Dom Garnett reports on an exciting day chasing a stillwater slam of predators on the fly. With an excellent turnout of fly anglers on Chew, it was great to see so many anglers casting their sights at coarse fish as well as trout. The aim, as always, was to catch rainbows, browns, perch and pike from the lake, with 1000 points for the first of each species and prizes for the biggest fish. A slam of all four is mean feat in a single day, but hopes were high. Organiser Rodney Wevill played a blinder as organiser, making sure the event was smoothly run, well supported and bristling with prizes. C ..read more

Following a thrilling session captured on film by John Deprieelle, Dom Garnett joined fellow Turrall Flies angler and wels catfish fanatic Olly Cullingford and friends to take on one of Britain’s hardest fighting fish! Picture the scene: You’ve just seen a giant swirl at the surface and small fish leaping clear. Whatever the heck it was doesn’t just send shockwaves across the water, but over your very sanity. Your nerves are jangling, as you launch out a black and gold streamer in the sort of terrible hurry normally reserved for folks fleeing natural disasters. You make one, two, three strips ..read more

Looking for your next big fly fishing buzz this year? For those who enjoy new challenges, the possibilities with a fly rod have never been greater. So what is the ultimate test for the fly angler? Here are eleven ideas to get you inspired over the coming months. Which one captures your imagination right now? Catch a big wild brown If stocked fish tend to average two pounds these days, we should never be complacent about wild fish of anywhere near that stamp. For the vast majority of British anglers, any wild brown trout of over a pound is an excellent one, while a two-pounder is the stuff of ..read more

Coarse fish are great fun to catch on the fly throughout the summer. But what do you do if your chosen river is on the rise? All is not lost, if you’re prepared to be brave and mix up your flies and approach! Dom Garnett reports on a surprising recent trip to the River Tone. You know how it is in July and August. Every year, you expect blue skies and picnic weather as a given, but the British climate has other ideas. Such is the mood on a muddy River Tone, as I meet with Turrall boss Dylan Ponisch and Ollie Jefferies for a shot at some coarse fish on the fly. This stretch of river is fantasti ..read more

It’s always refreshing when you meet an angler who doesn’t do things by the textbook. But when that angler happens to be one of England’s most finely-tuned competitive brains, you just have to sit up and listen! Dom Garnett joined John Horsey and Turrall’s Gary Pearson for a fascinating, testing session on Chew Valley Lake, along with some great tips for summer fly fishing. Whether we subscribe to them or not, every angler has heard the clichés of the sport a hundred times. The fish bite best when the wind is in the west; sunny weather causes trout to go deep. Oh, and forget about fishing in a ..read more

With the climate as unpredictable as ever these days, traditional fishing seasons don’t always add up. It’s not unusual to catch dry fly trout in March, or predators in May and June. But if we do choose to chase large yet sensitive fish like pike, what are the ground rules? Turrall’s Gary Pearson and Dom Garnett have some excellent tips to ensure that both you and your quarry thrive! Is it still ok to go pike fishing in spring and summer? When are the best times and locations? Pike are best suited to cooler waters- you only have to look at their natural range to see this. Not only can they be ..read more

The meandering rivers of Devon might have a reputation for holding small but numerous trout. But with some local knowledge and one or two truly special venues, however, there are some surprising monsters lurking way out west. Turrall’s sales manager Gary Pearson just loves targeting these creatures with light tackle and big sedge flies, as Dom Garnett found out on a summer evening session. It’s not every day you hear about “big” wild trout down here in Devon. Most of the season, anglers spreading out their hands to describe their last fish are treated with an extra large pinch of salt. After a ..read more

Have you ever fished side by side with a friend to compare different approaches? It can be an interesting exercise to compare and contrast methods. If we take fly and lure fishing, each has some distinct advantages over the other, especially where pike are concerned. While lures can be cast further and have more vibration, fly fishing for pike has its own distinct benefits. Why this should be the case is down to several factors, not least of all the huge current popularity of lure fishing! Not only does a fly offer something very different, it also offers a much slower, subtler presentation f ..read more

Planning a big fly fishing holiday in 2021, once things return to normal? Of all the places and species you might tackle, one real bucket-list favourite has to be the Tarpon- and Mexico offers some excellent adventure fly fishing, as Turrall’s Rodney Wevill recalls. It already seems a distant world, but before the dramatic winter covid spike and lockdown III, myself and some friends from the Team Fluff Chuckers – Fly Fishing Fanatics  Facebook group were like kids on Christmas Eve, setting out for Mahahaul in Mexico. Our aim was a bit of assisted DIY fly fishing on the open coast, before ..read more

For those who enjoy variety in their autumn and winter fly fishing, perch and chub offer some exciting and highly affordable sport. Following the success of last month’s pike angling feature (thanks for your feedback!), we thought we’d bring you another “warts and all” session with Dominic Garnett and Gary Pearson. This time, we catch the two for a short session on Somerset’s River Tone.               8:00 Our anglers meet early on the outskirts of Taunton to have a quick look at the water. The Tone here has all manner of specie ..read more