CONTENTS

CONTENTS Total Flyfisher

SUBSCRIPTIONS Don’t miss this incredible TFF offer, and get the next three issues delivered to y our door for a mere £3!

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FATAL ATTRACTION Howard Croston looks at flashy lures and shows you how to fish them in order to bank on early season success.

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NEWS TFF takes a look at all the relevant stories and snippets affecting fly fishers in the UK.

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LETTERS If you want to share your ideas and opinions then drop us a line; you could be lucky enough to win some great prizes.

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THINGS TO TRY IN APRIL Get the trout season proper off to a great start by trying out these wonderful fishing tips and ideas.

TINKERING WITH TADDIES Fly tyer Martin Smith takes the traditional Tadpole pattern and turns it on its head with some modern materials.

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Q & A If you have a fly fishing query that needs answering, get in touch with our experts and they’ll help you iron out any problems that you’ve been having.

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THE GREAT PRETENDER Anglian Water’s new retail manager, Kevin Appleton, say’s there’s one fly that can usually be counted on for early season success.

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GET WEAVING WITH WIRE Lawrence Finney has brought many new flies to the pages of TFF; now we have a few more, with his woven nymphs and dabblers.

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ATTRACT AND DECEIVE Paul Richardson is convinced that he can increase his catch rate by offering the best of both worlds – nymphs and lures.

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NEW SERIES MATCH THE HATCH John Pearson and six-times English National Rivers Champion John Tyzack begin to explain entomology and how this knowledge can take your fly fishing to the next level.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST Steve Dolton and John Pass get to grips with tackle from different generations to discover how well a vintage rod can stand up against today’s models.

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SNOWBEE CHALLENGE Are you one of the lucky anglers who have won their coveted Snowbee Challenge badge? Turn to page 74 or check the website to find out.

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G LOOMIS £1,000 COMPETITION Fancy your chances of winning a brand-new Max GLS 10ft 7-wt fly rod? Just answer our question correctly… and be lucky enough to get your name picked.

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UK AND IRELAND FISHERY ROUNDUP John Milne brings us all the prospects and contact details for some of the best fisheries in our home nations.

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THE EDITOR GOES FISHING WITH… Steve Cullen catches up with the main man at Fulling Mill, Barry Unwin, to enjoy a day catching trout and grayling on the River Test in Hampshire.

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THE PROBLEM WITH PARTON Steve Parton pitches in with his two penneth about the concerns over Draycote Water and some of our other major reservoirs. He also pays tribute to the late fly fishing legend Arthur Cove.

Paul Richardson shows you the secrets of combining nymphs and lures.Target stocked and resident trout with this deadly combination.

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guide

YOUR FREE GIFT Learn how to get the most out of your fabulous free gift from Ultima, the new Powerfly leader material.

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WHAT’S NEW FROM GUIDELINE We have been fortunate enough to have a sneaky peek at some of Guideline’s great new fly fishing products for 2010 – take a look for yourself.

GAME GEAR If you’re a bit of a tackle tart you’ll want to see all of the new tackle in this month’s Game Gear.

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DESERT ISLAND FLIES Reservoir expert Rob Edmunds reveals his top three patterns. Surprisingly, they’re not what you might have imagined them to be.

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FLY-TYING MASTERS II We’ve been sent loads of wonderful new fly designs yet again. See which patterns made the top three.

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Total Flyfisher ISSN 1753-9501

C O N T E N T S

EDITORIAL Tel 01327 311999 Fax 01327 311190 Address 2 Stephenson Close, Drayton Fields, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RF www.totalflyfisher.com Editor Steve Cullen steve.cullen@dhpub.co.uk Editorial Assistant Rob Smith rob.smith@dhpub.co.uk C hief Sub Editor David Haynes Creative Director Mark Grafton Head Designer Fiona Brett Designer Nicola Howe Staff Photographer Patrick MacInnes Illustrations Peter Holmes Reprographics Manager Derek Mooney Senior Repro Assistant Stephanie Horn Repro Assistant Rebecca Haines

ADVERTISING & SALES Business Development Manager Sue Shaw sue@dhpub.co.uk Phone 01327 315401 Mobile 07702 106111 Group Classified Advertisements Tina Phillips tina.phillips@sky.comPhone 01780 480684 Production Manager Justin Fox Deputy Production Manager DaveThomson Production Controller Neil Brooks Ad Design Mike Calvert, Ian Haynes & Stephen Jorgensen Marketing Designer Paul Evans

DAVID HALL PUBLISHING LTD Publisher David Hall david@dhpub.co.uk Managing Director Sean O’Driscoll sean@dhpub.co.uk Operations Director Roger Mortimer roger@dhpub.co.uk Website www.davidhallpublishing.com

SUBSCRIPTION AND BACK ISSUES Marketing & Subscriptions Manager Louise Wincott louisewincott@dhpub.co.uk Queries & Orders Phone +44 (0) 845 345 0253 subscriptions@dhpub.co.uk Subscriptions UK – £33.60 Europe – £50 Rest of the world – £65 Based on 12 issues and includes mailing Back Issues UK – £4.50 Europe – £5 Rest of the world – £6 Only the previous 12 months’ issues are stocked Find your local stockist: http://availability.mmcltd.co.uk Printed By: Southernprint (Web Offset) Ltd Distributed By: MMC Distribution Ltd Advertisements: The advertisements and editorial content carried in this magazine are the copyright of David Hall Publishing Ltd and may not be quoted, copied or reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.