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2001 Fish & Fly Features

December 2001: "Smoked salmon is still a luxury item at four or five times the cost of the fresh stuff. Why?" Jon Beer on DIY fish smoking

In the first article of a major new series on fly casting, Master Caster discusses the four basic principles that govern casting a fly rod More...

"As with the the purchase of any antique item the new collector must tread warily." Chris Sandford takes a look at collecting antique tackle

November 2001: "It is straightforward fishing. There is little in the way of stuff between the fisherman and the fish" Jon Beer takes a look at pêche au toc

"So why bother to use different patterns? There are lots of possible answers..." Nigel Haywood on saltwater fly selection

For many river fishermen in the northern hemisphere, the closed season has arrived with all its usual withdrawl symptoms. Everyone who has fished the last day, will be in sympathy with JM Hruby's The Last Day.

In the first of two articles on starting fishing from a boat, Henry Lowe writes about the basic loch style using a floating line More...

"The season can best be described as an eclectic mix of the exciting, the bizarre and the terribly sad" Lesley Crawford takes a look back at her 2001 trout fishing season

Do you ever think about what happens to our conception of fishing on a "Bad Day"? Or how our ideas of a "Good Fish" change? More from Trout Bum

The Mission – Rufus and Jester to catch as many salmon as possible for as little money as possible. A report from British Columbia

October 2001: There were once two trout in a Scottish loch. They weighed 6 lb and 10 lb. Do I have your attention now? Jon Beer on ferox trout

Nigel Haywood takes a look at selecting the right fly lines for saltwater fly fishing More

September 2001: September 2001: The retrieve is a very important part of fly fishing, whether on stillwaters or rivers. The Fish & Fly Guide to Retrieves

"Some of the most dramatic trout angling in Scotland takes place unseen, tucked away in the hills and miles from anywhere." Lesley Crawford on fishing remote hill lochs

August 2001: I have been forced to become a fishing gypsy. In the last 3 months I have travelled further, fished more unseen water, begged favours and spent more than in the previous 3 years. More from Bill Drew

"Rises can fool anyone. Sometimes it is impossible to decide the size of a trout from the rise, other times it is a direct give-away. " Trout Bum on rishing fish

Reels are likely to be the area where the gap between what you need and what you want is at its largest. Nigel Haywood on saltwater fly reels

Lesley Crawford takes a look at the feeding habits of her highland trout - and finds a few surprises... More...

July 2001: "During the long hot summer day the large trout keep to the depths of the large pools but things are different after dark." Jon Beer on the Bustard and night fishing

In a new article for beginners, Terry Lawton explains some of the fundamental aspects of fly fishing to help you catch that first fish. More...

July 1st marks the start of the nymphing season on our stretch of the Kennet and, to mix metaphors, a whole new piscatorial ball game. David Joyce's Chalkstream Diary

"Long, warm summer days are fine for touring and sun bathing but a hot, dry summer can be a nightmare for the angler." Ally Gowans on salmon in the summer

"I nailed my colours to the mast in my last piece by saying that any reasonably salt water proof 7-9 outfit would do. But let's try and refine this." Nigel Haywood on saltwater fly rods

June 2001: Old Ted of Angler's Choice in Melrose used to have a sign in his window, "Fishing spoken here". I liked it. Forget Esperanto, fishing is an international language. Bill Drew on Foot & Mouth and Chicago

Choosing the best brown trout angling in Scotland is a daunting task... Lesley Crawford's Top Ten Scottish Trout Waters

June 2001: It's known as Duffers' Fortnight. Arguably the most exciting two weeks of the chalkstream season. David Joyce's Chalkstream Diary

Saltwater fly fishing is growing in popularity around the world. In his latest article Trout Bum writes about the fun to be had fly fishing for sea trout in Sweden

It is easy to see why people should feel daunted when for the first time they face the sea with a fly rod in their hand. A Beginner's Guide to Saltwater Flyfishing

The action, or way a rod feels when casting, is determined by the designer and is derived from the taper or combination of tapers, of the blank Fish & Fly take a look at rod action

Trout Bum writes about his fishing pilgrimages to England from Sweden and why it is still a trip worth making. Well worth making. More...

May 2001: Every year I make a pilgrimage to the Cotswolds to see my favourite landlady at the Bull Hotel in the little town of Fairford. Jon Beer on pubs with flyfishing

At the mention of grilse, the first picture that comes to mind is of sparklingly bright, energetic small salmon showing at the heads and tails of pools as they charge upstream the like torpedoes Ally Gowans on ways with grilse

If starting fishing with a team of flies for the first time, it's better to start with a team of two rather than three. To find out more, read Fish & Fly's guide to fishing a team of flies.

Lanzarote may not at first seem like a supreme fishing destination. Indeed it is rarely, if ever, advertised as such. Lesley Crawford takes a trip abroad

April 2001: For anyone with a bit of time and ingenuity, it is possible to make a multi-piece folding wading staff for 'loose change'. Terry Lawton shows you how

As the foot & mouth outbreak continues Jon Beer tries to find some fishing More...

"In freshwater during daylight sea trout tend to be shy, spooky fish unless the river is high." Ally Gowans takes a look at some Sea Trout Tactics More...

"There is a pleasing natural symmetry to the chalk stream trout fishing season" The first of David Joyce's Chalkstream Diaries

In this timely article, Lesley Crawford takes a look at access to angling in Scotland and the Foot & Mouth epidemic More...

March 2001: We were there, I suppose, after salmon but this is not about salmon. It is the Tale of Two Trout. Jon Beer in Iceland

In his second article on tying your own leaders, Terry Lawton discusses some of the knots that you will need to use and suggests some basic formulae More...

Sea trout are, as we have already established, basically Brown trout that have taken advantage of the wonderful feeding opportunities offered in coastal waters. More on sea-trout from Tony King

In early March many trout enthusiasts - myself among them - suddenly start getting twitchy. Lesley Crawford's Happy Coincidences

February 2001: There have been rumblings in the world of fly fishing of late. They are the usual sort of fly-fishing rumblings. Jon Beer on fly-fishing purism

God bless the grayling. Our silver chum has added four months to my fishing year. Bill Drew on grayling

Terry Lawton looks at some of the factors that combine to make a good leader, or cast as it is known in England. More...

Despite the scarcity of springers and the lottery of weather during the early months of the season spring salmon fishing is still my favourite sport Ally Gowans on spring salmon fishing

The practise of artificially adjusting fish numbers in freshwaters has been around in Europe since Roman times and has been popular in the UK for at least 200 years if not longer.Lesley Crawford takes a look at the state of wild trout in Scotland

January 2001: "I managed to hook the first two grayling and suddenly everything was alright. I calmed down and started to fish steady and without tangling the leader." Ulf Borjesson fishes for grayling in the middle of Sweden.

If British anglers are looking for a millennium project, it should be to reach a consensus on a philosophical framework for our activities. Bob Wyatt on the future

The lochs of Shetland can be embarrassingly shallow. I felt faintly ridiculous that morning, clad to the armpits in neoprene and standing in the middle of Houss Loch, when I was joined by a small dog... More from Jon Beer in The Shetlands

I had simply caught my first fish on rod and fly on my own. It was no "Trophy" trout but if I could have had it stuffed and mounted I would have, such was my pride The Duffer on Fish of a Lifetime

You are standing on the bank of a river or stream and there no fish rising to be seen, or so it seems. Where do you start fishing? Instead of just casting in the hope of finding a fish, it pays to search out places that might hold a trout. Terry Lawton on locating fish

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