Yesterday, 26th July, saw seven members of the Taunton Fly Fishing Club attending the Fair. Three coach/instructors, one member fly tying, one on the kiddies pool, one on booking the casting lessons, and one member encouraging the public to try their hand at casting.
The weather was extremely hot, which made for a very exhausting time for the casting coaches. A new customer was waiting every quarter of an hour. And when the meal/rest break arrived, each coach only had a half hour break, it was non stop until the close.
To show how popular the kiddies fishing pool was, this is a paddling pool, with wooden fish floating in it, 10p a go, catch a fish and win a sweet. A large jar of toffees at the end only had three sweets left! And are those toddlers competitive, pushing and jostling one another to catch a fish. 

When first starting the days fishing, DON'T rush to the waters edge, either stand back or approach slowly, take a moment to study the water.
Ask yourself:-
1) Are any fish rising/moving in the margins
2) What fly life is on or coming of the water
3) Is the water Clear/Opaque/coloured/Muddy?
This will determine how or whether you start to fish
If river fishing the above applies, but also beware of high banks, they could be undercut! ie you could be standing/kneeling on nothing more than scrub/grass.
Before fishing into the next pool its sometimes better to wait a moment, fish hold at the very tail of a pool.
ALWAYS wear eye protection, and some form of headwear.
ALWAYS take care if fishing near overhead power lines
Finally, BEWARE of people passing behind you.You will only hear someone behind you, when you catch them with your hook.

Well, the weather has taken a turn for the better. Managed to get an evenings fishing in for sea trout Saturday, just one "tug" all evening, but fish were jumping in the pool I fished, you win some, you lose some.

Had a call from a friend on Sunday, did I want to go fishing ( again! ) on our private bit of river, so of we went, lovely afternoon again, and the river was looking almost at it's best, not too much damage from the recent floods/spate.
All in all, a very nice time, we both managed to catch some very nice wild brownie's, one measured almost 30cm's, which isn't bad for this river.

With the sea trout really moving in the local rivers, now until the end of the season should be really profitable, with some really big fish being seen moving up, just hoping to catch a few this season, after last seasons low water disasterous end.

Apart from the beginning of the season this year, i have managed just 8 fishing sessions so far, one of which yielded a sea trout, albeit, about a 1 1/2lbs, with the end of the season now in sight, and the weather at it's worst, I don't think this will be one of the better sea trout seasons.
Let's hope i'm proved wrong, we need the rain to cease it's torrential downpours, to allow the rivers to regain some semblance of normality.