Ian Farr, head ghillie at Bemersyde and ArdMoor’s fishing expert, shares his advice for those who are new to fishing or would like to take up the sport.
Invest in your kit
Buy decent kit because then you’ll only need to buy once. If you scrimp and save, you’ll not only have to buy twice but you’ll get cold and wet in the process. I invest in my kit because I wear it every day and also because it lasts a long time and keeps me comfortable.
Take fishing lessons
Get some lessons in casting. And then use a shooting head because it’ll increase the range of your casting by an incredible amount.
Clothing and equipment
Chest waders: Buy breathable chest waders with good ankle support and studs – wading here (at Bemersyde) is slippery, so you need all the help you can get.
Tubes and flies: Make sure you have a decent selection of tubes and flies, and make sure they are appropriate for time of year and the conditions you’ll be fishing in.
Fishing lines: Don’t use fluorocarbon line because it gets caught on the bottom and on rocks – in short it’s rubbish.
Safety
I would ALWAYS take the following…
Mobile phone: Take a mobile phone for safety and to take a picture of any fish caught.
Wading vest: Wear a life-jacket or wading vest with a quick release – and wear it on top of your jacket, not underneath as some people wrongly do!
Eye protection: Always wear wraparound sunglasses to protect your eyes even when it’s not sunny.
Wading stick: Get a collapsible wading stick, they don’t get in the way when you’re not using them and they can be easily stored and transported. I recommend having a wading stick here because it’s slippery underfoot.
To see more of Ian’s fishing advice, guides and product reviews please browse his expert profile.