details are confirmed.

These events have been organised and fishing generously given to encourage more women and girls to get on the water fly fishing. Lets get the balance a lot or even a little more even? 

Reservoir day

Tuesday 19^th April

Carsington Water – including an educative training session in the morning with Don Staziker. Then out on the boats in the afternoon.

There will be a cost for this day which includes:

Training session in club room

Boat and engine hire

Fishing for the afternoon

The cost depends on numbers - the more fishers the lower the cost

Please make contact for further details

River days

Tuesday 26^th April

Fly fishing on the Wye – Bakewell and area stretch of the Wye. Dry fly only, no wading, barbless hooks preferred, catch and release. Clean and dry kit and boots please.  Would suggest a long handled landing net makes fish releasing much easier.

Make contact for further details.

Not 1 woman fly fishing but many women fly fishing

Ladies of the Stream fly fishing news

You may have noted the page 'Womens fishing days'? Finally I am not the 1 woman fishing - we now have quite a group. We have had a couple of meetings and I will be updating the page with all the days given very generously by a number of clubs. We also hope to fly fish further and are looking into organising some fishing holidays.
If you wish to join us get in touch by email or keep checking the blog for updates.
Fly fishing is a wonderful sport, which if you fly fish I am sure you already know. If you know anyone who wishes to learn or is interested in learning more please refer them to the blog.
Let's get more children fishing too. How many of us are fishing now because we were entranced by rivers and stillwaters as children - I certainly was and am still unable to walk straight on past any river. The river does everyone more good than sitting in front of the computer - which means I need to end here and head outside!
Tight lines for those of you who fish.
Enjoy!

Have you remembered to buy your fishing licence?

Last years fishing licence expires on the 31st March. Finally remembered to renew mine online today!
Follow the link from the 'Licence to fish' page on the blog to renew online.

Impatiently waiting for the fly fishing season to start

My son bought me a fly tying tray for my birthday this year! He also has one - which I admired whilst visiting him - unfortunately he does not tie flies on his - he rolls the dire and dreadful roll-up cigarettes. Hmmmm!
I have been putting mine to very good use. Just need to drill the holes a little larger for the fly holders.
Tight lines to those of you fishing the 2016 season. May you wet your net. I await April 1st.

Grayling meeting Bakewell, Derbyshire

The next meeting takes place Wednesday 10th February.

Stuart Crofts will be giving a presentation entitled:

"The Famous Four, insect groups that drive our dry fly fishing"

Stuart will be discussing different insect groups and the types of flies used to represent them, when and how to fish them, giving examples of commercially available flies as well as tying some of his innovative patterns as examples.

As usual the meeting is at the Rutland Hotel, Bakewell, 7.30pm.  Entry £3, all welcome.

The last meeting will be on March 9  when Dave Southall will be giving a presentation.

All Welcome's

Grayling flies for October 2015 on the Derbyshire Wye

Making the transfer from dry fly fishing to wets and nymphs is made easier by taking out my Tenkara and sort of Czech nymphing it down the river. This little tungsten beaded quill fly, when bounced across to a rise, took a grayling from the surface. Great control on the Tenkara!
Just updated my grayling flies for October on River Diary page

Five go fly fishing on the Derbyshire Wye in sunny October

As the long shadows lie acrosss the river meadow after a very hot day in October the last three fishers return. What a perfect day for trout fishing on the clear water of the Derbyshire Wye.
This blog exists to encourage more women into fly fishing. "Ladies of the stream" (the groups name) are slowly bringing more women into fly fishing.

We started the day with Bernie Maher (figure in the river) doing a kick sample for us - our dapper bearded chap on the bank is Chris, who kindly responded to my request for some help on the day. Thanks again Chris. Thanks also to Bernie who also responded to my call at very short notice! You may recall Bernie featured in an earlier post - it concerned a lawnmower in the lake. Bernie runs Presss Manor fishing lakes and also gives casting tuition.

With the book and the results from the kick sample, Bernie told us what we could see in the tray. Explaining the 'lifestyle' of the different critters. Apart from a bullyhead - which you  may observe in bottom left of the tray, I recall we saw mayfly, blue winged olives, rhyacophila, but not many shrimps. It is always amazing to learn that these tiny creatures may live for up to two years in the river - then the majority of them emerge for a day and die. The River fly partnership has a very good web site for more information. You can also get the app 'Match a hatch' which shows the flies in superb detail, when they are about and what artifical flies you may use to represent them.

Bernie points out what the artificials may represent - fly box courtesy of Chris Worthy.
Fly casting took me quite some time to aquire a - sometimes erratic - ability to cast those tiny flies across the river, but Bernies ability to rationalise the artificial flies down to green things, brown things etc. is a very good point to start at!
We were joined in the afternoon by Peter Arfield of Bakewell fly fishing shop, Who generously gave some fly casting tuition to a new fisher in the group.
We are planning some grayling days for Autumn. If you would like to join us please go to the contact page and send an email. Also have a look regularly at the Women's fishing days on the blog. If you 'Follow by email' you will be informed when I put up a new post.
Tight lines