The Joys Of Life: Fly Fishing By Tony Roocroft
A couple of months ago I turned 62 and as I cast my fly into the calm
margin of a favourite dam called
“Wordsworth Water” I recollected on one
of my very earliest memories. In fact my memory before this event is
almost a void so I guess I was about 4 or 5 years of age.
Malcolm’s Uncle Brian had taken him and me fishing That day determined
so very much of my later life.
I caught a small freshwater fish by the name of “Perch”.
Looking back I can still recall the exact fishing spot where I stood. The pond in which the 3 inch fish surrendered its life was no more than 40 metres wide and less than half that across. The fish was caught on a worm.
I can plainly see the bars running across its body, I can feel its spiky dorsal fin pricking my hand and I remember distinctly that it had swallowed the worm and hook.
Most of all I remember my happiness on that evening … and, later, the fishing adventures that Malcolm and I shared over the following 24 years until we drifted apart … I moved to South Africa which became my home.
My days as a boy and young teenager and early adult were almost all fishing days. Malcolm* and I fished in the rain, the dark, the sun and the wind. We just fished … for the love of it. And, speaking for myself, I still love it and I’ve been fortunate that I’ve learned from fishermen far better than me.
And the Best Form of Fishing is Fly-Fishing for Trout …
Fly fishing for trout did not come quickly nor did it come easily to me but, once it did, it stayed with me and became my past-time of choice.
It’s quite simple really … I watch people around me struggle to cast a fly, to catch a trout. I see them beat the water for hours on end and I mean literally beat the water. I see that they are missing so much. And I can see this from 100 metres away.
And I know it has nothing to do with the amount of money spent on a rod, a reel or line … it is about a lack of knowledge and understanding of a fish’s behaviour. It’s about not understanding the “thoughts” of a fish as it attempts to live its life in a most dangerous of worlds … the river, lake, dam or pond.
So … the site is a teaching aid. It attempts to put into a single place
all I’ve learned from great masters and my own experiences. It is
somewhat biased towards fishing for trout with a dry fly or
nymph using
a floating line … The
reason is equally simple … it’s how I like to fish best no matter what
type of water or condition. Why?
Because I enjoy it most this way. It gives me the greatest level of
satisfaction.
That’s what fly fishing is truly about … enjoyment and personal satisfaction.
The fact that I prefer this method also has something to do with laziness because once the thought processes are in gear the actual fishing technique does not include too much exertion. Fly fishing success is all in the mind, you see …
Fly Fishing Topics to be Covered
The list below is not exhaustive … it’s to give you a feel for the content of the site. Clearly the aim is to help anybody to catch more trout and enjoy it even more at the same time.
Learning how to fly fish and how to catch trout
Learning about the flyfishing equipment that will make a difference and
doesn’t cost a fortune
How to trout fish with a dry fly
How to trout fish with a nymph
How to trout fish in still water, large and small
How to tie knots that are important
How to choose flies that work everywhere
How to learn to cast a fly while sitting in an armchair … my thanks go
to Mel Krieger for teaching me this.
Information about brown trout and rainbow trout and the differences.
Ready to go? Then ‘tight lines”.
* Malcolm was my best friend … his name: Malcolm Golding. We lived in
Lancashire, England. In a small town called Hindley in fact. We were
born a week apart, went to the same school and were passionate about
fishing. We traveled far and wide by foot, bus, train and in later years
by Lambretta Scooter and even by car. We mainly caught Bream, Perch,
Roach, Rudd, Tench, Carp, Pike, Chub, Dace, Eels and Gudgeon together
over the years.
