December ’07

CONTENTS

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08HATCH, MATCH, CATCH Bloodworm – the trout’s number-one winter food. Learn all about how to imitate this little wriggler and make your cold-weather sessions count!

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THE APPRENTICE Hywel Morgan and novice angler Rob Evans take a trip to 25-acre Cound Fishery in Shropshire. With rumours of very large trout being present, the lads use a variety of tactics before they fi nd the one that hits the spot.

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POSTBAG Send your rants and raves to TFF’s letters pages and you could receive some superb prizes for your efforts!

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NEWS Keep up to date with the world of fl y fi shing with a snapshot of the very latest news stories.

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HAVE YOUR SAY Should barbed hooks be banned? This controversial topic gets a good going over from TFF contributors, staff and readers.

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tyer’sguide 58DEADLY KILLERS Leading the pack when it comes to December’s top fl ies is a cult smallwater lure that will devastate your local trout population... the Nomad.

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TYING CHALLENGE You’ve learnt how to fi sh them, so now check out the prize-winning Bloodworm patterns sent in by TFF’s top reader talent!

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GETTING STARTED New to fl y tying? Fancy catching on your own creations? Getting Started is all about breaking those skills down to make fl y tying a cinch. This month, TFF ties the deadly Montana.

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DESERT ISLAND FLIES He’s arguably Scotland’s greatest river fi sher if both national and international competition results are anything to go by. Grant Gibson shows us the three fl ies that he just couldn’t live without.

TYER’ SGUIDE

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24CJ’S SECRETS OF INDICATORS Love them or hate them, bite indicators are here to stay. Charles Jardine reveals all you need to know.

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SNOWBEE CHALLENGE TFF readers have been getting among the biggies this month! Check out the latest winners and top venues in this catch report. Send in your entries to win some fantastic Snowbee kit!

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JOHN BAILEY MEETS. . . Mr Bailey steps up to the crease to interview an English sporting legend who has swapped bat for fl y rod... it’s Mike Atherton.

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ASK THE PANEL Send your queries and conundrums to our line-up of expert anglers. The writer of each question published will receive a bundle of Greys kit into the bargain!

Learn to tie the deadliest of winter lures – the Nomads, p58

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All you need to know about indicators, p24. PAGE

venuesguide 68THIS MONTH WE’VE FISHED. . . Receive hot tips for top venues and avoid disappointing days out, thanks to TFF readers, contributors and staff!

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RATED OR SLATED? Staffordshire’s Loynton Hall Fishery has long been known for producing more than its fair share of outsized rainbows. The TFF team takes a trip to the water and brings back its no-holds-barred report. . .

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CONTENTS

Top fi sheries under the spotlight, p68.

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FIGHT TO THE FINISH It’s a battle of the sexes this month as two England internationals thrash it out on Yorkshire’s River Wharfe!

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STILLWATER SNIPPETS Don’t miss these quick pearls of wisdom that might just make the difference between a blank and a bagful!

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NEW SERIES WHO SAYS... FLY FISHING IS EXPENSIVE? TFF kicks those fl y fi shing myths to the kerb in this new series, starting with how easy it is to get started for under £100!

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HUNT FOR A PERFECT 10 Steve Parton takes a look at the highs and lows of his 2007 big-fi sh reservoir campaign. He’s not yet found a ‘perfect 10’, but the hunt will never be over.

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NEW SERIES RIG OF THE MONTH TFF describes the seasonal selection when it comes to fl y choice and leader set-ups. First up - the winter Booby rig.

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SUBSCRIPTION OFFER Take advantage of this ideal Christmas gift - receive 12 issues of the magazine AND a superb free reel!

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MY SEASON Charles Jardine takes a look back over the past year and the fl y-box revelations that his travels have brought. . .

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FIVE-MINUTE INTERVIEW Never one for talking his mind (honest), tackle manufacturer and angling author Steve Parton faces our barrage of questions.

Loynton Hall – does it deserve its reputation as a great small water? p72 tackleguide Top Christmas gift ideas – p78.

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CHRISTMAS CRACKERS Here’s a whole host of books and bargains that’ll fi ll any angler with Christmas cheer.

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GAME GEAR TFF casts an eye over the latest offerings from the tackle-shop shelves.

ON TEST Block out the cold and keep cosy by the water’s edge this winter by splashing out on a fi shing fl eece - we test 12 of the best!

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