By John Horsey
John Horsey is England’s highest capped International Fly Fisher and this year he wins his 25 th Cap.
With the 2006 Loch Style National being held on Chew Valley Lake, John shares his tips on how to qualify for England from his “home” venue.
HOW TO FISH FOR ENGLAND.
At an early age, I had a burning ambition to represent my country at sport. In those formative years, I hoped to be scoring a goal, hitting a six or perhaps scoring the winning try at Twickenham! Sadly I never achieved the dizzy heights in those sports. However, fly fishing not only helped to realise my England dream, but also lead to my chosen career-path.
The great thing about fishing for England at Loch Style level, is that the door is open to all comers. You simply need to join your local Federation, enter a series of Regional Eliminators and progress to the National Final. This year the “National” will be held at Chew Valley Lake and 100 qualifiers from all over England will battle it out for the top 20 places which will form the two England Teams for the 2007 Loch Style Home Internationals. There are about 20 Regional Federations scattered around the country and although it is hoped that anglers join their local Federation, it is not a stipulation. But let’s assume that you enter the South West Federation’s Eliminators that are always held on Chew. There are two dates to choose from and the top half of each Eliminator progress to the Final Eliminator in June. From that event, there are normally about a dozen places up for grabs in the Loch Style National Final. So in essence, it is possible to represent the England Fly Fishing Team by entering just three matches. Not only is the road to International representation quite straightforward, but it is also great fun. And believe me, fishing with some of the best anglers in the business makes your learning curve fly off the scale!
VERSATILITY IS THE KEY.
The “National” was last held on Chew some 4 years ago and it was a fantastic competition. Flat calm in the morning, with light ripple in the afternoon and plenty of rising trout to target. Thankfully I boated my “limit” of trout that day using dry fly tactics and finished in 3 rd spot behind Cornwall’s Richard Cobbledick and the eventual National Champion Dave Murray from London. However, the top 20 anglers fished a multitude of methods to take their fish, ranging from fast sinking lines with mini lures, “Washing Line” tactics with Boobies and Nymphs, right through to static Dry Fly. All these methods worked on the day; the secret was knowing when to change. Having fished many lakes and rivers all over the World, I still maintain that if you can catch regularly on Chew Valley Lake; you will catch trout anywhere in the World! A fine testimony I know, but one I truly believe; such is the plethora of skills required to be consistent on this water. So here are my main tips for “taming” Chew and thereby aiding qualification for the England Team.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
As in many sports, there is simply no substitute for practice. I always practice at least 1 day immediately prior to a big match and feel that the more days spent practicing; the better. All waters change as the weather and temperatures alter and believe me, there are no two days ever the same in fishing. By being on the water prior to a match, it is possible to see the changes as they happen and vary your tactics accordingly. But Practice Days are not simply about catching fish. It is crucial to find good areas and fishless areas, flies that work and those that do not. The worse thing to do on a Practice Day is to sit on a load of trout and haul them out one after the other. This teaches you nothing! At the very least, change fly lines and depths to see if other fish are above or below where you have been catching. Try different fly patterns and see if your catch-rate increases or decreases. Try altering the speed of retrieve and see if that produces a reaction. But don’t hammer the fish and think that you are prepared for the next day - because you won’t be!
EARLY SEASON ELIMINATORS.
The Regional Eliminators in April, May and June on Chew will almost certainly be dominated by nymph tactics. If the weather is settled and warm, with good buzzer hatches, then the trout might rise. However, for the last few years, sub-surface buzzer activity on a massive scale has kept the Chew trout feeding below the surface. The most commonly used tactic for trout feeding on Buzzer Larvae (Bloodworm) or their Pupae is that of “Static Nymph Fishing”. Here, Floating, Intermediate or Midge Tip Fly Lines are used with long leaders and a team of 3 or 4 Nymphs. These are usually Superglue Buzzers and Diawl Bach’s fished with the slowest of slow retrieves. It is essential to use at least 18 feet of good quality Fluorocarbon tippet material such as Rio Fluoroflex and make sure it is 8lbs breaking strain or stronger – these Chew Valley nymph feeders can break lighter tippet strengths with ease! From April through until late June, the trout are normally preoccupied with Buzzer feeding and as early as Opening Day, we are using Static Nymph tactics. So there is plenty of opportunity to practice the method. However, the early season weather can be extremely unpredictable and during cold, wet and windy days, the fish can turn off their food. It is these occasions when sinking lines and mini lures can save the day. All England Eliminators are fished to “International Rules” which means no weight can be added to the flies and the overall dressed length can be no greater than 15/16 th of an inch. So large, Gold Head patterns are out of the question!
Modern day patterns such as Boobies and Blobs are perfect for arousing the aggressive instincts of both rainbow and brown trout. Finding the cruise depth of the fish can be difficult, but trial and error with a number of different sinking fly lines normally does the trick. Once again, there is plenty of opportunity to practice such methods prior to the match. If you normally use large lures in these conditions, my advice is to dispense with their services and opt for smaller lures that comply with International Rules. I now have complete confidence in these smaller lures and know that in most conditions, they will catch just as many fish as their larger counterparts.
THE “NATIONAL”.
By the time the “National” comes along in September, the trout should be in the top 3 feet of water and with a bit of luck, classic “top of the water” tactics should prevail. If the last few years are anything to go by, the main diet should be corixa, buzzer and possibly small fry. The water levels should be well down and most of the weedbeds dying away. This means areas such as Moreton, Woodford and the dam should be favourite. I personally feel that September is now one of the best months of the season for rising fish and so long as we don’t get strong winds; there will be plenty of fish to cast at. My favoured tactics for moving trout are Dry Fly and I feel there is no more effective way of catching these fish. My favourite patterns are Hoppers, Bob’s Bits and Carrot Flies – all in Ginger, Claret, Fiery Brown, Orange and Bright Red. Dress them with Gherke’s Gink to make them float and don’t forget to degrease your leader with “Ledasink” so that it does not spook the fish. The best tippet material for fishing dries is Co-polymer, once again in 8lbs breaking strain, with Hardy Copolymer being my preferred brand.
Another favourite method for catching fish feeding on or near the surface is the “Washing Line” technique, where a Booby is used on the point with nymphs on the droppers. The Booby helps to keep the other flies high in the water and also creates a “wake” when retrieved, which the trout often find irresistible. The last couple of seasons has seen a resurgence of interest in traditional wet fly patterns such as Grenadiers, Soldier Palmers and Wickhams Fancy. These are fished on floating lines and are pulled through the waves and then dibbled across the surface at the end of the retrieve. This technique can get plenty of interest in the form of follows and “bow waves” but getting the trout to actually “eat” the fly can be a nightmare!
Whether you are successful at qualifying for England or not, the main thing is to enjoy the experience. One thing is for sure, if you practice properly, the skill of the angler will prevail and luck will not play much of a part in the proceedings!
Confederation of English Fly Fishers
Web Site – CEFF