On the road
What ever the time of year, jumping in a car and escaping your familiar surroundings is therapeutic. Spending time with mates and sharing the experience makes up the adventure.
It's not always clear what route will be taken to get there, but you can count on the destination being in everyones minds. For us, this is almost certainly at the waters edge in some remote area of Britain. The long journeys are enjoyed with the backdrop of everyones latest playlists, whilst crammed in a car stuffed with camping and fly fishing gear. Sharing tracks and talking about the anticipated trip ahead is a great way to switch off from the weeks events.
You can expect most journeys to take you across stunning countryside, moorlands, mountain ranges and vast coast lines. If you have a keen photographer on board, the need to pull over to get a shot of the landscape can get a bit tiresome. Although, when you see the final shots it makes it all worth it. Capturing these images is important to us. Coupled with the memories you can't capture through a lens, it's what keeps the trips alive when looking back and writing up field notes.
After the journey on the road, a trek across boggy grasslands and a steep climb, you reach the crystal waters. The mood of the trip changes at the waters edge, you're constantly scanning the water as you assemble your five piece and thread the eyelets. Any movement in the water triggers a sense of panic and a shout out 'did you see that one?' The choice of your first fly is always trial and error, get it wet and and see what bites. Usually reading the surface gives you a good idea if they're taking from the top or not. Witnessing the open mouth of a wild brown trout rise to a floating dry fly sure gets the heart going! Striking into a take is magic, feeling the tension through the line really connects you with the great species we all love to chase. As the adrenaline starts to flow, your thoughts switch straight to how your going to land it. Reaching round to unclip your net and securing your catch is a relief. The first fish of the day always sends a rush of excitement through everyone. As soon as the fish swims away from the net, everyones rods are back swinging flies with a fresh sense of enthusiasm.
Once your all back on dry land and the sun starts to dip, it's time to setup camp and spend the evening around the campfire. If your blessed with a clear night, you can guarantee the photographers will be last to sleep.
