To anyone who doesn’t fly fish, the title to this post would be rather confounding. For any that DO fly fish however (and especially at this time of year), it will make perfect sense.

As I’ve said in a few previous posts, at this time of year (the devil-spawned “Closed Season”) I like to make a few flies in preparation for the new season, as it seems I have once again (for some unknown reason) not gone fishing for grayling….again.

Okay, so to say a ‘few’ flies is a rather modest way of putting it. Put it this way…at Christmas a family member lovingly bought me one of the large, waterproof C&F fly boxes. This has already been filled by my fly-tying exploits over the Christmas period. Row upon row of Klinkhammers (my favourite dry-fly for many situations), olive parachutes, pheasant tail nymphs, brown duns, the lot.

Looking back, I would like to call the last couple of months my “Fly-Tying Class”. Personally I think my flies are looking good, let’s just hope the trout like them!

With that said, I’m now counting the days until the new trout season starts which, for my local river (the Taff), is MARCH 3rd! 46 days and counting (trust me, I AM counting!).

The gang of trusty Klinks so far:

At the close of the trout fishing season on October 2005 I swore to myself that I would extend my fishing season by fishing on into the winter for grayling.

By the time the new season was upon me in March 2006, I had done zero winter fishing. That’s right…NONE. And in doing so, nearly drove myself mad!

So why then, have I done the same again at the end of the 2006 season? With the quality of fishing only a stones throw away there’s no excuse.

Of course, as it is close season, I’ve made enough flies, to keep me going for the next five! But I just haven’t done the most important thing…USE THEM!

I know, I know, there’s no excuse; and for that, I’m planning a days fishing up on the river Irfon (hopefully very soon) with Sam who I normally fish with. I’ve heard good things of the grayling there.

On that note, at some point this year, Sam and I are seriously thinking of doing a few days fishing in Slovenia with the Fauna Fly Fishing team. I think you’ll agree that, from the web site, it looks simply amazing!

Failing that, it’s hopefully a bit of wilderness fishing up in Scotland. This would entail both camping and fishing.

Can’t imagine anything better than waking up next to a Scottish Loch, cooking your breakfast over a fire and then fishing all day for wee wild brownies!

HEAVEN!