Guided Fly Fishing Trips
Allow me to be your Devon Fly Fishing guide on the beautiful rivers and lakes of Devon.
Being born and raised in the county of Devon, I know the area better than most, I am the only full time fly fishing guide living within 10 minutes drive of the rivers Teign and Yeo, slightly further away, are the rivers Creedy and Dart. I have been guiding on the Upper Teign Fishing Association stretch and river Dart on Dartmoor longer than any of the other guides on the scene at the moment, these rivers give superb access to miles and miles of river, on a really busy day you might see another fly fisherman!
Because I live so close to the rivers I am aware of the ever changing conditions, this is an advantage to you when you book me, it's of little use booking a guide who lives miles away from the river, this is how I make my living, when I'm not guiding on the river I am working in my office, the 'office' being the river!
When you place a booking with me, you get me! I do not employ any other fly fishing guide, there is nothing like the one-on-one personal touch.
You'll learn from me how to read the water, select the correct fly, and the tactics required to fish it effectively in much less time than it would take on your own. I arrange the permits to fish the river and use my beloved Hilux truck to transport you there. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced angler you can always learn something from a guide who spends all his spare time on the water fly fishing for trout.My guiding service is in high demand and one of the best in the business.
From fly fishing a Dartmoor stream to a large Devon reservoir I have the years of experience that will ensure you have a great time.My goal is to help you relax and enjoy your time on the water and, of course, catch trout!
As I am a qualified fly fishing instructor I can also combine the day with some tuition if needed.
If you don't have all the equipment there is no need to worry, I have a complete stock of fly fishing equipment, including waders, available for your use at no additional cost, and of course the necessary flies needed for the session, all tied by me.
Whether it's casting for a stocked rainbow trout, or to a Dartmoor wild brown trout, I give you the best advice to fulfil your expectations of a great fly fishing experience.
River Fishing
The client in the picture above deceived the a River Teign Wild Brown Trout with a size 18 Adams on the Upper Teign Fishing stretch, set within Dartmoor National Park ; you need lightening reactions to hook one of these.
If you can deceive the wild brown trout into taking your artificial fly you will have reached the pinnacle of your fly fishing experience.
What sets average guides apart from great guides are difficult conditions, its having the watercraft and in built fishing 'sixth sense' in relation to what's happening, or to be precise, what's not happening that separates us.
And yes I have that 'sixth sense'!
Accurate casting and perfect presentation are the order of the day on rivers, you will lose flies (don't worry I can tie some more!), but the rewards can be spectacular!
The river Teign offers miles and miles of fishing in a stunning location, and on a busy day you might see another fly fisherman!
As does the river Dart high on Dartmoor, although this does require a certain level of fitness on occasion to get to some great locations.
Still Water Fishing for Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout
Kennick, Fernworthy and Roadford reservoirs are all within 30 minutes drive.
At Kennick you might be mistaken into thinking you have arrived at a Montana lake, surrounded by woodland and Rhododendron bushes, and stocked with Rainbows its part of a trio of lakes operated by the South West Lake trust. Fernworthy is stocked with brown trout and is challenging fishing, as is Roadford,where the fish grow on quickly fed on a rich diet of varied insects to found in this reservoir.
Opposite is the product of a combination of tuition and guiding supplied by me to a very keen young fisherman, he succeeded in catching his full bag of six fish at Kennick reservoir using my tried and tested methods.
Techniques are changing continually, but I keep up to speed with the latest developments and combine them with traditional methods to produce excellent results from reservoir bank or boat.
When I guide on a reservoir I like to just step back a bit and observe what’s happening before I decide on a fly for you to use.
In my opinion there is nothing more satisfying than identifying what insect is hatching, the associated feeding pattern of the trout in relation to eating the insect, and deceiving the fish into taking a close imitation of the natural.
Sea Trout Fishing
Although I no longer guide (staying out until 4.00am and then guiding during the day is too tiring) Sea Trout Fishing I am more than happy to discuss with you any questions you might have in relation to this exciting aspect of fly fishing. Just contact me if you have any queries.
Sea Trout are only fly fished for at night, but you get a real feeling of being at one with nature, waiting for the solid pull at the end of the line and a silver fish leaping from the darkness and stripping line off your reel.
See the adjacent photo, she was delighted with the advice I gave her to catch this beautiful 6lb 2oz sea trout.
On the River Teign, although it is a spate river, we fly fish for Sea Trout in still pools, and wading is unnecessary, the banks of the Sea Trout pools are well maintained by the Upper Teign Fishing Association.
You need to be a very competent caster, otherwise you will quickly find your leader turns into a ‘birds nest’ or your fly is in a tree behind you. If you have never cast a fly in the dark before I strongly suggest you go to a lake, put on a blind fold and practice your casting, I only mention this from previous experience, there is nothing more frustrating for you than getting in a pickle and hearing Sea Trout splash all around, this is honest friendly advice.
I suggest you use clear safety glasses to protect your eyes.
There are various tactics I employ to catch Sea Trout, and in fact when one pool is fishing slow it can pay dividends to pack up and drive to another pool on the river, this has worked for me on several occasions.
The tackle I recommend is a fly rod of 9ft in length, rated 6 weight; a floating fly line, this can be adapted with the use of different types of leader to fish at varying depths when the conditions dictate.
The reel is also important, the amount of times I have heard experienced fly fishermen state it is only for holding the fly line, they could not be more wrong!
When you hook your Sea Trout and it heads off back to sea, you will be glad you spent a few more hard earned pounds on a reel with plenty of capacity for backing and a good braking system.