Six women go fly fishing. Also the barefoot fly tyer and the lawn mower in the lake

Sunday evening, 30th June 2013. The first meeting of the Womens Fly Fishing group took place at Press Manor Fishing Lakes. (We do need to find a name for the group)

AAPGAI instructor Peter Arfield of the Bakewell fly fishing shop gave us an excellent descriptive tour of the water. With advice on how to 'read the water', including surrounding bushes and trees checked out for insect life.
Here he is conducting the session. He is not turning his back on us to conduct an apparent orchestra in the reeds, but casting across the wind that is at his back!

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The pond dipping was immediately encouraging for the fishing prospect, as Ange caught a stickleback! The other fish caught later, were very much larger.

The barefoot fly tyer

As we proceeded round the lake, with Peter discussing casting techniques, looking for drift lanes etc. he suddenly threw himself down on the ground, saying something had bitten his foot.

He proceeded to remove his boot, then ferret in his sock. Good heavens, what was it, that had gone so deeply into his boot?
Clearly, like many of us, Peter is an untidy fly tyer. The 'biting creature' was a deep gape (fortunately) barbless hook, scantily tied in pink. The barefoot fly tyer we presume!

The lawn mower in the Lake

Fly fishing is not just about the fishing. There are the insects that need to be observed. Reading the water. Working out wind direction. Learning to tie knots and maybe even flies. Leaders tapered or furled? So many things, as well as just enjoying the places that fly fishing take us.
But the lawn mower in the Lake is not likely to be repeated - at least not by Bernie Maher, the owner of Press Manor. It was out and up and running again when I arrived at the car park. Unfortunately the iPhone wasn't. Quite how the mower got in there I am not sure. And I wasn't about to ask him!

Thanks

A thank you to Bernie and Peter for their generous help and support in getting our fledgling group off the ground.