Welcome to Issue 69 | Eat, Sleep, Fish

It is said we are always learning when it comes to fishing but how often is that really true?

I fish with my wife a lot these days. Over the last five years or so she has become an extremely passionate salmon angler.

As I watch her line travel out over the water I know how good she has become. She won't have any of it though and says it is down to the rod or line and she is modest and says she still has a long way to go. The fish she catches might suggest otherwise and I know she is a lot better than she thinks.

Coming back to learning something new though I realised that she is having an impact on my fishing too.

Recently she said to me that salmon fishing to her, is about much more than the fish. She loves to Spey cast and looks across to me when she thinks she has hit a particularly good one. She loves to fish the old style salmon flies that our friend Duncan ties and catches fish with them too. She cares far more about the fish welfare than a photo of her with a fish too. I like to take a quick shot of her as I am so incredibly proud but if she had it her way they wouldn't be taken at all.

The thing I have learnt the most though is when a fish comes off. It doesn't happen often for Emma but when it does she smiles and shrugs it off and starts casting again without the slightest hint of remorse or post-mortem into why it didn't stick. Honestly, she doesn't.

The other weekend we were fishing together. The sun was rising and it was bright. I was swinging a small salmon fly that, to be honest, I wasn't expecting to get eaten.

It did as the fly came through a shaded tree-lined area of the pool, the fish was a strong one that immeadiately pulled line from my reel and headed up towards me and then to the right. It wrapped me in weed and came off.

Emma watched as I checked the now weed--covered fly waiting to see my reaction. I think she was surprised when I shrugged my shoulders, smiled and cast my fly back out again.

I remember a fish I lost after an epic struggle a couple of seasons back and how I said only one word for the next two hours.

I didn't this time though and I am convinced it is Emma's influence that has made this change come around.

You know something? It felt OK too and I like this way of thinking.

So Emma, thank you for teaching me something new and I'd like to dedicate this issue to you including the front cover!

I hope you enjoy this issue of ESF.

Good fishing

Pete Tyjas

Pete Tyjas is a full time fly fishing guide based in Devon UK visit his website

here

Catch up with Pete and Emma's fishing adventures here