Trout fly fishing tuition module
The basic trout fishing tuition module (duration 8h) includes (in retrospect of the trainee’s actual level and the overall duration of the training) :
A theoretical portion given on the banks of Drennec Lake or our private pond (or indoors if the weather is inclement), that includes :
- Basic tackle knowledge.
- Basic technical knowledge (knots, leader setups, flies).
- Basic knowledge about the river as an ecosystem (animal and plant life, water quality).
- Biology and behavior of wild brown trout and rainbow trout.
- Basis entomology.
- Basic fly tying.
A practical portion given on rivers of the the Monts d’Arrée watershed (Elorn, River Aulne, Penzé,) and on the banks of Drennec Lake or our private pond, that includes :
- Fly casting tuition on Drennec Lake according to an educational method.
- Fishing and learning aquatic invertebrates (the major species of aquatic insects, crustaceans and relevant terrestrial insects involved in a trout’s diet).
- The stages of natural aquatic insects (larvae, nymph, dun, spinner, spent) and the corresponding imitations (nymphs, wet flies, emergers, “flymph”, pupae, “stillborn”, dry flies (duns and spinners), spent).
- Other noteworthy prey (crustaceans, terrestrial insects, forage fish) and the corresponding imitations: streamers and lures, shrimps, hog lice, caterpillars …
- Learning relevant forage fish (gudgeon, minnows, sculpin, lampreys, etc…).
- Real-life situation: fishing on the banks of Drennec Lake or our private pond.
River fishing strategies :
- Approach: bank fishing and wading.
- Reading the water: the different water types of a river or a stream.
- Finding fish lies.
- Choosing the right cast for a given situation (straight cast, backhand cast, steeple cast, bow-and-arrow cast, sidearm cast, vertical cast).
- Presentation of the fly, drift and hook set.
- Fighting the fish, ethical treatment of the fish, releasing the fish, dispatching a keeper fish.
Lake fishing strategies :
- Bank and wade fishing (guided fishing on Saint-Michel Lake).
- Approach and finding productive water.
- Reading the water.
- Learning trout behavior in stillwaters: influence of the wind, currents, water sources and tributaries, bottom structures, submerged structure.
- Choosing the right cast for a given situation (wind, distance, fly line choice): line hauling and back cast techniques.
- Choosing the fly line and leader setup according to prevailing conditions (floating, intermediate, hover and sinking lines). Choosing the right type of fly.
- Fishing strategies and fly choice: imitations or lures.
- Lake-specific leader construction: droppers, etc.
- Retrieve techniques: figure of eight, pulls, roly-poly, static fishing, drift fishing, induced take, etc.
- Hook setting-techniques.
- Fighting the fish, ethical treatment of the fish, releasing the fish, dispatching a keeper fish.
My tuition program :
Includes tuition (duration 8h), top-quality tackle for hire (rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies, line tray or shooting basket, landing net, …). Not provided: waterproof pants or waders for wading. To anticipate prior to tuition. You will need to bring rain clothing and insulation, a hat of some type and polarized glasses.
Hours: 10h-18h (according to prevailing daylight hours)
Not included: Fishing licenses: €12,-/day (Please provide your address and birth information), unch pick-nick, lodging.
Guide’s comment :
It doesn’t take an entire lifetime to become a proficient fly angler. Three days of intensive training will usually allow anyone interested to help you master the basics and to individually progress from there.
It is, however, not quite possible to memorize and learn all the above mentioned knowledge as a matter of days.
This is one of the charming aspects of fly fishing: there is, however, so much to learn about technique, species and tricks that an entire lifetime is not enough to learn it all.
After over 40 years of avid angling, I keep learning something new each time I venture out on the water or when meeting fellow anglers.
