A fabulous week catching up with fellow AAPGAI’ers at our spring assessment event in Cockermouth, Cumbria. Some harsh and challenging conditions including rain, wind, snow and sleet set upon 9 candidates attempting a variety of Provisional, Advanced and Master assessments.

Our assessments are demanding & challenging at all levels and can be nothing less than well earned. Many were close but sadly not close enough to achieve their first or next improved level. Only 1 candidate passed from 9 participants… many congratulations therefore to Neil Lobban who attained his Salmon Provisional.

Despite the weather there was a tremendous turnout for the Open Day. By way of demonstrations we treat it almost like a celebration of a ‘seasons past’, share things that are new by way of techniques and tackle, also thoughts and teachings that have perhaps moved on for the better across all disciplines… trout, salmon and fly dressing. Following a hearty lunch it’s all 1-2-1 and group instruction for the attendees to either develop some casting capabilities or go deeper for those interested in potentially becoming a future AAPGAI instructor. Thank you to all those attending, your company and feedback was most welcome.

Holding a ‘Double Handed vermin rod’ at the open day I chat to good friend and fellow Vision team member Jim Fearn. AAPGAI sec’ Trevor Hayman slings a line in the foreground.

The rivers are now off limits here so it’s a couple of weeks on stillwaters until our new season gets underway. Here’s looking forward to some pleasant weather soon… may the ‘fly life’ be with you!

In a word… Awesome! I couldn’t better describe the last few days having spent it in the company of some world class fly fishers and instructors. Company being that of friends old and new. Paul Arden, Lee Cummings, Tony Riley and Ian May to name but a few that make it worth the trip alone, then there’s Bernd Ziesche, a highly respected instructor and fisher from Germany who passed probably the toughest of any instructors exam on the planet… ‘the Masters’ ~ well done fella!

Assessing the candidates… all working hard in their chosen field to join or move on through AAPGAI.

Saturday saw us open our doors to the general public, some with no more than an interest in fishing and some with an aspiration to become future instructors… regardless, all were made to feel very welcome.

So engrossed was I whilst actively assessing or flexing carbon… that although taking a camera, I didn’t take any pictures so the one above is thanks to Ian May… I’ll have to wait for them to come through from colleagues who took the time to capture this wonderful weekend.

I’m looking forward to some regular grayling posts whilst out with friends and clients in the coming weeks so fingers crossed for some respectable weather. Grayling on the dry seems set to be pretty much a thing of the passed post this weekend as temperatures are set to plummet to single figures. Out with the weighted bolas in that case… enjoy your fishing all. ~ Jim 

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