Dartmoor Fly Fishing 2024

Making my annual pilgrimage to the "high country" of the little Dartmoor stream to view the bluebells and hopefully fool a few of the little wild Brownies that inhabit this glorious location.

[@wills681]

A cracking episode, thank you. Dartmoor brownies are exquisitely marked; tiny works of art and fiercely wild in a way that a stocked rainbow can never be. It's a privilege to fish for them, to catch them, and to gently return them whence they came.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

I think you've summed it up perfectly Duncan👍

[@Matt-lq7di]

Always look forward to your uploads Chris Stunning scenery beautiful wild trout Keep up the good work All the best 🎣

[@peterlaidler3895]

They have no idea, do they Chris. those little trout are beautifully marked and it's the anticipation of not knowing! You are fortunate indeed to be within striking distance. Lovely video as always

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Cheers Peter, I may not have access to any rivers with large trout in them but the enjoyment is massive.

[@DutchyNo.1]

The location, the skill, the challenge and the peacefulness the fish are a bonus. Lovely vids.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

It's an old cliche, but it's true that "it's about so much more than just fishing." Thanks for the kind comment.

[@johnmaskell5124]

Waterfall pools, moss covered boulders, ancient woodland and charcoal trout. Hard to beat!

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

"Charcoal trout", I think I'm having that John👍

[@victorrea7562]

Brilliant video, enjoyed every minute of it.

[@DaviekFlyFishing]

Magical Chris, I always look forward to your Dartmoor trips. The amount of laughter in the video is explanation enough as to why we love this type of fishing. Peace and quiet and overall good fun! Went out without the camera on Saturday, every likely looking pool and run on the local burn had a wee brownie in it taking a big interest in my Parachute Adams, it was brilliant. We all like different types of fishing but a wee beck over a big river every time for me. Cheers

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Hi Davie, I tend to catch a few more without the camera as well. I try to kid myself that the Trout are camera shy but really it's because I'm concentrating more on fishing than filming! Oh the sacrifices we youtubers make 😂

[@laurieharper1526]

Lovely video, Chris. I'm with you on the joys of catching small wildies from upland streams. I love their dark colouration and markings and the scenery and surroundings are beautiful. I'm hoping to spend a couple of days in North Yorkshire at the end of the week, fishing the Esk, where I learned to fish on family holidays more than 50 years ago.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Hi Laurie, yet another stream I've dreamed of fishing. I believe it twice held the Seatrout record (or am I miss remembering)?

[@SteveSapsead]

I can think of no better way to enjoy my morning coffee than to sit and absorb your lovely videos Chris. Even after 44 years living in the antipodes I become incredibly home sick for a wood of bluebells. Hopefully I shall be back in Blighty next year and I think I will try and get a few days fishing the Crediton waters. As I've mentioned before I fish small streams here and love the wild trout that they hold. Keep the videos coming they are such a pleasure. tight lines...

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Greetings Steve, a bluebell wood in spring does have a certain magic to it. I doubt you'll find our streams to be as productive as yours. They have so much pressure on them from so many sources. If I ever win the lottery, I'm heading South to fish down your way😃

[@SteveSapsead]

Well I hope your numbers come up Chris. I'm sure you would have a wonderful time, but leave plenty of time for the South Island of New Zealand. Once you have fished there nothing else will ever compare.

[@brianreed1451]

brilliant fishing mate. i was down that way over this weekend on Lee Moor but i was competing with my Border Collie instead of fishing. 3hr run for me, wish i lived closer.

[@FaizalYehaVlogFishing]

So beautiful fish.. 👍👍

[@soultrader57fishingandmusi25]

Beautiful spot, Chris! Strange, the number of anglers that seem to prefer chasing these micro torpedoes rather than larger trout! As a utuber myself, I find anything I do relating to small wild trout on small streams gets a much better response than bigger rivers and larger trout! I think the little uns are more difficult to hit on dry fly too! Great stuff, Dave 😊👍

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

You're right Dave, people seem to enjoy the small intimate streams more. Perhaps it's the little kid in all of us wanting to return to those innocent days of crawling about on a small overgrown brook.

[@fieldsman3307]

Hi Chris, what a wonnderful day you had and thanks for sharing it with a great video, still nothing on my rivers so just have to hope the season gets going soon.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Not looking too clever for us in the West over the next few days is it Mike? I think we'll be back to flood conditions? Really tricky spring we're having. May is normally our best month ?

[@paulbryan1094]

There’s something very special about the Dartmoor streams. It’s difficult to express to people how they make you feel. Finding an area away from other humans that’s still as nature intended, even the air feels special. One of my happy places.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

You're right, Paul. Dartmoor does have a certain magic to it. It's hard to put into words, but once experienced, never forgotten.

[@phillmartin6196]

Good morning. Chris found you by chance, watched and subscribed. Bluebells with fishing perfect, thanks for taking me along.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

You're most welcome, glad you enjoyed it👍

[@tomdemianvingsgard4532]

Stream fishing with that degree of intimacy, with trout going all in...spirit of youth right there, and so much happening in the microcosmos...And the smaller trout love to play with dries, can it get any better ??,,

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

That's something I forgot to mention, the memories fishing evokes of childhood and being mesmerised by this secret watery world that other people walk straight past ( That's getting used in a video at some point)👍

[@neilogston8992]

Thanks Chris great video I did manage to fish cherry Brook last weekend and had a lovely time ! Hopefully your planning another expedition this year !

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

The rough plan is to fish the Blackabrook but things rarely work out as planned in fishing. Glad you enjoyed the Cherrybrook, it's a beautiful spot. One of my biggest regrets is leaving it so long before fishing the Duchy waters. What an idiot!

[@chrisanning1037]

I hope that the fishing gets easier in a couple of weeks although, next week looks like alot of rain fall. One thing I to like about fly fishing is it's simplicity. Everything can be kept in the car boot ready to go anytime.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Yes perfect if like me you don't have a lot of time to go fishing. Fly Fishing let's you grab a few hours when and where possible.

[@paulackland3383]

Looks like a lovely stream to fish. We are so lucky to have places this. Bluebells have made a great show this spring. Tight lines

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Cheers Paul, devon county show for me this weekend so no fishing ☹️

[@thedalesangler]

Great video as always Chris. Hopefully, you've left a few in for when I venture down in a week's time.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

There's plenty left for a nice team of upstream spiders👍 if your fishing the Duchy waters, you should see some bigger ones than in this little stream. I hope the weather plays ball for your trip. This week doesn't look to clever, but then it is the Devon county show, so that's no surprise.

[@trevorhorne8034]

The tug is the drug Chris 😉

[@martincorcoran8263]

Beautiful

[@robertalp3878]

Looking at the scenery, the beautiful river, and stunning trout, and if people still need to ask why,……?

[@carlhughes9584]

Because the fish are tiny!!

[@robertalp3878]

@@carlhughes9584 size isn’t everything! 👍 and on a really light rod they can give a nice scrap

[@carlhughes9584]

@@robertalp3878 No they won't scrap on a light rod at that size. Size is important.......if there's no chance of a big fish then a lot of the excitement is lost. This is like gambling where you only ever going to win a few pounds.

[@robertalp3878]

@@carlhughes9584 probs best to leave them to me then 😂😂👍

[@hagen1688]

Amazing video, as always, Chris! I’ll be down in Dartmoor at the end of May. Do you ever use the fish pass app? Any beats you recommend on there that are suitable for a tenkara rod, or light fly rod? Much like this water that you are on! Thanks

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

I think you'd do well with tenkara on any of the Duchy waters. Some of the smaller tribs like Cherrybrook, especially so👍 26km of various beats all on the fishpass app. I would print out the qr code and keep it with you, saves driving to a hotel/post office to scan.

[@robertalp3878]

Another beauty of a video, Chris. One quick question - as I believe trout are territorial, do you release where you un-hook the or back into the pool where you hooked them?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Always in the pool where I caught them, Robert. Wild trout don't shoal up like other fish, so when you release them, they generally go and hide somewhere. I've certainly caught numerous fish from the same pool down the years, often without even moving.

[@carlhughes9584]

They still fun small fish and its so rare to be on your own in overpopulated Britain. ( Well south of Scottish Highlands! ) So i can see the attraction. I am envious of so many people seemingly having giant wild trout in their local rivers however. Theres one guy who catches huge, stunning wild trout fishing in urban rivers in Manchester!! You think when you reach middle age, how many seasons have you got left to scramble up rivers like that?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Not many I fear Carl.

[@carlhughes9584]

@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 Have you heard recent Paul Proctor flu culture podcast? He discusses this.....maybe take up carp fishing when I'm too old. Relaxing in a bivvy doesn't seem too hard!

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Yeah, always a good listen. I remember listening to a podcast with John Geirach where he mentioned that by the time people had the time and the money to fish in Alaska they couldn't physically do it. Infact it was only the young guides who could properly hack it. Get out while you can.😃

[@carlhughes9584]

@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 Yes I remember that one. It's so true......I hear people saying things like they would like to take up Flyfishing or travel etc when they retire when they have more time........do it now while you can!!!!

[@carlhughes9584]

@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 PS.......hasn't Paul Proctor got such a fantastic life?? Fishing virtually everyday, big wild trout locally, then every winter off to New Zealand and some tropical destination for saltwater fly.......lucky bugger!!

[@paulhoughland8505]

Fabulous! Are you fishing the East or West Dart?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

It's actually a little beck on the north of the Moor.

[@robertalp3878]

Chris, my last question for you. In the video you mention ‘genetics’ of these amazing fish. When you caught that really dark, almost black, one, could that be a variant?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

I've been told that it's down to their surroundings. Darker backgrounds producing darker fish to help with camouflage. I'd love to know if this was true but it makes sense to me👍

[@user-gm4bn7ql6u]

I’d sooner catch a wild small trout than a large stickie

[@sa-hz1bo]

How long do you jave your leaders

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

I like to use a 5' thread furled leader and then about 4 to 5 feet of 6x nylon. I've got a video called "my dry fly set up" might explain it better.

[@UK-Blue]

Exactly, the location is a big part of it. Do you ever use a line net round your waist or if standing in the river do you stand where the line doesn't get dragged to quickly? I forgot my net t'other day and was gutted (pun intended) That's the sort of fly I was using up the river. Only had two sessions. The dog and the new drone took most of my time up. I'll be back there soon enough though. Wild garlic is amazing, even the flowers, I used to make plain cheese sandwiches and then add the flowers on a walk. 😋 That was a lovely session, thank you sir. 👍

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Yes I have to say that I just enjoy being there, the fishing is a bonus. I have used a line tray for stillwater fishing but have never felt the need for kne on a river, I might give it a go one day.