Late April on the River Eden. It doesn’t get much better than that. Last week I had the pleasure of stalking the banks of the Eden and the Eamont for four days straight on a fishing adventure that marked a series of firsts. It was the first time I’d fished the Eden System, it was my first fishing trip, and it’s the first river I’ve fished since my introduction to fly fishing on The Nochty 27 years ago at the age of eight. Needless to say, in the run up to my trip I was suitably excited, and wondered whether Lady Eden would like the cut of my jib and tease the business end of my tippet with hungry wild brown trout. To stand the best chance of success I knew I needed to do some serious preparation, and get some real expert advice and guidance. Before I recount my blow-by-blow encounter (read part two), here’s what I did to get Eden-ready™.

Who do I ask for help and where should I fish?



Luckily the wise men of the River Eden don’t reside in unmarked mossy hidey-holes. Instead, a number of these rare sages inhabit a far more public and accessible space, and even luckier for us they’re exceptionally generous with their time, offering advice and feedback on all things Eden. You guessed it. Fly Fishing Forums, one of the most welcoming and productive online angling lodges out there. It was here that I started my journey of discovery in pursuit of some simple pointers about fishing the Eden System. I simply began by having a nose around for any Eden-related chatter, and came across this useful thread - Cumbrian Eden System - and posted a note asking for some general advice. By that evening I’d had a couple of responses from a chap called Terry (jada0406) and Matt (North Country Angler, and the guy who started the thread way back in April 2009). Encouraged by these quick responses I decided to direct message each of them and quickly realised these guys seriously know their onions. Over the past few months, Matt has proved an incredible source of expert advice on everything from must-try patterns to the best waters to fish on a day ticket (Appleby Anglers Association, Penrith Anglers Association, Kirkby Stephen and District Angling Association). I plagued him for answers, and again and again I was met with real gems of actionable insight to apply at the waterside. If you’re looking for a great place to start, be sure to check out this thread and Matt’s blog North Country Angler.

Which dry flies and nymphs should I take?



I didn’t want to go armed with a smorgasbord of flies for fear of being overwhelmed, so I posed Matt a question: “If you could only take a handful of dry fly patterns in late April, what would they be?” And here’s the fantastic four he kindly recommended: 1. CDC Olive Stackwing Dun #14 2. Olive para emerger - Klinks type things #14-16 3. Deer Hair Emerger (DHE) #14 4. Griffiths Gnat #16-20 So in the months leading up to my trip I set to work at the vice to tie a collection of these tiny critters (except for the klinks or paras as I ran out of time!). I’m a novice, so tackling these patterns was real test of my thumbs and perseverance, but I got there in the end. Toughest of all was the CDC Olive Stackwing Dun - I used these instructions, and tried to replicate Matt’s version, and used the Petitjean Magic Tool to help bring it all together. Stacking the CDC wings required heaps of practise, but it’s a real buzz when you nail it. Here’s a few shots of my dry line-up…

CDC Olive Stackwing Dun

Deer Hair Emerger (DHE)

Griffiths Gnat

As for nymphs I went equipped with some copper bead-head Pheasant Tail Nymphs (PTN) that I’d tied previously (Charlie Craven style), weighted with around 6-8 turns of lead, and a bunch of Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymphs (GRHE). Heres’ a couple of pics of the sub-surface recruits…

Pheasant Tail Nymph (PTN)

Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (GRHE)

How do I fish a river?

Having only previously fished stillwaters I was keen to get some pointers, so I buried my head in books and watched loads of YouTube videos (including some appetite-whetting ones like these. Particularly helpful books were Peter Lapsley’s River Fly-fishing: The Complete Guide, Brian Clarke and the late John Goddard’s The Trout and the Fly, Frank Sawyer’s Nymphs and the Trout, and Oliver Kite’s Nymph Fishing in Practice. Having read and reread these legendary works I knew I needed more than pure written insight, particularly concerning certain key issues I’d read about related to dry fly fishing, such as the dreaded “drag”. So I decided to get a couple of hours of fly casting instruction from an expert fly casting instructor. It was early February and barely above freezing that I spent two hours with the brilliant Steve Kemp casting onto The Thames in Richmond. A qualified AAPGAI instructor, and thoroughly nice bloke, Steve helped improve my casting no end in an incredibly short space of time, and taught me a bunch of techniques to help adapt to all sorts of river-based scenarios. Most useful was leaning how to “reach cast” where you point the tip of your rod horizontally out to the side once you’ve cast as the line and it’s nearing touchdown on the water, in order to put some slack into the line when casting upstream to avoid drag. This would prove an invaluable lesson! You can contact Steve via email (stevekemp1 at me.com) to arrange a one-to-one session, and if like me you’re a river novice, I highly recommend it.

What about wading and making sure I don’t drown?

I’d never waded before, so I knew I’d need to fork out on some clobber and equip myself with some knowledge so I didn’t drown on my debut. In terms of buying gear, the only advice I can give is to try on plenty of pairs of waders, and don’t buy them if they’re not comfortable or don’t fit correctly. I finally went for a pair of Simms stocking foot waders that I managed to get 60% off in the January sales, and got them altered to have a larger set of stocking feet fitted, organised by the good folk at Farlows in Piccadilly. And make sure you buy boots that are at least a size larger than your regular fit to make room for the neoprene stocking foot and a couple of pairs of thick socks. Once kitted out I made sure I tested them, but I couldn’t face sitting in the bath and pretending I was casting to an imaginary rise. Instead I took them on a trip to Bushyleaze Trout Fishery in late March. A few burly rainbows later, I was still bone dry. At 35 years old, I’m still a reasonably strong chap and steady on my feet, but I didn’t want to take any chances as I fancied seeing my lovely wife and kids again after my trip, so I researched a wading staff. There are so many ridiculously expensive, and to my mind, dangerous options. I’d read too many horror stories of telescopic and collapsible wading staffs letting people down to go that route, so I knew it needed to be a one-piece deal (with only a single point of failure… if it snaps). I tried a few in a couple of shops, but they were all way too heavy for my liking. Then on a day trip to Brighton I popped into one of those outdoorsy stores that sells mountaineering and ski stuff, and managed to pick up a pair of long ski poles in a matt black finish for under 20 quid, which means I’ve now got a spare!

No excuses

I’d done my homework, but I knew catching a spooky wild brown trout on the Eden System would be difficult, particularly with the forecast predicting lots of rain, hail and consistent winds in excess of 15mph. But I love a challenge, so I set myself a goal. In fact, it was my eight year-old son Ben who set it. Here’s how the conversation went:

Me (thinking he’s going to say “one”): “How many fish do you think I should try to catch when I go away on my fishing trip?”

Ben (without thinking): “Um… 20?”

Me (shocked face): “20?!”

Ben (sensing my fear): “Um… Two? I think if you catch two that would be amazing, dad.”

Me (proud): “Ok, I’ll try for two.”

And that was that. I’d try and catch a couple of wild brown trout. No pressure.

To find out how I got on, read part two.