BFFI 2016

Fishing has often been described as a solitary sport. An inward looking one, even. Which is why the big fishing events such as the British Fly Fair International are so refreshing in turning this idea on its head. Having attended for six years or so on the trot, I can only describe it as a family affair. And in simple terms, the greatest gathering of anglers, fly tyers, guides and specialist fly fishing shops and organisations in the UK. And the lovely thing about attending each year is that you get to know so many ruddy brilliant and creative people.

So where do I start? As good a place as any would be the "Fly Tyers' Row". The men and women you meet here are the heartbeat of the event, and the reason it's almost impossible not to leave the show with new ideas buzzing around your brain. And at the BFFI you get everything from classic salmon flies to saltwater specials. Branches once on the edge of the sport also start to become the mainstream, which is great to see. To take just one example, the quality of pike and predator flies gets better each year, as evidenced by Martin Smith:



As for the smallest flies in the show, that prize has to go to Roger Salomonsson. These cased midges were truly minute flies, tied right down to size 26 and smaller! To some it might seem an unnecessary obsession, but those who have ever struggled with fussy trout eating tiny insects will know the value of having some real tiddlers in your collection. Lovely work:




It was also great to meet up with the Turrall team and watch Gary Pearson at the vice. He has a really keen eye for a stillwater pattern, with beautifully refined nymphs and lures. There'll be more on the way on the Turrall Flies blog too; the latest entry features saltwater fly fishing tips, but Gary's top flies will also feature very soon to set you in good stead for the new stillwater trout season:




It was a nice problem to have, but the show was so busy I couldn't often leave my stand. Which is probably just as well because I could spend a fortune on the latest materials, tackle and fly tying gubbins. I travel up with John Horsfall, who tries to spend money, while I try to keep it. Which can be harder than you thought, with all the treasures on display.

David Miller's work always catches my eye. I've been a fan for years, and was thrilled to have his artwork feature on the cover of Tangles With Pike. Others of you might have seen his brilliant set of British stamps, picturing threatened and sustainable sea fish. For more David Miller fish art, do take a look at his official site HERE.



As for the materials and suppliers, I just couldn't get to all of it. But you can literally find almost anything at the fair. Fly tying, just like fishing as a whole, is becoming less sniffy and more open. I was especially heartened to chat to plenty of anglers who now target coarse fish, not to mention a healthy number of younger anglers and ladies at the show, to give the old boys a run for their money! Because the truth of it is that there is space for every style and every one of us, from young to old, traditional feathers to space age materials. This is not an off-the-peg sport with fixed rules, which is exactly why it attracts folks with character and creativity in spades; you can tie and fish exactly as you like and little is now out of bounds. The only certainty is that there will be even more surprises next year.

Autumn Gifts

Sometimes in fishing it pays to... well, not pay anything. If I can make it, find it or tie it myself I generally do. This not only saves you a few quid but adds a certain satisfaction to the sport. I love catching on my own, home-rolled flies, for example. I also like swapping and receiving freebies from fellow anglers. As a fishing writer you have to make the most of these perks because, aside from the big stuff like books, much of the time you get the feeling third world child labourers are paid better.

This lovely perch was one of several taken on some cracking "Martin's Minnow" flies sent to me by Martin Smith (keep an eye on www.flyforcoarse.com for a step by step in the next few weeks- plus a link to order from him). I'd vowed to give them a swim ages ago but got snowed under with work. At long last though, I managed to take an evening stroll on the Grand Western Canal near Tiverton. Having located a shoal of fish under a bridge, I was happily wrestling one after another in on the flies- each as greedy, and small, as the last. I fancied a bigger one but thought nothing of it as I wandered onwards. However, on the way back to the car at the end the light was going and I had that gut instinct that makes many an angler late for dinner which says "I think I'll have just one more crack". I hooked the fish virtually on the bottom and it gave a nice deep, lolloping if unspectacular fight. With bits of dorsal fin missing and worn scales it had that retired, punched too many times boxer look. I love perch though- and at 1lb 13oz this was a good one for such a small canal.

Equally appealing to my cheapskate side was a trip to Creedy Lakes today using bait that cost only some work with a garden fork in the compost heap. Call me tight, but finances are only one reason for this decision. Boilies are not only expensive but overrated on busy fisheries, in my humble opinion. 95% of visitors must use them- and as often as not blank on them. Why such a stranglehold? Simple- the whole carp fishing world is full of anglers who get free bait in exchange for saying "you must use this to catch." It is of course utter horse manure, designed to separate pound coins from pockets. Yes, boilies have their uses and I have also been a bait field tester in the past- but I detest dishonesty. As I've explained before, I'll often use boilies for less pressured waters- but if everyone is using them, carp will become extremely suspicious and there are much more effective baits. Worms are one of them.
Anyway, I digress but the main lake at Creedy proved tough. Strange because I really fancied the end where a mild wind had been pushing in all week from the same direction. Nobody on the lake was catching anything. I had a couple of small "pasties" on the worm but just couldn't hook anything bigger, so I tried baiting with some chopped worm right in one of the craggy corners, where the bivvies steer clear. I didn't fish it immediately, but kept returning for a look. A swirling tail pattern told me all I needed to know a little later. Within five minutes of lowering in a double red worm bait, direct to a size 10 hook and 10lb line, I was in:

The fish ran like stink in the confines of a very tight swim. It was absolutely beautiful too, really long and strong for its' weight of fifteen and half pounds. When I think of how much tackle I had brought with me, it seems crazy that the only things actually involved in the capture were one rod and reel, a net, the most basic of float rigs and a handful of bait that cost absolutely nothing. Always a sweet, slightly guilty pleasure at a fishery where anyone not using three identical rods hurled across the lake is led to feel like they are some kind of lunatic.