Ian May and Kevin Styles organised a cracking meet up last weekend at Hamer Lakes with some like minded fellow instructors and friends. Although bright the wind howled making for some interesting casting demo’s and discussions to say the least, we also got a chance to learn some of the local native shiver brrrr! dialect.

Mark Surtees and I discus ‘Limp Wrist’ techniques and the need for the downward finger point… there’s never a dull or wasted moment when in conversation with Mark (FFF Master Instructor), his mind is just full of great and intelligent stuff you really do want and need to learn.

Tony Riley shares his sink tip set up and discusses how the lines weight placement in the taper help. There’s no better set up at the moment than that you can attach to a Wulf Nymph taper.

A gathering to look at double haul teaching methods and variations ~ Vic Knight leading. It was really an opportunity to get away from the ‘ruddy’ freezing water and that wind skating up your trouser leg.

What more can we say ~ Mrs May you’re a ‘butty making’ genius… an exquisite mind feeding spread

Following on from such a great day… another plus was being in the company of Tony Riley, a good friend who’d driven down from Cumbria for a few days with ‘his’ friend Albert. Albert is working his way through his so called ‘Bucket List’ and wanted to fish a chalkstream where purposely sighting fish to target would be a first.

Conditions are such at this early time of the year that they’re either kind or un helpful at best… fortunately the sun shone on the righteous… with incredibly mild weather of late they were fortunate to be confronted with pastured and crystal clear rivers upon which to target grayling.

Tony looks on as stalwart angler Albert targets a fish in the lie just below the bridge

Tony in the mid reaches with the first offering to a weighted Pink Head Mary

Albert’s off and away up river enjoying the moment, Tony stretches my MX #2 with a team of nymphs

Albert continues to meander his way through glorious riffles and glides

Tony in the upper reaches… I stay well back out of sight as the sun turns for home, shadows are long!

Tony steels an opportunity to nymph with the #2 MX and a furled leader sighter ~ was there likely to be anything other than the uber fisherman getting straight on it and tempting a fish?… no not really

The mans on form… again!… changing to a Dark Olive imitation and his ‘Vision Cult’ dry fly set up, he targets fish sipping emergers in the margins, an opportunistic brownie, who’s to know?

A wild ‘n’… unfortunate but gorgeous just the same

Back into a deep pocket with the #2 weight, first cast into a pool full of grayling…

… but he manages to pull out what is the only brown trout amongst them… ‘strewth’

Fixated on the clear water and what inhabits it… Albert & Tony

Ian May perfectly positioned behind Tony to take this photo as he christens my ‘Aqua’ 10ft #3 before I even get a look in… it’ll feel second hand now… A great picture don’t ya think?

Light fading and squeezing every opportunity to pick up a last fish as we trundle back to the cars.

A great time in the company of great friends, you don’t even need to be fishing yourself to learn… when is there any time wasted in observation?

I’m on a return favour when I venture up North to Cumbria to provide a Furled Leader demonstration, it’s timed just right for the first day of the trout season… bring on the Eden.