Fly fishing a Dartmoor stream, Beginners advice

I thought I would just try and give out a few bits of advice for anyone who might want to have a go at fishing these types of small streams. I'm not a professional guide or casting instructor, in fact put me on a large river and ask me to cast 20 yards and it probably wouldn't go well, but I have been fly fishing small streams for over 40 years so your bound to pick up something aren't you? Anyway, these are the things I would say to a beginner, I'm sure I've left plenty of stuff out so feel free to put me right in the comments section.

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

I think a lot beginners will find this video interesting. All the best.

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

Those little browns are gems. All good advice. I so love small streams. I was fishing a veyr hard one last week. After storms. I picked up one rainbow about 35cm, and a smaller one around 20cm. A1 wt rod which I enjoy so much. Best wishes. :-)

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Totally agree Terry with the right tackle and proper appreciation of the skill involved (not just size of fish) then these little streams can bring just as much enjoyment as their larger brethren.

[@paulbryan1094]

Enjoy your trips out, particularly the Dartmoor sessions. Always challenging but hugely enjoyable.

[@wildfisher]

Excellent video Chris. Great tips, especially the last one. We all mess up and get frustrated and the more frustrated we get the more we mess up. No matter how long we have been fishing we are not immune to this. As you say, stop have a seat, take a break and that makes all the difference.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Cheers Fred, it was taking a friend of mine out this season that inspired the video. Watching his angling slowly go to pot over the session resulting in a final meltdown was an aha moment. He asked me on the way home how I had managed to catch so many ( it was a good day) while all he had to show was a few missed rises? Here I've tried to remember that conversation. No doubt some things have been missed but I think these are the main points.

[@richardjackson3939]

Well done Chris, another excellent film.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Cheers Richard, I was actually quite pleased with how this one turned out (although I'm sure I left some stuff out) . It's surprising what pours out once you forget about the camera, mind you it is my favourite subject ofcourse 🙂

[@mikehudson9083]

Another masterpiece Chris. I shall watch it again but, next time, with my mad keen fly fishing14-year old grandson.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Excellent Mike, it's the youngsters we need to get passionate about our pastime and demand we improve the state of our rivers. We are after all only borrowing them from his generation.

[@johnprice4297]

Life and perfection !

[@villagevillage2400]

Brilliant video, thanks for making it! Even for the few tips that I’m already vaguely aware of, it’s so useful to hear a suspicion confirmed by somebody knows what they are talking about! 👌👌

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Thanks for the kind comment, I'm sure I left a few things out, but hopefully, I got the main points across. It was taking a couple of beginners on this stretch that made me realise that the things I just took for granted after a number of years of this sort of fishing weren't obvious to everyone. If it's helped to reinforce your thinking, then that makes all the hours of editing worthwhile 👍

[@wills681]

Thanks, I enjoyed this Chris. Many years ago, like many others, I began trout fishing on stocked lakes where "bagging up" with obese rainbows was the aim. All well and good but I get so much more pleasure now immersing myself (literally) in an ancient spate river and (occasionally) picking out native trout which are comparatively tiny in size but as pretty as a picture to briefly observe before slipping them back into the water. For future videos I'd be interested in hearing your views (and the views of other commenters) on tackle for small spate rivers, brooks and streams (especially leaders, fly pattern and size, etc.) because every day should be a school day. Thanks again.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Many thanks Duncan, I decided to leave out any tackle talk because it's mostly personal choice and everyone will argue that their set up is best. I will have a go at a set up video next season and include that caveat! I did have a photographer friend of mine take some pictures of the flies I use and I keep forgetting to show them. It's gets a bit embarrassing when he keeps asking me why I haven't included them, must try harder! Perhaps I'll have a go at a tying video over the winter months but TBH theirs plenty of really great fly tiers on KZbin with pretty much any pattern you can think of.

[@ozmorsley]

Great tips Chris.......love this video because it's so very helpful and down to earth. Thank you !

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Many thanks, I would never pretend to be an "expert," but after many years of this sort of fishing, you oick up a few things.

[@Tjk186]

Really helpful video Chris from your real-world experience...thanks for sharing...very enjoyable

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Many thanks for the comment TK, if it helps someone with their fishing then I'll be more than happy.

[@fieldsman3307]

hi Chris, lovely video again as usual , do so wish I lived between Dartmoor and Exmoor to enjoy all of those pristine streams, for the last few days just been bagging 9in grays here and just one brown which was a bit over 1lb so lucky with that. Whether you catch or not doesn't matter ,its being there that matters and I have been lucky enough to see 3 or 4 kingfishers every time out and that is what it's all about. mike

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Very true Mike, I had a cracking view of a Kingfisher on the Yeo last time out. I always struggle to get them on film though, they're just so fast! I was lucky last year but have failed completely this season. I wish the Grayling fishing was better in our streams, they're are in the Exe and some do come into the Creedy but they are few and far between.

[@davewilkins9981]

Great video thanks !

[@talktomarky]

Brilliant video, even though I like to think I'm fairly experienced, this brought home a lot of mistakes I've been making, especially staying off the skyline. I really struggled yesterday on an exposed stretch whereas I'd done OK the previous on a shady tree-lined part of the Teign. It all makes sense - I was probably spooking them. Thanks again Chris and keep them coming!

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Many thanks Mark, how was the Teign? I know the Upper Teign has been difficult this season and for the first time I can remember it was actually closed for fishing. I dread to think just how many fish we scare without even knowing it. We'd probably all give up if we did! Sometimes you can get away with it if as you say the stream is heavily tree lined or the water is coloured but it's best to TRY and make some stealth a habit. Tight lines Chris

[@talktomarky]

@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 the Teign was good - it was a couple of days after that recent showery week, river was up but clear. I had a lovely peal in amongst the little brownies which gave me the run-around!

[@soultrader57fishingandmusi25]

Most informative, Chris, wise words for those accustomed to stocked lakes, in my experience fly pattern is much less important than stealth and concealment. On some of my pools I keep a rod length back from the bank. Truly addictive for us small stream, Brook, burn, beck whatever devotees👍👍

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Yes I find these days that fly pattern on these streams is more about will it float well and can I see the damn thing.

[@soultrader57fishingandmusi25]

@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 🤣

[@goldtremor]

Loving the video and the dialogue is briliant. I been down to dartmoor a number of times and never found any streams assessable that you seem to find at will. I fished the river dart near the big camping site looked amazing but very few fish in it. Not sure if you have a list of steams easily accessable ticket wise etc would be useful.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Thanks for watching, most of the fishing on Dartmoor is listed in the fishpass app. The East Dart at Postbridge is a nice section as is the West Dart near Wistmans Wood. The little stream I fish isn't listed and is mainly a dog walking and wild swimming area, it's debatable if I'm allowed to fish it but I've done it for 20+years now. The Lyn on Exmoor is another lovely stream. Unfortunately the fishing on Dartmoor isn't as good as it used to be, nobody seems to know why probably multiple reasons. I know some excellent anglers who have struggled in what seemed like ideal conditions and the online reports vary massively across the season.

[@richardulrych4236]

I almist exclusively fish small streams nowadays, and it is amazing how similar this stream is to Devil's Hole in PA. You might want to help beginners by commenting a bit on gear -- leaders, rod, and so on.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Hi Richard, great to hear from people across the pond 👍 I must admit I've had a few goes now at some tackle talk but it never seems to come out as I want it? Infact I've got a video sitting on the computer now with my dry fly setup, perhaps I'll post it but I still left things out that I wanted to say.

[@thetattooedangler]

If memory serves, the poet William Wordsworth was a keen, if unlucky angler. After many fruitless trips to the river, he decided that the fish must be able to see him, and that was why he never caught any. After a while, and several failed attempts at fooling them, he came up with the brilliant idea of disguising himself as a tree. He still never caught anything, but his friends would come and picnic at his feet.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

I do hope that's true, now where can I get a tree costume from😀😀

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

Great video, thanks. Only wish that my local river the Upper Cuckmere was in such a pristine state. Unfortunately heavy rains cause run off, some of our farmers manage the fields sympathetically, but do have some bad offenders, namely sweetcorn growers, where run off is bad. My bees have been flying today, spring not to far off. Best wishes to you.😀

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Alas our rivers are similar further down the catchment due to changes in farming practice and sewage pollution. The uplands are above any cso's and maize fields. How are your bees doing for stores? This cold to warm to cold mixed up weather has left some of our colonies a bit light and requiring fondant.

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

Ta Chris. Only have the two, one still has some of the block of fondant still on top, the other is a Payne's poly Nuc and I have added a bit of fondant. Both colonies bringing in pollen and both feel heavy so I think I will be ok.

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

We just need the weather to make up its mind, both for the bees and the fishing!!

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Gem of a creek! Maybe pretty good Tenkara water?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Oh yes, I think Tenkara would do very well here. Yet more kit to buy at some stage!

[@oreilly6365]

Thanks, great vid. Can you possibly recommend waders? I keep seeming to buy ones that last half a season.. ive heard they are all a bit hit and miss.. thanks again

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

Unfortunately you are right that they just don't last with this sort of fishing. I don't bother with the really expensive ones as barbed wire doesn't care how much you paid so maybe Simms and Patagonia etc.. are more robust? I generally go for the ones on offer, my current ones are Vision and Greys which I rotate depending on where I'm fishing ( this gives more time for them to dry out and means I'm not using waders on Dartmoor that have been in the Crediton rivers. I'm not sure how much of a bio hazard it would be but it makes me feel better and I don't have to fight my way in to wet waders). Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[@oreilly6365]

Its a good idea to have two pairs 👍

[@carlhughes9584]

The simple thing is that many anglers fail to grasp that they are hunting a wild animal. Also they fail on presentation.Lining and drag being the killers with dryfly. Actually, most of the time, fly pattern is not important and certainly not on a fast upland stream in the video where they will take most things if presented well. Yet on social media you will always see people ask ' What fly did you catch on ? ' 🙄

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

As always Jonathon we're singing from the same hymn sheet! Hence how I didn't really mention fly patterns, on these streams I'm choosing my flies by will it float and can I see it as my first criteria. The fish take most patterns if presented properly.

[@clement1181]

😬 ρяσмσѕм

[@Luke-Emmanuel]

that water is probably free of pollutants isn't it?

[@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724]

There is some farming on the Moor, but mostly sheep not arable. It's certainly above any major habitation, so no CSO's to worry about.