Throwing it back to where the UK’s Trout in the Town movement began, Farlows fishing manager Tom Clinton writes in the second issue of Fly Culture magazine…
… revealing how the Wandle’s spectacular wild trout became a compulsion for him in 2018:
Like a mad obsessive from a conspiracy movie, the Wandle trout became all I could think about. I had seen pictures of various bigger fish, namely some of Damon’s around the three-pound mark, but most notably a photograph of an eight-pounder which one of the old boys carries about on his person, presumably to show to (and help inspire / infuriate) any Wandle newcomers.
I had also witnessed several fatties with my own eyes, though each and every time I had attempted to hook them, they had spooked before the fly even hit the water. Clearly I was still a bit wet behind the ears to winkle them out, so my thoughts turned to tactics. What had I been doing wrong? What flies did I think might work best? Was my gear up to the task?
Elsewhere in the magazine, there’s also James Beeson on steelhead fishing, Bob Sherwood’s tribute to Orri Vigfusson, Andy Thomas on a life spent working in rivers, and much more…
So, if you haven’t signed up for a subscription yet, copies are available direct from the Fly Culture website. Grab yours while it’s hot!
(Photos: Tom Clinton)
