Fly Fishing: River Wandle Magic

Ever since hearing first Alan Suttie and then Theo Pike (renowned author of "Trout in Dirty Places," see the post dated 1^st Feb 13) give talks about how the River Wandle had been rescued from being an industrial dumping ground back towards being a chalk stream with trout in it, I had resolved to fly fish it.  Today, as my son had borrowed my car, I decided to take the bus and the tram and go check it out.  Needless to say nobody paid any attention to me wearing all my fly fishing garb as I travelled to Watermeads, a public park near Mitcham.  I was not brave enough to wear my waders on the bus, I thought that was pushing my luck a bit too far, so I carried them in a bag.

As I walked the bank I spooked a cormorant.  That is bad news and good news.  Bad news because they eat a lot of fish, good news because it was there because it obviously thought there was a chance of a fish dinner!

 Yours truely in the Wandle at last

Anyway I got into the water and had some casting practice.  River fishing is so much more challenging than still water fishing and I hadn't fished a river for 5 months.  I also benefitted from some wading practice, especially as in some areas I sank around a foot deep in silt.  I also had some dodging branches with the fly practice.

No I didn’t see any fish or catch any but there was plenty of fly life coming off the water.

Magical highlight of the day was meeting a splendid chap called Alex Titov an AAPGAI fly casting instructor who was on the water practising. 

Alex Titov

He kindly took a couple of pictures of me (to prove I was there).  He then demonstrated some superb casting and let me video him.  I know when I am being outclassed, watching Alex really was magic!  Please play the video.