Tom Butt tells us why he likes the Taw
I work at the Fox and Hounds. I have been into fly fishing from a young age and over the years the passion for fishing and the river Taw has continued to grow. Working in the kitchen all week is hot and stressful so when it comes to having a day off there is one thing that is on my mind - fishing. I love the river at the hotel and will always be my favourite place to cast a fly.
When I have a day off I arrive at the hotel to see my favourite beat is available and if it is I book myself in, grab a coffee and chew the fat for a bit before getting into my waders.
Beat 5 is a great place to fish. I don’t catch a lot of fish here but I really enjoy the variety of water and the challenges it gives me, especially the fish that are in the hard-to-reach places.
Often though, I like to just stand on the bridge at the bottom of the beat and look upstream to see if there are any fish rising. Sometimes, I wait there for a long time until I see a fish rise and then I’ll get my rod out and walk over the stile and slowly walk up the river’s edge and look to see if the fish I’d spotted will rise again. In mid-May and into early June the mayfly are out and the most productive pattern is the ‘Mega may’ tied by one of the guides at the hotel, Duncan, is the fly I like to use most.
Once in the river I make a couple of casts to see if I can bring a fish up to the dry. I make a few more casts working the water where I think fish might be sat but if it's still quiet, I’ll move.
I stand at the tail of the next pool and can see a few small rises so I quietly get into position, make my cast and hold my breath. The fish takes, I strike too quickly and the fly ends up in the tree behind me. Luckily the fly is in reach and so I ease it out of the branch, dry it and wait to see if the fish rises again. It does and I cast again while keep saying “don’t strike too soon” Myy timing is much better and I hook the fish, a beautiful wild brown trout of 6 inches that I bring in, take a quick picture while it is still in the water and then release it.
The thing I love most about this stretch of river isn't actually the fishing itself it's the not knowing what might be in there. I have caught a number of brown trout in various sizes along with a few sea trout and even a couple of salmon. I love this little section of water and still get excited every time I fish it!
