Client and fish wise, January turned into our best ever, with the ‘hoppers coming on strong, fish in top nick and the early season forecasts by the Inland Fisheries Service as ‘best in 40 years’ living up to expectations.

New teaching water ‘christened’

Louise with the first fish on the Red Tag teaching water, a plump little rainbow taken on an unweighted brown nymph. Not huge yet, but good to get one to hand to check out quality (good) and feeding (yes).

Then it was onto the river that afternoon for her first ever wild brown to hand. Day two was all on the rivers and saw many more to both fly and net. Well done Louise.

Warwick ‘ticked all the boxes’

Next up was Warwick, a relative newcomer to fly fishing who had a rivers & streams ‘preference’.

After two separate days and 19 to hand, progressing from 7 on day one to 12 on day two, it was his most fish ever in a day, largest wild brown, also a rainbow to hand, day 2 was all on the dry!

He certainly christened all the gear that had not seen action till then.

From southern stream success to ‘hopper stream net result’ Warwick’s time on the water had it all.