How to Fly Fish - Fly Casting Techniques

Awbeg River County Cork Ireland

The Awbeg river rises in the Ballyhours mountains in county Limerick and is a tributary of the Munster Blackwater. It flows south through Buttevant and east through Doneraile, then past Castletownroche to join the Blackwater at Poulcormac.

The poet Edmund Spencer lived at Kilcolman Castle in the area and referred to the river as "the gentle Mullagh" in his poem The Faerie Queene.

The river flows through flat agricultural land north of Buttevant and then through a steep wooded valley to the south. Most of this area is limestone in composition. Plant species that thrive are dropwort, club-rush, watercress and Ranunculus. For most of its course the river is relatively shallow and the banks have marsh vegetation particularly reed canary grass. The area is noted for otters.
The river supports a significant amount of brown trout and Atlantic salmon.

The wooded area south of Buttevant is noted for its brown trout. Eager fish though not enormous but very keen for the evening fly. Be prepared to change flies regularly.

The Itchen river Hampshire

The Itchen is a river in Hampshire which flows from mid-Hampshire to join Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in Southampton. The river is 28 miles long and is noted as one of the world's best chalk streams for fly fishing especially using dry flies or nymphing.

Chalk streams make excellent trout rivers although some have been spoiled by modern agricultural methods in the quest for cheap food. The Itchen is one of the best which has not been damaged. It still displays the best qualities of a good chalk river: clear water, big fly hatches, and lots of greedy fish.

The area on the river between Worthys and Alresford is regarded as a perfect stretch of chalk valley which fishes well all season and trout rise on the river all the time. It is not an easy river to get to fish but there are days available on the Wild Trout Auction site.

Syon Park Fishery West London

For fly fishermen who live in south west London Syon Park fishery in Brentford provides an idyllic setting to practise their hobby in the 200 acre grounds of Syon House which is the seat of the Duke of Northumberland and only 8 miles from central London west on the A4.

This is a wonderful opportunity to fish on a 6 acre lake which was originally constructed by Capibilty Brown in the 1760's. The lake is stocked with rainbow and brown trout up to 10lb. Syon Park is ideal for the novice and more experienced angler.

The lake enjoys prolific hatches of olives, alders, sedge, buzzers and damsel flies.

Open every day from 08.00 until dusk, except Christmas Day.

Fly fishing tuition available, ideal for nervous beginners. Make enquiries through the website.

And when you are in the area make sure you make time for a visit to Syon Park House which is still the seat of the Duke of Northumberland and open to the public.

For further information go to Syon Park Fishery