PETE’S BLOG 1

For the past umpteen years I have written a monthly column for Trout Fisherman magazine, and really enjoyed the opportunity to put together thoughts and observations on a myriad of fishy related subjects.

The magazine has now combined with Trout and Salmon and I will continue doing features on the smaller stillwaters, but because I will miss the regular column, it seemed a good idea to start up a blog, so here goes with the first.

February 2020 came in with a bit of a bang as storm Ciara hit the country  and down at Dever Springs in Hampshire, where I now live, it really was a windy day and yet we still had some stalwarts out on the water. The fish certainly don’t care about the weather and actually they really enjoy these super rough days. The we were hit by storm Dennis and that was a really wet and windy couple days.

I had only been home a few days from fishing in Argentina and it seemed like being back on Lake Strobel with its usual gales. It’s always hard to explain that down in southern Patagonia it really is a bleak and windy part of the world. Strobel is 3000 feet high and being some 8 miles by 10 miles the winds can soon generate big waves.  Nevertheless, its trout are stupendous and the best conditioned I have ever seen. Connect with a Strobel double and you really do then discover just how hard a trout can pull.

We were a small group this year, just me, with regulars Clem Booth and Rod Sturdy but we had amazing fishing once again. Clem was top rod with a magnificent 19 pounder and proved that a spey rod could conquer the winds. Rod, by his own admission is an irregular fly fisher but had his share of doubles and again was able to advance his techniques. I do wonder why some of the UK’s top reservoir anglers don’t give Strobel a go, they would have an absolute ball. By no means am I saying that it’s easy fishing but apply yourself and the rewards are there.

The terrain is tough, and it pays to respect it because the simplest thing can make life a little harder. All I did this year was to stand by a giant boulder and take a picture of the encrustation on it when my feed just slid away on the sand and down I went. Pathetic really but my goodness the bash on my leg has taken some sorting and I ended up in Winchester A and E a couple days after getting home. Seems it’s just severe bruising and the giant lump will take quite some time to go down. Teach me to be more careful in future although I don’t think I could have done anything different as it all happened faster than I could think.

My best fish this year went 15lb and as ever was truly stunning but I lost too many of the big fish I hooked. Usually through the hook hold just giving way, no breakages, no hooks straightened, they just came loose. Going to be a major rethink of my flies for next year because this has happened for the last three years. Or maybe it’s just me!!

Plans for 2021 are to go in March when it’s often better weather and also coming to the end of their season and a better chance to hit with a trophy fish.

Check in with me if I can help with advice or organisation. I have been running trips for more than 30 years and it remains such a pleasure to see people experience something they never thought possible.

It all started with a trip to Alaska and there’s something that draws me back each year. When I added up the weeks it now amounts to well over two years of my life which has been up there in the 49 State – and I love it.

With a full group all arranged I’m now starting to get some flies tied ready for the annual July trip. The next thing is to plan a get together at Dever when I will do a big plate of the pate served up to everyone at the end of each day on the river. I have the recipe and the smoked fish and know that I can match the taste from having already done one very successful day. It’s a good chance for guests to get to meet and makes for a fun day too.

Most everything else is ready now. Hotel rooms booked, car hire arranged, internal flights done. Next thing will be licences online or possibly when we go visit a branch of Cabelas in Anchorage. I do a day trip on the Friday prior to flying out to the river and although it’s a lot of driving there’s no doubt that people really enjoy the chance to see something else of Alaska.

So, what else of late. Well Sue and I went to Stafford up on the M6 for a first experience to the BFFI show. Luckily we planned on the Saturday and missed Sunday’s big storm. I was amazed as to the amount of fly tying gear and indeed the number of people there. Lovely to meet old friends and lots of new faces too. We watched Dave Felce’s talk on the history of carp on the fly and what a well researched piece it was. 

That amazingly talented Charles Jardine was casually putting together watercolours while talking to virtually everyone that went past. Undoubtedly the UK number 1 he’s been a completely reliable friend for 50 years.

His work with Fishing for Schools is all absorbing and he is planning on running the London Marathon once again to raise funds. I only wish I had half his talent, and energy.

So what else this time? I just did a pod cast with my old friend Pete Tyjas who runs Fly Culture. We talked for an hour on all manner of fishy things and the time just flew by. Look out to hear my ramblings which will go out sometime in April and I guess that’s about it for my first effort at a blog. More next month.