Fly Fishing School

Dermot Wilson, one of the great fly fishermen of his generation, established Nether Wallop Mill as a fishing school nearly forty years ago.

The teaching lake he created from the Wallop Brook remains one of the best fishing facilities in the country. The School is entirely dedicated to tuition, where you will get the chance to catch rainbow, brown, blue & tiger trout, some as large as 10lbs.

The School is open every day from April to October for a variety of Courses, private tuition & family teaching days. The Fishing Breaks Chief Instructor, Duncan Weston, oversees the school with his customary good humour & patient instruction.

Each day is tailored to suit the particular needs of the group or individual, but the emphasis is always on very well structured ‘hands-on’ learning, but in a relaxed & informal atmosphere.

The instruction will cover casting techniques, rigging tackle, learning those pesky knots, how to pick the right fly for the day & much, much more... including of course, how to catch that all important fish!

Included in the cost of the day is all the tackle & flies, your Environment Agency Fishing Licence, exclusive use of the School & facilities, Course notes for future reference, plus the chance to take home two fish & hopefully release many more.

Nether Wallop Mill is the UK’s only dedicated teaching facility & these are just some of the unique features:

Locations

Nether Wallop Mill		Western Court		River Test
One Day Foundation Course		Fishing & Fly-Tying Weekend		Introduction to River Fishing
Father & Son Day		Ladies Day		Private Tuition
Family Days		Private Tuition

Foundation Courses

The Foundation Courses are ideal for novices or anyone returning to fly fishing after a break. The Courses are run at our fly fishing school on Saturdays from April to October (see below for dates), all the equipment is provided and group sizes are kept small (four pupils) to ensure maximum individual coaching.

This is a very practical course, where we aim to get a rod in your hand & fishing with confidence in the shortest time possible. Here is a brief, but far from exhaustive list, of the topics that will be covered:

• Selecting the right tackle
• Tackling up
• Casting; overhead, roll cast & shooting the line
• Fly lines, knots & tippets
• Flies & fly selection
• Hooking & landing a fish
• Safety

Each day runs from 9.30am-5.30pm, with a break for lunch. There is a fully equipped Fishing Cabin at the fly fishing school and a wide choice of local accommodation in Stockbridge, just four miles away.

NEW Fishing & Fly-Tying Weekend

My guess is that we have all had one of those fishing days when nothing goes right: you pick the wrong fly, get broken off, the casting goes to pieces and then just to rub salt into the wound the chap next to you keeps hauling out fish after fish …. need I go on?

Well, with Fishing & Fly-Tying Weekend we aim to find fixes to the everyday problems of going fishing. The aim is not only to help you catch more fish, but also make fishing more fun & maybe pick up a few tips that you can pass on.

• The Casting Clinic – become aware of your casting faults. See how to solve them & learn some new casting tricks.
• The Knot Surgery – Learn our 100% guaranteed set up for catching & keeping.
• Entomology for Dummies – Fish live their lives by bugs & insects, so learn how to spot & imitate what trout feed on.
• Intensive care for Tackle – You probably spent good money on your outfit, so make sure it you work it properly & make it last longer.
• Prescribing the Right Flies – there are over 6,000 patterns. Find out our Top Ten.
• Fly-tying made easy

One Day Introduction to River Fishing

As a Guide & Instructor, one of the questions I am most often asked is whether river fishing is more difficult than lake fishing. My answer, put quite simply is, “No, but it is distinctly different and you will need to adapt your strategies & techniques”. So, that in a nutshell is what this introductory day is all about.

We take the skills you have learnt on stillwater & adapt them to defeat the considerably wilier river trout. You will alter your casting, rig your rod & line differently, have a whole new boxful of flies, be more observant of fly hatches and take your cue from the prevailing weather conditions.

Now I can’t pretend you will catch a sackful of fish on the first day, but I will promise that you will achieve a new level of skill, technique & understanding that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your chalkstream fishing lifetime.

Duncan Weston, our Chief Instructor, will be your guide & tutor. The group is limited to just four & you’ll be fishing a beat on a tributary of the famous River Test, at Bullington Manor.

Ladies Day

Join this fun & informative day to get the female angle on fishing at Western Court Trophy Lakes. Limited to a group of just four, this is the perfect way to learn the basics of fly fishing away from the crowds, catch some fish & relax.

Western Court is fully equipped with a comfortable Fishing Cabin overlooking the fishing lakes. All the tackle is provided and you will be using the very latest outfits from the leading US tackle manufacturer, Orvis.

The one-day course is very practical and hands on. Your instructor will take you though all the basics in a friendly & informative manner and you will be surprised how easy it all becomes once you have the rod in your hand.

Here is a brief guide to the day:

• Meet your fellow pupils & instructor over coffee
• Get the feel of rods, reels, lines etc
• Learn the casting basics
• Tips on hooking & landing fish
• Prepare your rod & line for fishing
• Lots of fishing …..
• Weigh & pack your fish for home!

Private Tuition

For those who prefer individual coaching, our instructors are available by the day.

The coaching will be at our fly fishing school at Nether Wallop Mill, on any date to suit, mid-week or weekend.

A private lesson may be shared with a friend of colleague for a small extra charge.

All tackle is provided.

Father & Son Day

Many of us recall the very first fishing trip with our father, so make it that more special with a patient & helpful instructor to guide you both through the basics.

The fish in the lake at our fly fishing school at Nether Wallop come to the fly with a surge & a tug, making that first catch one to truly remember.

The season runs April to October.

Father & Son Days are available week days, weekends and Bank Holidays.

Family Days

A fishing day is a great way of getting the family together to share the excitement of a new sport in the young & re-ignite the passion in others.

The Family Day package gives total flexibility as you can mix the number of adults & children to suit your party. You have the exclusive use of our private fishery (Western Court or Nether Wallop Mill), both of which have a fully equipped Fishing Cabin, which can also be used by non-fishing members of the family to relax.

And to make it all happen, and make sure you hook a few fish for the lunchtime barbeque, you have a dedicated & patient instructor for the day, with all the tackle & equipment provided.

The season runs from April –October. Family days are available weekdays, weekends & Bank Holidays.

For further details or to make a reservation, please complete our enquiry form or e-mail info@fishingbreaks.com

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